Holiday Ear Candy
Some More Dodgy Album Reviews
OOOOOOOOOKAY... Just back from hols with a few new shinies and a few new releases that were waiting when I got home. This selection is only slightly more metal, just to keep my promise from my mast selection of uninformed and rambling reviews from a month or so ago, but it's all good.
Rush - Snakes and Arrows Live
A document from the last tour recorded in Europe somewhere (Rotterdam) showcasing the whole set (minus the sounds of some of the great intro films). For a review of the show that they were doing, you could simply have a look at my live show review from last year and see what they played during the show.
I suppose the main question is "Do I need yet another Rush live album?" Essentially, I suppose not, but this set is worth getting for the hefty number of Snakes and Arrows songs on there which really did come alive in the live arena where the songs had extra live meat on them. Other than that, I suppose that Live in Rio is just as good a set with some common songs between them on there. You always know that Rush won't put a live foot wrong, so there's no point getting it to look for cock-ups or anything :)
In short, this is a great album, but maybe one just for completists?
Loreena McKennitt - Nights from the Alhambra
Oh man, oh man. I got this after walking into the shop in the Lakes (Action Replay) and recognising the voice that was on the shop speakers. I picked up the case, which was on display on the counter and ended up having a conversation with the bloke who approved of the fact that I was "in on the McKennitt thing". So I ended up buying the damn thing and then continuously listening to it all week.
The set comprises of a double live album and a DVD of the show. To be fair, watching the DVD beats listening to the album, mainly due to the fact that the film is just great. It looks tops and really atmospheric and sounds amazing. I can't wait to get the 5.1 back in the house to play it over that. Also, the DVD has all the 'tween song banter, which fills the show out and makes it more than a standard live compilation. This is a minor gripe though as the audio CD is great too and sounds just as lush.
The performance is flawless and really shows the work of a perfectionist. The voice never cracks and the backing band (including Percy's mate Nigel Eaton on Hurdy Gurdy) never put a foot wrong, even the rock and roll drummer (Mr Tal Bergman) keeps the performance tasteful. The choice of material is good, although the lack of The Highwayman is a shame, but that's no gripe.
So, if you like your music world-y and not just a little celtic, then this is for you. The missus was sold on it during the first few bars and we watched the DVD two or three times during the week we first had it, so we've been getting our money's worth. It's just great. Just great.
Loreena McKennitt - An Ancient Muse
So, it began... I've had this on MP3 for a while (cough) and saw it and got it. This album has much of the material from the Alhambra show, as it was the current album then (and now, actually) so the music is all there. To be fair, if you have Alhambra, you possibly don't need this as the live performances sound like the album versions, such is the state of the live band and show. But it is a worthy listen on it's own.
There is the usual mix of world sounds and the celtic lilt going on in this and the songs are all reassuringly lovely. I think that if you are familiar with McKennit, then you kinda know what you're going to get when you pick up an album, but that's not to say that it's TOO predictable or boring, there is always something of merit and something a little different on there.
So, a good buy, get it if you liked "...Alhambra", but maybe pick up a few of the other albums first.
Loreena McKennitt - A Winter Garden
Christmas songs done in McKennitt's own style. For me, Good King Wenceslas stands out for the top percussive accompaniment, but then again, it would, wouldn't it?!
Whitesnake - Good to be Bad
Where would the world be without David Coverdale? We would have been denied some of rock's better moments, that's for sure. Whether this album is one of those moments is hard to tell at the moment, but this album is a definate improvement over the last Whitesnake album ("Restless Heart", as I recall) of original material by far. That said, Coverdale is Whitesnake and Whitesnake is Coverdale, so it could be argued that this album is the follow-up to 2000's excellent "Into the Light" just as much as a follow-up to "Restless Heart". So, all this aside, is it any cop?
Yep.
There's a fair bit of fire in this album and Coverdale's voice sounds great over a band which is tight and powerful. The songs are all top notch with a variety of rockers and slower numbers which make the listening experience a satisfying one. Coverdale's confidence in his own work and talent shines through on this record and it's going to be a blast to hear some of this stuff played live on the forthcoming tour (end of June people, get the tickets now!) The sound of the album seems to draw in all the best parts of the man's previous work, but keeps it at the rockier end whereas "Into the Light" had room to move to more experimental pastures due to the lack of the Whitesnake name on the cover. I agree with the notion that this album probably feels more like a pre-1987 'Snake album, but with some of the post-1987 sheen and a smattering of the 1990s Coverdale experimentation, which means that this covers pretty much all of the bases for a Coverdale fan and essential addition to their collection.
Get it now... BABY! BABY! BAAAAAAYYYYYYBYYYYYYYY!
Stone Gods - Burn the Witch EP
So, the Justin-less Darkness return from the er... darkness with a lean and mean line-up and a bunch of four new songs ready to beat the world over the head with. Was it worth the wait? Does it sounds like The Darkness? Is it worth giving a fiver up for? These are things that the world needs to know.
For my money, I suppose it was worth the wait. The songs are all fairly rocking, although you can still play "Name That Riff" during the songs like you could on The Darkness albums. There's a fair smattering of Lizzy, Queen and even 'Tallica on there. They even come across a bit Smegadeth at some points, which was quite amusing. I suppose it does kind of sound like a heavy Darkness at some points, but that's no real surprise. The lack of Brother Hawkins' falsetto does allow the band to move away from the sound of old though.
Is it worth a fiver? Yeah. If you want to support an upcoming (again) band, then give them your fiver and get a copy. It's a good fun album which sounds good in the company of pals and a pint. And you can't say fairer than that!
