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Band: The Devil's Blood

The Devil's Blood are an occult rock band from the Netherlands that formed in 2006. They have had a strong following (mostly in the metal community) ever since their Come, Reap EP in 2008. Their shows are known for having a ritual-like atmosphere.

Album: The Thousandfold Epicenre
Genre: Hard rock/psychedelic rock
Release date: 11/11/11
Label: Ván Records

Review:
The first time I heard this album I honestly was a bit underwhelmed. It was good, but didn't really match up to how great I thought it would be. However, after more listens it became more enjoyable each time. The first thing that most people will notice is that The Devil’s Blood have taken on a more psychedelic sound and have structured their songs in a more progressive fashion. This is most apparent in songs like “On the Wings of Gloria”  “Madness of Serpents”  “Feverdance” and the title track. It is also apparent in between songs, since many of them are connected by way of the song slowly fading away into a fog of effects and solos. Fans of their first album and EPs don’t have to worry, there is still a good amount of straight forward hard rock that the band built their reputation on. Songs like “Die the Death”  “Cruel Lover”  “She” and “Fire Burning” would fit into the band’s back catalogue quite nicely. One song that seems to stand out among all of these is “Everlasting Saturnalia” a calm, almost ballad like song with vocals and a piano and some guitar effects/solos in the background for good measure. Its something very different for TDB. Given the description it might sound out of place on the album but it actually fits into the big picture quite nicely. Overall this album has some interesting experimentation and song structures, but there’s enough energy and no BS rocking out to keep the listener’s attention.

However this isn’t the perfect album. The faults that this album has are minor but still worth mentioning. There are a few elements here and there that just seem a bit frivolous and generally unnecessary. The way that some songs are strung together just doesn’t really seem like it adds anything to the song. For example the transition between “She” and “The Thousandfold Epicentre” is a string section accompanied by an acoustic guitar playing in a classical style. It doesn’t sound bad, but the question I keep asking is “are the cellos/violins really necessary?” we’re talking about a band with 3guitar players here, couldn’t one or two of them handled the part the strings have? It seems like the only reason the strings are there is to make the song seem more “epic”. It’s a similar thing with the song “Within the Charnel House of Love” in this song there seems to be a horn and string section playing with the band in some parts. There are other various instruments that the band doesn’t have scattered throughout the album but their contribution seems only minimal. Also the closing song “Feverdance” seems a little bit anticlimactic, especially since it clocks in at over 15 minutes; it’s a good song but I just think that it could have been a bit stronger.

Despite a few frivolous tendencies I still think it’s a very strong album and I would still recommend it to fans of 70’s hard rock and Psychedelic rock. You may not be blown away at first listen but its still much worth putting time into.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Prog Appeal: 3. Doesn't completely break the verse/chorus song structure, but this is by no means a typical rock album.




Edited by MortalScum - January 13 2012 at 13:51
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BAND Jay Munly (Alternative Country / Gothic Americana)
ALBUM Galvanized Yankee

REVIEW 
My journey through Munlys discography has been backwards; I started with his newest (Munly & The Lupercalians), went on to the Lee Lewis Harlots, and deciding I loved that one, bought the remainder of his solo career in one fell swoop.

For those coming to this album from a similar background, let me warn you, this is a bit closer to standard country than what he's been doing since Jimmy Carter Syndrome. The music is less elaborate; it's mostly just Munly on the banjo leading the charge, less strings, no female supporting vocals, and it's not quite as dark.

Still, there are some good songs on this. Virgin of Manhattan, a lively live track, is an obvious standout, but Funeral Blues, The Why and the Wherefore, and Marching Along also deserve mentions. Some of them (Death Aint You Got No Shame) are pretty mundane, especially by the standard set by Munlys later albums.

There is definitely a theme of war on this album, and it even seems to have a minor concept to it. I don't know if it's a full-on concept album, but Death Aint You Got No Shame? to The Why and the Wherefore to Who Will Care For Mother Now? seems to tell a little story (of a woman whose husband die, then whose son goes off to war and dies there), which could be part of a larger picture I haven't yet put together.

RATING 2 Stars
PROG APPEAL 1 Star
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Is this where we can post reviews of 90125 and Abacab? Wink
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Band: Rufus Wainwright, US/ Canada, Pop singer/ song writer  

 

Name: Want Two (2004)

 

 

1.      Agnus Dei

2.      The One You Love

3.      Peach Trees

4.      Little Sister

5.      The Art Teacher

6.      Hometown Waltz

7.      This Love Affair

8.      Gay Messiah

9.      Memphis Skyline

10.  Waiting For A Dream

11.  Crumb By Crumb

12.  Old Whore’s Diet

 

Rufus is the son of folk singers, Loudon Wainwright and Kate McGarrigle and sister of Martha Wainwright. While Martha plays guitar and performs mostly in a rock or folk style, Rufus has more of a chameleon style of playing and performing, which is mostly piano based (although he does play guitar). His influences include Classical Baroque, Operatic and Broadway. He has a slightly whiney voice which can be a bit off putting to some people, can sound both old fashioned and modern at the same time and is in my opinion unique as a pop artist in that he has no direct pop predecessors who may have influenced his style.

 

Review:  An interesting comment on the Amazon.com site features a quote from Elton John referring to Rufus Wainwright as the “greatest songwriter on the planet”. I think Elton John may have had this album in mind when he made these comments. The album begins with a liturgical Eastern chant which sets the somber tone for some really sad songs like Peaches, The Art Teacher and This Love Affair. Waiting For A Dream, which also has a somber theme, is a very progressive song which wouldn’t be out of place on a Radiohead album. Crumb By Crumb is a gentle lullaby with a Beach Boys like chorus. Little Sister is an orchestral song in the baroque style of a Franz Shubert or Beethoven. Despite the smorgasbord of musical styles, the songs are thematically related by stories about love (or lost love) and yearning for acceptance. The songs effortlessly move from one to the next. This is Rufus Wainwright’s most cohesive effort since the Poses album, but whereas, Poses, is not particularly mentally challenging, this one is a real test for the listener, but one which rewards the listener who persists.

 

Rating: 5 stars

 

Prog Appeal: 3 stars

 

 

 

 

 

 

   
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Originally posted by andyman1125 andyman1125 wrote:

PS: Peter Gabriel isn't non-prog. Why don't you post your review here? Wink
LOL! Crossover Prog? Who knew! To be honest, at this juncture in Gabriel's career (1980), I certainly don't consider the album progressive rock at all. The only album of Gabriel's I consider to have enough prog elements to include in a conversation about progressive rock is his first solo album (Car, 1977).
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Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

Note: Here's a review I did originally for Blogcritics.org on 11/22/10. Seeing as there are so many Peter Gabriel fans on Prog-Archives, I thought many of you would appreciate this.
 
PETER GABRIEL - MELT (1981) 
 
I am certain that if there were a musical lexicon, next to the definition of the word eccentric would be a photo inset of Peter Gabriel, most likely adorned in the outlandish silver and blue face-paint of his early concert persona. Peter Gabriel is, by any stretch of the definition, musically eccentric. Take, for instance, his first four solo albums, all titled merely Peter Gabriel, with no further subtitles or written descriptions to differentiate one from the other. Fans and critics alike have had to describe these albums by the pictures on the covers: there is Gabriel’s first solo effort, Car (1977), then Scratch (1978), Melt (1980), and finally the 1982 release which features a cover picture so bizarre and beyond description that Geffen Records felt compelled to add the title Security on the U.S. release (the U.K. version remained without a title). But in the song “And Through The Wire”, Gabriel’s states his belief, “I talk in pictures, not in words”; so, perhaps the subtitles were simply extraneous to him at that point in time.

From a compositional standpoint, the idiosyncratic Gabriel hasn’t merely chosen the path less traveled, he’s clear-cut a gaping glade clean through the forest. Whether as the outrageously caparisoned frontman and storyteller of Genesis, or as a visionary solo artist delving into world music and visual media, Gabriel is not only singing from leftfield, he’s up in the nosebleed bleacher seats with the field barely visible below. And it is precisely because of the unconventional vocals, the quirky beats, the irregular time signatures, and the unorthodox subject matter of Peter Gabriel’s third solo release (popularly christened Melt) that makes it an essential listening experience.

