A day before the Mitchell report comes out, Baltimore finally gets rid off their unhappy slugger Miguel Tejada and trades him to the Houston Astros for five little known players. Hmm. Is it just a coincidence? Or do the Orioles want to start the 2008 season with a clean slate, knowing that some of their players will inevitably be named in former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell's long-awaited "Steroids" Report, which is due out Thursday?
True, a current Oriole may still be in the report, including Jay Gibbons, but the disclosure of his name wouldn't carry the weight of disappointment or outrage the way a star player's name like Tejada's would.
But this Orioles-Astros trade seems rushed and at the moment, unproductive for Baltimore as they got no big name players in return: "...outfielder Luke Scott, pitchers Matt Albers, Troy Patton and Dennis Sarfate, and third baseman Michael Costanzo." Do any of these names sound familiar to you? Me neither. Luke Scott is the only somewhat recognizable name since he played in 132 games last year. But in 2007, his third season, his numbers and production thus far in his career makes him comparable to a young Coco Crisp, who is also on the trading block. And even if some of these other players develop rather quickly into everyday major league players, you have to wonder why both teams made this trade in this manner at this time.
The Minnesota Twins have been busy trying to trade their unhappy franchise pitcher Johan Santana for major league-ready talent from teams such as the Red Sox, Mets and perhaps that other New York team for weeks now. That's a smart goal and business move; you lose a franchise player like Santana and then try to get potential franchise centerfielders like Jacoby Ellsbury or veterans like Coco Crisp and a young lefty such as Jon Lester - all of whom contributed to a World Series championship two months ago - in return.
But for Baltimore's president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail to accept a bunch of mostly unproven talent while trading away Tejada just doesn't sound like a smart business move and that he got the most value for him that he possibly could. True, Tejada is 31-years-old now and his numbers are down from his incredible 2004 season where he knocked in 150 runners and was injured for the first time in his career in 2007, thereby possibly weakening his trade value.
Call it pure speculation, but maybe there was something else to this trade. Tejada's numbers have been in steady decline since 2005, which is around the time when MLB got tougher on steroid/illegal drug penalties. Remember, both illegal drug users Rafael Palmeiro (in 2005) and Jason Grimsley (in 2006) accused or named Miguel Tejada as basically being one of them, even though Tejada's name was later absolved of any blame for Palmeiro's failed steroid test. So don't be surprised if Miguel Tejada's name turns up in Mitchell's report tomorrow. And don't be surprised if Baltimore then gets accused of hurrying him out of town before any possible outcry of "get the cheater out of here" could start around town.
Even if he isn't one of the 60-80 current or former MLB players that turn up in the Mitchell report, this kind of trade is still questionable. Why would the Astros, who finished 2007 with a lousy record (73-89) be so willing to give up 5 young players to Baltimore if they were really that good? My feeling is, they got the better end of the deal and was more than willing to take one of the better shortstops in the game - even if his numbers have declined - and hand Baltimore 5 mid-to-upper level prospects and barely seasoned players. Call MacPhail a sucker, a desperate front office guy...or if I turn out to be wrong and these prospects turn to gold, a freaking genius.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Music Review: Dub Trio - Cool Out And Coexist
New York-based instrumental metal and dub band Dub Trio have captured all the strengths of their sophisticated sound with the release of their third - and first live - album, Cool Out And Coexist (ROIR Records).
This highly respected and in-demand three-man band is made up of DP Holmes on guitar/keys, Stu Brooks on bass/keys, and Joe Tomino on the skins/percussion. Since they came on the scene in 2004 with their debut full-length Exploring The Dangers Of, Dub Trio has shared the stage or recorded with some of the biggest pop and hip-hop stars in the world. Such big names include The Fugees, 50 Cent, Mos Def, Mobb Deep, Bo Rice and Soulive.
But that's not all. Over the last year or so, they opened for hard rock heavyweights Clutch, Bad Brains during CBGB's closing week, Skindred, and more recently for fellow New York metal band Helmet. The trio also shared the stage with The Wailers, Meat Beat Manifesto, Yellowman, Cat Empire, and Prefuse 73 in recent years. In 2006, they recorded the song "Not Alone" with Mike Patton (Faith No More) for their sophomore record New Heavy and Patton's own Peeping Tom project.
So how did an instrumental group that is still pretty much under the radar get to play with such a diverse group of big name artists in a short period of time? Luck, connections and word of mouth all sound like plausible explanations. However, what you really have to do is experience their live show - I did in March - and you'll get a true sense of just how buzzworthy these guys are.
Recorded February 19th and 20th, 2007 at the Union Pool in Brooklyn, NY, COAC has the sound quality of a studio album - audience applause is kept to a minimum volume - but captures all the action and intensity of a DT live show.
For a three-man band, Dub Trio's sound is massive. Holmes's crunchy, sometimes noisy guitars and digitally delayed roots reggae riddims are out of this world; Brooks's bass lines are deep and heavy as f*ck and Tomino's drumming is a dynamic mix of explosive metal insanity and trippy, effects-laden percussion. In other words, it's dub-tastic.
Dub Trio's work is so versatile that it has been compared to the likes of Bad Brains, Helmet, Sly & Robbie, and King Tubby (the late dub master who is also credited as one of the pioneers of the "remix"). It's a palette drawn from familiar genres many of you grew up with. Mixing everything from metal, jazz, noise, punk, dub, roots reggae and electronica, DT is the United Nations of underground music, only it doesn't need to be reformed or strengthened as a body. The band is in fine form, as is.
The title track, with its rapid-fire drum attack starts like your typical modern day metal ditty, but then everything changes in an instant, with Brooks's bass taking over the lead melody for the dub section, followed by ambient-sounding guitar work by Holmes. The epic, six-minute collage then ends with some serious thrash metal (just the way you imagined it).
"One Man Tag Crew" is a furious mishmash of dub and Bad Brains-ish punk - call it "dunk" (ok, maybe not). Elsewhere, for spacious tracks like "Casting Out The Nines," picture Sigur Ros with a dub rhythm section.
"Drive By Dub" is one of the most pure dub/reggae tracks on the record, and it is also the quietest, with a somber melodica solo midway through, courtesy of drummer Joe Tomino. Of course, coming right after the considerably rowdier "Jack Bauer," the track's contrast is apparent and at the more than halfway point of the disc, considered a breather, a chill tune.
If you're still wondering how much of it is hard rock and how much is dub, it is more rock than dub. However, the blending of different styles of music, the unpredictability of how and when Dub Trio jumps from one genre to the other and back again is an exciting, mind-blowing listening experience.
Overall, Cool Out And Coexist is hands down one of the coolest albums of 2007 and should make any true music lover's year-end list. If you think you've found and listened to all the good music there is in 2007, think again. This live CD might just be the most exciting 47 minutes you've heard in a long while. It is highly recommended.
For more info on Dub Trio, go to ROIR-USA.com, Spectrummusic.net or their Myspace page.
Note: Cross-posted today at Blogcritics.org
This highly respected and in-demand three-man band is made up of DP Holmes on guitar/keys, Stu Brooks on bass/keys, and Joe Tomino on the skins/percussion. Since they came on the scene in 2004 with their debut full-length Exploring The Dangers Of, Dub Trio has shared the stage or recorded with some of the biggest pop and hip-hop stars in the world. Such big names include The Fugees, 50 Cent, Mos Def, Mobb Deep, Bo Rice and Soulive.
But that's not all. Over the last year or so, they opened for hard rock heavyweights Clutch, Bad Brains during CBGB's closing week, Skindred, and more recently for fellow New York metal band Helmet. The trio also shared the stage with The Wailers, Meat Beat Manifesto, Yellowman, Cat Empire, and Prefuse 73 in recent years. In 2006, they recorded the song "Not Alone" with Mike Patton (Faith No More) for their sophomore record New Heavy and Patton's own Peeping Tom project.
So how did an instrumental group that is still pretty much under the radar get to play with such a diverse group of big name artists in a short period of time? Luck, connections and word of mouth all sound like plausible explanations. However, what you really have to do is experience their live show - I did in March - and you'll get a true sense of just how buzzworthy these guys are.
Recorded February 19th and 20th, 2007 at the Union Pool in Brooklyn, NY, COAC has the sound quality of a studio album - audience applause is kept to a minimum volume - but captures all the action and intensity of a DT live show.
For a three-man band, Dub Trio's sound is massive. Holmes's crunchy, sometimes noisy guitars and digitally delayed roots reggae riddims are out of this world; Brooks's bass lines are deep and heavy as f*ck and Tomino's drumming is a dynamic mix of explosive metal insanity and trippy, effects-laden percussion. In other words, it's dub-tastic.
Dub Trio's work is so versatile that it has been compared to the likes of Bad Brains, Helmet, Sly & Robbie, and King Tubby (the late dub master who is also credited as one of the pioneers of the "remix"). It's a palette drawn from familiar genres many of you grew up with. Mixing everything from metal, jazz, noise, punk, dub, roots reggae and electronica, DT is the United Nations of underground music, only it doesn't need to be reformed or strengthened as a body. The band is in fine form, as is.
The title track, with its rapid-fire drum attack starts like your typical modern day metal ditty, but then everything changes in an instant, with Brooks's bass taking over the lead melody for the dub section, followed by ambient-sounding guitar work by Holmes. The epic, six-minute collage then ends with some serious thrash metal (just the way you imagined it).
"One Man Tag Crew" is a furious mishmash of dub and Bad Brains-ish punk - call it "dunk" (ok, maybe not). Elsewhere, for spacious tracks like "Casting Out The Nines," picture Sigur Ros with a dub rhythm section.
"Drive By Dub" is one of the most pure dub/reggae tracks on the record, and it is also the quietest, with a somber melodica solo midway through, courtesy of drummer Joe Tomino. Of course, coming right after the considerably rowdier "Jack Bauer," the track's contrast is apparent and at the more than halfway point of the disc, considered a breather, a chill tune.
If you're still wondering how much of it is hard rock and how much is dub, it is more rock than dub. However, the blending of different styles of music, the unpredictability of how and when Dub Trio jumps from one genre to the other and back again is an exciting, mind-blowing listening experience.
Overall, Cool Out And Coexist is hands down one of the coolest albums of 2007 and should make any true music lover's year-end list. If you think you've found and listened to all the good music there is in 2007, think again. This live CD might just be the most exciting 47 minutes you've heard in a long while. It is highly recommended.
For more info on Dub Trio, go to ROIR-USA.com, Spectrummusic.net or their Myspace page.
Note: Cross-posted today at Blogcritics.org
Music CD/DVD Review: R.E.M. - Live
Note: First published on Blogcritics.org 12/1/07
R.E.M.'s Live (Warner Bros.) is no ordinary concert release. The band has made a concerted effort to reach out to its fan base, as it re-launched the R.E.M. Dublin website as part two of its promotion of the live compilation, which is based on two shows taped from Dublin in 2005. This version lets you watch song clips, a live trailer of the DVD portion, see band photos, and click on a link to an archived original version of the site, where you can watch R.E.M.'s five-night "working rehearsals" at Olympia Theatre and read reviews or blog about them yourself.
The Athens, Georgia-based group is still in Dublin as we speak, putting the finishing touches on what will be their 14th studio album when it's released next year.
As for the release itself, if you just put your blinders on and listen to the music, it is pretty great, especially for a band that's been around for over twenty-five years and was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But where there are strengths, there are also weakness.
First, the complaints: I can understand R.E.M.'s effort to make the three-disc compilation (which hit stores in mid-October) both affordable and worth every dollar. The band chose to combine highlights from its February 26, 2005 and February 27, 2005 shows from the Point Depot in Dublin into one release. However, having one of those audio discs containing only five songs is dumbfounding.
Why not split the twenty-two tracks into two eleven-track discs? Or better yet, why not make the most of the second CD by including at least one version of every song played at the two Dublin shows? Songs played but missing from this compilation include "Seven Chinese Brothers," "These Days," and "Electrolite." Most fans wouldn't have a problem with those songs being included here, unless the live versions of those and other missing tracks were so bad that the band didn't want anybody to hear them ever again.
That issue aside, the sound and production of both discs is of the highest caliber. If you didn't know or care to know any better, this sequence of twenty-two songs sounds and feels like a full show, and you might as well enjoy it as such, since R.E.M. was in top and spirited form in Ireland.
A pleasantly surprising and steady rocker from the Monster disc, "I Took Your Name" started the R.E.M. Live experience off on the right foot. "So Fast, So Numb," a rather obscure track from New Adventures in Hi-Fi soon followed. Elsewhere in the set, the audience dug Peter Buck's note-for-note perfect rendition of favorites like "Losing My Religion" and clapped in rhythm for "Drive," during which Stipe added "Bushwhacked" to the lyrics. [Don't act surprised, given Stipe's past political preferences.]
As far as band energy and dynamics are concerned, the guitars were nice and loud when warranted (ex. "Orange Crush," "One I Love") and the strings/keys were warm and cuddly when needed (ex. "Everybody Hurts," "Losing My Religion").
Bassist Mike Mills, a true pro who almost always sings in tune - as opposed to the occasional off-key yelps by Stipe - shined on several cuts and even sported a cowboy hat to sing lead vocals on the beloved early '80s fav "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville". Daniel Ryan of The Thrills made a guest appearance on guitar/back-up vocals for that performance, while Stipe took a rare turn on back-up vocals as well.
Back to the DVD side of things, the blurry visuals that came in and out of focus on "Boy In The Well" - a song from 2004's Around The Sun CD - were very cool, particularly during the melodic solo by supporting musician Ken Stringfellow (Posies, Big Star, Lagwagon). The many multiple screens at the venue that focused on each band member and their instrument were another plus - musicians (such as myself) no doubt appreciated that. The DVD viewer however, doesn't see enough of these sustained instrumental frames or close-ups; there are far more shots of Stipe and his stage antics by comparison.
Speaking of camera work, the frequent and rapid changes in visual effects and colors, as well as the unsteadiness of some of the shots can be a distraction and amounts to overproduction by video director Blue Leach (whose credits also include Depeche Mode). This DVD is supposed to be about the band first and foremost after all, not about displaying all the cutting edge visual effects one can muster into one production.
I'm not saying that was Leach's intention here, but at times it felt like there were 100 different digital video flashes per minute and that his cameras had A.D.D. The whole point of videotaping is to capture the action wherever it is, right? At several points, the focus seemed based more on imagery than on the action on stage.
Back to the pluses of the show: the Mills-lead "Cuyahoga" still rules in all its jangle rock glory, and "What's The Frequency, Kenneth," though missing Buck's signature tremolo effect otherwise features a much better guitar solo than on record. And for those wondering about new material from R.E.M., one brand new, albeit short song made it onto the release, "I'm Gonna DJ." Stipe's it's-the-end-of-the-world-themed lyrics are kind of corny, but the song rocks.
My verdict: Though the band has had a few other DVD releases over the years (see Amazon list below), Live is R.E.M.'s first ever CD/DVD live concert combo, and though it has its flaws, you won't regret buying it. When the music is this good, any complaints about production, packaging, or track exclusions seems minor by comparison.
The only advice I have for you regarding this release is that if your eyes start to hurt or get annoyed by all the visual craziness, just look away for brief moments at a time until the cameras return to steadier, more visually sane angles. Don't let these distractions ruin your overall enjoyment of the work of this legendary rock band. If all you care about is the music, you'll get your moneys worth.
The Live trailer can be seen on You Tube.
Better yet, watch "I Took Your Name" and "Bad Day" in full before you purchase the CD/DVD.
For more info on R.E.M., visit their main website.
R.E.M.'s Live (Warner Bros.) is no ordinary concert release. The band has made a concerted effort to reach out to its fan base, as it re-launched the R.E.M. Dublin website as part two of its promotion of the live compilation, which is based on two shows taped from Dublin in 2005. This version lets you watch song clips, a live trailer of the DVD portion, see band photos, and click on a link to an archived original version of the site, where you can watch R.E.M.'s five-night "working rehearsals" at Olympia Theatre and read reviews or blog about them yourself.
The Athens, Georgia-based group is still in Dublin as we speak, putting the finishing touches on what will be their 14th studio album when it's released next year.
As for the release itself, if you just put your blinders on and listen to the music, it is pretty great, especially for a band that's been around for over twenty-five years and was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But where there are strengths, there are also weakness.
First, the complaints: I can understand R.E.M.'s effort to make the three-disc compilation (which hit stores in mid-October) both affordable and worth every dollar. The band chose to combine highlights from its February 26, 2005 and February 27, 2005 shows from the Point Depot in Dublin into one release. However, having one of those audio discs containing only five songs is dumbfounding.
Why not split the twenty-two tracks into two eleven-track discs? Or better yet, why not make the most of the second CD by including at least one version of every song played at the two Dublin shows? Songs played but missing from this compilation include "Seven Chinese Brothers," "These Days," and "Electrolite." Most fans wouldn't have a problem with those songs being included here, unless the live versions of those and other missing tracks were so bad that the band didn't want anybody to hear them ever again.
That issue aside, the sound and production of both discs is of the highest caliber. If you didn't know or care to know any better, this sequence of twenty-two songs sounds and feels like a full show, and you might as well enjoy it as such, since R.E.M. was in top and spirited form in Ireland.
A pleasantly surprising and steady rocker from the Monster disc, "I Took Your Name" started the R.E.M. Live experience off on the right foot. "So Fast, So Numb," a rather obscure track from New Adventures in Hi-Fi soon followed. Elsewhere in the set, the audience dug Peter Buck's note-for-note perfect rendition of favorites like "Losing My Religion" and clapped in rhythm for "Drive," during which Stipe added "Bushwhacked" to the lyrics. [Don't act surprised, given Stipe's past political preferences.]
As far as band energy and dynamics are concerned, the guitars were nice and loud when warranted (ex. "Orange Crush," "One I Love") and the strings/keys were warm and cuddly when needed (ex. "Everybody Hurts," "Losing My Religion").
Bassist Mike Mills, a true pro who almost always sings in tune - as opposed to the occasional off-key yelps by Stipe - shined on several cuts and even sported a cowboy hat to sing lead vocals on the beloved early '80s fav "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville". Daniel Ryan of The Thrills made a guest appearance on guitar/back-up vocals for that performance, while Stipe took a rare turn on back-up vocals as well.