Joshua Kadison - Painted Dessert Serenade
"One for the chicks" as they say. With his fluffy good looks, "sensitive guy" lyrics and easy-going sound, it's a wonder that Mr Kadison didn't reach the heights that his big song "Jessie" (presented here as song number one so you can turn off after it if you can't be bothered with the rest of the record), especially with the lay-deez.
Getting past all the fluffiness though, the songs on here are all breezy and pleasant enough. "If all you have heard is "Jessie", then that's really the pattern for the album. There is an amusing moment in the proceedings where Kadison sings about "When a Woman Cries" and it's almost a very under-handed tribute to Deep Purple when he hits the chorus on this bluesy number. There's nothing offensive on here and if you want to pop something on in the car or in the garden on a sunny summer's day to have on in the background, then you do do worse than this. Like the Karen Matheson album I talked about 43 years ago, this is the same: Just nice, but a bit boring on occasions.
Last Harbour - My Knowen Foe EP
An EP from one of Jay.Y.J.'s bands. On this he plays viola, mandolin, mandobird and bowed glockenspiel, as you do. This is stirring stuff as the three songs take the listener through a variety of moods in the music (mainly dark). The layering of instruments gives the music an almost epic feel with the strings adding texture and mood. Personally, I think I prefer JYJ in his Anna Kashfi mode as it seems more "him" to me and I prefer the vocals on those releases to the male lead on this, but this is all good stirring stuff. Of the three tracks presented here, I favour the final "Sinner".
Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
How you could fail to enjoy this piece of work is anyone's guess. It's got the two main songs you'd want from Mr Broad himself; Rebel Yell and Eyes Without a Face, which still sounds good after all these years. The mix of new wave snear and pop sheen still sounds good and Steve Stevens is the perfect foil for Idol.
Perry Farrell - Song Yet To Be Sung
So, I found this in a bargain bucket for a quid, or something like, so I took the chance on it. Jane's Addiction being the band they were (back in the day), I didn't expect anything totally crap, but I wasn't holding my breath for anything too earth-shattering. So, in goes the CD and out comes something that first reminded me of Madge's Ray of Light mixed with Farrell's Addiction stuff and some reggae influenced tuneage. Put it this way, I expected to put it on and turn it off within the first song, but the whole thing plays through pretty good and nicely engaging. There are plenty of songs which hit a groove and churn away all trance-like with Farrell's distinctive vocal delivery flying over the top of it. Most of the time, there is the feeling that you're listening to a Jane's Addiction album, but one without the heavier moments.
So, for a quid, this is not a bad buy at all and one which made it as far as the dethPod to be played again a few more times.
A - Teen Dance Ordinance
Opening with the flurry of "Rush Song" riffs, this albums blusters it's way through twelve tunes delivered in typical A ballsy fashion, which sort of reminds one of a heavier Feeder. Just like "Hi-Fi Serious" before it, this album is a great summer listen (I seem to have picked up quite a few of these lately) and a solid modern rock album full of well-written hard rock songs which all could have success as rock chart singles given half a chance. The performances are strong and powerful and it's just a fun album to blast, especially in the car. It all seems slightly harder than the previous album, but then again it's all engaging stuff and demands repeat plays. It's a while since I had the last album on. I must dig it out.
Ray Lamontagne - Till The Sun Turns Black
Another album from Mr Lamontagne and a worthy addition to any album collection which features Nick Drake or any album of cool tunes produced in the early seventies. Not to say that this is all derivative drivel, in fact far from it. This is top notch stuff.
The songs on here are slightly more laid back than the work on "Trouble" and have a great late night vibe to them. The man's voice is his most effective tool that he has to draw people in to the music and the music wraps itself nicely around it to presnt a cool album. Lovely.
Various Artists - English Folk Songs
"Gray, you'll be wearing cardigans and chunky jumpers next, you sad f**k." Yeah, I know... I'm buying National Trust compilation CDs now. What the hell is going on? Well, this particular compilation is a pretty damn good one with some good stuff on it. Focussing on modern artists, this CD has got Eliza Carthy on it, as well as a few of the other combos made up of members of the Carthy and Waterson clans. Bellowhead, Oysteband and Spears & Boden also feature with some very strong tracks. The songs are a mix of trad.arrs., original and covers, including a particularly lovely version of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" that just sounds great (and was one of the reasons I bought this). So sue me if you like, but this National Trust compilation CD of Folk music rocks my world, Mutha!
Within Temptation - The Silent Force
Yeah. Well. It's OK for the two quid I paid for it. Following the success of Evanescence's initial flurry and the scurrying around of record companies to find "gothy metal possibly nu with big female vocals" bands to cash-in, which managed to unearth a lot of bands who had been doing this thing for far longer than Amy Lee and friends (or not as the case may be), Within Temptation finally got their shot at the big time and have made a career of being the band who are nearly Nightwish. This album is OK, but the huge lead vocals kind of grate after a while and the lyrics are a bit "my life is dark" and "no one likes me", it's all a bit depressed sixth-former for me. That said, the music all sounds competant enough and plays well, the band sure know their stuff, but I'll stick to the copies that Brad gives me in the future and save my money for Lacuna Coil when they finally resurface.
The Magic Numbers - Those The Breaks
I've had this one for a while, courtesy of Marky-Boy, but saw it cheap and thought I'd pick it up. This album pretty much sounds like the one before it, but it's all good. The expected breezy harmonies and light arrangements are all here and the songs are all enjoyable. I think I prefer the first album to this one, but gems on here such as "Carl's Song" are hard not to like.
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© 2006 Graham T. Ebbrell