You have to hand it to Gabriel. With the release of Melt in May of 1980, he came out with one of the best albums of 1980s only six months into the decade. It is certainly on par with other stellar releases from the period, such as U2’s Joshua Tree, Paul Simon’s Graceland, Talking Heads’ Remain in Light, or Gabriel’s own So album from 1986. But whereas So was more commercially successful (with the MTV hits “Sledgehammer” and “Big Time”) and far more huggable for the masses (don’t we all get nostalgic when we hear “In Your Eyes”?), the thorny Melt pricks one’s sensibilities and is satisfying from a visceral standpoint, with a psychological depth and intensity to the storytelling few albums from the 80s could match.

The first thing one notices about the album is Peter Gabriel’s wide-ranging vocal assault. With yelps, yammers, grunts, growls, howls and whistles, Gabriel moves the songs along at a fevered pitch. Gabriel’s gravel and satin voice, one of the most distinctive in rock music, is more an instrument in the songs than mere accompaniment to the music, a trait shared by Van Morrison at his scatting best. With such an unmistakable signature, Gabriel’s word-pictures will not be mistaken as the work of some other artist. Another notable feature of Melt is the percussion. There were no cymbals used during recording — a point Peter Gabriel applied emphatically during studio sessions — which gives the songs a totemic, animistic thrum and rumble, and permeates the album with an unrelieved edginess that sometimes nears hysteria. To replace the traditional rock array of hi-hats, crashes, and ride cymbals, more exotic percussion was used: xylophone, surdo, bones, tambourine, cowbell, claves and various synthesized vibe and drum treatments. In addition, Gabriel and ex-Genesis bandmate Phil Collins (who appears as drummer or percussionist on the songs “Intruder”, “No Self Control”, “Biko”, and “Family Snapshot”), along with producers Steve Lillywhite and engineer Hugh Padham, are credited with developing the “gated drum” sound, a dramatic reverb effect that produces a booming but highly-compressed punch to the drums. Collins was to feature this sound on his Face Value album (the memorable percussive explosion on the hit song “In the Air Tonight” is a perfect example of the “gated” effect).

But aside from the vocal stylizations, studio techniques, and musical innovations, it is the qualities of the compositions on Melt that draws one in. Several critics have made mention of the fact that Melt is, for all intents and purposes, a “psychological treatise” on the human condition. Compulsion, obsession, isolation, schizophrenia, amnesia, prejudice, bigotry, institutionalization, anger, war, murder – the skewed stuff that stirs the uneasy mind, the tumultuous travesties of the modern tragedy — herein lie the darker dimensions of thought and action, delivered with an actor’s flair by the ruminating and lugubrious Gabriel.

“Intruder” begins the mind games with the grating, metallic grind of clippers on twisted wire, discordant keyboards, and Collin’s strident drumbeat. The song is a flesh-crawling ode to home invasion, and details the perpetrator’s joy of slipping in undetected and causing mayhem. In Gabriel’s study, this villain is not so much interested in robbery, but in the flawless execution of the break-in, and the more ominous undertones of what the intruder is actually seeking: “I like to feel the suspense when I'm certain you know I am there/I like you lying awake, your baited breath charging the air.” The eerie ambience is enhanced by a skeletal xylophone solo and a bit of whistling-with-criminal-intent made famous by Peter Lorre in the movie M (1931).

The next song, “No Self Control”, mirrors the troubled tendencies of “Intruder”, but amps up the mania, as well as the volume, with Gabriel’s recurring avant-garde partners-in-crime Robert Fripp on guitar and Kate Bush on backing vocals, along with a vicious turn on drums by Collins (this was back when he was simply an exceptional musician and not a MTV media darling). Gabriel repeats the mantra “I don’t know how to stop” as the song’s compulsive anti-hero descends from personal prepossessions and foibles to dangerous obsessions and less-than-subtle hints of violence.

“I Don’t Remember” features an instrumental intro called, simply enough, “Start”, which bears an uncanny resemblance to the entire soundtrack of the Ridley Scott movie Bladerunner (1982); in fact, one wonders if the composer Vangelis didn’t lift the concept wholesale to help pen his piece. As far as “I Don’t Remember”, the amnesiac lead character actions are perhaps reflective of the previous track “No Self Control”, as our impulsive anti-hero slips into benighted forgetfulness as his mind shuts down during an interrogation after committing a heinous and particularly troublesome crime. Or not. Like many of Gabriel’s nettlesome compositions, the lyrical intentions are up for conjecture, but this theory does present a seamless transition from one song to the next, and the two do seem akin.

In “Family Snapshot”, Gabriel sings a song of assassination, offering a brilliant character study of a publicity-seeking loner who kills a public figure. The murky, almost meaningless, motivations used by the killer in an effort to excuse his crime (“I need some attention/I shoot into the light”) sadly reflect the individual in modern society’s almost desperate need for his or her fifteen minutes of fame. The killer is neither dogmatic nor political in his aim ("I don't really hate you/I don't care what you do/ We were made for each other/Me and you”); he merely uses his victim as a foil to gain the spotlight. The original inspiration for the song was the interviews of Arthur Bremer (published in the book Assassin's Diary in '73). Bremer, who was more interested in fame than politics, had attempted to assassinate Alabama governor George Wallace in 1972 (Bremer was also the inspiration behind Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver), but Gabriel notches up the intensity and drama by grafting scenes of the 1963 Kennedy assassination onto Bremer's accounts. Gabriel's use of internal monologue and suspense is superb in “Family Snapshot”, as he ratchets up the musical intensity, notch by notch, until the gun is fired, leading to a reflective denouement which acts as part of the impotent assassin’s rambling confession.

The albums only “hit” (it went to #4 in the UK and #48 in the U.S.) is the decidedly bizarre “Games Without Frontiers”, an allegory with allusions to game shows, and children behaving in the manner of warlike nations — or vice versa. The absurd nature of children at play is actually a metaphor for adult immaturity and bellicosity reflected in breast-beating nationalism and overweening patriotism (the children’s names indicate their countries of origin: Germany, Russia, Britain, China, Italy, etc.). The song features off-kilter beats, jangling guitars, swelling synths, cabaret whistling and Kate Bush’s deliciously haunting, repetitive chorus “jeux sans frontières” (“games without frontiers”).

“Not One of Us”, once again featuring the brash and biting guitar work of King Crimson’s Robert Fripp, is a song that speaks bluntly of xenophobic attitudes spawned by ignorant and unreasonable fears. The simple arithmetic of bigotry, “There's safety in numbers/When you learn to divide”, and the dimwitted denial of reason, “All shades of opinion/Feed an open mind/But your values are twisted/Let us help you unwind”, are ironically skewered as Gabriel grabs prejudice by its dark roots. The rambunctious rhythm, slashing guitars and frenetic vocals of Gabriel creates a manic and guttural tribal chant of hatred as the song reaches its final crescendo.

From the unreasoned and fear-driven edge of insanity, Gabriel returns to quiescence with “Lead a Normal Life”. The song is lush and mellifluous, but the pastoral mood proves illusory — a pleasant façade shrouding institutional grates. For we find ourselves in the asylum, where one eats with a spoon because “they don’t give you knives.” But the park-like views of the trees are nice, and through the medicated haze your keepers expect you will one day “lead a normal life”.

The final song on the album is the stirring, anthemic “Biko”. Steven Biko was a leader of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. In 1977, Biko was arrested on trumped up charges under a South African terrorism act (basically, he was arrested for protesting while black). He was beaten so badly during a police interrogation lasting over 24 hours that he lapsed into a coma. He died within days due lack of medical care (the police would later claim he committed suicide). As is the way of injustice, the police were cleared of the crime by the South African courts. But the horrid event gained worldwide attention due in part to Gabriel’s profound lament, and the grand lyric “And the eyes of the world are watching now”, proved prophetic. Gabriel began to sing “Biko” to end each of his concerts, and one of the most powerful protests songs of the 80's became a catalyst for change in South Africa. From an anti-apartheid standpoint, it certainly has more emotional punch than the tepid “I Aint Gonna Play (Sun City)” by Little Steven and his coterie of “We are the World” rejects.