Back to the DVD side of things, the blurry visuals that came in and out of focus on "Boy In The Well" - a song from 2004's Around The Sun CD - were very cool, particularly during the melodic solo by supporting musician Ken Stringfellow (Posies, Big Star, Lagwagon). The many multiple screens at the venue that focused on each band member and their instrument were another plus - musicians (such as myself) no doubt appreciated that. The DVD viewer however, doesn't see enough of these sustained instrumental frames or close-ups; there are far more shots of Stipe and his stage antics by comparison.
Speaking of camera work, the frequent and rapid changes in visual effects and colors, as well as the unsteadiness of some of the shots can be a distraction and amounts to overproduction by video director Blue Leach (whose credits also include Depeche Mode). This DVD is supposed to be about the band first and foremost after all, not about displaying all the cutting edge visual effects one can muster into one production.
I'm not saying that was Leach's intention here, but at times it felt like there were 100 different digital video flashes per minute and that his cameras had A.D.D. The whole point of videotaping is to capture the action wherever it is, right? At several points, the focus seemed based more on imagery than on the action on stage.
Back to the pluses of the show: the Mills-lead "Cuyahoga" still rules in all its jangle rock glory, and "What's The Frequency, Kenneth," though missing Buck's signature tremolo effect otherwise features a much better guitar solo than on record. And for those wondering about new material from R.E.M., one brand new, albeit short song made it onto the release, "I'm Gonna DJ." Stipe's it's-the-end-of-the-world-themed lyrics are kind of corny, but the song rocks.
My verdict: Though the band has had a few other DVD releases over the years (see Amazon list below), Live is R.E.M.'s first ever CD/DVD live concert combo, and though it has its flaws, you won't regret buying it. When the music is this good, any complaints about production, packaging, or track exclusions seems minor by comparison.
The only advice I have for you regarding this release is that if your eyes start to hurt or get annoyed by all the visual craziness, just look away for brief moments at a time until the cameras return to steadier, more visually sane angles. Don't let these distractions ruin your overall enjoyment of the work of this legendary rock band. If all you care about is the music, you'll get your moneys worth.
The Live trailer can be seen on You Tube.
Better yet, watch "I Took Your Name" and "Bad Day" in full before you purchase the CD/DVD.
For more info on R.E.M., visit their main website.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Music DVD Review: Pearl Jam - Immagine In Cornice: Picture In A Frame
Note: First posted on Blogcritics Magazine's web site 11-25-07
Pearl Jam may never again be that omnipresent, chart-topping band of rebellious rockers of the early 1990s. But they don't have to be mainstream rock superstars in order to produce some great music and embark on one memorable tour after another (every other year, on average). Pearl Jam have built a loyal fan base the world over, and whatever you think of their records post-Vitalogy, this band has always been an exciting and even legendary must-see live act.
Tours from earlier in this decade have been well chronicled on audio bootlegs and on a couple DVDs (see Amazon list below), so it was only a matter of time for Pearl Jam to pick out some highlights of their more recent 2005/2006 tours to sell their fans. First came the Live at the Gorge 05/06 audio box set, and now comes Immagine In Cornice, a concert film/documentary directed by the renowned filmmaker Danny Clinch (Dave Matthews, Bruce Springsteen's Devils & Dust).
Based on the band's five shows and weeklong stay in Italy in September of 2006, Clinch and his crew of cameramen give fans an intimate look at what the band does on-and-off stage, in the towns of Milan, Bologna, Pistoia, Torino and Verona.
As far as performances go, Pearl Jam was in peak form for most of these song selections; they had five shows worth to choose from for this film, after all. Fan favorite "State of Love and Trust" rocked at a faster and more furious pace than on the Singles soundtrack. "Evenflow" got the extended treatment; McCready's solos channeled Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Matt Cameron showed off his drum solo skills to the delight of the crowd in Torino.
Whether playing in an obscure town like Pistoia, the Forum in the beautiful city of Milan, or weathering the rain in Verona, Pearl Jam played for packed stadiums that had both home and international flavor; fans from as far away as Finland and Israel traveled to experience these shows. But it didn't matter where the audience came from or how new or old Pearl Jam's songs were; cameras caught fans passionately moving or jumping to and singing the words to everything from "Better Man" and "Comatose" to "State of Love and Trust" and "Alive."
Eddie Vedder literally took his stage antics to new heights at Duomo Square in Pistoia, as he climbed one of the poles on the side of the stage and sang from the platform during the popular show closer "Rockin' In The Free World." On the near mosh pit-worthy "Blood," one of the less popular, but killer tracks from the Vs. disc, Vedder began the song by spitting out some whiskey he just drank, while he and the band gave everything they had to finish out this less than perfectly executed live version.
Another smart move was the inclusion on this DVD of Eddie Vedder joining opening act My Morning Jacket - a top notch live rock band in their own right - in Torino for an excellent, exhilarating cover of The Who's "A Quick One (While He's Away)."
Perhaps just as valuable as the performance footage is some of the off-stage moments Clinch caught on film. Lead guitarist Mike McCready is full of stories, explaining the origins (and admitted obsession) with tattoos on his arms. After a brief shot of him talking to fans and signing autographs in the light of day outside his Verona hotel, McCready recalled how he used to be like these rock star chasers; he claimed that around 1982 he hid under The Scorpions limo until he spotted and received their singer's autograph. Mike McCready: a guitar virtuoso and man of the people.
Here's some other highlights:
* Eddie working on an 8-track recording of the Tom Waits song "Picture In A Frame" after a soundcheck. The song is also later performed near the end of the DVD by his likeness as background music.
* Pearl Jam organist Kenneth "Boom" Gaspar's emotion-filled performance of a song of his on a vintage church organ in Pistoia, a small Italian town known mainly for organs.
* A short clip of a couple Italian acoustic guitarists playing "Porch" on a sidewalk for the locals.
* The short appearance of Eddie Vedder's little girl Olivia, riding aboard the tour bus with her dad as they say goodbye to "Milano" and take in its beautiful scenery. Vedder's well-rehearsed attempts at addressing his audiences in Italian aren't bad either.
My only minor complaint is that although this film strikes a mostly satisfying balance between the old and the new, there is only one song from Vs. on it, and there could have been a few more full songs included from these five shows overall. For example, late in the film, Eddie and the boys are shown backstage at the Arena di Verona crossing out and ultimately deciding what to play for an encore: "Blood" and "Indifference" were among the chosen, but only "Blood" was shown.
In all, Pearl Jam's Immagine In Cornice DVD is a real treat, and though it was released two months ago, any serious PJ fan must add it to their collection this Christmas if he/she does not already have it. Though it doesn't have everything you would want, this film offers more than just another concert; it gives fans some valuable insight on the touring lives of this band, which is still one of the best live American rock bands around.
Note: Although the track list linked here looks complete, it only represents songs played in full or with live video footage. There are some other songs that Pearl Jam either toyed with offstage, during soundcheck or played as background music to more Clinch footage, including "Immortality," "Love Boat Captain," a short Vedder/McCready acoustic run through of "Lukin" and the aforementioned Tom Waits cover "Picture In A Frame."
Pearl Jam may never again be that omnipresent, chart-topping band of rebellious rockers of the early 1990s. But they don't have to be mainstream rock superstars in order to produce some great music and embark on one memorable tour after another (every other year, on average). Pearl Jam have built a loyal fan base the world over, and whatever you think of their records post-Vitalogy, this band has always been an exciting and even legendary must-see live act.
Tours from earlier in this decade have been well chronicled on audio bootlegs and on a couple DVDs (see Amazon list below), so it was only a matter of time for Pearl Jam to pick out some highlights of their more recent 2005/2006 tours to sell their fans. First came the Live at the Gorge 05/06 audio box set, and now comes Immagine In Cornice, a concert film/documentary directed by the renowned filmmaker Danny Clinch (Dave Matthews, Bruce Springsteen's Devils & Dust).
Based on the band's five shows and weeklong stay in Italy in September of 2006, Clinch and his crew of cameramen give fans an intimate look at what the band does on-and-off stage, in the towns of Milan, Bologna, Pistoia, Torino and Verona.
As far as performances go, Pearl Jam was in peak form for most of these song selections; they had five shows worth to choose from for this film, after all. Fan favorite "State of Love and Trust" rocked at a faster and more furious pace than on the Singles soundtrack. "Evenflow" got the extended treatment; McCready's solos channeled Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Matt Cameron showed off his drum solo skills to the delight of the crowd in Torino.
Whether playing in an obscure town like Pistoia, the Forum in the beautiful city of Milan, or weathering the rain in Verona, Pearl Jam played for packed stadiums that had both home and international flavor; fans from as far away as Finland and Israel traveled to experience these shows. But it didn't matter where the audience came from or how new or old Pearl Jam's songs were; cameras caught fans passionately moving or jumping to and singing the words to everything from "Better Man" and "Comatose" to "State of Love and Trust" and "Alive."
Eddie Vedder literally took his stage antics to new heights at Duomo Square in Pistoia, as he climbed one of the poles on the side of the stage and sang from the platform during the popular show closer "Rockin' In The Free World." On the near mosh pit-worthy "Blood," one of the less popular, but killer tracks from the Vs. disc, Vedder began the song by spitting out some whiskey he just drank, while he and the band gave everything they had to finish out this less than perfectly executed live version.
Another smart move was the inclusion on this DVD of Eddie Vedder joining opening act My Morning Jacket - a top notch live rock band in their own right - in Torino for an excellent, exhilarating cover of The Who's "A Quick One (While He's Away)."
Perhaps just as valuable as the performance footage is some of the off-stage moments Clinch caught on film. Lead guitarist Mike McCready is full of stories, explaining the origins (and admitted obsession) with tattoos on his arms. After a brief shot of him talking to fans and signing autographs in the light of day outside his Verona hotel, McCready recalled how he used to be like these rock star chasers; he claimed that around 1982 he hid under The Scorpions limo until he spotted and received their singer's autograph. Mike McCready: a guitar virtuoso and man of the people.
Here's some other highlights:
* Eddie working on an 8-track recording of the Tom Waits song "Picture In A Frame" after a soundcheck. The song is also later performed near the end of the DVD by his likeness as background music.
* Pearl Jam organist Kenneth "Boom" Gaspar's emotion-filled performance of a song of his on a vintage church organ in Pistoia, a small Italian town known mainly for organs.
* A short clip of a couple Italian acoustic guitarists playing "Porch" on a sidewalk for the locals.
* The short appearance of Eddie Vedder's little girl Olivia, riding aboard the tour bus with her dad as they say goodbye to "Milano" and take in its beautiful scenery. Vedder's well-rehearsed attempts at addressing his audiences in Italian aren't bad either.
My only minor complaint is that although this film strikes a mostly satisfying balance between the old and the new, there is only one song from Vs. on it, and there could have been a few more full songs included from these five shows overall. For example, late in the film, Eddie and the boys are shown backstage at the Arena di Verona crossing out and ultimately deciding what to play for an encore: "Blood" and "Indifference" were among the chosen, but only "Blood" was shown.
In all, Pearl Jam's Immagine In Cornice DVD is a real treat, and though it was released two months ago, any serious PJ fan must add it to their collection this Christmas if he/she does not already have it. Though it doesn't have everything you would want, this film offers more than just another concert; it gives fans some valuable insight on the touring lives of this band, which is still one of the best live American rock bands around.
Note: Although the track list linked here looks complete, it only represents songs played in full or with live video footage. There are some other songs that Pearl Jam either toyed with offstage, during soundcheck or played as background music to more Clinch footage, including "Immortality," "Love Boat Captain," a short Vedder/McCready acoustic run through of "Lukin" and the aforementioned Tom Waits cover "Picture In A Frame."
Music Review: Via Audio - Say Something
Note: First published on Blogcritics Magazine's web site 11-16-07
This New York-based indie pop quartet met at Berklee College of Music in 2003, recorded a self-titled EP in 2004, and three long years later got signed to SideCho Records. Add to this the fact that Chris Walla of Death Cab For Cutie is a big fan of the band and that Jim Eno of Spoon produced their highly anticipated debut full-length Say Something (SideCho) and you've got a promising album the indie rock world will surely take notice of.
First song "Developing Active People" has slight delay tactics on guitar that could easily pass for Chris Walla's work with Death Cab (hence the unsurprising fact he's a VA fan). The bass guitar lines and inclusion of trumpets/horns on "Harder On Me" have the aura of recent Broken Social Scene. However, unlike that Canadian supergroup, this group of four doesn't need double digits worth of band members to put many layers of sound into their craft.
"Presents" is perhaps the catchiest one of them all, with its cutesy and infectious male/female vocals, short, electric guitar and keyboard spurts, a constant acoustic guitar melody, all performed over a constant, fast beat that rests only for a mere five seconds.
The slow, heavy, and crunchy chords of "Hazmat" recall Weezer, and the quieter understated melodies that end it are reminiscent of Pavement. The oscillating and tension-filled "Enunciation" shows off both the band and guitarist/singer Jessica Martins' versatility, going from quiet-loud-quiet vocals with relative ease over passive and kinetic minor (and uglier-sounding) melodies.
On my personal favorite "We Can Be Good," Martins sings, "If we try/I know that we can be good." Well, on just 11 tracks spanning 40 minutes, Via Audio, despite their apparent humbleness, proved they are very good at what they do. They went to a top music school after all, so they'd better be "good" at the very least!
What they've done with Say Something is make a very - for the most part - pumped up and listenable indie pop record for those with short attention spans. It's got some versatility, catchy tunes and impressive musicianship.
What more could you want? A perfect album, you say. There may be a couple of down moments on the record, but the fast pace and consistency of Say Something as a whole obscure any faults. It's an excellent debut, and fans of Death Cab For Cutie, Stars, or Magic Numbers will dig this without a doubt.
For more info on Via Audio and to buy their music or watch live performances, go to their Myspace page.
This New York-based indie pop quartet met at Berklee College of Music in 2003, recorded a self-titled EP in 2004, and three long years later got signed to SideCho Records. Add to this the fact that Chris Walla of Death Cab For Cutie is a big fan of the band and that Jim Eno of Spoon produced their highly anticipated debut full-length Say Something (SideCho) and you've got a promising album the indie rock world will surely take notice of.
First song "Developing Active People" has slight delay tactics on guitar that could easily pass for Chris Walla's work with Death Cab (hence the unsurprising fact he's a VA fan). The bass guitar lines and inclusion of trumpets/horns on "Harder On Me" have the aura of recent Broken Social Scene. However, unlike that Canadian supergroup, this group of four doesn't need double digits worth of band members to put many layers of sound into their craft.
"Presents" is perhaps the catchiest one of them all, with its cutesy and infectious male/female vocals, short, electric guitar and keyboard spurts, a constant acoustic guitar melody, all performed over a constant, fast beat that rests only for a mere five seconds.
The slow, heavy, and crunchy chords of "Hazmat" recall Weezer, and the quieter understated melodies that end it are reminiscent of Pavement. The oscillating and tension-filled "Enunciation" shows off both the band and guitarist/singer Jessica Martins' versatility, going from quiet-loud-quiet vocals with relative ease over passive and kinetic minor (and uglier-sounding) melodies.
On my personal favorite "We Can Be Good," Martins sings, "If we try/I know that we can be good." Well, on just 11 tracks spanning 40 minutes, Via Audio, despite their apparent humbleness, proved they are very good at what they do. They went to a top music school after all, so they'd better be "good" at the very least!
What they've done with Say Something is make a very - for the most part - pumped up and listenable indie pop record for those with short attention spans. It's got some versatility, catchy tunes and impressive musicianship.
What more could you want? A perfect album, you say. There may be a couple of down moments on the record, but the fast pace and consistency of Say Something as a whole obscure any faults. It's an excellent debut, and fans of Death Cab For Cutie, Stars, or Magic Numbers will dig this without a doubt.
For more info on Via Audio and to buy their music or watch live performances, go to their Myspace page.
Music Review: Thursday - Kill The House Lights DVD and CD
NOTE: Yeah, I've been getting lazy about cross-posting my Blogcritics articles here; this one was published on 10/30/07.
Often labeled as one of the progenitors of the current "emo" movement, Thursday has survived "nu metal," the garage rock revival, and whatever other trends that ruled the day in their ten years of existence.
Their sound has always been hard to pinpoint, however. Some critics may call them emo or "screamo," others (like All Music Guide) describe their music as "soul-baring post hardcore." Like one-time peers At The Drive-In, they created an exciting and genre-defying type of punk-inspired rock the kids still love to this day. They have taken elements of punk, metal, and post-punk and blended them into four albums worth of rock, starting with 2000's Waiting and most recently with 2006's A City By The Light Divided.
The Kill The House Lights DVD has a career-spanning documentary that takes them through their early days in the late 1990s to the present. The crown jewel of the disc is a forty-five minute live concert from their hometown of New Brunswick, NJ in 2006.
It features fan favorites and other songs from most of their albums, including "Understanding In A Car Crash" and "Paris In Flames," both from 2001's groundbreaking Full Collapse CD, as well as newer songs like the intensely personal and religious-themed "Sugar In The Sacrament." Just watch singer Geoff Rickly work the crowd and join them as they sing out, "This is all we've ever known of God/Fight with me let me touch you now."
Watching this show, you will see why Thursday has gotten headlining slots on multiple Warped Tours over the years; their live show rallies fans to give out almost as much energy to the band as they give to them.
The audio portion of this release features twelve tracks, including about five new songs, the first of which should please older fans: "Ladies and Gentlemen: My Brother The Failure" is intense, hardcore, and sounds like it would have been a natural fit on one of the early albums.
Other tracks include a live version of "Signals Over The Air" - from the same 2006 Holiday show featured on the DVD - and a few demos, the oldest of which is "Wind Up," a song culled from Thursday's first four-song demo in 1998.
Overall, Kill The Houselights, which comes out in stores this week (Victory Records), is very highly recommended for anyone and everyone who got into Thursday's music over the years. There aren't many punk rock bands like them around, and though others have taken elements of their sound and diluted the post-hardcore genre, they give it respectability and a bit of originality too.
It may be Tuesday, but Thursday sounds good any day of the week.
For more info on the band, visit their myspace page or the band's All Music Guide entry.
Often labeled as one of the progenitors of the current "emo" movement, Thursday has survived "nu metal," the garage rock revival, and whatever other trends that ruled the day in their ten years of existence.
Their sound has always been hard to pinpoint, however. Some critics may call them emo or "screamo," others (like All Music Guide) describe their music as "soul-baring post hardcore." Like one-time peers At The Drive-In, they created an exciting and genre-defying type of punk-inspired rock the kids still love to this day. They have taken elements of punk, metal, and post-punk and blended them into four albums worth of rock, starting with 2000's Waiting and most recently with 2006's A City By The Light Divided.
