VARIOUS ARTISTS – Sin-Atra

Posted on by

PhotobucketOver the course of the 90s and 00s, the melodic rock and metal market has been swamped with metal tribute albums, often featuring a host of well known performers. Such releases are often workmanlike affairs with the featured artists never really making the most of their talents. Occasionally, you’ll find a surprisingly good one, as was the case with ‘Dragon Attack’, a metal tribute to Queen (something which really ought to have been awful, yet somehow retained a sense of fun and a great deal of charm).

‘Sin-atra’ – a metal tribute to Frank Sinatra, masterminded by ex-Kiss/Skull man Bob Kulick and Mr Big’s Billy Sheehan – didn’t sound like a very good idea on paper, and in reality, it still isn’t. Most of the performances take things into the realms of the ridiculous and while there are a lot of gifted vocalists featured, half of them have not survived the project with any dignity.

The tribute begins with perhaps Sinatra’s best known song, the ubiquitous ‘New York, New York’, left in the hands of the superbly talented and unique Devin Townsend. Over a juggernaut riff, Townsend adopts a really over the top metal voice – the kind you’ll find on the heavier parts of his ‘Infinity’ and ‘Ziltoid’ albums. In a powerful croon, he declares he’ll be “king of the hill, top of the heap, infinite overlord of all space and time…”. As expected, Townsend takes more of a lead than some of the other performers, with parts of his performance featuring his signature sound, multi-tracked guitars and keyboard drone. Equally cool, Mr Big’s Eric Martin gives ‘Lady Is a Tramp’ a decent send off with an arrangement which wouldn’t sound too out of place on his ‘Destroy All Monsters’ album from 2003. Martin’s voice has always been one of the best in melodic rock, and here is no exception. Following a decent staccato opening riff, things settle into a great melodic rock groove where chunky guitars meld well with a horn section, over which Martin delivers a vocal which fuses his rock and soul styles to great effect. He was right to approach this with a similar style he may have given one of his own numbers – in all, a very naturalistic and classy performance.

During ‘World on a String’, Doug (aka dUg) Pinnick croons in a deep tone, one almost unrecognisable as being the same man who sang on the King’s X classics ‘Gretchen Goes To Nebraska’ and ‘Faith Hope Love’. With a voice far lower than his 80s and 90s vocal style, he treats most of the number softly and respectfully, until midway, until Kulick and co just can’t hold it in any longer. The metal riffs don’t improve the track particularly, but they work better than the parpy horn section. Ex-Warrant man Jani Lane (a stalwart of tribute albums) makes a reasonable effort with ‘That’s Life’ – augmented by Winger/Whitesnake man Reb Beach on guitar and a predictable female backing harmony. Truthfully though, David Lee Roth’s similar version of the song (featured on his 1986 album ‘Eat ’Em and Smile’) will always be its definite rock cover.

Queensryche’s Geoff Tate lends his instantly recognisable style to ‘Summerwind’, and miraculously, the house band (featuring Kulick, Sheehan, Velvet Chain’s Brett Chassen and orchestral arranger Doug Katsaros) lend the track an almost sympathetic arrangement. A couple of Kulick’s riffs hit the mark and Katsaros’s orchestration is the album’s best. Tate attacks the number like a total professional, but even so, it’s only really worth checking out if you’re a die-hard fan. Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider’s vocals on ‘It Was a Very Good Year’ are fantastic and Katsaros’s strings are suitably arranged, but the chugging riff which brings the two together isn’t that interesting. At times sounding like a poor approximation of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Kashmir’ played by ham-fisted rockers. It also would have benefitted from being slightly shorter – by the time it starts to fade out at the five minute mark, it’s already started to sound a little dull.

The rest of ‘Sin-atra’ is simply awful. The remaining numbers are very poorly realised, even nearing desperation at times. Over a chuggy riff augmented by John Barry-esque horns, Anthrax’s Joey Belladonna struggles to croon his way through ‘Strangers In The Night’, absolutely murdering it in the process. The chosen vocal style really doesn’t suit him and it results in embarrassment for all concerned. Similarly, Glenn Hughes wails and squeals his way through ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ in a painful manner, not helped by an average musical arrangement. ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ suffers the same fate once it’s been strangulated by Robin Zander – hard to believe that such an ugly performance could be the work of the same voice from Cheap Trick’s ‘In Color’, one of the greatest power pop releases ever. If he’d sounded like this back in the mid 70s, he would never have got a foot through the door of the Budokan, let alone contributed to a world famous live album. His vocal style just isn’t meant for the heavy metal style the song has been given though, so it’s a little unfair to lay the blame squarely upon him.