In hindsight — from our lofty but precarious perch some 30 years later — Melt can rightly be judged as Peter Gabriel’s finest solo work. It perhaps didn’t sell as many albums or was as commercially accessible as So, nor was it rooted as deeply in the affections of old Genesis fans like Gabriel’s first solo effort from 1977 (the album subtitled Car, which I esteem greatly and remember fondly). However, Peter Gabriel’s third solo album is a more serious work than the other two I have mentioned. There is nothing humorous or cute here (no tuba solos or videos with defeathered, headless chickens dancing on stage, for instance). Melt is fully realized and conceptually brilliant, a stark look at man’s inhumanity to man, and the madness that stirs in the minds of many.

PS: Peter Gabriel isn't non-prog. Why don't you post your review here? Wink
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This is a review I wrote of Prince's "Rainbow Children" on my own site about a year ago:
 
 
**************************************
A number of significant things happened between Rave and this one, and their combined impact was enough to shake Prince out of a rut and set himself up for a surprisingly good 00's. The first is that he finally worked out everything he needed to with regards to his old contract with Warner Bros., and because of this he finally felt comfortable returning to using his name, rather than attaching the TAFKA prefix or identifying himself using the Love Symbol. The second, of course, is that Prince became a Jehovah's Witness; while he had long had clear spiritual undercurrents in his life and music, he had never really followed any specific religion, nor had he really shown any clear moral sensibilities in the music he chose to release. From now on, though, Prince's music would be heavily affected by this new conversion; casual swearing quickly became a thing of the past, as did any serious explicit or implicit emphasis on sexuality.

The third major development was the introduction of a secondary music label, where Prince, rather than issuing albums in a traditional distribution mode, would instead make albums available only through the internet, and only to members of the NPG Music Club. And fourth, the new decade introduced a new musical approach: the quintessential Prince electrofunk of years past was suddenly replaced with a kind of jazz/funk/gospel sound, and the contrast with before is stark. It's still recognizable as Prince at the core, of course, but it's an aggressively uncommercial Prince that hadn't been heard in a long time, and this change would have driven away many fans even if it weren't for the subject matter.

Ah, the subject matter. I'm pretty sure this is basically a rock opera, but I still haven't the slightest idea what the story is supposed to be, or if there even is one. What I do know is that the album is dripping with social and spiritual metaphors, and that Prince lets his newfound Christian faith shine through as much as possible. On a certain level, the entire thing comes off as really ridiculous, and yet, aside from the terrible minute-long "Wedding Feast" (which sounds like a reject from a Gilbert and Sullivan musical), there aren't really any bad tracks on here. Sure, the slowed down deep vocal effect (speaking great profound spiritual statements) gets tiring after a while, and sure, there are some relative fillers like "Digital Garden" and "Deconstruction," but overall I find myself pretty intrigued by the mishmash of different styles, both across the album and within individual tracks.

The opening title track, for instance, has to be one of the most fascinating (for better or worse, though I think better) things Prince has ever done; Prince had done long tracks before, but never before had he done something so blatantly prog-rockish as to do a ten-minute multi-part suite as a leadoff track. Nothing in this track is especially original, but it's just so interesting to hear Prince bounce between Miles Davis-ish jazz/funk and parts that sound so quintessentially Prince. Sure, the track has lyrics that set up much of the empty fluff that makes up so much of the album, but they're absorbing when the track is on, and that's enough for me. I'll admit that my first instinct was that I was listening to Prince's very own "Jazz Odyssey," but the thought soon passed.

The rest of the album is mostly 3-5 minute songs, before finishing with a trio of 8-minute tracks (some of which appear to have been recorded live). The shorter songs aren't generally spectacular, but some of them are really good: I'm especially fond of "The Work, pt. 1" (a nice tribute to old-school funk, filtered through the sound of the rest of the album), "Everywhere" (sung by one of his female proteges, I presume, and featuring some of the most personal lyrics on the album concerning Prince's conversion), "1+1+1 is 3" (there's a fascinatingly intense groove here) and "She Loves Me 4 Me" (one of the few songs here that could have worked just fine in a completely different context). The longer tracks, then, were destined to generate controversy, but I generally like them. "Family Name" has sound effects and lyrics that are a little over-the-top in their preachiness, but their goofiness is kinda charming, and the music has a strong enough groove that I end up enjoying the track more than not. "The Everlasting Now" has all of the elements of a great traditional Prince live jam; it just so happens that the lyrics are about spiritual things and personal salvation and stuff. Look, if I can enjoy a jam that's based around the "oh-wee-oh" chant from The Wizard of Oz, why can't I enjoy a great track that just happens to be preachy? And finally, "Last December" is definitely in the upper echelon of slow Prince guitar-driven ballads, with strong gospel elements to boot. Anybody who rejects this just because of the way the spirituality is now explicit instead of implicit is only depriving themselves.

Look, I'm not saying this is a great album, or that there isn't a good chunk of relative filler (there are a lot of songs I didn't mention), or that I can't see how people wouldn't like it, or that it ultimately makes any sense. I am saying that it's an intriguing listen, one that has a lot of elements I enjoy (and a lot of things other people find boring), and one that holds together well despite its overemphasis on story elements that are both unclear and overbearing. It's also, strangely enough, probably the best thing Prince could have done at this point, and while I can't say that any Prince fan should like this, I can say that a Prince fan that doesn't like this is missing out.

*****************
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Note: Here's a review I did originally for Blogcritics.org on 11/22/10. Seeing as there are so many Peter Gabriel fans on Prog-Archives, I thought many of you would appreciate this.
 
PETER GABRIEL - MELT (1981) 
 
I am certain that if there were a musical lexicon, next to the definition of the word eccentric would be a photo inset of Peter Gabriel, most likely adorned in the outlandish silver and blue face-paint of his early concert persona. Peter Gabriel is, by any stretch of the definition, musically eccentric. Take, for instance, his first four solo albums, all titled merely Peter Gabriel, with no further subtitles or written descriptions to differentiate one from the other. Fans and critics alike have had to describe these albums by the pictures on the covers: there is Gabriel’s first solo effort, Car (1977), then Scratch (1978), Melt (1980), and finally the 1982 release which features a cover picture so bizarre and beyond description that Geffen Records felt compelled to add the title Security on the U.S. release (the U.K. version remained without a title). But in the song “And Through The Wire”, Gabriel’s states his belief, “I talk in pictures, not in words”; so, perhaps the subtitles were simply extraneous to him at that point in time.

From a compositional standpoint, the idiosyncratic Gabriel hasn’t merely chosen the path less traveled, he’s clear-cut a gaping glade clean through the forest. Whether as the outrageously caparisoned frontman and storyteller of Genesis, or as a visionary solo artist delving into world music and visual media, Gabriel is not only singing from leftfield, he’s up in the nosebleed bleacher seats with the field barely visible below. And it is precisely because of the unconventional vocals, the quirky beats, the irregular time signatures, and the unorthodox subject matter of Peter Gabriel’s third solo release (popularly christened Melt) that makes it an essential listening experience.

You have to hand it to Gabriel. With the release of Melt in May of 1980, he came out with one of the best albums of 1980s only six months into the decade. It is certainly on par with other stellar releases from the period, such as U2’s Joshua Tree, Paul Simon’s Graceland, Talking Heads’ Remain in Light, or Gabriel’s own So album from 1986. But whereas So was more commercially successful (with the MTV hits “Sledgehammer” and “Big Time”) and far more huggable for the masses (don’t we all get nostalgic when we hear “In Your Eyes”?), the thorny Melt pricks one’s sensibilities and is satisfying from a visceral standpoint, with a psychological depth and intensity to the storytelling few albums from the 80s could match.