The Kill The House Lights DVD has a career-spanning documentary that takes them through their early days in the late 1990s to the present. The crown jewel of the disc is a forty-five minute live concert from their hometown of New Brunswick, NJ in 2006.
It features fan favorites and other songs from most of their albums, including "Understanding In A Car Crash" and "Paris In Flames," both from 2001's groundbreaking Full Collapse CD, as well as newer songs like the intensely personal and religious-themed "Sugar In The Sacrament." Just watch singer Geoff Rickly work the crowd and join them as they sing out, "This is all we've ever known of God/Fight with me let me touch you now."
Watching this show, you will see why Thursday has gotten headlining slots on multiple Warped Tours over the years; their live show rallies fans to give out almost as much energy to the band as they give to them.
The audio portion of this release features twelve tracks, including about five new songs, the first of which should please older fans: "Ladies and Gentlemen: My Brother The Failure" is intense, hardcore, and sounds like it would have been a natural fit on one of the early albums.
Other tracks include a live version of "Signals Over The Air" - from the same 2006 Holiday show featured on the DVD - and a few demos, the oldest of which is "Wind Up," a song culled from Thursday's first four-song demo in 1998.
Overall, Kill The Houselights, which comes out in stores this week (Victory Records), is very highly recommended for anyone and everyone who got into Thursday's music over the years. There aren't many punk rock bands like them around, and though others have taken elements of their sound and diluted the post-hardcore genre, they give it respectability and a bit of originality too.
It may be Tuesday, but Thursday sounds good any day of the week.
For more info on the band, visit their myspace page or the band's All Music Guide entry.
Music Review: Prong - Power Of The Damager
Note: Originally published on Blogcritics 11/7/07
In the early and mid-'90s, Prong's unique blend of super-heavy industrial and thrash metal was ahead of its time and clearly influenced what was then the looming "nu metal" movement. At the time, I was a teenager who looked forward to every killer episode of MTV's Headbanger's Ball every Saturday night, which along with WAAF radio in my hometown of Boston is how I discovered Prong.
Its time in the spotlight of heavy metal was all to brief however, as albums after 1994's Cleansing never took off or delivered singles as strong and popular as "Beg to Differ" or "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck," the latter of which is without a doubt Prong's most well-known song.
This is not to say that other albums like Rude Awakening or Prove You Wrong were duds; they just never made a splash beyond the underground metal community the way 1990's Beg To Differ and Cleansing did. And that's a shame because like Machine Head, Biohazard, Helmet and a few others, Prong added a new and exciting chapter to heavy metal that has gone largely unappreciated over time.
With the release of its newest album Power Of The Damager (13th Planet Records) last month however, this should change. It is clearly Prong's loudest, brutally heavy and consistent record since Cleansing; traces of earlier records like Beg To Differ are present as well.
The only significant difference between Cleansing and Power is the industrial noises are no longer a part of Prong's sound. This new record is all super heavy power, speed and thrash metal. And if you have none of these CDs in your metal collection, I suggest buying them all together. They're that good.
With drummer Aaron Rossi's aggressive - he frequently employs double kick drum pedals - and at times groovy rhythms setting the pace and band leader/guitarist Tommy Victor and bassist Monte Pittman's respective instruments tuned down to C and occasionally D, Power picks up where Cleansing left off. The staccato riffs, start-stop rhythms and Victor's snarl and growl are all still present, from album opener "Looking For Them" to "Worst of It" and on down the track list. "No Justice" is especially angry and reflects the times we live in; it also features machine-gun fast riffs and wild screams from Victor.
Elsewhere, "Spirit Guide" starts out semi-spacey and throws a couple of dramatic change-ups in tempo, but doesn't let up for long. It, like several other songs features a squealing, frantic guitar solo. Make no mistake about it, this album is ferocious to the very end. Last track "Changing Ending Troubling Times" sees Rossi and Pittman having no trouble at all keeping up with Victor's speed metal riffs.
In all, Power Of The Damager produced what their 2003 comeback record Scorpio Rising did not: truly inspired metal. Even Ministry's Al Jourgensen thinks this is their best CD "ever." Prong fans can debate that but in the meantime, be sure to add this one to your top metal albums of 2007.
To listen to a few more songs from this album, visit Prong's myspace page and for additional info on the band, click here.
In the early and mid-'90s, Prong's unique blend of super-heavy industrial and thrash metal was ahead of its time and clearly influenced what was then the looming "nu metal" movement. At the time, I was a teenager who looked forward to every killer episode of MTV's Headbanger's Ball every Saturday night, which along with WAAF radio in my hometown of Boston is how I discovered Prong.
Its time in the spotlight of heavy metal was all to brief however, as albums after 1994's Cleansing never took off or delivered singles as strong and popular as "Beg to Differ" or "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck," the latter of which is without a doubt Prong's most well-known song.
This is not to say that other albums like Rude Awakening or Prove You Wrong were duds; they just never made a splash beyond the underground metal community the way 1990's Beg To Differ and Cleansing did. And that's a shame because like Machine Head, Biohazard, Helmet and a few others, Prong added a new and exciting chapter to heavy metal that has gone largely unappreciated over time.
With the release of its newest album Power Of The Damager (13th Planet Records) last month however, this should change. It is clearly Prong's loudest, brutally heavy and consistent record since Cleansing; traces of earlier records like Beg To Differ are present as well.
The only significant difference between Cleansing and Power is the industrial noises are no longer a part of Prong's sound. This new record is all super heavy power, speed and thrash metal. And if you have none of these CDs in your metal collection, I suggest buying them all together. They're that good.
With drummer Aaron Rossi's aggressive - he frequently employs double kick drum pedals - and at times groovy rhythms setting the pace and band leader/guitarist Tommy Victor and bassist Monte Pittman's respective instruments tuned down to C and occasionally D, Power picks up where Cleansing left off. The staccato riffs, start-stop rhythms and Victor's snarl and growl are all still present, from album opener "Looking For Them" to "Worst of It" and on down the track list. "No Justice" is especially angry and reflects the times we live in; it also features machine-gun fast riffs and wild screams from Victor.
Elsewhere, "Spirit Guide" starts out semi-spacey and throws a couple of dramatic change-ups in tempo, but doesn't let up for long. It, like several other songs features a squealing, frantic guitar solo. Make no mistake about it, this album is ferocious to the very end. Last track "Changing Ending Troubling Times" sees Rossi and Pittman having no trouble at all keeping up with Victor's speed metal riffs.
In all, Power Of The Damager produced what their 2003 comeback record Scorpio Rising did not: truly inspired metal. Even Ministry's Al Jourgensen thinks this is their best CD "ever." Prong fans can debate that but in the meantime, be sure to add this one to your top metal albums of 2007.
To listen to a few more songs from this album, visit Prong's myspace page and for additional info on the band, click here.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Concert Review: Smashing Pumpkins - Orpheum Theater, Oct. 15, 2007
In the first four years of their existence (1988-1992), the Smashing Pumpkins weren't known for epic, powerful or dynamic live shows. Yes, they rocked hard and were good enough to open for Jane's Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Nirvana and even Guns 'N' Roses, but lack of onstage chemistry and offstage problems almost spelled the end of the band before their breakthrough album Siamese Dream came out.
But from 1993 until 2000, as their songs became more memorable and well-known, so did their shows. Ask anyone who saw them in their hey day or bought the classic video/DVD Vieuphoria (1994), which was a must-have for any true Pumpkins fan.
Fast-forward to 2007, seven years after mastermind Billy Corgan broke up the band and you'll find this new version of the Pumpkins to be anything but a letdown; they are as tight as ever, even with three new members for this year's tour.
The Pumpkins returned to the Orpheum Theater in Boston for the first time in more than nine years and did an unprecedented three-night stand (October 13, 15, and 16th). I was lucky enough to attend the latter two shows, and this review will be based on the October 15 show, which in my opinion was the best of the three.
Things got off to a rapturous start when opening instrumental rockers Explosions In The Sky took the stage at around 7:30pm. Their loud-quiet-loud formula was reminiscent of Mogwai, and the half-hour or so set they played won over a good chunk of the audience. The people in front of me even gave the band a standing ovation once they finished around 8:05pm.
Afterward, while waiting in line for an SP shirt, it was apparent that many in the audience this night are in their 20s and 30s, with some older folks mixed in as well.
Two old high school friends - in their mid-20s now - ran into me and said they never saw the Pumpkins back in the day and were really excited about this night. And so it occurred to me that Corgan and company had a tough job to do: win over the old fans while attracting new ones. It was a packed house at the Orpheum, so whatever the mix of old and new fans was didn't really matter. They were all here and ready to rock.
At around 8:50 pm, original Pumpkins Corgan and Chamberlin took the stage behind their respective instruments (guitar, drums), while new members Lisa Harriton (keys/backup vocals), Jeff Schroeder (guitar/backup vocals) and Ginger Reyes (bass/backup vocals) took their places as well.
As a long-time Pumpkin fan myself, it was clear by the opening riffs of the first song that all in attendance were in for a special night. The show began with "Where Boys Fear To Tread," a simple, steady yet rather obscure hard rocker from the band's platinum double album masterpiece Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness that hadn't been performed live in almost ten years. Next was "Hummer," a long-time fan favorite from one of the most beloved albums of the 1990s, Siamese Dream. Good to the last note, it felt like 1993 all over again.
"Bring The Light," one of the highlights from the Pumpkins' new album Zeitgeist allowed Schroeder to show off his guitar chops and shred along with Corgan during the solo section. Its extended ending, complete with another guitar solo from Billy and Harriton's warm synths underneath made the song even better than the album version. In fact, I wish a version like this made the album instead of the chorus of Corgan voices that ends the studio recording.
Speaking of light, the triangle-based, multi-colored lights that shone above the band could have fooled you into thinking Pink Floyd was playing below. It was different, and very cool to watch as the night went on.
"Neverlost," another new one and "Lucky 13 (from the Internet-only Machina II album) got respectable applause, and then it was Harriton's turn in the spotlight, as she played a pretty and short piano intro to "Tonight, Tonight," one of the band's biggest hits and videos.
Later, Corgan took a minute to tell us he spent some time at Boston Common earlier in the day and ran into some SP fans from Quebec - fans that didn't get a chance to see SP "in the old days" but came to the show tonight.
The crowd initially booed when he said they were from Quebec, at which point the Chicago native shot back (pardon the pun) that unlike America, at least in Quebec he knows he is less likely to be vulnerable to gun violence. But the boos turned to cheers when Corgan thanked the fans for making the trek to tonight's show.
In perhaps the coolest moment of the show and a moment I'll never forget, Jimmy Chamberlin came out from behind his enormous drum kit and all alone with Corgan played tambourine while the crowd clapped along to a perfect rendition of the Adore favorite, "Perfect."
Like many fans of a great band, I live for the times when a band plays a song or two so rare that your friends (who weren't there) are envious of your luck and "I was there when they played..." moments. This was such a time.
The moonlit magic of the bass-heavy "1979" CD single b-side "Set The Ray To Jerry," a dark and dreamy, longing-for-love song that rarely gets played live was a great treat for die-hard Pumpkins fans. In fact, this being Halloween season, the Pumpkins gave this audience more rare treats on this night than anyone could've anticipated, along with plenty of tricks courtesy of that bright, colorful and triangle-shaped light show above the stage that complimented every song.
Speaking of "1979," Corgan performed it during a second encore with just a mic and an acoustic guitar, and realizing the audience was into every note and word, stopped playing to let them sing out the last chorus. Talk about striking a chord with an audience, Corgan not only realized he had done so, but made the most of it as well.
Just a few songs earlier, Corgan had thanked the fans for coming and dedicated "That's The Way (My Love Is)" to them, especially to those of us who came to this show instead of watching the Red Sox-Indians playoff game that night.
By the time Corgan finished "1979," the Pumpkins had given you more than your money's worth - 22 songs! With tracks like "Zero," "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," "Today," "Thirty-Three" and newer radio singles "Tarantula" and "That's The Way" already played and a few more to come, you begin to realize how strong the group and in particular Corgan's catalog of songs are after all these years. [Keep in mind that though the band played "Drown" and "Starla," they did not even play a single song from their first album Gish, which was one of SPIN's top 10 albums of 1991] I'd put them up there with any of the top alternative groups of the day or yesteryear.
The last of the Pumpkins' special treats came right after "1979," when they played another song from Machina II, "Let Me Give The World To You." Many in the Pumpkin fandom remain puzzled to this day as to why this track never made either Adore or Machina. It sounded like a hit then and sounds even better now, like a cross between "1979" and "Cherub Rock," the latter of which was the night's last and 24th song during a third encore.
From "Today" to "Starla" to "STRTJ" to "Let Me Give The World to You," it was almost like seeing one of your favorite Pumpkins mix CDs played live before your very eyes. It wasn't a dream, it was very real and of all the Pumpkins shows I've been to over the years, this one was the best, by far.
Set:
* Where Boys Fear to Tread
* Hummer
* Bring the Light
* Neverlost
* Lucky 13
* Tonight, Tonight
* Tarantula
* Starz
* Zero
* Starla
* Thirty-three
* Perfect
* To Sheila
* Set the Ray to Jerry
* Today
* Bullet with Butterfly Wings
* That's the Way (My Love Is)
* Superchrist
* Heavy Metal Machine
> On the Road Again [Canned Heat]
> I Love Rock 'n' Roll [Arrows]
Encore 1:
* Drown
* United States
Encore 2:
* 1979
* Let Me Give the World to You
Encore 3:
* Cherub Rock
But from 1993 until 2000, as their songs became more memorable and well-known, so did their shows. Ask anyone who saw them in their hey day or bought the classic video/DVD Vieuphoria (1994), which was a must-have for any true Pumpkins fan.
Fast-forward to 2007, seven years after mastermind Billy Corgan broke up the band and you'll find this new version of the Pumpkins to be anything but a letdown; they are as tight as ever, even with three new members for this year's tour.
The Pumpkins returned to the Orpheum Theater in Boston for the first time in more than nine years and did an unprecedented three-night stand (October 13, 15, and 16th). I was lucky enough to attend the latter two shows, and this review will be based on the October 15 show, which in my opinion was the best of the three.
Things got off to a rapturous start when opening instrumental rockers Explosions In The Sky took the stage at around 7:30pm. Their loud-quiet-loud formula was reminiscent of Mogwai, and the half-hour or so set they played won over a good chunk of the audience. The people in front of me even gave the band a standing ovation once they finished around 8:05pm.
Afterward, while waiting in line for an SP shirt, it was apparent that many in the audience this night are in their 20s and 30s, with some older folks mixed in as well.
Two old high school friends - in their mid-20s now - ran into me and said they never saw the Pumpkins back in the day and were really excited about this night. And so it occurred to me that Corgan and company had a tough job to do: win over the old fans while attracting new ones. It was a packed house at the Orpheum, so whatever the mix of old and new fans was didn't really matter. They were all here and ready to rock.
At around 8:50 pm, original Pumpkins Corgan and Chamberlin took the stage behind their respective instruments (guitar, drums), while new members Lisa Harriton (keys/backup vocals), Jeff Schroeder (guitar/backup vocals) and Ginger Reyes (bass/backup vocals) took their places as well.
As a long-time Pumpkin fan myself, it was clear by the opening riffs of the first song that all in attendance were in for a special night. The show began with "Where Boys Fear To Tread," a simple, steady yet rather obscure hard rocker from the band's platinum double album masterpiece Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness that hadn't been performed live in almost ten years. Next was "Hummer," a long-time fan favorite from one of the most beloved albums of the 1990s, Siamese Dream. Good to the last note, it felt like 1993 all over again.
"Bring The Light," one of the highlights from the Pumpkins' new album Zeitgeist allowed Schroeder to show off his guitar chops and shred along with Corgan during the solo section. Its extended ending, complete with another guitar solo from Billy and Harriton's warm synths underneath made the song even better than the album version. In fact, I wish a version like this made the album instead of the chorus of Corgan voices that ends the studio recording.
Speaking of light, the triangle-based, multi-colored lights that shone above the band could have fooled you into thinking Pink Floyd was playing below. It was different, and very cool to watch as the night went on.
"Neverlost," another new one and "Lucky 13 (from the Internet-only Machina II album) got respectable applause, and then it was Harriton's turn in the spotlight, as she played a pretty and short piano intro to "Tonight, Tonight," one of the band's biggest hits and videos.
Later, Corgan took a minute to tell us he spent some time at Boston Common earlier in the day and ran into some SP fans from Quebec - fans that didn't get a chance to see SP "in the old days" but came to the show tonight.
The crowd initially booed when he said they were from Quebec, at which point the Chicago native shot back (pardon the pun) that unlike America, at least in Quebec he knows he is less likely to be vulnerable to gun violence. But the boos turned to cheers when Corgan thanked the fans for making the trek to tonight's show.
In perhaps the coolest moment of the show and a moment I'll never forget, Jimmy Chamberlin came out from behind his enormous drum kit and all alone with Corgan played tambourine while the crowd clapped along to a perfect rendition of the Adore favorite, "Perfect."
Like many fans of a great band, I live for the times when a band plays a song or two so rare that your friends (who weren't there) are envious of your luck and "I was there when they played..." moments. This was such a time.
The moonlit magic of the bass-heavy "1979" CD single b-side "Set The Ray To Jerry," a dark and dreamy, longing-for-love song that rarely gets played live was a great treat for die-hard Pumpkins fans. In fact, this being Halloween season, the Pumpkins gave this audience more rare treats on this night than anyone could've anticipated, along with plenty of tricks courtesy of that bright, colorful and triangle-shaped light show above the stage that complimented every song.
Speaking of "1979," Corgan performed it during a second encore with just a mic and an acoustic guitar, and realizing the audience was into every note and word, stopped playing to let them sing out the last chorus. Talk about striking a chord with an audience, Corgan not only realized he had done so, but made the most of it as well.
Just a few songs earlier, Corgan had thanked the fans for coming and dedicated "That's The Way (My Love Is)" to them, especially to those of us who came to this show instead of watching the Red Sox-Indians playoff game that night.
By the time Corgan finished "1979," the Pumpkins had given you more than your money's worth - 22 songs! With tracks like "Zero," "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," "Today," "Thirty-Three" and newer radio singles "Tarantula" and "That's The Way" already played and a few more to come, you begin to realize how strong the group and in particular Corgan's catalog of songs are after all these years. [Keep in mind that though the band played "Drown" and "Starla," they did not even play a single song from their first album Gish, which was one of SPIN's top 10 albums of 1991] I'd put them up there with any of the top alternative groups of the day or yesteryear.