Still, none of those bad tracks are anywhere near as nasty as ‘Love and Marriage’ – delivered at full pelt in a growly voice by Nonpoint’s Elias Soriano, over a 80s thrash metal riff augmented by a brass section. It was a terrible song anyway, and it really isn’t improved by the heavy handed treatment it gets here. Bob Kulick throws in a rudimentary solo, but chances are, by that point in the song, you’ll have had the sense to push the stop button. The man from Nonpoint gets nul points. An incredibly unsubtle take on ‘High Hopes’ featuring Scars on Broadway guitarist Franky Perez suffers a similarly embarrassing fate…

Yes, a lot of this release really is that bad. Possibly as misjudged as ‘Metal Zeppelin’ – a heavy metal “tribute” to Led Zeppelin from 2002, featuring lots of second division European metal bands…and Blaze Bayley. It was a mistake to try and make Sinatra’s tunes fit the metal mould while retaining a swing/crooning style to most of the vocal performances – it just doesn’t work. You have to wonder what everyone was thinking when they signed up for this project… At least Devin Townsend had the smarts to realise this was rather silly and played it up for all of its absurdness.

None of the tracks here represent worthy additions to the performers respective back-catalogues. Even the completists among you will possibly baulk at most of these performances. You could approach ‘Sin-atra’ as a bit of fun, but most of it is so heavy handed it makes difficult listening. Eric Martin’s contribution is worth downloading (and even Townsend’s piece of over-the-top theatrical silliness too if you’re that way inclined), but otherwise, this is an album you could definitely live without.

May 2010

THE BLACK STOUT – Voices Of Generation EP

Posted on by

PhotobucketOften sounding like a cross between The Lawrence Arms and Rancid, the Paris-based punk/punk n’ roll band The Black Stout arrive in size ten boots with a message. “We will kick your backside/since nobody did before us” shouts lead vocalist Vaness’ over the chorus of the opening number ‘Voices of Generation’, in a husky, drawling voice, influenced in places by Brody Dalle. She may have a point, since although France has spawned its share of punk bands over the years, few have made a significant breakthrough outside of their home country.

Across the three minutes of that opening number, the riffs have a classic pop-punk sound and the playing is tight; to reinforce the punk ‘n’ roll aspect of the band’s sound, on lead guitar, Dam offers a twangy, old school solo, with a few ugly notes for good measure. For those who want something in the straight up punk vein, ‘Prince Charming’s an Asshole’ is spiteful, fast and angry. The riffs in places sound like a meatier variant of the Adrenalin OD inspired material from the early Screeching Weasel discs. The jagged guitars and shout along chorus pack plenty of energy into just over three minutes during a number which barely takes time to breathe. Equally as good, possibly better, ‘Tell Us’ recycles the kind of punk-pop riffs and posturing you’ve heard from various Lookout! Records and Fat Wreck Chords album releases time and again. Vaness’s Brody Dalle-isms are at their most obvious here and with the shouty gang vocals on the chorus add to its style of “early Distillers cast-off”, but a simple, memorable hook and sheer energy and conviction behind the performance gives the track a great feel.

The best number, ‘Workers Mad Game’, has a slightly slower pace. Less punk, slightly more punk ‘n’ roll with a hint of rock, musically the band are at their strongest here, especially AL1’s rattling, high in the mix bass playing which provides a rock solid sound; a sound especially effective during the intro when set against Flo’s staccato guitar work. There’s a hint of the Parasites to be heard in places too. The only time The Black Stout miss the mark is on the retro rock number ‘Celebrate’, which is just a little too slow and shiny to make the best of Vaness’s ragged vocal style. The ringing guitars are pleasant enough and, once again, the backing vocals on the chorus provide something well rounded, but even so, it’s the kind of feel-good alt-rock track you’ll have heard performed better by a lot of other bands. Is it a skipper, though? Probably not.