The first thing one notices about the album is Peter Gabriel’s wide-ranging vocal assault. With yelps, yammers, grunts, growls, howls and whistles, Gabriel moves the songs along at a fevered pitch. Gabriel’s gravel and satin voice, one of the most distinctive in rock music, is more an instrument in the songs than mere accompaniment to the music, a trait shared by Van Morrison at his scatting best. With such an unmistakable signature, Gabriel’s word-pictures will not be mistaken as the work of some other artist. Another notable feature of Melt is the percussion. There were no cymbals used during recording — a point Peter Gabriel applied emphatically during studio sessions — which gives the songs a totemic, animistic thrum and rumble, and permeates the album with an unrelieved edginess that sometimes nears hysteria. To replace the traditional rock array of hi-hats, crashes, and ride cymbals, more exotic percussion was used: xylophone, surdo, bones, tambourine, cowbell, claves and various synthesized vibe and drum treatments. In addition, Gabriel and ex-Genesis bandmate Phil Collins (who appears as drummer or percussionist on the songs “Intruder”, “No Self Control”, “Biko”, and “Family Snapshot”), along with producers Steve Lillywhite and engineer Hugh Padham, are credited with developing the “gated drum” sound, a dramatic reverb effect that produces a booming but highly-compressed punch to the drums. Collins was to feature this sound on his Face Value album (the memorable percussive explosion on the hit song “In the Air Tonight” is a perfect example of the “gated” effect).

But aside from the vocal stylizations, studio techniques, and musical innovations, it is the qualities of the compositions on Melt that draws one in. Several critics have made mention of the fact that Melt is, for all intents and purposes, a “psychological treatise” on the human condition. Compulsion, obsession, isolation, schizophrenia, amnesia, prejudice, bigotry, institutionalization, anger, war, murder – the skewed stuff that stirs the uneasy mind, the tumultuous travesties of the modern tragedy — herein lie the darker dimensions of thought and action, delivered with an actor’s flair by the ruminating and lugubrious Gabriel.

“Intruder” begins the mind games with the grating, metallic grind of clippers on twisted wire, discordant keyboards, and Collin’s strident drumbeat. The song is a flesh-crawling ode to home invasion, and details the perpetrator’s joy of slipping in undetected and causing mayhem. In Gabriel’s study, this villain is not so much interested in robbery, but in the flawless execution of the break-in, and the more ominous undertones of what the intruder is actually seeking: “I like to feel the suspense when I'm certain you know I am there/I like you lying awake, your baited breath charging the air.” The eerie ambience is enhanced by a skeletal xylophone solo and a bit of whistling-with-criminal-intent made famous by Peter Lorre in the movie M (1931).

The next song, “No Self Control”, mirrors the troubled tendencies of “Intruder”, but amps up the mania, as well as the volume, with Gabriel’s recurring avant-garde partners-in-crime Robert Fripp on guitar and Kate Bush on backing vocals, along with a vicious turn on drums by Collins (this was back when he was simply an exceptional musician and not a MTV media darling). Gabriel repeats the mantra “I don’t know how to stop” as the song’s compulsive anti-hero descends from personal prepossessions and foibles to dangerous obsessions and less-than-subtle hints of violence.

“I Don’t Remember” features an instrumental intro called, simply enough, “Start”, which bears an uncanny resemblance to the entire soundtrack of the Ridley Scott movie Bladerunner (1982); in fact, one wonders if the composer Vangelis didn’t lift the concept wholesale to help pen his piece. As far as “I Don’t Remember”, the amnesiac lead character actions are perhaps reflective of the previous track “No Self Control”, as our impulsive anti-hero slips into benighted forgetfulness as his mind shuts down during an interrogation after committing a heinous and particularly troublesome crime. Or not. Like many of Gabriel’s nettlesome compositions, the lyrical intentions are up for conjecture, but this theory does present a seamless transition from one song to the next, and the two do seem akin.

In “Family Snapshot”, Gabriel sings a song of assassination, offering a brilliant character study of a publicity-seeking loner who kills a public figure. The murky, almost meaningless, motivations used by the killer in an effort to excuse his crime (“I need some attention/I shoot into the light”) sadly reflect the individual in modern society’s almost desperate need for his or her fifteen minutes of fame. The killer is neither dogmatic nor political in his aim ("I don't really hate you/I don't care what you do/ We were made for each other/Me and you”); he merely uses his victim as a foil to gain the spotlight. The original inspiration for the song was the interviews of Arthur Bremer (published in the book Assassin's Diary in '73). Bremer, who was more interested in fame than politics, had attempted to assassinate Alabama governor George Wallace in 1972 (Bremer was also the inspiration behind Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver), but Gabriel notches up the intensity and drama by grafting scenes of the 1963 Kennedy assassination onto Bremer's accounts. Gabriel's use of internal monologue and suspense is superb in “Family Snapshot”, as he ratchets up the musical intensity, notch by notch, until the gun is fired, leading to a reflective denouement which acts as part of the impotent assassin’s rambling confession.

The albums only “hit” (it went to #4 in the UK and #48 in the U.S.) is the decidedly bizarre “Games Without Frontiers”, an allegory with allusions to game shows, and children behaving in the manner of warlike nations — or vice versa. The absurd nature of children at play is actually a metaphor for adult immaturity and bellicosity reflected in breast-beating nationalism and overweening patriotism (the children’s names indicate their countries of origin: Germany, Russia, Britain, China, Italy, etc.). The song features off-kilter beats, jangling guitars, swelling synths, cabaret whistling and Kate Bush’s deliciously haunting, repetitive chorus “jeux sans frontières” (“games without frontiers”).

“Not One of Us”, once again featuring the brash and biting guitar work of King Crimson’s Robert Fripp, is a song that speaks bluntly of xenophobic attitudes spawned by ignorant and unreasonable fears. The simple arithmetic of bigotry, “There's safety in numbers/When you learn to divide”, and the dimwitted denial of reason, “All shades of opinion/Feed an open mind/But your values are twisted/Let us help you unwind”, are ironically skewered as Gabriel grabs prejudice by its dark roots. The rambunctious rhythm, slashing guitars and frenetic vocals of Gabriel creates a manic and guttural tribal chant of hatred as the song reaches its final crescendo.

From the unreasoned and fear-driven edge of insanity, Gabriel returns to quiescence with “Lead a Normal Life”. The song is lush and mellifluous, but the pastoral mood proves illusory — a pleasant façade shrouding institutional grates. For we find ourselves in the asylum, where one eats with a spoon because “they don’t give you knives.” But the park-like views of the trees are nice, and through the medicated haze your keepers expect you will one day “lead a normal life”.

The final song on the album is the stirring, anthemic “Biko”. Steven Biko was a leader of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. In 1977, Biko was arrested on trumped up charges under a South African terrorism act (basically, he was arrested for protesting while black). He was beaten so badly during a police interrogation lasting over 24 hours that he lapsed into a coma. He died within days due lack of medical care (the police would later claim he committed suicide). As is the way of injustice, the police were cleared of the crime by the South African courts. But the horrid event gained worldwide attention due in part to Gabriel’s profound lament, and the grand lyric “And the eyes of the world are watching now”, proved prophetic. Gabriel began to sing “Biko” to end each of his concerts, and one of the most powerful protests songs of the 80's became a catalyst for change in South Africa. From an anti-apartheid standpoint, it certainly has more emotional punch than the tepid “I Aint Gonna Play (Sun City)” by Little Steven and his coterie of “We are the World” rejects.

In hindsight — from our lofty but precarious perch some 30 years later — Melt can rightly be judged as Peter Gabriel’s finest solo work. It perhaps didn’t sell as many albums or was as commercially accessible as So, nor was it rooted as deeply in the affections of old Genesis fans like Gabriel’s first solo effort from 1977 (the album subtitled Car, which I esteem greatly and remember fondly). However, Peter Gabriel’s third solo album is a more serious work than the other two I have mentioned. There is nothing humorous or cute here (no tuba solos or videos with defeathered, headless chickens dancing on stage, for instance). Melt is fully realized and conceptually brilliant, a stark look at man’s inhumanity to man, and the madness that stirs in the minds of many.
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Originally posted by catfood03 catfood03 wrote:

Originally posted by overmatik overmatik wrote:

Wow, Midnight Oil are nothing short of amazing. I also have all their albums and I put them among the great were they belong. Diesel and Dust is a supernatural masterpiece! They were always flawless live too.