The last of the Pumpkins' special treats came right after "1979," when they played another song from Machina II, "Let Me Give The World To You." Many in the Pumpkin fandom remain puzzled to this day as to why this track never made either Adore or Machina. It sounded like a hit then and sounds even better now, like a cross between "1979" and "Cherub Rock," the latter of which was the night's last and 24th song during a third encore.
From "Today" to "Starla" to "STRTJ" to "Let Me Give The World to You," it was almost like seeing one of your favorite Pumpkins mix CDs played live before your very eyes. It wasn't a dream, it was very real and of all the Pumpkins shows I've been to over the years, this one was the best, by far.
Set:
* Where Boys Fear to Tread
* Hummer
* Bring the Light
* Neverlost
* Lucky 13
* Tonight, Tonight
* Tarantula
* Starz
* Zero
* Starla
* Thirty-three
* Perfect
* To Sheila
* Set the Ray to Jerry
* Today
* Bullet with Butterfly Wings
* That's the Way (My Love Is)
* Superchrist
* Heavy Metal Machine
> On the Road Again [Canned Heat]
> I Love Rock 'n' Roll [Arrows]
Encore 1:
* Drown
* United States
Encore 2:
* 1979
* Let Me Give the World to You
Encore 3:
* Cherub Rock
Music Review: Down - Down III: Over The Under
Note: First published on Blogcritics Magazine's web site 10-02-07
Since the 2002 release of their second CD Down II, a lot has happened to the Southern supergroup of metal heavyweights known as Down. Frontman Phil Anselmo battled and overcame hard drug use, endured the loss of his ex-Pantera bandmate and beloved metal icon Dimebag Darrell (killed on stage in December 2004 while performing in post-Pantera band Damageplan), and, like his New Orleans-based bandmates, was displaced and suffered through Hurricane Katrina.
Overcoming these tragedies, guitarist Pepper Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity), vocalist Phil Anselmo (Pantera), bassist Rex Brown (Pantera), guitarist Kirk Windstein (Crowbar) and drummer Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod) reunited and embarked on a small, sold-out 21-show tour of Europe in the summer of 2006. The band demoed 18 new songs in New Orleans sometime thereafter and then recorded 15 tracks in Los Angeles in early 2007. Twelve of them made the cut.
On Down III: Over The Under, the third album in twelve years for this super side project, the band finds themselves kicking out their usual massive, heavy riff-based Southern metal - as opposed to the less nuanced and mostly power chord-based "nu metal" - but with more depth (musically/vocally) than ever before. Keeping with the times, the band even uses Pro Tools technology for the album.
Down's first two records were well-received within the metal community, and though there are no clear-cut hits to be found in this new batch of songs, the record as a whole is a consistent rocker with very little downtime. This should please Down fans young and old. Starting with 1995's debut record Nola (short for New Orleans, Louisiana) and on to the present, Down has taken pride in being considered the southern Black Sabbath of our time. But they also seem to take on other influences here as well, which, in my opinion, includes Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd and even Alice In Chains.
"Three Suns and One Star" starts things off with their trademark Sabbath feel. "In The Thrall Of It All" and "Nothing In Return (Walk Away)" each find Anselmo singing at times like the late Alice In Chains frontman Layne Staley. And as with every album, Down takes a break from their usual Dropped-D flat tunings (on guitars/bass) to write a few even heavier songs in Dropped-B tuning, including "N.O.D.," the slow groove of "Mourn" and "Pillamyd," which sees Keenan layering down some C.O.C.-styled licks.
On "Never Try," the band shows off their bluesy side. Pitted half way through the CD, it adds a nice contrast and break from the norm. "On March of the Saints" is another standardly heavy rocker, but with even heavier emotion and Hurricane Katrina-related lyrics. Anselmo sings: "We have been through change/by the season of the storms...with all our lives at stake/from at rest to the present are sitting high among the elect/on march the saints."
The new album itself pretty much rocks from start to finish (with the lone exception of Track 9, an instrumental). Their style is mainly carefully crafted mid-tempo metal - some call it "stoner" metal - that can mix in flashy guitar solos, dual harmony-laden riffs and rhythmic change-ups at any given time. It all makes makes for high quality, never-boring hard rock or old-fashioned head-banging metal.
If you've listened to Down's previous albums (Nola, 1995 and Down II, 2002), you know that they never disappoint, never let you down (pun totally intended) and likely never will as long as they stay true to form. Simply put, Down III comes awfully close to (but not quite) being five-whole-stars-perfect and is one of the best hard rock/metal albums you'll listen to this year. It was released last Tuesday (9/25) through ILG/Warner Music Group. So go pick it up ASAP at the record store of your choice.
For more info on Down, go to their official page and myspace page.
Since the 2002 release of their second CD Down II, a lot has happened to the Southern supergroup of metal heavyweights known as Down. Frontman Phil Anselmo battled and overcame hard drug use, endured the loss of his ex-Pantera bandmate and beloved metal icon Dimebag Darrell (killed on stage in December 2004 while performing in post-Pantera band Damageplan), and, like his New Orleans-based bandmates, was displaced and suffered through Hurricane Katrina.
Overcoming these tragedies, guitarist Pepper Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity), vocalist Phil Anselmo (Pantera), bassist Rex Brown (Pantera), guitarist Kirk Windstein (Crowbar) and drummer Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod) reunited and embarked on a small, sold-out 21-show tour of Europe in the summer of 2006. The band demoed 18 new songs in New Orleans sometime thereafter and then recorded 15 tracks in Los Angeles in early 2007. Twelve of them made the cut.
On Down III: Over The Under, the third album in twelve years for this super side project, the band finds themselves kicking out their usual massive, heavy riff-based Southern metal - as opposed to the less nuanced and mostly power chord-based "nu metal" - but with more depth (musically/vocally) than ever before. Keeping with the times, the band even uses Pro Tools technology for the album.
Down's first two records were well-received within the metal community, and though there are no clear-cut hits to be found in this new batch of songs, the record as a whole is a consistent rocker with very little downtime. This should please Down fans young and old. Starting with 1995's debut record Nola (short for New Orleans, Louisiana) and on to the present, Down has taken pride in being considered the southern Black Sabbath of our time. But they also seem to take on other influences here as well, which, in my opinion, includes Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd and even Alice In Chains.
"Three Suns and One Star" starts things off with their trademark Sabbath feel. "In The Thrall Of It All" and "Nothing In Return (Walk Away)" each find Anselmo singing at times like the late Alice In Chains frontman Layne Staley. And as with every album, Down takes a break from their usual Dropped-D flat tunings (on guitars/bass) to write a few even heavier songs in Dropped-B tuning, including "N.O.D.," the slow groove of "Mourn" and "Pillamyd," which sees Keenan layering down some C.O.C.-styled licks.
On "Never Try," the band shows off their bluesy side. Pitted half way through the CD, it adds a nice contrast and break from the norm. "On March of the Saints" is another standardly heavy rocker, but with even heavier emotion and Hurricane Katrina-related lyrics. Anselmo sings: "We have been through change/by the season of the storms...with all our lives at stake/from at rest to the present are sitting high among the elect/on march the saints."
The new album itself pretty much rocks from start to finish (with the lone exception of Track 9, an instrumental). Their style is mainly carefully crafted mid-tempo metal - some call it "stoner" metal - that can mix in flashy guitar solos, dual harmony-laden riffs and rhythmic change-ups at any given time. It all makes makes for high quality, never-boring hard rock or old-fashioned head-banging metal.
If you've listened to Down's previous albums (Nola, 1995 and Down II, 2002), you know that they never disappoint, never let you down (pun totally intended) and likely never will as long as they stay true to form. Simply put, Down III comes awfully close to (but not quite) being five-whole-stars-perfect and is one of the best hard rock/metal albums you'll listen to this year. It was released last Tuesday (9/25) through ILG/Warner Music Group. So go pick it up ASAP at the record store of your choice.
For more info on Down, go to their official page and myspace page.
Music Review: Megadeth - That One Night: Live In Buenos Aires
Note: First published on Blogcritics 9-06-07
If you're in a great band, if you've built up a loyal fan base AND have had some degree of success over the years, there's a good chance that you will put out a live record some day. And if your band has sold over 70 million records worldwide in a span of 20 years, as Dave Mustaine's band Megadeth has, the time has finally come for that definitive live album.
Hardcore Megadeth fans know the band has released a couple live compilations and a fan club-only unplugged album in the past, but That One Night is their first official single show release. It captures a rejuvenated Dave Mustaine and his mates arguably at their absolute peak here, in terms of both performance and energy.
Recorded October 9, 2005 at Obras Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the concert features more than 100 minutes of non-stop, career-spanning (through 2004's The System Has Failed CD) thrash and speed metal over two discs. The DVD release of this show came out this past spring. It was recently certified Gold, and was as highly regarded as this newly released audio version should and likely will be.
But listening to either of the two CDs, listeners can easily use their imaginations to picture the electricity inside Obras Stadium that October night. The 25,000-strong fans in attendance really brought out the best in Megadeth.
Though Megadeth has gone through many lineup changes over the years, the group that Mustaine put together for the 2005 tour was the most fiery and fiercest in recent memory. It featured the Drover brothers - Shawn on drums and Glen on guitar - and James MacDonough (Iced Earth) on bass. The lone original member and main songwriter Dave Mustaine has likely never sounded better and kicked out more consistent, skull-crushing metal jams and gems than on this night. However, some may be left begging for more, as this 21-song set (like its DVD companion) is allegedly missing some tracks that were played that night, including "Sweating Bullets." Nonetheless, any worries of getting ripped off or not getting your money's worth will go away within minutes of pressing play on your CD player.
From show opener "Blackmail The Universe" to live staples like "Skin Of My Teeth" - both on disc one - and "Peace Sells" (disc two), the band showcases their influential brand of thrash and speed metal to the delight of the masses. The audience not only knows the lyrics to Megadeth's most beloved songs — they sing the opening chords of classics like "Symphony of Destruction" and an extended version of "Trust" — they also make their own vocals where there are none in order to sing along to the guitar riffs and solos on tracks such as "She Wolf."
Dave Mustaine even sings parts of songs like "Trust" in Spanish and allows the audience to sing an extra chorus. Taken together, it may not be the greatest heavy metal concert of all time, but it should certainly be high on anybody's list, as it is the most interactive and truly inspired metal concert put to tape in recent memory (at least according to these ears).
Dave Mustaine has a special bond with the Argentinian people that goes back several years. In the CD jacket, he recounts how fans there rode in taxis driving 100 mph just to hand him gifts in the van he was riding in; others who knew where the band spent their time in the country spelled out M-E-G-A-D-E-T-H "in the rocks of the [Sheraton] hotel landscaping."
But perhaps the most moving of all Mustaine's recollections is when he tells of the first time Megadeth ever played in Buenos Aires. Outside the gates of the show, he met a very sick young boy who suffered from a rare and fatal accelerated aging condition. The boy let Mustaine know how much he loved him and his music and Mustaine let him know the affection was mutual.
So if you had any doubts as to how powerful heavy music can be and what it can mean to people around the world, especially Megadeth's, those doubts should be gone by now. This band played their hearts out for those tens of thousands of fans and recorded a nearly flawless set that Megadeth fans all over the globe will enjoy for years to come.
If you're in a great band, if you've built up a loyal fan base AND have had some degree of success over the years, there's a good chance that you will put out a live record some day. And if your band has sold over 70 million records worldwide in a span of 20 years, as Dave Mustaine's band Megadeth has, the time has finally come for that definitive live album.
Hardcore Megadeth fans know the band has released a couple live compilations and a fan club-only unplugged album in the past, but That One Night is their first official single show release. It captures a rejuvenated Dave Mustaine and his mates arguably at their absolute peak here, in terms of both performance and energy.
Recorded October 9, 2005 at Obras Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the concert features more than 100 minutes of non-stop, career-spanning (through 2004's The System Has Failed CD) thrash and speed metal over two discs. The DVD release of this show came out this past spring. It was recently certified Gold, and was as highly regarded as this newly released audio version should and likely will be.
But listening to either of the two CDs, listeners can easily use their imaginations to picture the electricity inside Obras Stadium that October night. The 25,000-strong fans in attendance really brought out the best in Megadeth.
Though Megadeth has gone through many lineup changes over the years, the group that Mustaine put together for the 2005 tour was the most fiery and fiercest in recent memory. It featured the Drover brothers - Shawn on drums and Glen on guitar - and James MacDonough (Iced Earth) on bass. The lone original member and main songwriter Dave Mustaine has likely never sounded better and kicked out more consistent, skull-crushing metal jams and gems than on this night. However, some may be left begging for more, as this 21-song set (like its DVD companion) is allegedly missing some tracks that were played that night, including "Sweating Bullets." Nonetheless, any worries of getting ripped off or not getting your money's worth will go away within minutes of pressing play on your CD player.
From show opener "Blackmail The Universe" to live staples like "Skin Of My Teeth" - both on disc one - and "Peace Sells" (disc two), the band showcases their influential brand of thrash and speed metal to the delight of the masses. The audience not only knows the lyrics to Megadeth's most beloved songs — they sing the opening chords of classics like "Symphony of Destruction" and an extended version of "Trust" — they also make their own vocals where there are none in order to sing along to the guitar riffs and solos on tracks such as "She Wolf."
Dave Mustaine even sings parts of songs like "Trust" in Spanish and allows the audience to sing an extra chorus. Taken together, it may not be the greatest heavy metal concert of all time, but it should certainly be high on anybody's list, as it is the most interactive and truly inspired metal concert put to tape in recent memory (at least according to these ears).
Dave Mustaine has a special bond with the Argentinian people that goes back several years. In the CD jacket, he recounts how fans there rode in taxis driving 100 mph just to hand him gifts in the van he was riding in; others who knew where the band spent their time in the country spelled out M-E-G-A-D-E-T-H "in the rocks of the [Sheraton] hotel landscaping."
But perhaps the most moving of all Mustaine's recollections is when he tells of the first time Megadeth ever played in Buenos Aires. Outside the gates of the show, he met a very sick young boy who suffered from a rare and fatal accelerated aging condition. The boy let Mustaine know how much he loved him and his music and Mustaine let him know the affection was mutual.
So if you had any doubts as to how powerful heavy music can be and what it can mean to people around the world, especially Megadeth's, those doubts should be gone by now. This band played their hearts out for those tens of thousands of fans and recorded a nearly flawless set that Megadeth fans all over the globe will enjoy for years to come.
DVD Review: Baseball's Most Unbreakable Feats
Note: First published on Blogcritics 9-18-07
In this DVD, Baseball's Most Unbreakable Feats, current major leaguers, Hall of Famers, baseball historians and managers assess 10 so-called unbreakable records and the likelihood (or lack thereof) that the names associated with them will hold up over time. With Roger Clemens as narrator and opinions expressed by everyone from Lou Brock and Dave Winfield to present day players and managers like Tom Glavine, Craig Biggio and Terry Francona, it is a fun film to watch. All 90 minutes of it. The statistical breakdowns of the records and what it would take to break them again are informative, and even the background music - symphonic, rockin' or electronic - sets the mood well.
As for the records, they include: Nolan Ryan's 5,714 K's, Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA, Ted Williams's .406 AVG, Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hit streak, Eric Gagne's 84 consecutive saves, Rickey Henderson's 1406 career SB's and 130 SB's in one season, Cal Ripken's 2632 consecutive games played, plus a few more.
For starters, the consensus among everyone in the DVD (and fans as well) is that no one will ever get close to Cal Ripken Jr.'s 2632 consecutive games streak, for sure. Miguel Tejada, the closest to his record these days, is mentioned as the most likely candidate to catch up to Ripken. However, on June 22, just under two weeks before this DVD was released (July 3), his own streak of 1152 consecutive games played ended as he sat out of the game due to a wrist injury. Tejada's streak is the fifth longest in MLB history but still more than nine seasons worth of games shy of Ripken's record, which spanned three presidential administrations (1982-1998). Thus, Ripken's record is not just the most unbreakable record in baseball, but arguably in all of sports.
A record that is arguably just as unbreakable as Ripken's streak is Cy Young's 511 wins. As some players pointed out (i.e. Barry Zito), starting pitchers aren't allowed to pitch as frequently as they did in Young's era (late 1800's-to-early 1900's) and likely never will again, both for health and competitive reasons. Still, Greg Maddux did manage to break one of Young's records, having recorded at least 15 wins in 17 consecutive seasons through 2004. (In a side note, Clemens made a minor error in saying Maddux "just" broke Young's consecutive wins record, which happened three years ago; Young's mark was previously at least 15 wins in 15 consecutive seasons.)
When it comes to a couple records, some players are of the "never say never" mindset. And regarding Ted Williams's legendary .406 AVG in 1941, Kevin Millar nominates Ichiro Suzuki to challenge it in the future. A couple of peers mentioned Albert Pujols and Twins catcher (and former batting champ) Joe Mauer as well, but most see Ted's .406 AVG as unsurpassable. Also cool is interview footage of the late Teddy Ballgame. Indeed, footage of him, Pedro with the Red Sox and other heroes of the past makes this DVD high on nostalgia.
One record that I see as possibly vulnerable is Pete Rose's 4256 career hits. Reigning AL MVP Justin Morneau thinks so as well. However, older guys like Francona and Bobby Cox do not. Still, with more and more players playing into their 40s these days, it may not be a question of if his record can be approached but when. According to the film, through age 32, Rose had 2152 hits, while Derek Jeter had 2150 hits at the same age (through the 2006 season). However, Rose played all or parts of 24 seasons to get 4,000+ hits. Jeter, now at age 33, has played at least 12 seasons and is fast approaching 2350 hits. Therefore, if Jeter stays healthy, consistent and wants to play for about ten more seasons, even as a DH, he will give Rose's record a run for his money.
I'm not going to spoil it for you and tell you how 160 players, managers and coaches ranked the top 10 "unbreakable feats," but it is interesting to note what records did not make the DVD at all: Hank Aaron's all-time RBI record (2297) or the formerly sacred all-time HR records - single or career-spanning. Barry Bonds broke the latter two, but not without the help of performance enhancers, some of which (the cream and clear) he admitted in sworn testimony to using for a short time earlier in this decade. Still, many fans expect a few of today's power hitters to eclipse whatever HR number Bonds ends up with, especially A-Rod, and even Albert Pujols. And at age 32, A-Rod already has over 500 HRs and nearly 1500 RBIs!