On this EP, the song-writing is solid, the choruses are big, the production values are sharp and the riffs are sharper. The accented vocals can be a little hard to decipher in places, but not enough to stop The Black Stout’s debut being an enjoyable listen. Sure, you may have heard it all before, but that’s no reason not to check them out. Punk rock by numbers this may be, but The Black Stout’s enthusiasm, talent and self-belief really shines through.

You can listen or download the EP from the widget below.

April 2011

MARK BACINO – Queens English

Posted on by

bacinoMark Bacino’s first two albums, ‘Pop Job: The Long Player’ and ‘Million Dollar Milkshake’ are fantastic records. Simple as that. Both releases are chock-full of infectious hooks which stick in the head for days. ‘Million Dollar Milkshake’ could possibly be one of the greatest ever power pop albums ever.

Bacino’s third release, 2010’s ‘Queens English’, presents somewhat of a departure from his earlier bubblegum/power pop sound, presenting him in more of a singer-songwriter guise. It’s not as easy to get into as his first two albums and doesn’t always have such a feel-good quality, but its real life vignettes are more than endearing. ‘Queens English’ is named after the New York borough of Queens and the spirit of New York runs through each of the album’s tracks in the same way a seaside towns name runs through a stick of rock. But while Bacino’s other albums have a rock-candy sweetness, ‘Queens English’, is a mixture of sassiness and introspection. Sure, there are a few moments of his usual infectious pop, but it’s a record which definitely sees him branching out.

For fans of Bacino’s straight up power pop sound, ‘Muffin In The Oven’ and ‘Angeline & The Bensonhurst Boy’ do not disappoint. ‘Muffin’ – a song about being excited/nervous about a pregnancy – comes across as a mix of Jellyfish playing Billy Joel. Ron Zabrocki’s electric guitar leads are nicely played – in fact the whole track is impeccably arranged – but the greatest elements come from the meted horns, mellophone sounds and a simple ‘do do do’ hook – the kind Bacino knows will get in your head. ‘Angeline’ makes great use of horns once again, while the upbeat arrangement really captures a great mood, while Bacino himself delivers a confident, breezy vocal performance.

In a style never present in Bacino’s previous work, ‘Bridge and Tunnel’ has a slow sureness, with an upright bass marking time over a classy string arrangement. Bacino’s vocal is clear as he delivers his ode to the outer boroughs of New York – Brookyn, Staten Island, Bronx and Queens, where “the butt of all the jokes are the wheel and spokes of the city”. The New York quality of this song is so strong, it’s impossible to avoid. Had Randy Newman written it, it would be destined for a movie (either a montage or end credit placement, it really doesn’t matter). The same could be said for ‘Happy’, which sounds like a Randy Newman composition for children. On the surface, its shiny optimism is charming and works well thanks to great use of piano and Franch horn, but as with much Randy Newman-esque stuff, there’s a sarcastic streak below the surface. A similar rumpty-tumpty approach sits at the heart of ‘Who Are Yous?’ where Bacino delivers a similarly simple tune and hook…but then, who said great tunes had to be complex?

‘Queens English’ also features a couple of very personal moments where Bacino recounts moments with his young son. ‘Camp Elmo’, telling a tale of life-changing events a new baby brings, utilises a similar piano simplicity as heard on ‘Happy’ and could be seen as a little twee; however, ‘Ballad of M & LJ’ – a pure celebration of being a father – is far stronger, particularly in the cheekiness of its lyrics, especially the suggestion that Mark and Lee Joseph “might eat three ice cream cones and listen to The Kinks when mommy’s not home”. The work of Ray Davies, a small child + a giant sugar rush…sounds like a fun day.
To balance out the more personal, softer aspects of the album, the title track presents Bacino in a rockier mood than ever before. A tough power pop guitar riff drives the number, while the simple hook of “speakin’ the Queens, speakin’ the Queens” is one of the album’s most instant and direct. The seventies edge of the riff has an almost glam rock feel and a rock ‘n’ roll piano thrown into the mix just adds to the general frivolity. At just under two minutes, it makes its exit almost as quickly as it arrived.