I agree. I saw them live too (touring for Earth and Sun and Moon), so much energy and life!


They came to Brazil in 96 but only to São Paulo so I couldn't see them.Cry  Another great album they have is Redneck Wonderland, which completely reinvented the band and is very heavy.
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Originally posted by overmatik overmatik wrote:

Wow, Midnight Oil are nothing short of amazing. I also have all their albums and I put them among the great were they belong. Diesel and Dust is a supernatural masterpiece! They were always flawless live too.


I agree. I saw them live too (touring for Earth and Sun and Moon), so much energy and life!
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Wow, Midnight Oil are nothing short of amazing. I also have all their albums and I put them among the great were they belong. Diesel and Dust is a supernatural masterpiece! They were always flawless live too.
"Wear the grudge like a crown of negativity. Calculate what we will or will not tolerate. Desperate to control all and everything. Unable to forgive your scarlet letterman."
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Toto - Isolation
 
 
 

this is an album I will have difficult to keep myself neutral or objective, Toto have 12 Studio album all are solid piece of melodic rock, jazz rock, funk and everything in between. the genre within popular music Toto haven’t touched does not exist. They have not ventured into extreme metal or avant-garde, other than that they have played anything from new age music to progressive metal.

 

Isolation is one of Toto’s most heavy albums, probably the 2nd heaviest album overall after Kingdom of Desire, while KoD is more in the heavy blues territory, Isolation is heavy symphonic rock in the neo progressive vein. but shorter songs, yet very intricate, they don't hold anything back on this album. I will with hand on my hart and say that Isolation is close to be Toto’s most virtuoso album, the most brutal instrumentation, they don't wait on you before Steve Lukather or Steve Porcaro launches themselves into their solo modes, sometime even unison, most of the time counterparts, like twisting lizards.

 

I will now take track by track review

 

Carmen – Irresistible riff sets of this song, one of their most metallic song in their repertoire, and the prog rock influence is all over this song, only shorter in length, but the solo section will give you a serious whiplash, every instrument give time to shine on this album, brilliant vocals by David Paich and new guy Fergie Fredriksen, they share vocals here, Fergie takes care for the Chorus, Jeff Porcaro is without comparison here.

 

Lion - sets of with a solid low bass bite (BAM BAM ) more artsy song, different short sections, one of their most unique songs, delicious instrumentation, aggressive guitar sound as usual from Steve Lukather, this song is a semi progressive rock affair, in the neo progressive/AOR style, still solid drumming. Few bands have this solid groove in their core, it is so solid and tight, and never does it sound stale.

 

Stranger in Town - David Paich takes over the vocal duties in this cool song, this song have vocal harmonies to die for, the chorus shows Toto’s skill for vocal arrangements, in high register and perfect hitted notes, the song is in the vein of 80s Genesis, some cool sound effects from Steve Porcaros and David’s synths and keyboards, moog’s and other technical equipment. It is incredible the amount of strong vocalists there is in one band.

 

Angel Don't Cry - heavy rock song, shows the vocal range of Fergie to an impressive degree. 80s hard rock style but in Toto vein which induce more groove and control, and more abrupt and neck snapping, they venture into solo guitar and synth parts, this is how Toto in some way prove their instrumental knowledge by how fast verses and choruses flow into each other and how they without any pauses, or need to collect momentum before they goes into instrumental muscle flexing bridge sections

 

How Does It Feel - Symphonic rock ballad sung by Lukather, this song is just beautifully composed; little epic with a sweeping solo by Lukather blistering speed, this song is one of the most stunning orchestral mini suites, like a bright summer breeze

 

Endless - a Funky rock song with Mike Porcaro use some cool slap bass thumps, semi-neo progressive song, with a atmospheric bridge part. Also a nice use of Keyboard sounds.

 

Isolation - the best and most aggressive riff on the album, after staccato piano intro. 80s hard rock song in Saga vein who are instrumentally and stylistically closer to Toto then Foreigner and Journey.

 

Mr. Friendly and Change of Heart - these two songs give Toto a chance to show everyone that technically they are a force to be reckoned with. This needs to be heard to witness, it is impressive to how little time this guys needs to give is sections that would give you a serious whiplash if it was a moveable object.

 

Holyanna - a west coast rock ballad with a perfect instrumental performance every nuance fits like a glow and a nice keyboard solo as well..

 

StarStarStarStarStar easy
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So, this new album by the band Moon Safari has been plastered all over the front page of the site for roughly the last forever. Which is nice and all, it's getting great reviews. I'm sure I'll get around to checking it out at some point. In the mean time I can't help but think of another (perhaps) even more marvellous Moon Safari. Without further ado, I give you:

Air - Moon Safari

4.5/5

Them Details:

When: 1998 (Year of the Tiger)
Where: France
What: The debut album by a pair of French dudes whose only mission in life at this point appears to be helping you get your chill on something fierce.

La femme d'argent - 7:11
Sexy Boy - 4:58
All I Need - 4:28
Kelly Watch the Stars - 3:45
Talisman - 4:17
Remember - 2:34
You Make It Easy - 4:02
Ce matin là - 3:39
New Star in the Sky - 5:41
Le voyage de Penelope - 3:11

My Two Cents (CAD):

This is easily the most chilled out album I own. It's funky catchy and a little bit weird in its own way. It's an album I liked the moment I heard it and I think you might too.

Why did I like it the moment I heard it? Because the first thing I heard was La femme d'argent. Or for the non-French inclined: The Silver Lady. Its hip, hipper than anything you've heard in the last decade; a mix of sly keyboard work with a dabble of sequencer and a mellowed out baseline. It's both riveting and relaxing. I've never really heard anything quite like it. The rest of the album is still very good, but I could stop listening after La femme and be in seventh heaven.

Sexy Boy (or for the non-French inclined: not you) was the single from the album, and I understand a pretty big hit in its own time and place. For my part, it isn't my favourite track on the album, but I can see the appeal. It's a little bit heavier (If you can call that heavy) than most other things on the album and certainly catchy. It just seems to rub me the wrong way. I think the subtly accented vocals just don't totally do the trick for me. They're better elsewhere, like New Star.

All I Need is one of the most at east tracks on an album that feels like a bean bag chair on an ocean of whipped cream. The vocals again aren't the tops, but everything else about this track elates me. Once we move away from the lyrical stuff and into the more abstract this piece is stunning. The low droning synth which comes in towards the end is superb.

Kelly Watch the Stars is one of my top picks from Moon Safari, it's short and the lyrics are exceedingly repetitive, but its all part of the hypnotic trance Air has you under. It's a little more upbeat and up tempo than many of the other tracks so it feels like it lasts a little longer than it actually does. I love it though, it's catchy as hell.

Talisman drops it down a register but keeps the up tempo and turns the funk up to 6! I know that's not crazy, but this isn't a crazy album. It's an excellent track regardless. The bass and keyboards are working in perfect harmony; this one also gets a big thumbs up from me. It does get shown up a little later though, by its sleazy counterpart Le voyage de Penelope.

Remember begins the part of the album that I don't quite like as much as the first section. The songs are still good, but the just don't catch your attention the way that La Femme or Kelly do. Remember is the shortest track on the album, and likely my least favourite. This is due again to the vocals, they are the most similar to Sexy Boy, but the balance of the track just isn't as good.

You Make It Easy, is a sexy little bit of mood music. Air, went on to be the masters of make out music. When you hear Easy, it's well... easy to hear why. It's much better than Remember and maybe on par with all I need. What makes it so romantic? Why that most sensual of all instruments, the wood block! Don't believe me, hear it for yourself.

Ce matin là (That morning there) is a song that I always forget about, but it's really cool. It's a lounge music masterpiece. It makes you want grab your lady (or dude, I don't judge) and do sweet sweet things to her. Here is more than a hint of Burt Bacharach about it. This adds to its vintage appeal. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful piece of music.