Overall, this DVD is highly recommended and a must-have for baseball fans that appreciate the fact that baseball is not only a team game but a game of statistics and historic accomplishments. Even if you are familiar with some of these records, you, like the players in this film will likely be awestruck of them and appreciative of what it took for the likes of Nolan Ryan, Rickey Henderson and Cal Ripken to attain their mammoth records. Even the bonus material, which evaluates more unbeatable records, such as back-to-back no-hitters (by Johnny Vander Meer, 1938 ) and two grand slams in one inning (by Cardinal Fernando Tatis in 1999 off Dodger Chan Ho Park, both times) is worth watching.
To watch a two-minute trailer of it, click here.
In this DVD, Baseball's Most Unbreakable Feats, current major leaguers, Hall of Famers, baseball historians and managers assess 10 so-called unbreakable records and the likelihood (or lack thereof) that the names associated with them will hold up over time. With Roger Clemens as narrator and opinions expressed by everyone from Lou Brock and Dave Winfield to present day players and managers like Tom Glavine, Craig Biggio and Terry Francona, it is a fun film to watch. All 90 minutes of it. The statistical breakdowns of the records and what it would take to break them again are informative, and even the background music - symphonic, rockin' or electronic - sets the mood well.
As for the records, they include: Nolan Ryan's 5,714 K's, Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA, Ted Williams's .406 AVG, Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hit streak, Eric Gagne's 84 consecutive saves, Rickey Henderson's 1406 career SB's and 130 SB's in one season, Cal Ripken's 2632 consecutive games played, plus a few more.
For starters, the consensus among everyone in the DVD (and fans as well) is that no one will ever get close to Cal Ripken Jr.'s 2632 consecutive games streak, for sure. Miguel Tejada, the closest to his record these days, is mentioned as the most likely candidate to catch up to Ripken. However, on June 22, just under two weeks before this DVD was released (July 3), his own streak of 1152 consecutive games played ended as he sat out of the game due to a wrist injury. Tejada's streak is the fifth longest in MLB history but still more than nine seasons worth of games shy of Ripken's record, which spanned three presidential administrations (1982-1998). Thus, Ripken's record is not just the most unbreakable record in baseball, but arguably in all of sports.
A record that is arguably just as unbreakable as Ripken's streak is Cy Young's 511 wins. As some players pointed out (i.e. Barry Zito), starting pitchers aren't allowed to pitch as frequently as they did in Young's era (late 1800's-to-early 1900's) and likely never will again, both for health and competitive reasons. Still, Greg Maddux did manage to break one of Young's records, having recorded at least 15 wins in 17 consecutive seasons through 2004. (In a side note, Clemens made a minor error in saying Maddux "just" broke Young's consecutive wins record, which happened three years ago; Young's mark was previously at least 15 wins in 15 consecutive seasons.)
When it comes to a couple records, some players are of the "never say never" mindset. And regarding Ted Williams's legendary .406 AVG in 1941, Kevin Millar nominates Ichiro Suzuki to challenge it in the future. A couple of peers mentioned Albert Pujols and Twins catcher (and former batting champ) Joe Mauer as well, but most see Ted's .406 AVG as unsurpassable. Also cool is interview footage of the late Teddy Ballgame. Indeed, footage of him, Pedro with the Red Sox and other heroes of the past makes this DVD high on nostalgia.
One record that I see as possibly vulnerable is Pete Rose's 4256 career hits. Reigning AL MVP Justin Morneau thinks so as well. However, older guys like Francona and Bobby Cox do not. Still, with more and more players playing into their 40s these days, it may not be a question of if his record can be approached but when. According to the film, through age 32, Rose had 2152 hits, while Derek Jeter had 2150 hits at the same age (through the 2006 season). However, Rose played all or parts of 24 seasons to get 4,000+ hits. Jeter, now at age 33, has played at least 12 seasons and is fast approaching 2350 hits. Therefore, if Jeter stays healthy, consistent and wants to play for about ten more seasons, even as a DH, he will give Rose's record a run for his money.
I'm not going to spoil it for you and tell you how 160 players, managers and coaches ranked the top 10 "unbreakable feats," but it is interesting to note what records did not make the DVD at all: Hank Aaron's all-time RBI record (2297) or the formerly sacred all-time HR records - single or career-spanning. Barry Bonds broke the latter two, but not without the help of performance enhancers, some of which (the cream and clear) he admitted in sworn testimony to using for a short time earlier in this decade. Still, many fans expect a few of today's power hitters to eclipse whatever HR number Bonds ends up with, especially A-Rod, and even Albert Pujols. And at age 32, A-Rod already has over 500 HRs and nearly 1500 RBIs!
Overall, this DVD is highly recommended and a must-have for baseball fans that appreciate the fact that baseball is not only a team game but a game of statistics and historic accomplishments. Even if you are familiar with some of these records, you, like the players in this film will likely be awestruck of them and appreciative of what it took for the likes of Nolan Ryan, Rickey Henderson and Cal Ripken to attain their mammoth records. Even the bonus material, which evaluates more unbeatable records, such as back-to-back no-hitters (by Johnny Vander Meer, 1938 ) and two grand slams in one inning (by Cardinal Fernando Tatis in 1999 off Dodger Chan Ho Park, both times) is worth watching.
To watch a two-minute trailer of it, click here.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Music Review: Motion Turns It On - Rima EP
Note: Cross-posted tonight at Blogcritics via this link.
Houston, Texas is home to up-and-coming instrumental post-rock group Motion Turns It On. Their debut EP Rima is sure to make plenty of noise in the progressive alternative rock scene and may even give some of their Texas brethren a run for their money.
This release's six songs contain enthusiastic and frankly top notch musicianship and production for a band making their debut here. So, what or who do they sound like? It's tough to say but they could be seen as a somewhat louder, math rock version of Austin, Texas instrumental, ambient post-rock band Explosions In The Sky. Their often adventurous yet structured progressions and aggressive, jagged edged riffs and sometimes dreamy/spacey sounds also shows traces of the Mars Volta (minus the vocals). But again, just when you think you've heard this before, the music veers off into new directions, thus making it hard to pinpoint to any one group. It is however, a brand of instrumental post-rock, unique as it is.
The standout track on Rima is "Satelightning," with its soaring, mournful and almost shoegazer-like guitars and piano licks that match that emotion. Guitarist William Kenny's swirling six-string action is complimented by a tight and highly expressive rhythm section, with Derek Sinquefield on bass and Steve Smith on the skins. And on this track, as on others, Smith alternates between complex, speedy rhythms and slower, simpler ones with ease, while Sinquefield hops around the high and lows strings of his bass, never content to just stay in one place for any length of time.
"Southern Diatribe" is an epic ten-minute prog rocker that evolves into a spacey frontier nearly halfway through, highlighting keyboardist Andres Londono's work. The leadoff and self-titled track "Rima" is perhaps their loudest, full-on rock tune and where you can hear comparisons to the Mars Volta come into fruition. "Spitekyte" builds into a powerful, organ-aided tune that nearly matches "Rima"' in loudness and intensity. And "Daily Juice" starts out like early Verve before the band's dreamy/psychedelic-math-and-prog rock fusion takes over.
Though Motion Turns It On hasn't been on the scene for too long, they are sure to turn lots of heads with this debut. It is impressive, dynamic, aggressive, psychedelic and just plain solid throughout. With an outing like this, expectations for an equally excellent debut album should grow, and from what I hear, the band has added a fifth member (Benjamin O Konski on keys/percussion) and is trying out even more new sounds: trumpets, samples, and vocals, any or all of which should figure into MTIO's next release.
They may not have a record label (yet), but they have their own sound, and an East Coast tour in the works, according to 1-Up PR.
Motion Turns It On's Rima EP is out and available now for purchase at iTunes.
For more info on the band, go to their myspace page.
Houston, Texas is home to up-and-coming instrumental post-rock group Motion Turns It On. Their debut EP Rima is sure to make plenty of noise in the progressive alternative rock scene and may even give some of their Texas brethren a run for their money.
This release's six songs contain enthusiastic and frankly top notch musicianship and production for a band making their debut here. So, what or who do they sound like? It's tough to say but they could be seen as a somewhat louder, math rock version of Austin, Texas instrumental, ambient post-rock band Explosions In The Sky. Their often adventurous yet structured progressions and aggressive, jagged edged riffs and sometimes dreamy/spacey sounds also shows traces of the Mars Volta (minus the vocals). But again, just when you think you've heard this before, the music veers off into new directions, thus making it hard to pinpoint to any one group. It is however, a brand of instrumental post-rock, unique as it is.
The standout track on Rima is "Satelightning," with its soaring, mournful and almost shoegazer-like guitars and piano licks that match that emotion. Guitarist William Kenny's swirling six-string action is complimented by a tight and highly expressive rhythm section, with Derek Sinquefield on bass and Steve Smith on the skins. And on this track, as on others, Smith alternates between complex, speedy rhythms and slower, simpler ones with ease, while Sinquefield hops around the high and lows strings of his bass, never content to just stay in one place for any length of time.
"Southern Diatribe" is an epic ten-minute prog rocker that evolves into a spacey frontier nearly halfway through, highlighting keyboardist Andres Londono's work. The leadoff and self-titled track "Rima" is perhaps their loudest, full-on rock tune and where you can hear comparisons to the Mars Volta come into fruition. "Spitekyte" builds into a powerful, organ-aided tune that nearly matches "Rima"' in loudness and intensity. And "Daily Juice" starts out like early Verve before the band's dreamy/psychedelic-math-and-prog rock fusion takes over.
Though Motion Turns It On hasn't been on the scene for too long, they are sure to turn lots of heads with this debut. It is impressive, dynamic, aggressive, psychedelic and just plain solid throughout. With an outing like this, expectations for an equally excellent debut album should grow, and from what I hear, the band has added a fifth member (Benjamin O Konski on keys/percussion) and is trying out even more new sounds: trumpets, samples, and vocals, any or all of which should figure into MTIO's next release.
They may not have a record label (yet), but they have their own sound, and an East Coast tour in the works, according to 1-Up PR.
Motion Turns It On's Rima EP is out and available now for purchase at iTunes.
For more info on the band, go to their myspace page.
Music Review: Paul Van Dyk - In Between CD
World famous German-born DJ and producer Paul van Dyk is back after four years with his fifth proper album, the just-released CD In Between, and his first studio output since being nominated for a Grammy (2005) for his last album Reflections.
While some fans and critics, fairly or unfairly, dissed that album's (car) commercial appeal - it even featured a guest rapper, a la Paul Oakenfold's "Starry-Eyed Surprise" - and for being both trendy and behind the times, this new release is an almost back-to-basics trance album. Almost.
For those who still enjoy the idea of physically buying CDs, this album flows as a continuous mix CD - unless you order it digitally, which comes unmixed. That works for the care-free listener, one with a long-term attention span. And In Between is indeed long, running nearly seventy-eight minutes total. But it could have been even longer and perhaps marketed as a double album if PVD wanted, because he wrote twenty-eight songs over three years for the In Between project. Instead, he settled on the current set of tracks, plus a bonus track called "Next Generation" that was offered only on pre-orders of the album on iTunes.
The first single, "White Lies," features personal, yet catchy and confident vocals from one Jessica Sutta of the Pussycat Dolls and is already heating up the charts, having landed at the #8 spot on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart. Its heavy, thumping beats and synths, and the very pretty, reverb-heavy, harp-fueled and twinkle star melodies, during extensive breakdowns and elsewhere, characterize this standout track, even if it's van Dyk's latest and not so subtle attempt to crossover into today's dance pop phenomenon.
Not that it's a bad thing, of course, but unlike some past attempts, this performance will most likely gin up more praise than cries of sellout or blatant trend follower, which would be the ultimate insult for this electronic music pioneer. Part of PVD's genius as a producer this time around is to take new sounds and material not heard before on previous albums and use them to modernize trance and keep it sounding fresh, even while crossing the roads of familiar genres every now and then.
For people who like to be entertained for short lengths of time, about two-thirds of the seventeen tracks are under five minutes, including most of the poppier and sure-to-be hit singles which, depending on which track, incorporate elements of everything from electro-house ("White Lies") to a 'lil rock guitar.
Other highlights include lead-off track (and personal favorite) "Haunted," which features the angelic vocals of Lo-Fi Sugar singing over calm, swelling synths and light, electronic beats, and "Let Go," which was co-written by Rea Garvey of popular (at least in Europe) German rock band Reamonn. Reminiscent of the under-appreciated Junkie XL, it not only includes a bit of distorted electric guitar but actual drums as well, and Garvey's vocals even get Bono-ish at times during the song.
Van Dyk's long, progressive trance tracks on In Between, like the shorter, poppier songs are multi-layered with all kinds of effects, electronic sounds, and other instruments. But the long ones are arguably the heart of the disc: songs like "Another Sunday" (which samples Probspot's "Blows My Mind") and "Complicated," one of three tracks featuring the beautiful voice of singer/songwriter Ashley Tomberlin.
Not every song and collaborative effort churns out a memorable tune, however. The Wayne Jackson-led "Stormy Skies" fails to make an impression and is just too gloomy for the liking. But lapses of good songwriting don't last long. Piano flourishes highlight mid-album instrumental "In Circles," while live strings - conducted by Dietmar Menzinger - and the Talking Heads' David Byrne's never-aging vocals on "Fall With Me" end the long player on a high note.
In all, In Between has some memorable moments and instant classics, and enough other well-written material to qualify this album as a winner, and the first clear-cut one since 2000's Out There And Back, which is also perhaps its closest comparison as well. IB isn't an instant classic itself or trend setter, but then again, it ain't easy to make one in a genre that is arguably long past its prime and that he had helped define and shape in the 1990s. But one of the world's best DJ's has managed to pull off a mildly impressive, if slightly flawed trance record...in the year 2007. That is a success in and of itself.
For more information on Paul van Dyk, go to his official site, myspace page, or VONYC Radio.
This article was first posted on Blogcritics.org on 8/22/07.
While some fans and critics, fairly or unfairly, dissed that album's (car) commercial appeal - it even featured a guest rapper, a la Paul Oakenfold's "Starry-Eyed Surprise" - and for being both trendy and behind the times, this new release is an almost back-to-basics trance album. Almost.
For those who still enjoy the idea of physically buying CDs, this album flows as a continuous mix CD - unless you order it digitally, which comes unmixed. That works for the care-free listener, one with a long-term attention span. And In Between is indeed long, running nearly seventy-eight minutes total. But it could have been even longer and perhaps marketed as a double album if PVD wanted, because he wrote twenty-eight songs over three years for the In Between project. Instead, he settled on the current set of tracks, plus a bonus track called "Next Generation" that was offered only on pre-orders of the album on iTunes.
The first single, "White Lies," features personal, yet catchy and confident vocals from one Jessica Sutta of the Pussycat Dolls and is already heating up the charts, having landed at the #8 spot on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart. Its heavy, thumping beats and synths, and the very pretty, reverb-heavy, harp-fueled and twinkle star melodies, during extensive breakdowns and elsewhere, characterize this standout track, even if it's van Dyk's latest and not so subtle attempt to crossover into today's dance pop phenomenon.
Not that it's a bad thing, of course, but unlike some past attempts, this performance will most likely gin up more praise than cries of sellout or blatant trend follower, which would be the ultimate insult for this electronic music pioneer. Part of PVD's genius as a producer this time around is to take new sounds and material not heard before on previous albums and use them to modernize trance and keep it sounding fresh, even while crossing the roads of familiar genres every now and then.
For people who like to be entertained for short lengths of time, about two-thirds of the seventeen tracks are under five minutes, including most of the poppier and sure-to-be hit singles which, depending on which track, incorporate elements of everything from electro-house ("White Lies") to a 'lil rock guitar.
Other highlights include lead-off track (and personal favorite) "Haunted," which features the angelic vocals of Lo-Fi Sugar singing over calm, swelling synths and light, electronic beats, and "Let Go," which was co-written by Rea Garvey of popular (at least in Europe) German rock band Reamonn. Reminiscent of the under-appreciated Junkie XL, it not only includes a bit of distorted electric guitar but actual drums as well, and Garvey's vocals even get Bono-ish at times during the song.
Van Dyk's long, progressive trance tracks on In Between, like the shorter, poppier songs are multi-layered with all kinds of effects, electronic sounds, and other instruments. But the long ones are arguably the heart of the disc: songs like "Another Sunday" (which samples Probspot's "Blows My Mind") and "Complicated," one of three tracks featuring the beautiful voice of singer/songwriter Ashley Tomberlin.
Not every song and collaborative effort churns out a memorable tune, however. The Wayne Jackson-led "Stormy Skies" fails to make an impression and is just too gloomy for the liking. But lapses of good songwriting don't last long. Piano flourishes highlight mid-album instrumental "In Circles," while live strings - conducted by Dietmar Menzinger - and the Talking Heads' David Byrne's never-aging vocals on "Fall With Me" end the long player on a high note.
In all, In Between has some memorable moments and instant classics, and enough other well-written material to qualify this album as a winner, and the first clear-cut one since 2000's Out There And Back, which is also perhaps its closest comparison as well. IB isn't an instant classic itself or trend setter, but then again, it ain't easy to make one in a genre that is arguably long past its prime and that he had helped define and shape in the 1990s. But one of the world's best DJ's has managed to pull off a mildly impressive, if slightly flawed trance record...in the year 2007. That is a success in and of itself.
For more information on Paul van Dyk, go to his official site, myspace page, or VONYC Radio.
This article was first posted on Blogcritics.org on 8/22/07.
Music Review: Unwritten Law - The Hit List
Since 1990, San Diego's Unwritten Law have released five studio albums, a live album (in 2003), and a greatest hits collection, which came out early in 2007 on Abydos Records. From the skate punk of their early days and the power pop of their peak years, to the hard rock (some say "post grunge") of their later material, it's all here among nineteen tracks, plus an unlisted twentieth cut.
Unlike a lot of bands who make you buy a best-of album full of songs already in your collection just for one or two new tracks, Unwritten Law decided to head into the studio and re-record fourteen of their best known and most beloved tracks. They also throw in two new songs here, and include three from their 2005 release Here's To The Mourning as is.
Not since The Cure recorded acoustic versions of eighteen of their best hits (as a second disc) over five years ago, has a band come up with a cooler way to both reward longtime fans, while summing up a long, fruitful career for more casual listeners.