While ‘Queens English’ often retains Bacino’s gift for penning two and three minute gems which never labour their point, it’s not as instantly gratifying as ‘Pop Job…The Long Player’ or ‘The Million Dollar Milkshake’. Stylistically, it shows Bacino maturing as a songwriter and it’s only after repeated spins that its semi-autobiographical nature provides a very rewarding listen. Stick with it – you won’t be disappointed.

www.markbacino.com
www.dreamcrushmusic.com

April 2011

8IN8 – Nighty Night

Posted on by

palmer folds gaiman kushianBilled as ‘Tomorrow’s supergroup today’, 8in8 is an impromptu project spearheaded by sometime Dresden Dolls frontwoman Amanda Palmer. Palmer’s dark cabaret works can sometimes be an acquired taste, but amongst the sharp edges and quirkiness, she often demonstrates a fun side. This was never more obvious than on her 2010 EP ‘Amanda Palmer Plays the Popular Hits of Radiohead on Her Magical Ukulele’, which (aside from an occasional appearance of a broken piano) does exactly what it says on the tin. Her work on 8in8’s ‘Nighty Night’ has none of the novelty factor of that EP – nor does it feature a ukulele – and Palmer herself does not appear as harsh or challenging here as perhaps she once did.

Also appearing as part of the project are the legendary Ben Folds (who previously made extensive appearances on 2008’s ‘Who Killed Amanda Palmer’), OK GO frontman Damian Kulash and writer Neil Gaiman, who also has the distinction of being Amanda Palmer’s husband. According to Palmer’s online blog, it was Gaiman who contributed the lion’s share of the lyrics to this project.

For Ben Folds fans, ‘Twelve Line Song’ is the EPs essential track, as aside from a backing vocal from Palmer, musically, it could easily be a demo of an unreleased Folds number. His bouncy piano work is augmented by a marching drum (also played by Folds), over which his vocals are sparky. In all, despite the unpolished nature, it’s a track which could be better than most of the material from Folds’s disappointing ‘Way To Normal’. As it pulls to a close, the dominant drums and piano line shuffle along with just Palmer’s ‘do do do’ refrain for company. As it ends, if you’re a Folds fan yourself, you’ll undoubtedly want more. If your listening preferences favour Amanda Palmer, ‘I’ll Be My Mirror’ pushes her distinctive vocal upfront on a number which features an even more dominant drum line. The lyrics are hard, concerning a homeless asian woman shouting at her own reflection; a lyric which offers the suggestion that one day it could be any one of us. Palmer’s slightly harsh voice is given suitable accompaniment from crashing guitar chords from Damian Kulash and as far as straighter rock vibes are concerned, it’s one of the EP’s best offerings.

The rest of ‘Nighty Night’ is decent, though not quite in the same league as those numbers. ‘One Tiny Thing’ features Kulash’s lead vocal weaved around a very seventies inspired stomp and handclap arrangement. It doesn’t really deviate from its opening groove and after a few listens becomes rather ordinary. ‘Nikola Tesla’ features stabbed piano and a harsh, Lene Lovich style vocal from Palmer. Augmented by Ben Folds on drums and a warm bass line from Kulash, it grabs the attention but is certainly a number for Palmer fans only. This is balanced out by the soft ‘Because The Origami’, a gentle piano duet between Palmer and Folds, whose voices blend rather well. Palmer’s solo voice retains a few ragged edges, but Folds’s piano line remains sympathetic throughout. Closing the EP, ‘The Problem With Saints’ finds Neil Gaiman stepping up the microphone to deliver a very music hall style vocal in a slightly flat, yet charming tone. It shouldn’t work, but is given a lift by Folds’s stabbing piano work, giving way to a almost silent movie esque solo in the centre. It’s certainly a memorable way to end an already quirky release.

This six song EP is the result of a plan to write and record eight songs in eight hours as a benefit for the Berklee College of Music in Boston. The fact that it was recorded almost off-the-cuff really shows, as the tracks featured have a great in the studio sound. Although some tracks are better than others, it’s a marvel they all turned out as well as they have, given there was little time for quality control. ‘Nighty Night’ is an unmissable and rather unexpected rough diamond.

You can stream or download the EP from the widget below.