The concept behind the track New Star in the Sky is the saying every time a child is born, a new star appears in the sky. If you were doing the right things during You Make it Easy and Ce matin là, you're probably well on your way to creating your own little new star. It's a very gentle and sentimental piece. It's ok. Kinda nor here nor there. This is the most relaxed piece on the album. Very good for helping you drift off to sleep. I know a couple of people who swear by it.

Le voyage de Penelope, brings us out of the near comatose state we've been in for the last little while for a stunning and balls to the walls finale. That is to say as close as Air's balls are gonna get to any walls. It has a well mixed combination of synth and acoustic instrumentation in a low key but up tempo set up, like Talisman as mentioned before. This is right up there with Kelly for my second favourite track.

I it is a totally consistent album thematically, but it doesn't always deliver musically. That said, nothing is worse than good and in many places it's exceptionally so. This album has gotten straight under my skin. I've probably listened to it as much as Never Hear the End of It, by Sloan when I first got it. Alors, quatre point cinq sur cinq.

Prog-Appeal:

Actually, I've long felt that more modern electronic musicians are willing to get a lot more out there than their rock contemporaries. This is still a pop album at its heart but, the primarily instrumental tracks like La femme and Penelope kinda get a little freakay. I think someone going into this album and expecting something generic would be totally wrong headed. So yeah, it’s prog-appealing.

Originally posted by Catcher10 Catcher10 wrote:




Now on my to do list.


Edited by R-A-N-M-A - December 02 2010 at 20:00
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All About Eve by All About Eve

 

All About Eve

 

Tracklist

 

Flowers In Our Hair.

Gypsy Dance.

In The Clouds. 

Martha’s Harbour. 

Every Angel. 

Like Emily.

Shelter From The Rain.

She Moves Through The Fair.

Wild Hearted Woman. 

Never Promise (Anyone Forever).

Apple Tree Man.

What Kind Of Fool. 

In The Meadow.

Lady Moonlight.

 

I nearly choked on my cheeseburger when I saw John Davie’s review of ‘Heyday’ by The Church yesterday. Not that I have any issues with The Church being here on ProgArchives, very far from it in fact, but I simply didn’t know they were here! My only excuse for this oversight is that, while I’ve been a member since December 2009, the last Church review was posted a month before I joined. I just never thought to search the site for them.

 

I’ll get around to posting some reviews of The Church in the future but in the meantime I’d like to hopefully draw some attention to another fine ‘80s band, All About Eve. Funnily enough, All About Eve (AAE) have links to The Church, although they’re actually much closely associated with The Mission. AAE emerged from the UK’s musical mire during the middle of the decade with their own distinct brand of folksy Goth-rock. They started out as a trio when former ZigZag journalist Julianne Regan (vocals) joined up with Andy Cousin (bass) and Tim Bricheno (guitar), both of whom had been members of Goth band Aemotii Crii. Full-time drummer Mark Price joined later, during the recording of the first AAE album. They were originally called The Swarm but changed their name to All About Eve after Regan watched the movie of the same name at her parents’ house.

 
Not the infamous performance.
 

They recorded four studio albums before disbanding, although they subsequently reformed around the turn of the millennium and released several live albums. Bricheno was the first to jump ship when he joined The Sisters Of Mercy, with Marty Wilson Piper of The Church being his replacement. Cousin subsequently joined The Mission, while Price later worked with Del Amitri as their percussionist. Regan has kept herself busy with various offshoots and projects, notably The Eden House (a collaborative project with Tony Pettitt, formerly Fields Of The Nephilim).

 
Extended version, but basically the same as on the album. 
 

When Regan was asked by Wayne Hussey to sing backing vocals on ‘Severina’ from The Mission’s debut studio album, this initiated a series of collaborations between the two bands. AAE supported The Mission on their first tour and this was instrumental in them winning a contract with Phonogram. Between 1985-87 they recorded four singles for the independent Eden label, but they released their self-titled debut album on the major label in 1988. Regan continues to collaborate with Hussey; at present they are working on a joint venture under the name Hussey-Regan.

 
Lovely pictures with this video.
 

Paul Samwell-Smith, a founding member of The Yardbirds, produced AAE’s debut. Incidentally, he has also produced works by Jethro Tull, Renaissance and Amazing Blondel. Most of the songs were written in Regan’s bedsitter, with the band more or less working as a three-piece. As stated above, AAE had the support of The Mission for this album. Wayne Hussey reciprocated for Regan’s contribution to ‘God’s Own Medicine’ by supplying backing vocals to ‘Shelter From The Rain’. Hussey and Simon Hinkler produced ‘Lady Moonlight’, while drummer Mick Brown guests on four tracks on the album.

 
 

The album contains no less than five singles, including the top-10 hit ‘Martha’s Harbour’. This song is of course notorious for the incident on Top Of The Pops where Regan and Bricheno sat in silence because their backing track wasn’t played through their monitors. The songs here combine folk and Goth rock, with lyrics that are inspired by nature and mysticism. These are exemplified on the chiming ‘80s guitars of the band’s nod to hippiedom, ‘Flowers In Our Hair’, and the folk magic of the lilting ‘Gypsy Dance’. Other highlights include the Byrds-inspired jangling of ‘In The Clouds’ and the vigorous rock of ‘Every Angel’. In fact the first seven songs on here must rank together as one of the best series of consecutive songs on any ‘80s album. Furthermore, the lush acoustic layers of shimmering ballads like ‘Shelter from The Rain’ and ‘Like Emily’ are perfectly matched by lyrics about emerald ships and fallen angels.
 
'kin awesome live version!

 

I don’t really like having to assign arbitrary ratings to albums but in this case the music can speak for itself via the YouTube videos. Having said that, this is a great album well worthy of 4-stars, and in fact it’s not a kick in the bahoochie off 5-stars.

 

Finally, AAE have several connections to progressive music. They recorded a cover version of ‘See Emily Play’, while David Gilmour played on two of their songs, ‘Are You Lonely’ and ‘Wishing The Hours Away’ (none of which appear on this album though - check out their ‘Keepsakes’ retrospective collection for these tracks). During the band’s mid-90s hiatus Regan occasionally performed live with Fairport Convention, and she performed on Judy Dyble’s ‘Talking With Strangers’, which also features Robert Fripp. In addition, she has contributed a track (‘Shaping The River’) to ‘Leader Of The Starry Skies’, a tribute album and fundraiser for Tim Smith of Cardiacs. This is due for release on 6th December, but check Dick Heath’s thread here for further details on pre-ordering the CD. A very worthwhile cause deserving of all our support.

 

 
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Rip The Jacker
by Canibus
13 tracks, 44 mins
 
"If you think that you can find a better flow
I can find a dinosaur on the Galapagos archipelago"
 
"f**k ya'll, you don't impress me and no one can match me,
an emcee so ill I got AIDS scared to catch me"
 
That is not dead which can eternal rhyme...
One of the greatest lyricists of all time, Jamaica's Germaine "Canibus" Williams has not had the greatest career of all time. First coming to attention in the late 90s with a series of electrifying guest spots, the wheels quickly came off when his first two albums, hyped up as blockbusters, sold poorly due to poor production and Canibus' rhyming being too intense and complicated for most mainstream markets. A career hurting feud with the much more popular LL Cool J, and the fact that his third album actually did suck, did not help either.
With his fourth album, 2002's Mic Club, Canibus seemed to abandon his dreams of mainstream success and decided to take his formidable lyrical skills to a more hardcore approach, deliverying conceptual tracks with elaborate scientific content.
But it was 2003's Rip The Jacker where Canibus delivered his masterpiece. The key ingredient actually was not him- he had already been and would be afterwards, a phenomenal MC, able to spin off minute after minute of complex, head spinning, refreshing and jaw dropping rhymes. What was different about RTJ is that Canibus had excellent production on board, meaning for once that the album *sounded* good and wasn't just brilliant lyrics delivered in a humdrum way. All beats were handled by Stoupe from Jedi Mind Tricks and his haunting, sinister sounds are the perfect match for Canibus' academic and intense approach.
After a short intro which introduces the concept of The Ripper, the dark side of Canibus' personality, he creates the rap universe on Genabis. Love that music too, beautiful yet chilling. (Spot the Phillip Glass sample!)
 