With the exception of "Rest Of My Life," a Top 20 modern rock hit taken from 2003's live and acoustic Music In High Places, most of the new versions will sound slightly heavier than the originals. This is because the guitars and bass are tuned a bit lower (Eb tuning instead of the standard E natural tuning on most original versions).
Having said that, the arrangements of these songs aren't drastically different. The band is now a four-piece — after losing longtime guitarist Rob Brewer and drummer Wade Youman a few years ago. The latter was replaced by Tony Palermo of Pulley in 2005, and singer Scott Russo has taken on the role as the occasional second guitarist for the band.
Of all the redone tracks, perhaps the most improved of them is "California Sky," which is the second of three straight aces taken from Unwritten Law's best album, 1998's Unwritten Law. Loud guitars, light harmonics, a tambourine, and a much better guitar solo (by guitarist Steve Morris) than the original, makes this an instant standout. "Harmonic" is only different in that the intro no longer includes a last second tuneup. Palermo is as fast and aggressive as his predecessor here and elsewhere on the disc.
"Superman," from their second album Oz Factor (1996) is slowed-down on the re-recorded version, allowing the melody to stick out a bit more. The original version channeled their inner Green Day.
The opening bone-crushing chords of the 2002 hit "Up All Night," the borderline ska-ish upstrokes that follow in the verses, and an acoustic-aided bridge make this well-rounded rocker one of the true highlights of their career. The new version isn't much different, as it remains an anthem for those restless youths (and those who live to be forever young) who would happily answer Russo's in-song question, "What's wrong with kickin' it when you're bored and lit?"
Nothing, you say? Well, then "smoke some cigarettes" and "fire up another roach" as you watch "the sun come up again," and again...and so on.
Speaking of bone-crushing, "Celebration Song," from 2005's Here's To The Mourning may be the heaviest song UL ever recorded, with dropped D tuned guitars and bass, and explosive riffs that would make the Deftones crack a smile. That album marked a big change for the band's sound, and arguably its best moments are included here.
Pretty much all of the fan favorites are included on The Hit List, including their number one hit "Seein' Red," (from 2002's Elva CD). Though "Mean Girl" or "Holiday" could've made the cut — perhaps at the expense of a so-so track like "Rescue Me," also from Elva. But it is worth noting that some of the choice cuts here are collaborations (at least on the lyric sheet) with some familiar names.
Linda Perry, a very in-demand songwriter/producer who fronted early 1990s one-hit wonders 4 Non Blondes and has since worked with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Ziggy Marley, Fischerspooner, and Courtney Love co-wrote the Top 5 hit "Save Me."
Russo's girlfriend Aimee Allen also co-wrote the lyrics to this song, as well as most other tracks on the album it's taken from, Here's To The Mourning. Allen has been getting more exposure in her own right as of late. Lupe Fiasco incorporated her "Stripper Friends" into hit single "We All Want The Same Thing" this year, and her song "Cooties" appears on the soundtrack to this year's popular remake of the 1988 movie Hairspray.
Hollywood, California rapper Mickey Avalon co-wrote the heavy, post-grunge rocker "Should've Known Better" (the first of two new tracks), though Russo does the rapping on the version that opens this album. He's not bad and sounds like he's having fun doing it. Avalon's own raps appear on the unlisted version of "Should've Known Better" at the end of the CD (track 20).
Phil Jamieson, of Australian rock band Grinspoon, co-wrote the excellent "She Says," and A. Jay Popoff, lead singer of fellow veteran California pop punk rockers Lit co-wrote the lyrics to the second and less impressive of the two new tracks, "Welcome To Oblivion."
Of course, no UL compilation would be complete without their breakout 1999 hit "Cailin," which is aided only by a slightly more modern production on the new version. The same is true for other older tracks, including "C.P.K.," from their first album Blue Room and the Blink 182-ish "Shallow," from Oz Factor.
In all, The Hit List is about as complete a summary of Unwritten Law's career as you'll likely come across, given all the record label changes over the years. And though there are a couple of questionable inclusions and omissions, it is a must-have for any longtime Unwritten Law fan, and a more than satisfying release for the uninitiated and curious. They may have had limited commercial success over their seventeen-year career, but Unwritten Law's combination of power pop and punk rock is on par with anything their highly successful peers (like Lit, Blink 182) ever did. And they're not done yet.
For more info on the band, go to their Myspace page.
Note: This was first posted on Blogcritics.org on 8/14/07.
Unlike a lot of bands who make you buy a best-of album full of songs already in your collection just for one or two new tracks, Unwritten Law decided to head into the studio and re-record fourteen of their best known and most beloved tracks. They also throw in two new songs here, and include three from their 2005 release Here's To The Mourning as is.
Not since The Cure recorded acoustic versions of eighteen of their best hits (as a second disc) over five years ago, has a band come up with a cooler way to both reward longtime fans, while summing up a long, fruitful career for more casual listeners.
With the exception of "Rest Of My Life," a Top 20 modern rock hit taken from 2003's live and acoustic Music In High Places, most of the new versions will sound slightly heavier than the originals. This is because the guitars and bass are tuned a bit lower (Eb tuning instead of the standard E natural tuning on most original versions).
Having said that, the arrangements of these songs aren't drastically different. The band is now a four-piece — after losing longtime guitarist Rob Brewer and drummer Wade Youman a few years ago. The latter was replaced by Tony Palermo of Pulley in 2005, and singer Scott Russo has taken on the role as the occasional second guitarist for the band.
Of all the redone tracks, perhaps the most improved of them is "California Sky," which is the second of three straight aces taken from Unwritten Law's best album, 1998's Unwritten Law. Loud guitars, light harmonics, a tambourine, and a much better guitar solo (by guitarist Steve Morris) than the original, makes this an instant standout. "Harmonic" is only different in that the intro no longer includes a last second tuneup. Palermo is as fast and aggressive as his predecessor here and elsewhere on the disc.
"Superman," from their second album Oz Factor (1996) is slowed-down on the re-recorded version, allowing the melody to stick out a bit more. The original version channeled their inner Green Day.
The opening bone-crushing chords of the 2002 hit "Up All Night," the borderline ska-ish upstrokes that follow in the verses, and an acoustic-aided bridge make this well-rounded rocker one of the true highlights of their career. The new version isn't much different, as it remains an anthem for those restless youths (and those who live to be forever young) who would happily answer Russo's in-song question, "What's wrong with kickin' it when you're bored and lit?"
Nothing, you say? Well, then "smoke some cigarettes" and "fire up another roach" as you watch "the sun come up again," and again...and so on.
Speaking of bone-crushing, "Celebration Song," from 2005's Here's To The Mourning may be the heaviest song UL ever recorded, with dropped D tuned guitars and bass, and explosive riffs that would make the Deftones crack a smile. That album marked a big change for the band's sound, and arguably its best moments are included here.
Pretty much all of the fan favorites are included on The Hit List, including their number one hit "Seein' Red," (from 2002's Elva CD). Though "Mean Girl" or "Holiday" could've made the cut — perhaps at the expense of a so-so track like "Rescue Me," also from Elva. But it is worth noting that some of the choice cuts here are collaborations (at least on the lyric sheet) with some familiar names.
Linda Perry, a very in-demand songwriter/producer who fronted early 1990s one-hit wonders 4 Non Blondes and has since worked with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Ziggy Marley, Fischerspooner, and Courtney Love co-wrote the Top 5 hit "Save Me."
Russo's girlfriend Aimee Allen also co-wrote the lyrics to this song, as well as most other tracks on the album it's taken from, Here's To The Mourning. Allen has been getting more exposure in her own right as of late. Lupe Fiasco incorporated her "Stripper Friends" into hit single "We All Want The Same Thing" this year, and her song "Cooties" appears on the soundtrack to this year's popular remake of the 1988 movie Hairspray.
Hollywood, California rapper Mickey Avalon co-wrote the heavy, post-grunge rocker "Should've Known Better" (the first of two new tracks), though Russo does the rapping on the version that opens this album. He's not bad and sounds like he's having fun doing it. Avalon's own raps appear on the unlisted version of "Should've Known Better" at the end of the CD (track 20).
Phil Jamieson, of Australian rock band Grinspoon, co-wrote the excellent "She Says," and A. Jay Popoff, lead singer of fellow veteran California pop punk rockers Lit co-wrote the lyrics to the second and less impressive of the two new tracks, "Welcome To Oblivion."
Of course, no UL compilation would be complete without their breakout 1999 hit "Cailin," which is aided only by a slightly more modern production on the new version. The same is true for other older tracks, including "C.P.K.," from their first album Blue Room and the Blink 182-ish "Shallow," from Oz Factor.
In all, The Hit List is about as complete a summary of Unwritten Law's career as you'll likely come across, given all the record label changes over the years. And though there are a couple of questionable inclusions and omissions, it is a must-have for any longtime Unwritten Law fan, and a more than satisfying release for the uninitiated and curious. They may have had limited commercial success over their seventeen-year career, but Unwritten Law's combination of power pop and punk rock is on par with anything their highly successful peers (like Lit, Blink 182) ever did. And they're not done yet.
For more info on the band, go to their Myspace page.
Note: This was first posted on Blogcritics.org on 8/14/07.
Monday, August 13, 2007
CD Review: The Junior Varsity - Cinematographic
Note: This review was first published on Blogcritics 8-08-07
Springfield, Illinois' ambitious sons and rising stars The Junior Varsity have released their third album in four years, Cinematographic, and if you've never heard of them until recently, just know this: they are not your average emo rock group. Their often sophisticated sound can be traced back to a broad range of influences, from their peers to classic rock of yesteryear.
Many fans and critics alike agree that 2004's debut The Great Compromise, which was released on a small, startup label (British Records), was an amazing accomplishment with impressive musicianship for a young band, and had them compared to the likes of Alkaline Trio and Jimmy Eat World. Since forming in 2002, the quintet have literally grown from boys to men, as they are nearing their mid-20s now.
In 2005 though, second effort Wide Eyed, their first for Victory Records, had its moments (including some where The Police influences manifest itself), but was more or less viewed as a step back from their debut.
Now, seemingly everyone is excited for TJV's new record, and keyboardist/saxophonist Nick Dodson thinks so highly of Cinematographic that in a recent press release he considered it to be "leaps-and-bounds better" than Wide Eyed, "in terms of the musicianship, songwriting and melodies." This critic is inclined to agree.
After a couple of spins of the album, it's not too hard to realize that The Junior Varsity really is a cut above their contemporaries. Sure, they use power chords at-will, but the song arrangements are never dull, sometimes prog rock-ish, and would definitely give Guitar World transcribers long nights at a time, as guitarists Andy Wildrick and Sergio Coronado constantly riff and phrase their way through verses, choruses, breakdowns, all the way to the end of many songs (check out "Under The Radar," "Lifted," "The Greatest"). This doesn't always translate into memorable songs ("The Importance of Being Important"), but there are plenty of those on this album, and producer Mike Watts (Hopesfall, As Tall As Lions) no doubt had a hand in bringing out the best in TJV here.
On "I Went Blind," the song's intro and Chris Birch's powerhouse drumming recalls the Foo Fighters at first. Sunny, jittery (electric) guitar, acoustic guitar phrases and vibes quiet things down for the verses, and the chorus gets the multiple vocal treatment; its mid-level and high but not whiny pitches sound a bit like Dashboard Confessional. But again, no whiny emo here. "The Sky!" sports psychedelic flourishes, along with flashy and artful hard rock riffs.
At the start of "St. Louis," bass player/singer Asa Dawson's vocals instantly recall John Linnell (of They Might Be Giants), but soon enough, the quirky, jangly feel of the track evolves into what the band considers a Say Anything-meets-The Strokes rocker. Which is to say the track mixes slightly distorted guitars over a toe-tappin' rhythm section with several bursts of heavier riffs and short solos. Thus, it makes for a damn good power pop number.
Listening to "The Greatest" - not a Cat Power cover - makes you understand why the band has toured with the likes of Panic! At The Disco, as Dawson's voice climbs pretty high during the chorus. However, TJV's pure, raw hard rock instincts kick into high gear near the end as Dawson sings of Armageddon: "Don't worry about the signs/This world is coming to an end I think we all know". The song's furious, kickass closing riffs are headbanger-worthy, though its start-stop tempos may mess with your head, should you try.
The back-to-back-to-back tracks "Memory Made Easy," "Try To Define," and title track "Cinematographic" highlight and sum up everything TJV is about. "Memory Made Easy" is a lovely acoustic-based and dare I say Jimmy Page-influenced instrumental, complete with light keyboard work and cello. Stunning in its beauty and technically proficient in its execution, this is without a doubt my favorite song on the record. "Try To Define," with its pretty, ascending and descending guitar and piano lines in the verses and a punk-inspired chorus is another standout emo-pop song. And perhaps different than anything TJV has tried before is the swinging track "Cinematographic," a softer, jazz-edged tune featuring Dodson on saxophone. The fact that a band like The Junior Varsity can pull off tracks as varied as those three in the course of one album is quite an accomplishment.
Overall, Cinematographic and its rockin', mostly guitar-based (no offense to Dodson) work of art gives you the type of hope and excitement for this genre of rock that Hot Rod Circuit once did. Though it's not perfect, it's close (4 out of 5 stars) and very highly recommended.
Fore more info on the band, visit the Victory Records website and TJV's myspace page.
Springfield, Illinois' ambitious sons and rising stars The Junior Varsity have released their third album in four years, Cinematographic, and if you've never heard of them until recently, just know this: they are not your average emo rock group. Their often sophisticated sound can be traced back to a broad range of influences, from their peers to classic rock of yesteryear.
Many fans and critics alike agree that 2004's debut The Great Compromise, which was released on a small, startup label (British Records), was an amazing accomplishment with impressive musicianship for a young band, and had them compared to the likes of Alkaline Trio and Jimmy Eat World. Since forming in 2002, the quintet have literally grown from boys to men, as they are nearing their mid-20s now.
In 2005 though, second effort Wide Eyed, their first for Victory Records, had its moments (including some where The Police influences manifest itself), but was more or less viewed as a step back from their debut.
Now, seemingly everyone is excited for TJV's new record, and keyboardist/saxophonist Nick Dodson thinks so highly of Cinematographic that in a recent press release he considered it to be "leaps-and-bounds better" than Wide Eyed, "in terms of the musicianship, songwriting and melodies." This critic is inclined to agree.
After a couple of spins of the album, it's not too hard to realize that The Junior Varsity really is a cut above their contemporaries. Sure, they use power chords at-will, but the song arrangements are never dull, sometimes prog rock-ish, and would definitely give Guitar World transcribers long nights at a time, as guitarists Andy Wildrick and Sergio Coronado constantly riff and phrase their way through verses, choruses, breakdowns, all the way to the end of many songs (check out "Under The Radar," "Lifted," "The Greatest"). This doesn't always translate into memorable songs ("The Importance of Being Important"), but there are plenty of those on this album, and producer Mike Watts (Hopesfall, As Tall As Lions) no doubt had a hand in bringing out the best in TJV here.
On "I Went Blind," the song's intro and Chris Birch's powerhouse drumming recalls the Foo Fighters at first. Sunny, jittery (electric) guitar, acoustic guitar phrases and vibes quiet things down for the verses, and the chorus gets the multiple vocal treatment; its mid-level and high but not whiny pitches sound a bit like Dashboard Confessional. But again, no whiny emo here. "The Sky!" sports psychedelic flourishes, along with flashy and artful hard rock riffs.
At the start of "St. Louis," bass player/singer Asa Dawson's vocals instantly recall John Linnell (of They Might Be Giants), but soon enough, the quirky, jangly feel of the track evolves into what the band considers a Say Anything-meets-The Strokes rocker. Which is to say the track mixes slightly distorted guitars over a toe-tappin' rhythm section with several bursts of heavier riffs and short solos. Thus, it makes for a damn good power pop number.
Listening to "The Greatest" - not a Cat Power cover - makes you understand why the band has toured with the likes of Panic! At The Disco, as Dawson's voice climbs pretty high during the chorus. However, TJV's pure, raw hard rock instincts kick into high gear near the end as Dawson sings of Armageddon: "Don't worry about the signs/This world is coming to an end I think we all know". The song's furious, kickass closing riffs are headbanger-worthy, though its start-stop tempos may mess with your head, should you try.
The back-to-back-to-back tracks "Memory Made Easy," "Try To Define," and title track "Cinematographic" highlight and sum up everything TJV is about. "Memory Made Easy" is a lovely acoustic-based and dare I say Jimmy Page-influenced instrumental, complete with light keyboard work and cello. Stunning in its beauty and technically proficient in its execution, this is without a doubt my favorite song on the record. "Try To Define," with its pretty, ascending and descending guitar and piano lines in the verses and a punk-inspired chorus is another standout emo-pop song. And perhaps different than anything TJV has tried before is the swinging track "Cinematographic," a softer, jazz-edged tune featuring Dodson on saxophone. The fact that a band like The Junior Varsity can pull off tracks as varied as those three in the course of one album is quite an accomplishment.
Overall, Cinematographic and its rockin', mostly guitar-based (no offense to Dodson) work of art gives you the type of hope and excitement for this genre of rock that Hot Rod Circuit once did. Though it's not perfect, it's close (4 out of 5 stars) and very highly recommended.
Fore more info on the band, visit the Victory Records website and TJV's myspace page.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
CD Review: Jesse Harris - Feel
Note: This article was cross-posted today at Blogcritics at this link:
http://www.blogcritics.org/archives/2007/07/17/061636.php
NYC singer/songwriter and former Grammy winner Jesse Harris is a busy man these days. He recently acted in and wrote the soundtrack to Ethan Hawke's film The Hottest State; the bulk of those songs were covered exclusively for the soundtrack by such indie stalwarts as Cat Power, M. Ward, Bright Eyes, Feist, and even Willie Nelson. Now, just in time for the middle of the summer season, Harris releases his seventh solo album, Feel, a collection of easygoing tropical folk pop ditties, some of which hint at or explore other genres.
There are six other musicians who play or sing on the record, but the work is clearly Harris's, as it always has been, even when he started out in 1999 as Jesse Harris and the Ferdinandos. He has since dropped the band from the name and made records as a solo artist, but made a wise decision in holding over bassist Tim Luntzel, whose electric and upright bass playing never outshines Jesse, but adds strong dynamics to his best work.
Though Feel is a long player chock full of slow and midtempo tracks, ironically, it moves along at a fast pace, with more than half of them checking in at under three minutes. The album itself is just under forty minutes long.