May 2010

DUFF McKAGAN’S LOADED – The Taking

Posted on by

duffThe previous album by Duff McKagan’s Loaded, 2009’s ‘Sick’, was a partly enjoyable romp through a selection of trashy hard rock numbers. However, it was one of those albums which could be easily forgotten once the tunes ended. It was very much a case of enjoyable, yet ultimately, inessential listening. Duff McKagan never pretended to release thought-provoking music, but even so, a little more groove and a couple of heavier riffs might not have gone amiss. 2011’s offering, ‘The Taking’ – proposed to be the soundtrack for a ‘Slade In Flame’ and ‘Hard Day’s Night’ style film featuring the band – certainly has a much darker edge on a few numbers.

The darker approach can be heard on the opening track, ‘Lords of Abbadon’. Mike Squires delivers a grinding guitar riff, which in part, resembles some of Jon Hudson’s work on Faith No More’s swansong ‘Album of the Year’ (particularly ‘Naked In Front of The Computer’). This is joined by a solid drum part from Isaac Carpenter. Duff’s vocals are of their usual raggedy style, but are rounded out by some decent backing on a more upbeat chorus, which is incidentally one of the album’s best (for that, read one of only a few memorable ones). There are a few twin guitar moments thrown into the mix which work well and Squires’s featured solo is also great, making full use of effects pedals. The slightly threatening vibe carries through to the following number, ‘Executioner’s Song’ which crashes in with a suitably weighty riff. It has a slow pace resembling many stoner rock grooves, though without the fuzzy bottom end. Over the almost monolithic chug, McKagan stretches his vocal to his limit. The band are in great form, with Carpenter’s drum sound, once again, being particularly pleasing. ‘Your Name’ is the greatest of the harder numbers, with Mike Squires’s down-tuned riffs creating a suitably menacing atmosphere during the opening. McKagan’s vocal is sneering, which combined with the riffs would have made a decent track, but Loaded up the ante for a mid section, where Jeff Rouse plays a few great bass fills and Squires offers a fantastic old school melodic metal guitar solo.

For the rest of the album, Loaded revert to the kind of trashy hard rock which they’ve delivered previously. ‘Dead Skin’ is an upbeat hard rock number which shifts the focus away big riffs and delivers a great, upbeat vocal performance from McKagan. McKagan’s rhythm guitars are far more evident throughout, with Squires taking a step back. Similarly, ‘Indian Summer’ finds a space neatly in the hard rock pigeon hole, with slightly distorted rhythm guitars against a punchy, yet simple drum pattern. Some solid backing vocals flesh out a chorus which, after a few spins, proves to be a definite highlight. ‘King of The World’ features some solid bass work, a meaty hard rock riff and another decent-ish chorus. It’s not quite in the same league as ‘Indian Summer’, but a good performance nevertheless.

‘Cocaine’ shifts sideways from trashy hard rock, bringing in a slightly bluesy element via Squires’s vibrato filled lead work. On this kind of swaggering material, McKagan’s sometimes limited vocal style sounds far more at ease. For those who wish the blues tint had been played up a little more, the album closes with an acoustic reworking. On the acoustic version of ‘Cocaine’, Loaded fully embrace a bar room blues groove, with Squires’s lead work adding a few nice lines (no pun intended).

‘Wrecking Ball’ sounds, at first, like it may bring the listener something as good as ‘Indian Summer’ and ‘King of The World’, but aside from a good bass line and another of McKagan’s better vocals, it falls a bit flat. A better chorus certainly would have helped. Although it’s not great, it’s miles better than ‘Follow Me To Hell’, which marries a dirgy riff with a really bad vocal. It makes the sleazy moments of Loaded’s previous album sound like polished, meaningful rock music. The ugly riff could have scraped by (even if it couldn’t quite muster an enjoyable quality), but there’s something about McKagan’s vocal which pushes the ugliness a little too far.

If it’s riffs you’re after, parts of ‘The Taking’ present Duff and co at the top of their game. Riffs aren’t always enough to get by though, and there are times when Loaded could really benefit from better hooks. Like Loaded’s previous works, ‘The Taking’ is not always a consistent album, but the good parts certainly outnumber the bad…and even with their faults, this is a band which still manages to sound more vibrant and enjoyable than Velvet Revolver.

April 2011