 
Over the course of the album Canibus uses elaborate and dense wordplay, continually leaping from topic to topic, as the listener's mind races to catch up with him. They're the kind of lyrics you can appreciate for months or years as there are always new things to realise about what he's saying. This is 21st century poetry. Stoupe's gothic beats are the icing on the cake, whether using Eastern flavours and a Cirque du Soleil sample on Levitibus or going in for Feta Kuli and an epic, sweat inducing string melody (with some Fela Kuti in there too). From the nightmarish Psyche Evaluation to the oddly affecting No Return where Canibus rapidly weaves three detailed scenarios for his own death, it's quality all the way, but a real highlight is the absolutely crushing Cemantics, a lyrical masterclass with an EXCELLENT beat.
 
 
Of course the elephant in the room is the closing track, Poet Laureate II. Poet Laureate was a track on Mic Club where Canibus attempted to write the most advanced lyric he could. It was mildly successful but the following year when working on RTJ he felt he could outdo and came up with Poet Laureate II. An example of the still-in-its-infancy progressive rap/hip-hop, it is not simply Canibus's 7 minute lyrical rampage where he spits 100 bars of the most demanding lyrics on the album without a pause that puts it in this category but Stoupe's decision to have three different musical sections before returning to the opening beat for the finale that makes it resemble a prog rock song in structure. It also displays Canibus' talents to not just write these lyrics but deliver them with excellent intensity and cadence and to twist words so they rhyme when you might not expect them to. It is unstoppable.
 
 
After hearing these tracks you are officially forbidden from complaining that all rap is about bitches and drugs ever again.
Though Canibus has continued to push even further in his astonishing lyrical power, he has never made an album that *sounds* this good since as he seems to have an iffy ear for beats, making this the one to own, though those who find themselves getting hooked on his lyrical style should also pick up Mic Club, C Of Tranquility, For Whom The Beat Tolls and the 50 minute 1000 bar monstrosity that is Poet Laureate 2's successor, Poet Laureate Infinity. (Canibus, 2000 BC and Melatonin Magic are good too, but best avoid C True Hollywood Stories, Mind Control and Hip Hop For Sale, albums on which he either lyrically misfired or really dropped the ball on the beats.)
Canibus is hardly the only rapper to push rap lyrics to such advanced places but he is one of the best and deserves respect from anyone who enjoys seeing the English language pushed to its limits.
 
5/5
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Sticking with R&B
 
Artist: Earth, Wind & Fire
Album: All n' All (1977)
Genre: R&B
 
 
Track Listing:
1. Serpentine Fire 3:50
2. Fantasy 4:37
3. In the Marketplace (interlude) 0:43
4. Jupiter 3:11
5. Love's Holiday 4:23
6. Brazilian Rhyme (interlude) 1:21
7. I'll Write A Song for You 5:24
8. Magic Mind 3:39
9. Runnin' 5:51
10. Brazilian Rhyme 0:53
11. Be Ever Wonderful 5:06
 
Non rock, Earth, Wind & Fire are my most listened to and without a doubt my favorite group....All due to this album. This their 9th album, show cases the amazing musical creativity of Maurice White. After the group took a long trip to Brazil and I also believe Egypt, they were inspired by the sites and sounds of both. This album has many musical references to Brazil, the album artwork is directly related to Egypt with futuristic references in the artwork too. It started with the pyramids and then ends with space flight....
 
In my desire to keep these short I will just highlight the album.
 
Serpentine Fire starts the album and sets the bar very high. The slow beat of drums, percussion, cow bells and rhythmic motion helps this one get the album going. Maurice's singing is some of the best here, and ofcourse the EW&F horn section is at its best on this one.
Fantasy, the megahit of this album. About a man who takes a ride on a spaceship to find his dreams, finds the place of Fantasy. Verdine White's bass playing is so tight, sets the pace on this one clearly and Phillip Bailey's amazing voice...just superb.
Then we get one of the many "interludes" of this album, which is kind of a EW&F trademark. This first one features Maurice playing his kalimba, which is an African finger piano, as he plucks it to make the distinctive African sound, again this becomes a trademark sound of EW&F.
Jupiter continues their theme of space/fantasy travel and features Al McKay's great rhythm guitar work and some of my favorite EW&F horn work. The whole group shows off their vocals on this one.
 
Earth, Wind & Fire are known for many things, on this album they solidified one long standing attribute of the group.....the funky, hot, mesmerizing love songs. Back in the 70's in Jr high and High School, I soooo remember doing the thang on the dance floor with that cute girl to the tunes of Earth, Wind & Fire. To this day if I play a bunch of their slow songs, the wife knows what comes next!
This album has three of the most amazingly written slow/love songs in R&B
Loves' Holiday, I'll Write A Song For You and Be Ever Wonderful.
 
The 2nd one features Phillip Bailey at his best vocally, so smooth in his falsetto voice...also some great 12 string acoustic work by Al McKay.
Maurice White sings lead on the other two, but Maurice and Phillip together is vocal harmony, literally.
 
Magic Mind, a quick funky tune featuring all the singers at their best, catchy chorus keeps this one afloat.
Runnin' (instrumental) just showcases the groups high level of instrumental talent, starting with a nice keyboard/synth entry by Larry Dunn. Much Brazilian musical influence on this one, percussion, horns, drums and the trademark EW&F vocal harmonies.
 
EW&F encompass all that is good about music....Jazz, Fusion, Blues, Rock and World musical influences. This album has it all. A perfect place to start if you have any interest in one of the most influential R&B groups of the 70' and 80's......I have seen them live 6 times, their shows are amazing, you will not sit down, your feet, body, head are moving the whole time. Back in the 70's they incorporated a lot of magic in their shows. Disappearing performers, hidden doors, floating band members, both magicians Doug Henning and David Copperfiled produced the on stage magic portion.
 
Rating: StarStarStarStarStar
Prog Appeal: (1) maybe 2 but only interest would be in the use of alternative instruments ie Kalimba and lyrics based on fantasy and the instrumentals. The album abounds with full string accompanyment on a lot of songs..
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Catcher10 View Drop Down
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This is cool!....just found this thread. I'm a huge funk/R&B listener as that pretty much is where my music life began.....I will only review non-prog related albums. I will try to keep them short and pretty.
Here's my first one......
 
Artist: Parliament (1977)
Album: Funkentelechy vs The Placebo Syndrome
Genre: R&B/Funk
 
 
Track Listing:
1. Bop Gun (Endangered Species) 8:32
2. Sir Nose d'Voidoffunk 10:10
3. Wizard of Finance 4:32
4. Funkentelechy 10:55
5. Placebo Syndrome 4:20
6. Flashlight 5:46
 
Well what can you say, George Clinton the master of funk and just plain weird stuff on the R&B side...the man has an imagination for sure (I'm sure helped along by some marij Wink).
Anyhow arguably Parliaments best album. The funk just runneth over on this one.....(BTW it is a concept album)
 
Bop Gun...nice little guitar diddy and beat, then turns into a fullfledge party, bop gun sound effects and addictive chorus. The Horny Horns section doing their thing on this one also.
 
Sir Nose...the title says it all. Voice alterations galor (vocoders)....the story sets Sir Nose as the all-time public enemy #1 in the Parliament world, in this case its Starchild fighting the fight.
Both are on the album cover, ofcourse Starchild operating the "Bop Gun". The song is setup to start slowly then just buildup to a frothy funk fest. Sir Nose will never dance...
 
Wizard of Finance..nice doo-wop slow song, change of pace from the first 2. The sax in the begining gives it a throwback feel, sing along chorus...Sly Stone influence here?
 
Funkentelechy..a monster of a song! Clinton uses witty lines and humor to tell us how the funk can rid us of those trying to control us. Using lines that refer to commercials of the day "you derserve a break today" and the classic " would you trade your funk for what's behind door number 3?"
 
Placebo Syndrome..slowest song on the album, cool chorus and vocals. Describes how we should not be strayed in the Syndrome....I think its a jab at the Disco clubs.
 