The loudest song (for Harris, anyway) comes first, with title track "Feel." It starts out with just a folky acoustic riff, followed by the rest of the band and then a solo done on a distorted electric guitar, which makes the first of its rather infrequent appearances on the record. Not that having minimal electric guitar here is a bad thing. Quite the opposite.
The next song, "I Don't Mind," has a steady, upright bass rhythm, light hand drumming by Andrew Borger - who previously worked with Norah Jones - and is the most peaceful, gorgeous acoustic-based track on the record. And for you guitarists out there, it's played with a capo on the fourth fret.
It's a perfect soundtrack for watching the sunset (instead of just looking at pictures of it, as Harris says he does in the song itself). The main melody Harris plays on acoustic guitar is bright yet quiet, and to these ears, has one note in particular that has a long, sustained ring that at first it sounds like it's coming from a wind instrument.
On the somewhat jazzy "Where To Start," you can almost picture Harris's former fellow Grammy-winning collaborator Norah Jones - who remade his Ferdinandos-era cut "Don't Know Why" in 2002 into a worldwide hit - saying, "Jesse, I can jazz this one up a bit too, if you'd like." Violinist Jenny Scheinman, who makes some appearances on Feel, also worked with Norah Jones on her debut hit record Come Away With Me.
Organist (and pianist) Jon Dryden gets to show off his skills a bit on some tracks, including "After All," which also features background vocals by guest Richard Julian, a Delaware-born folk artist, currently based in New York City.
Vibraphones and soft percussion (courtesy of Mauro Refosco) accompany the smoothly played acoustic melodies of "Walk On," while high-pitched piano chords highlight the breezy, weather-themed "The Wind." The similarly themed "How Could It Take So Long?" features Harris on banjo and harmonica, where he displays a hint of the blues. Speaking of bluesy pop stars, on these two tracks, Harris sounds a bit like John Mayer or David Gray, at least vocally; in the past, other critics have compared him to artists like Jackson Browne.
Overall, most of this record will get you through these lazy summer days, but there are some that are sleepy slow, most notably "If I Had No Name," or are half-decent but have heard it before, like the intimate, waltzy love song "You And Me."
Thankfully though, Jesse Harris saves arguably his best and most surprising (to these ears) composition for last, the reggae-inflected "Fire On The Ocean." Heavy on organ and percussion, this upbeat track, even if it's written in a minor key, ends the album on a happy, head-bopping note.
Feel has a more positive spirit and a little more rock (i.e. "Luxembourg") than in past efforts, and taken together, this album is solid, should not disappoint any fans of his previous work, and even breaks some new ground for the aging Jesse Harris, who is 37 years of age. The percussive elements (by Refosco) are new for Harris and were inspired by African/Brazilian music. "It Washed Away" is the prime example of that influence, with both Borger and Refosco on percussion and Refosco also on vibes.
The fact that this CD, as good as it sounds, was recorded in just three days, without much rehearsal at all is even more impressive. One wonders what other territory Harris could've explored with more time.
Finally, I must admit that initially, there were just a few songs on this CD I really liked. The album had to grow on me before I finally got it, and so probably spent more time trying to pick up on all the elements of it than Harris spent actually recording it. Now, I just let Feel play all the way through without a thought. That should tell you all you need to know about the quality of this recording. It's summertime music, so go check it out now while it's still hot!
For more info, visit his official site or his myspace page. Click here for the Jesse Harris Media Player.
Feel is in Internet and retail stores now on Velour Recordings.
http://www.blogcritics.org/archives/2007/07/17/061636.php
NYC singer/songwriter and former Grammy winner Jesse Harris is a busy man these days. He recently acted in and wrote the soundtrack to Ethan Hawke's film The Hottest State; the bulk of those songs were covered exclusively for the soundtrack by such indie stalwarts as Cat Power, M. Ward, Bright Eyes, Feist, and even Willie Nelson. Now, just in time for the middle of the summer season, Harris releases his seventh solo album, Feel, a collection of easygoing tropical folk pop ditties, some of which hint at or explore other genres.
There are six other musicians who play or sing on the record, but the work is clearly Harris's, as it always has been, even when he started out in 1999 as Jesse Harris and the Ferdinandos. He has since dropped the band from the name and made records as a solo artist, but made a wise decision in holding over bassist Tim Luntzel, whose electric and upright bass playing never outshines Jesse, but adds strong dynamics to his best work.
Though Feel is a long player chock full of slow and midtempo tracks, ironically, it moves along at a fast pace, with more than half of them checking in at under three minutes. The album itself is just under forty minutes long.
The loudest song (for Harris, anyway) comes first, with title track "Feel." It starts out with just a folky acoustic riff, followed by the rest of the band and then a solo done on a distorted electric guitar, which makes the first of its rather infrequent appearances on the record. Not that having minimal electric guitar here is a bad thing. Quite the opposite.
The next song, "I Don't Mind," has a steady, upright bass rhythm, light hand drumming by Andrew Borger - who previously worked with Norah Jones - and is the most peaceful, gorgeous acoustic-based track on the record. And for you guitarists out there, it's played with a capo on the fourth fret.
It's a perfect soundtrack for watching the sunset (instead of just looking at pictures of it, as Harris says he does in the song itself). The main melody Harris plays on acoustic guitar is bright yet quiet, and to these ears, has one note in particular that has a long, sustained ring that at first it sounds like it's coming from a wind instrument.
On the somewhat jazzy "Where To Start," you can almost picture Harris's former fellow Grammy-winning collaborator Norah Jones - who remade his Ferdinandos-era cut "Don't Know Why" in 2002 into a worldwide hit - saying, "Jesse, I can jazz this one up a bit too, if you'd like." Violinist Jenny Scheinman, who makes some appearances on Feel, also worked with Norah Jones on her debut hit record Come Away With Me.
Organist (and pianist) Jon Dryden gets to show off his skills a bit on some tracks, including "After All," which also features background vocals by guest Richard Julian, a Delaware-born folk artist, currently based in New York City.
Vibraphones and soft percussion (courtesy of Mauro Refosco) accompany the smoothly played acoustic melodies of "Walk On," while high-pitched piano chords highlight the breezy, weather-themed "The Wind." The similarly themed "How Could It Take So Long?" features Harris on banjo and harmonica, where he displays a hint of the blues. Speaking of bluesy pop stars, on these two tracks, Harris sounds a bit like John Mayer or David Gray, at least vocally; in the past, other critics have compared him to artists like Jackson Browne.
Overall, most of this record will get you through these lazy summer days, but there are some that are sleepy slow, most notably "If I Had No Name," or are half-decent but have heard it before, like the intimate, waltzy love song "You And Me."
Thankfully though, Jesse Harris saves arguably his best and most surprising (to these ears) composition for last, the reggae-inflected "Fire On The Ocean." Heavy on organ and percussion, this upbeat track, even if it's written in a minor key, ends the album on a happy, head-bopping note.
Feel has a more positive spirit and a little more rock (i.e. "Luxembourg") than in past efforts, and taken together, this album is solid, should not disappoint any fans of his previous work, and even breaks some new ground for the aging Jesse Harris, who is 37 years of age. The percussive elements (by Refosco) are new for Harris and were inspired by African/Brazilian music. "It Washed Away" is the prime example of that influence, with both Borger and Refosco on percussion and Refosco also on vibes.
The fact that this CD, as good as it sounds, was recorded in just three days, without much rehearsal at all is even more impressive. One wonders what other territory Harris could've explored with more time.
Finally, I must admit that initially, there were just a few songs on this CD I really liked. The album had to grow on me before I finally got it, and so probably spent more time trying to pick up on all the elements of it than Harris spent actually recording it. Now, I just let Feel play all the way through without a thought. That should tell you all you need to know about the quality of this recording. It's summertime music, so go check it out now while it's still hot!
For more info, visit his official site or his myspace page. Click here for the Jesse Harris Media Player.
Feel is in Internet and retail stores now on Velour Recordings.
Concert Review: Unwritten Law, July 1, 2007, Boston, At Axis
Note: This article was previously posted at Blogcritics at the following link:
http://www.blogcritics.org/archives/2007/07/07/170236.php
All in all, it was a strong set and a rockin' show, for a Sunday night, but with a little more energy and focus, it could've been even better.
http://www.blogcritics.org/archives/2007/07/07/170236.php
Warped Tour veterans and Southern California power punk rockers Unwritten Law came to Boston last Sunday, July 1st and rocked Axis, a small club across the street from Fenway Park, just hours after the Red Sox played.
For a Sunday night, the audience did show up, though it wasn't completely full to the brim. There were three opening acts, most notably Zebrahead, an Orange County, California punk/rap-rock band. The lack of a full house didn't seem to affect the band. In fact, Unwritten Law even had fun with the fans, with singer Scott Russo claiming early in the show that the last time he came to Boston, he was "wasted," then after some clatter said, "And you were too!."
This time around, the ambitious foursome from San Diego were here to promote The Hit List, their compilation of best known songs over a 17-year career that has found them covering lots of ground, from skate punk to hard rock and punk pop.
Tonight, they aimed to please their older fans, starting out with the excellent "Teenage Suicide" from their 1998 Self-Titled CD, then launching into heavy rockers like the acoustic-turned-grungy "Shoulda Known Better," where Russo even raps some verses.
"Celebration Song" came next and is perhaps one of the heaviest numbers in their catalog, and was followed by their semi-hit "Seein' Red." In the digital age we are in, the crowd took out their cell phones - instead of lighters, like the old days - and waved them in their air during the song's hypnotic instrumental parts and verses.
Well into the concert, Russo and guitarist Steve Morris traded cigarettes between new song "Welcome to Oblivion" and "Rest of My Life," done on acoustic by Russo, and the audience was then treated to such oldies as the Blink 182-ish "Shallow" and the crunch of "Up All Night."
Though the band was as tight as ever and Russo looked like he was having a blast, his stage antics were often hurting, not helping, him.
All in all, it was a strong set and a rockin' show, for a Sunday night, but with a little more energy and focus, it could've been even better.
Pearl Jam - Live At The Gorge (CD Box Set)
Note: This article was previously posted on Blogcritics.org at the following link:
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/06/30/203304.php
Veteran Seattle rock heroes Pearl Jam have always been fan-friendly, especially when it comes to selling their concerts. Either they do it themselves or allow fan clubs to sell bootlegs of them to the public, whether they were fantastic, sloppy, or somewhere in between.
Looking for a unique way to highlight their 2005-2006 World Tour, Pearl Jam have now decided to officially release a seven-disc long box set of three of the most demanded concerts by their fans, all of which are from the same venue, The Gorge Ampitheatre in George, Washington. Judging by the CD sampler of the box set and the online streaming of the shows, it's easy to understand why the band would want their true fans to have these three epic performances together in one package.
The first three discs feature the September 1, 2005 show at The Gorge. This performance stands out not only because it officially kicked off their 2005-2006 World Tour, but because of the long acoustic set that begins the show. Standouts include the Jeff Ament-penned "Low Light," a slow, folky tune with lovely group vocals, and beloved oldies such as the Victoria Williams cover "Crazy Mary" and "Black," where the audience can be almost as loud as the band as they sing out the lyrics.
The electric set started with a slightly sped up version of "Given To Fly," and all throughout the rest of the show is a mix of old favorites like "Evenflow," "Alive," "Corduroy," and "State of Love and Trust," along with never played tunes like "Undone" and rarely played ones like "Sad." And then comes the three encores, which include a rare performance of Mother Love Bone's "Crown of Thorns," Tom Petty's classic "I Won't Back Down," "Last Kiss," and finally, The Who's "Baba O'Riley," which was done in pure raw, hard rock fashion.
CDs four and five have the July 22, 2006 performance and the last two have the July 23, 2006 show, which was the last one of their American leg of the tour before heading overseas. Both shows are equally amazing, long and exhausting, but what else would you expect from a band with a catalog as big and strong as Pearl Jam? Yes, there are some songs that are repeated from show to show ("Yellow Ledbetter" and "Given to Fly" in particular), but there are exactly 100 songs on this box set, and there's more than enough songs from Pearl Jam's back catalog to make the long-time fans happy (myself included).
The second show (July 22, 2006) starts off with the Ten b-side "Wash," followed by a slew of songs from the old and the new, including "Severed Hand," "Worldwide Suicide," and four more from last year's highly praised Pearl Jam disc. Other memorable performances from this show include a medley of "Daughter" and Dead Moon's "It's OK." The rarity "Dirty Frank," — which hadn't been played since 1994 — is followed by the often covered Neil Young anthem "Rockin' In The Free World" and show closer "Yellow Ledbetter."
Show number three (July 23, 2006) has another Neil Young cover often played over the years, "F*kin' Up," which sounds even heavier than the original, and a Hendrix cover, "Little Wing." Long-time fans will love the inclusion of "Rats," "Jeremy," "Garden" and "Animal" from this show, along with two songs that were made for a medley: "Betterman" and English Beat's "Save It For Later." The band doesn't even have to dramatically change the chords during the transition to the latter, as Eddie seamlessly adds the lyrics of "Save It" to the end of "Betterman."
Pearl Jam can still rock hard and for long periods of time, never showing signs of their age and nearly seventeen years of existence. The band is in peak form here. Their versatility is incomparable, and their energy on stage radiates toward the hometown audience, which seems to be enjoying nearly all seven-and-a-half hours of the three Gorge shows combined.
Finally, as for why these series of shows were chosen in particular for a box set, guitarist Mike McCready said in a recent interview that these were "above par" performances that really highlighted their 2005-2006 World Tour. In addition, McCready said the Gorge Ampitheatre, an outdoor venue, was the most beautiful setting he's ever played at, with the Columbia River as a backrop and a colorful sunset to play in view of. Hence, the gorgeous cover (and the set itself).
Until the DVD set comes out (one can only hope), this CD set will certainly do, and will satisfy anyone who has ever taken interest in Pearl Jam, who once again prove why they were and still are one of the best rock bands of our generation.
Pearl Jam's Live At The Gorge 05/06 CD Box Set is in stores this week. If you'd like to preview nine songs from the box set, check out the E-card here.
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/06/30/203304.php
Veteran Seattle rock heroes Pearl Jam have always been fan-friendly, especially when it comes to selling their concerts. Either they do it themselves or allow fan clubs to sell bootlegs of them to the public, whether they were fantastic, sloppy, or somewhere in between.
Looking for a unique way to highlight their 2005-2006 World Tour, Pearl Jam have now decided to officially release a seven-disc long box set of three of the most demanded concerts by their fans, all of which are from the same venue, The Gorge Ampitheatre in George, Washington. Judging by the CD sampler of the box set and the online streaming of the shows, it's easy to understand why the band would want their true fans to have these three epic performances together in one package.
The first three discs feature the September 1, 2005 show at The Gorge. This performance stands out not only because it officially kicked off their 2005-2006 World Tour, but because of the long acoustic set that begins the show. Standouts include the Jeff Ament-penned "Low Light," a slow, folky tune with lovely group vocals, and beloved oldies such as the Victoria Williams cover "Crazy Mary" and "Black," where the audience can be almost as loud as the band as they sing out the lyrics.
The electric set started with a slightly sped up version of "Given To Fly," and all throughout the rest of the show is a mix of old favorites like "Evenflow," "Alive," "Corduroy," and "State of Love and Trust," along with never played tunes like "Undone" and rarely played ones like "Sad." And then comes the three encores, which include a rare performance of Mother Love Bone's "Crown of Thorns," Tom Petty's classic "I Won't Back Down," "Last Kiss," and finally, The Who's "Baba O'Riley," which was done in pure raw, hard rock fashion.
CDs four and five have the July 22, 2006 performance and the last two have the July 23, 2006 show, which was the last one of their American leg of the tour before heading overseas. Both shows are equally amazing, long and exhausting, but what else would you expect from a band with a catalog as big and strong as Pearl Jam? Yes, there are some songs that are repeated from show to show ("Yellow Ledbetter" and "Given to Fly" in particular), but there are exactly 100 songs on this box set, and there's more than enough songs from Pearl Jam's back catalog to make the long-time fans happy (myself included).
The second show (July 22, 2006) starts off with the Ten b-side "Wash," followed by a slew of songs from the old and the new, including "Severed Hand," "Worldwide Suicide," and four more from last year's highly praised Pearl Jam disc. Other memorable performances from this show include a medley of "Daughter" and Dead Moon's "It's OK." The rarity "Dirty Frank," — which hadn't been played since 1994 — is followed by the often covered Neil Young anthem "Rockin' In The Free World" and show closer "Yellow Ledbetter."
Show number three (July 23, 2006) has another Neil Young cover often played over the years, "F*kin' Up," which sounds even heavier than the original, and a Hendrix cover, "Little Wing." Long-time fans will love the inclusion of "Rats," "Jeremy," "Garden" and "Animal" from this show, along with two songs that were made for a medley: "Betterman" and English Beat's "Save It For Later." The band doesn't even have to dramatically change the chords during the transition to the latter, as Eddie seamlessly adds the lyrics of "Save It" to the end of "Betterman."
Pearl Jam can still rock hard and for long periods of time, never showing signs of their age and nearly seventeen years of existence. The band is in peak form here. Their versatility is incomparable, and their energy on stage radiates toward the hometown audience, which seems to be enjoying nearly all seven-and-a-half hours of the three Gorge shows combined.
Finally, as for why these series of shows were chosen in particular for a box set, guitarist Mike McCready said in a recent interview that these were "above par" performances that really highlighted their 2005-2006 World Tour. In addition, McCready said the Gorge Ampitheatre, an outdoor venue, was the most beautiful setting he's ever played at, with the Columbia River as a backrop and a colorful sunset to play in view of. Hence, the gorgeous cover (and the set itself).
Until the DVD set comes out (one can only hope), this CD set will certainly do, and will satisfy anyone who has ever taken interest in Pearl Jam, who once again prove why they were and still are one of the best rock bands of our generation.
Pearl Jam's Live At The Gorge 05/06 CD Box Set is in stores this week. If you'd like to preview nine songs from the box set, check out the E-card here.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Music Review: Starcode Shines On Debut LP
New York City-based power pop rockers Starcode have no record label, but created a buzz this year after promoting their self-released debut album Hum to over 100 college radio stations in the U.S., from Iowa to Philadelphia, with help from Organic Entertainment. And after wearing out the repeat button on my stereo system while listening to this whole album the past few days, it's no wonder why Starcode has garnered so much attention in recent months.
Produced by Dale Penner (Nickelback) and mastered by Adam Ayan (A Perfect Circle, Nirvana), Hum clocks in at just under 40 minutes long, with all but two tracks under the four minute mark. From start to finish, Starcode have recorded 11 strong, radio-ready rockers that never stray from their unique formula of spacey power pop.
One of the many highlights of the album, "Fine" features an unrelenting metallic groove that only rests during the chorus, and is complimented by Paul Koelbel's electronic blurbs and synths. "Crash," perhaps the most spacey power pop track on the record, starts with guitarists Chris Conti and John Delehanty mixing in some cool, quiet harmonic notes over a hypnotic phaser or chorus effect before bassist/lead vocalist Dave O'Connor chimes in with his lyrics. As he utters the first word, "Crash," O'Connor almost sounds like Billy Corgan, but not quite. And though the spirit of punk rock pervades the album, unlike many of today's young, angst-ridden punk rock and so-called "emo" bands, O'Connor sings angry-sounding phrases like "[I]f I could come back to watch you cry/To really be there to haunt you/To suck the life out of you" loudly, but without angst, calculated or otherwise.
"Another Day" has everything from the punch of punk rock to summery, vibrating guitar lines, electronic loops, and even acoustic guitars, along with a memorable, albeit short and effect-laden guitar solo. Both "Another Day" and "Crash" have been in heavy rotation at college radio stations across the country this Spring.
Other standouts include "Ordinary," with its pretty melodies and solid drum work by Dave O'Connor's brother Dani, who also pounds away on "Sunshine," which leads off the CD and doesn't waste any time showing off their power rock prowess. On "Lately," their U2 influence can be heard in its opening and closing moments, and the last two songs, "I Don't" and "More Time," have Koelbel multitasking between his Wurlitzer on the former track and piano on the latter.
On Hum, Starcode has made one of the debut records of the year thus far, and certainly adds a distinct chapter to the power pop genre. With material as well crafted and produced as this, there's no telling how far Starcode can go. And if their college radio tour this past Spring gives any indication, it's only a matter of time before commercial alternative rock radio stations pick the album up and take this band to a whole new level of success.
Starcode will be headlining a free, all-day outdoor concert this Saturday, June 23, in Guilderland, New York at the Tawasentha Performing Art Center, just outside of Albany. For more info on the band, go to Starcode's official page or their myspace page.
Produced by Dale Penner (Nickelback) and mastered by Adam Ayan (A Perfect Circle, Nirvana), Hum clocks in at just under 40 minutes long, with all but two tracks under the four minute mark. From start to finish, Starcode have recorded 11 strong, radio-ready rockers that never stray from their unique formula of spacey power pop.
One of the many highlights of the album, "Fine" features an unrelenting metallic groove that only rests during the chorus, and is complimented by Paul Koelbel's electronic blurbs and synths. "Crash," perhaps the most spacey power pop track on the record, starts with guitarists Chris Conti and John Delehanty mixing in some cool, quiet harmonic notes over a hypnotic phaser or chorus effect before bassist/lead vocalist Dave O'Connor chimes in with his lyrics. As he utters the first word, "Crash," O'Connor almost sounds like Billy Corgan, but not quite. And though the spirit of punk rock pervades the album, unlike many of today's young, angst-ridden punk rock and so-called "emo" bands, O'Connor sings angry-sounding phrases like "[I]f I could come back to watch you cry/To really be there to haunt you/To suck the life out of you" loudly, but without angst, calculated or otherwise.
"Another Day" has everything from the punch of punk rock to summery, vibrating guitar lines, electronic loops, and even acoustic guitars, along with a memorable, albeit short and effect-laden guitar solo. Both "Another Day" and "Crash" have been in heavy rotation at college radio stations across the country this Spring.
Other standouts include "Ordinary," with its pretty melodies and solid drum work by Dave O'Connor's brother Dani, who also pounds away on "Sunshine," which leads off the CD and doesn't waste any time showing off their power rock prowess. On "Lately," their U2 influence can be heard in its opening and closing moments, and the last two songs, "I Don't" and "More Time," have Koelbel multitasking between his Wurlitzer on the former track and piano on the latter.
On Hum, Starcode has made one of the debut records of the year thus far, and certainly adds a distinct chapter to the power pop genre. With material as well crafted and produced as this, there's no telling how far Starcode can go. And if their college radio tour this past Spring gives any indication, it's only a matter of time before commercial alternative rock radio stations pick the album up and take this band to a whole new level of success.
Starcode will be headlining a free, all-day outdoor concert this Saturday, June 23, in Guilderland, New York at the Tawasentha Performing Art Center, just outside of Albany. For more info on the band, go to Starcode's official page or their myspace page.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Pedroia, The Next Youk? Drew, The New Bellhorn?
Instead of being the typical sports talk show caller in my hometown of Boston, who, at this point literally has to dig for issues to whine about concerning the Red Sox, I think it would be wise to just enjoy this unbelievable run they are on and look at any negatives in full context - the fact that most of the struggling players, however few of them there are right now, are new to Boston, for instance. But focusing on the sub-par play of a few players (Coco Crisp, J.D. Drew) takes away from the fact that the Red Sox have an 11½ game lead over their arch rival, the Yankees. No other first place team has such a big lead over their division opponents. And they are in the top 3 or 5 in many hitting and pitching categories in the American League.
To get this big lead, the Sox have many players playing at or well above expectations. Perhaps none more than Hideki Okajima, on the pitching side. With his ERA still around 1.00 this far into the season, he may just be the most dominant setup man you (and closer Jonathan Papelbon) could ask for.
As for the hitters, the only rookie among the starting nine has exceeded all expectations, and done so rather quickly, considering his slow start. Of course, I'm talking about second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Remember when the Sox had little talent in their farm system? I sure do. How fast times change. Just in the last two years or so, we have seen the emergence of Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youkilis, Jon Lester — the southpaw who got off to an impressive start before coming down with Lymphoma last year and is now cured and almost ready to make his much anticipated comeback to the Sox rotation — and now Pedroia.
Sure, Pedroia got off to a slow start, which made some impatient fans cry for Alex Cora to play more, but that wasn't unexpected. In fact, I didn't know what to expect from him other than good, solid defense. To this point, he's only made two errors on the year. By contrast, his predecessor Mark Loretta made only four last year, but he was a veteran and a solid one at that.
Though he got some at bats late in 2006, Pedroia is still a rookie, and a confident one at that. And why not? Looking at his college and short minor league career, I would be too if I was named Defensive Player of the year in 2003 at Arizona State, co-player of that same year in the PAC-10, and had a whopping .466 OBP in three years at ASU!
Last year at Pawtucket, he was an all-star who ranked 4th in the International League in batting average, and was 3rd in OBP. But what Pedroia may take the most pride in is that he became the first of the 2004 Sox draft picks to reach the majors in late August.
Pedroia, like Kevin Youkilis, had one hell of a May and is now batting well over .300, has more hits than J.D. Drew(!), and has an astounding OBP of .394. With those numbers and sound defensive play, Pedroia could be turning into the next Youkilis. But with only one-third of the season completed, it's too early to tell whether that comparison will hold up. Besides, Pedroia has yet to hit that "rookie wall."
Additionally, one must remember that the circumstances around Pedroia's rise are far different than the considerably longer journey it took Youkilis to get his chance to play full-time, which was three years (2004-2006). The Sox had Bill Mueller at third base and Kevin Millar/Doug Mientkiewicz at first base when Youk, who came up as a third baseman, was a rookie in '04. In 2005, GM Theo Epstein brought in John Olerud to join Millar at first base for the playoff run. Youk, meanwhile, was sent down to Pawtucket four times that season.
In short, there just wasn't room for Youk to play full-time at any time until 2006, when the first base job opened up after Millar wasn't re-signed and Olerud retired; Pedroia, meanwhile, had the second base job waiting for him this year (Alex Cora, a true class act, never complained and knows he has multiple roles with the Sox to fulfill).
Another key difference: While Youk is considered a late bloomer, Pedroia is only 23 years old, so there's no guarantee that he will get 400 at bats this year. If he does struggle, he may warm the bench for a while, but definitely won't be sent down to the minors multiple times either, unless Theo decides that a combined Pedroia/Cora performance is so inadequate that he needs to sign or trade for a veteran at the fast-approaching July trading deadline.
So, in all, while there may be differences between Pedroia and Youkilis in terms of how they got here, in all, they are both at the top of their game right now and tearing up American League pitching. The right side of the Red Sox infield is looking more promising and stable than it has in a long, long time.
As for the aforementioned J.D. Drew, his HR numbers and batting average may be way down, but in what is widely considered one of the toughest right fields to play in MLB at Fenway, Drew has been very good at handling it in his first two months on the job (his 3 errors aside). And Drew has had an OBP above or just below .350 for much of the year, which is what the Theo Epsteins of the world will tell you is just as important, if not more so, than batting average when it comes to helping a team win.
Even though he's 0-10 in six games against the Yankees so far this season (going into the weekend series at Fenway), J.D. Drew has been in the middle of some of the most memorable late-inning rallies of the season, including the so-called "Mother's Day Miracle" vs. the Orioles. Yes, he hasn't done it with his bat but knows the strike zone better than most and is currently 2nd on the Sox in walks.
So the question is, at age 31, are we going to see the power numbers improve as the season goes along — assuming he stays healthy, of course — or are his hitting skills now declining to the point where he will be about as productive as Mark Bellhorn was in 2004? Which is to say good, but not great. Drew walks like Bellhorn, strikes out often like Bellhorn, but also gets on base like Bellhorn.
The problem is, unlike Mark, J.D. is getting paid eight-figure dollars to protect Manny and succeed the ultimate dirt dog Trot Nixon. If he can get to 70 RBIs, that would be quite an accomplishment at this point, having only driven in 17 in April and May combined.
With Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek batting behind him and playing much better than expected, and Manny starting to heat up, Drew needs to rack up the hits and have a strong June and July to make this lineup peak and prove that he can be the number five hitter Theo envisioned and signed him to be.
Note: This post was last updated June 6, 2006 at 1:02pm.
To get this big lead, the Sox have many players playing at or well above expectations. Perhaps none more than Hideki Okajima, on the pitching side. With his ERA still around 1.00 this far into the season, he may just be the most dominant setup man you (and closer Jonathan Papelbon) could ask for.
As for the hitters, the only rookie among the starting nine has exceeded all expectations, and done so rather quickly, considering his slow start. Of course, I'm talking about second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Remember when the Sox had little talent in their farm system? I sure do. How fast times change. Just in the last two years or so, we have seen the emergence of Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youkilis, Jon Lester — the southpaw who got off to an impressive start before coming down with Lymphoma last year and is now cured and almost ready to make his much anticipated comeback to the Sox rotation — and now Pedroia.
Sure, Pedroia got off to a slow start, which made some impatient fans cry for Alex Cora to play more, but that wasn't unexpected. In fact, I didn't know what to expect from him other than good, solid defense. To this point, he's only made two errors on the year. By contrast, his predecessor Mark Loretta made only four last year, but he was a veteran and a solid one at that.
Though he got some at bats late in 2006, Pedroia is still a rookie, and a confident one at that. And why not? Looking at his college and short minor league career, I would be too if I was named Defensive Player of the year in 2003 at Arizona State, co-player of that same year in the PAC-10, and had a whopping .466 OBP in three years at ASU!
Last year at Pawtucket, he was an all-star who ranked 4th in the International League in batting average, and was 3rd in OBP. But what Pedroia may take the most pride in is that he became the first of the 2004 Sox draft picks to reach the majors in late August.
Pedroia, like Kevin Youkilis, had one hell of a May and is now batting well over .300, has more hits than J.D. Drew(!), and has an astounding OBP of .394. With those numbers and sound defensive play, Pedroia could be turning into the next Youkilis. But with only one-third of the season completed, it's too early to tell whether that comparison will hold up. Besides, Pedroia has yet to hit that "rookie wall."
Additionally, one must remember that the circumstances around Pedroia's rise are far different than the considerably longer journey it took Youkilis to get his chance to play full-time, which was three years (2004-2006). The Sox had Bill Mueller at third base and Kevin Millar/Doug Mientkiewicz at first base when Youk, who came up as a third baseman, was a rookie in '04. In 2005, GM Theo Epstein brought in John Olerud to join Millar at first base for the playoff run. Youk, meanwhile, was sent down to Pawtucket four times that season.
In short, there just wasn't room for Youk to play full-time at any time until 2006, when the first base job opened up after Millar wasn't re-signed and Olerud retired; Pedroia, meanwhile, had the second base job waiting for him this year (Alex Cora, a true class act, never complained and knows he has multiple roles with the Sox to fulfill).
Another key difference: While Youk is considered a late bloomer, Pedroia is only 23 years old, so there's no guarantee that he will get 400 at bats this year. If he does struggle, he may warm the bench for a while, but definitely won't be sent down to the minors multiple times either, unless Theo decides that a combined Pedroia/Cora performance is so inadequate that he needs to sign or trade for a veteran at the fast-approaching July trading deadline.
So, in all, while there may be differences between Pedroia and Youkilis in terms of how they got here, in all, they are both at the top of their game right now and tearing up American League pitching. The right side of the Red Sox infield is looking more promising and stable than it has in a long, long time.
As for the aforementioned J.D. Drew, his HR numbers and batting average may be way down, but in what is widely considered one of the toughest right fields to play in MLB at Fenway, Drew has been very good at handling it in his first two months on the job (his 3 errors aside). And Drew has had an OBP above or just below .350 for much of the year, which is what the Theo Epsteins of the world will tell you is just as important, if not more so, than batting average when it comes to helping a team win.
Even though he's 0-10 in six games against the Yankees so far this season (going into the weekend series at Fenway), J.D. Drew has been in the middle of some of the most memorable late-inning rallies of the season, including the so-called "Mother's Day Miracle" vs. the Orioles. Yes, he hasn't done it with his bat but knows the strike zone better than most and is currently 2nd on the Sox in walks.
So the question is, at age 31, are we going to see the power numbers improve as the season goes along — assuming he stays healthy, of course — or are his hitting skills now declining to the point where he will be about as productive as Mark Bellhorn was in 2004? Which is to say good, but not great. Drew walks like Bellhorn, strikes out often like Bellhorn, but also gets on base like Bellhorn.
The problem is, unlike Mark, J.D. is getting paid eight-figure dollars to protect Manny and succeed the ultimate dirt dog Trot Nixon. If he can get to 70 RBIs, that would be quite an accomplishment at this point, having only driven in 17 in April and May combined.
With Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek batting behind him and playing much better than expected, and Manny starting to heat up, Drew needs to rack up the hits and have a strong June and July to make this lineup peak and prove that he can be the number five hitter Theo envisioned and signed him to be.
Note: This post was last updated June 6, 2006 at 1:02pm.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
They're back! Smashing Pumpkins v. 2.0
It wasn't too long ago that some die-hard Smashing Pumpkins fans sent a petition around the Internet to get, or should I say, demand that the Virgin Records Company officially release a DVD of the final Smashing Pumpkins show at the Metro in Chicago on 12/2/00.
So here we are, nearly six-and-a-half years later, and the Smashing Pumpkins have not only reformed, but recorded an album called Zeitgeist due out in early July and sold out an insane amount of shows overseas and at home. Seems silly now to even think about getting that so-called "last" show on DVD now, doesn't it? Although in the interest of full disclosure, I signed the petition (electronically) but didn't really expect it to amount to anything, because even I had a feeling that, in an era where beloved rock bands are constantly reforming (Pixies, Dinosaur Jr, Black Sabbath), that Billy himself wasn't going to ignore the humongous SP catalog for the rest of his life and would bring the band and music back before he got old. He was, after all only 33 years-old when he retired the band.
But between now and when SP broke up, he had an indie-allstar collaborative called Zwan to rock and roll with. Their one and only album Mary Star of The Sea was very good but didn't sell commercially and in 2003, Billy broke up that band after about two years.
Then, on June 21, 2005, Corgan, while promoting his underrated solo debut album The Future Embrace announced that he would indeed reform the Smashing Pumpkins. And it's been a looong wait even since then for new material to surface.
Finally, this past weekend (May 18, specifically), the first single from the new album leaked on radio stations across the country and the Internet. Called "Tarantula," it kicks some serious ass in a way not heard since the MCIS days. Assuming this is one of the tracks produced by the legendary Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker (and not the equally talented Terry Date), the guitar sound even has a bit of a Brian May feel to it, Billy throws in some bluesy licks and just plain wails away on guitar throughout. The cool and kickin' main rhythm of "Tarantula" uses the same notes (E,G,C) as the treasured "1979" b-side "Ugly," but is played totally differently. The song's arrangement as a whole starts out pretty straightforwardly, but goes places (think "Geek U.S.A.") and the song overall gets an A+ from me. Excellent choice for a first taste of what's to come.
So here we are, nearly six-and-a-half years later, and the Smashing Pumpkins have not only reformed, but recorded an album called Zeitgeist due out in early July and sold out an insane amount of shows overseas and at home. Seems silly now to even think about getting that so-called "last" show on DVD now, doesn't it? Although in the interest of full disclosure, I signed the petition (electronically) but didn't really expect it to amount to anything, because even I had a feeling that, in an era where beloved rock bands are constantly reforming (Pixies, Dinosaur Jr, Black Sabbath), that Billy himself wasn't going to ignore the humongous SP catalog for the rest of his life and would bring the band and music back before he got old. He was, after all only 33 years-old when he retired the band.
But between now and when SP broke up, he had an indie-allstar collaborative called Zwan to rock and roll with. Their one and only album Mary Star of The Sea was very good but didn't sell commercially and in 2003, Billy broke up that band after about two years.
Then, on June 21, 2005, Corgan, while promoting his underrated solo debut album The Future Embrace announced that he would indeed reform the Smashing Pumpkins. And it's been a looong wait even since then for new material to surface.
Finally, this past weekend (May 18, specifically), the first single from the new album leaked on radio stations across the country and the Internet. Called "Tarantula," it kicks some serious ass in a way not heard since the MCIS days. Assuming this is one of the tracks produced by the legendary Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker (and not the equally talented Terry Date), the guitar sound even has a bit of a Brian May feel to it, Billy throws in some bluesy licks and just plain wails away on guitar throughout. The cool and kickin' main rhythm of "Tarantula" uses the same notes (E,G,C) as the treasured "1979" b-side "Ugly," but is played totally differently. The song's arrangement as a whole starts out pretty straightforwardly, but goes places (think "Geek U.S.A.") and the song overall gets an A+ from me. Excellent choice for a first taste of what's to come.
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