Flashlight...the most sampled song in the Parliament catalog. This is a beast of a song, clearly Parliaments signature track. Just a great synthbass beat, infectious guitar groove thru the whole song, Bootsy Collins' drumming sets the pace for this song. Listen closely you can pull out the battle between Sir Nose and Starchild......the bop gun sounds. Will Sir Nose finally dance?
"everybodys got a little light under the sun...." says Clinton signaling that we can all overcome fear.
 
Without a doubt an album which still to this day influences many in the world of R&B and probably the hip/hop world too.
 
Rating: StarStarStarStar 1/2 (4.5). A Funk classic....
Prog Appeal: (2) it certainly has a historical prescence. The nature of the long songs, story line/concept may lend some interest to the Prog world.
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I've done a good bit of non prog reviews.
I really like your format actually. I shall use it in the future when I review more non prog albums on PA.

Too lazy to re write my old ones though LOL
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Right, I will do this somewhat 'prog-related' review. It's not prog at all, of course, but has prog artists. 


Annie Haslam - Annie in Wonderland (1977)






Tracklist:

1.Introlise/If I Was Made of Music
2.Never Believed in Love
3.If I Loved You (cover)
4.Hunioco
5.Rockalise
6.Nature Boy (cover)
7.Inside my life
8.Going Home (cover)

While it's understandable that an album, as I will shortly point out, which is not particularly great would not be much sought after among music fans in general, I don't really understand why even among Renaissance/Annie Haslam fans, this one doesn't get much attention.  Even Still Life and Blessing in Disguise seem to have been received more favourably.  Its inconsistency, which I will address, is most definitely an issue.  But, this is also the only one of Annie's solo albums recorded at her peak in the 70s and it shows. For the moment she gets some music to bite into, she is able to make something unique with it.  Further, sure, it's a pop album but really, if you are a fan of Renaissance, you don't really mind Annie Haslam singing pretty pop songs all that much, surely?  The difference between Captive Heart (from the same year on the Novella album) and If I Loved You is certainly not like night and day. If anything, I would argue Annie sounds even better on the latter, which is the case whenever this album hits the spot.  I am sure the artwork hurts too, but again, Renaissance aren't exactly renowned for that either, are they?

However, I will address the inconsistency first.  This album was produced  and largely written by Roy Wood (who also played many of the instruments) during the brief interval when John Tout needed a rest and the band (Renaissance) were neither recording and touring and it does seem a bit hastily put together.  Songs like If I Were Made of Music seem to have potential which however hasn't been brought to fruition.  Never Believed in Love and Hunioco are throwaway.  Inside my life, penned by Camp, only foreshadows the blandness to come in future Renaissance efforts (salvaged by some good guitar from Wood in the coda).  The material is also so eclectic that there is no sense of unity or a cohesive personality in the album.  This perhaps also works to its favour in a certain sense because it lets you cherry pick what you want. 

Now, the things that do work, in ascending order.  Nature Boy...the singing on the verse is pretty good but we swiftly realize this is not quite Annie's forte.  Watch out for the stunning jazz vocalizations though, she's more versatile than she's credited to be.  And some of the excursions, particularly a swiftly descending run right at the end, slay!  It's also interesting how well her voice blends with jazz guitar here and with organs and violins in Renaissance albums, all when she's vocalizing, mind.    

If I Loved You may be 'just' a cover of an old pop song but I would suggest you to ignore the genre and take in the singing.  This must be hands down the best version of this song.  It certainly wipes the floor with Barbara Streisand's cold and loungey take on the song.  By now, Annie's singing craft appears to have matured and peaked - contrast this with the relatively flat, emotionally, that is, singing on Let It Grow.  Four years from there, she's become an even better singer.   I haven't mentioned Roy Wood's arrangements yet but I will start now - it's absolutely gorgeous here, very dreamy and romantic, which already gives this version a headstart over the bland (imo) original even before Annie's singing kicks in.  Paul Mc Cartney was apparently in the studio when this was recorded and said her voice sent shivers down his spine. I am inclined to agree.

Going Home, of course, is a traditional funeral song based on Dvorak's New World Symphony.  Once again, beautiful arrangements, this time sparse and sombre.  The song is also paced in a very unhurried way, giving all the time in the world to Annie to lay down the mood.  And once again, she is able to come up with a very distinct and powerful interpretation of a song much sung.  There is no affectation in her singing nor any of the angst and bitterness that often comes through in rock's takes on death.  There's a solemn acceptance of fate that is yet very touching.  To my mind, this is already a better showcase of Annie's singing than any classic Renaissance song and I haven't got to Rockalise yet!

Rockalise is in my opinion the best Annie has ever sung in the studio.  I am quite baffled how this song is mentioned so less in fan circles.  On the surface, it might come across as exhibitionism - high pitched operatic singing without lyrics and with the refrain repeated several times, with drums stepping in in the second half of the song.  But pay close attention to Annie's singing and you cannot fail to be moved.  We live in times where musicians get slammed for being technical.  Well, here's an example of how to be very technical and still do it very elegantly and with feeling.  She demonstrates how to hit the soprano C off both the head voice and whistle voice but there is clearly the underlying purpose of evoking a lighter shade of voice in doing so which dispels any notion of technical exhibitionism.  Further, her vocalizations are so precise, even in terms of the exact  degree of attack she puts behind every note, that it almost sounds like an instrument playing some music rather than a voice.  Above all, it is very touching and when hitting such stratospheric notes, she sounds unexpectedly vulnerable and fragile (again, a quality I have not really come across much in her singing with Renaissance).   I would particularly pinpoint the 'variation' at 2:10 thereabouts - very delicate.  I am not too fond of opera singing (and I don't know if I can call this opera, so I will stick to saying it is sort of operatic) but Annie with her magnificent technique executes it very beautifully and effortlessly.    Instead of describing the song in so much detail, maybe I should have summed it up in one line:  if you haven't heard Rockalise, you haven't heard Annie Haslam, period. 

In summary, Annie In Wonderland, while not strictly a solo album because Annie doesn't write her own music, presents an interesting side to her singing which could have been explored further.  But I guess they didn't know then that Renaissance would slide after A Song For All Seasons.  Heaven knows this kind of pretty and polite but sincere and soulful music may not have found much favour in the 80s even if she had worked with Roy Wood.   But there's tantalizing potential here for a different direction which still remains true to the quintessence of her singing (unlike say Camera Camera).  

As for the rating, I would rate it 4.5/5 for the peaks but barely 2-2.5 for the lows.  I will give a three star on balance but would highly recommend it to fans of this singer.  If there's any solo work of Annie Haslam you need, this is the one.  












Edited by rogerthat - September 12 2010 at 04:01
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Here's one of the above listed...




5.0 out of 5 stars Various Artists - Warp20 (chosen)

When Warp first announced it's 20 year anniversary collections I was hoping for something a bit more inclusive for a tracklist. Many of the fascinating artists that I became hooked onto Warp as a label are absent from this 2 disc set. It would take more real-estate to house them all onto one collection and even with the deluxe box-set that this release is culled from it would be a monumental task. There is simply too much good music from this one label.

As far as the selections are concerned there is little to debate about. The first CD's tracklist, determined by an open voting poll, represents mostly the "greatest hits" from each of the ten artists voted on. Warp built it's name and reputation on the strength of it's electronic artists during the 90's so its not surprising there is a heavy tilt towards that facet of the label's history. These tracks are all strong, from the sleazy vibe of Aphex Twin's "Windowlicker", the thumping tempo of Battles' "Atlas", the classic sleek sounds of "LFO", and the spastic freak-out of Autechre's "Gantz Graf". My only wish is that, at only 48 minutes, the first disc could have room for 5 or more "runner-ups" from the voting list.

The second disc is even more curious, with all selections chosen by one individual, Warp co-founder Steve Beckett. Again, these are all good choices, most of which were new to my ears upon first listen. I would not have nessecarily chosen the Broadcast or Squarepusher selections here as the best from each respective artist, but overall this disc has the fun and sense of discovery of receiving a mix-tape from a good friend. (I know I just aged myself with that last comment.) This CD runs well over an hour.

In short, this is an excellent overview of Warp's impressive 20 year run and a great sampler for the curious.
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