Sunday, June 25, 2006

 

Book Review/Interview: Pixies


Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies
By Josh Frank and Caryn Ganz
Published by St. Martin’s Griffin
$14.95/316 pp.
Review by David Chiu

I couldn’t stand Pixies when I was a senior at Brooklyn Technical High School. Not because of their music (although I only heard one song, “Here Comes Your Man).” It was just that everyone in my circle of friends was playing Trompe Le Monde and I either didn’t want to join in their bandwagon or get it (I was still listening to Led Zeppelin and Foreigner back then). In retrospect I wished I did because now I feel like one of those ‘Johnny come lately’s’ who saw how the roots of alternative music from the ‘90s to today were planted firmly by the Boston-based quartet. Grunge would have never had happened had it not been for Pixies.

This new rock and roll biography about Pixies doesn’t let you forget how influential and revolutionary the band was then and now. A lot has been written about the band but no one had the exclusive access that was granted to Josh Frank and Caryn Ganz on Fool the World, an oral history that includes interviews with the principals—singer/guitarist Black Francis (Charles Thompson), bassist Kim (Mrs. John Murphy) Deal, guitarist Joey Santiago, and drummer David Lovering—along with reminisces of countless colleagues and friends (Kristen Hersh, Chas Banks, Gary Smith, Tanya Donnelly, etc.).

In conversational detail, Fool the World traces the band’s entire career: playing at Boston’s the Rat in the early days; the recordings; the final days leading to their demise highlighted by opening for U2’s Zooropa tour; and the recent 2004 reunion. In between are details about the recording of their classic albums such as Bossa Nova and Doolittle, working with producers Steve Albini and Gil Norton, and being lionized outside of their home country, particularly in England.

For a band whose music reveal an eccentric and wild persona, the members of Pixies come across as quite an ordinary bunch—other than the usual personality clashes, one can’t find the backstabbing, heavy drugs and shady record company people that have been the norms in rock and roll and in tell-all books. Rather, they were just ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The authors let their subjects freely speak about themselves the music and the scene without an agenda, and they piece everything together quite cohesively.

The die-hard fans will probably find it difficult to put the book down as they discover or rediscover a Pixies album, song, or gig that is dear to them. Even the authors would probably agree, however, that those who really want to seek the essence of the band should get several of the albums. When I finished the book, I went straight for the Death of the Pixies compilation and heard the magic in songs like “Debaser,” “Monkey Goes to Heaven,” and “Gigantic” and thought, ‘Why didn’t I catch on with this sooner?’

NewBeats spoke to the authors of Fool the World: Josh Frank, founder of Mind Over Money Theater Festival and the Theater-less Theater Co.; and Caryn Ganz, a journalist and former associate editor at Spin magazine.

How did the idea of wanting to do a musical about Frank Black (a.k.a. Black Francis, a.k.a. Charles Thompson) and Pixies come about and why?

Josh: Much like the book, it was a very organic thing. I was working in the rock musical world [on ‘Love, Janis,’ the musical based on Janis Joplin]. I started thinking, Okay, what if I did a rock musical for my generation? I immediately thought of the Pixies. I grew up on their music. Their music represents the bare bones [rock] infused with fantasy that made it all so surreal. I started thinking about it and going over it in my head. I was still very impressed with what they were doing solo-wise.

Originally it was, ‘Let’s see if I can do it.’ I called up [Frank Black’s publicist] and then the next thing I knew he agreed to meet with me in L.A. for martinis. So I’m telling him why I was doing this. Charles was [thinking] ‘If he could talk Werner Herzog into doing something I don’t see why I shouldn’t let him talk me into it.’ The next thing I knew I was starting to go around and interview them which led to other people and other people.

The book came out of that. I got overwhelmed [with the material].The story is not about the band—The only way that their stories made sense was the 80 or 90 people who were around them all these years.

I’m very good in finding the true dramatic elements in a story. I come from a theater background, so I’m really good with narrative and finding the drama in real life, so I needed someone who is a good journalist who can make it all make sense.

Caryn: [Josh] has so much passion and enthusiasm that I knew that it was going to take us pretty far. I just gave him pointers but he was so excited, that I wasn’t really worried about [the project]. I had a lot of contacts, so that was definitely beneficial.

What was it like talking to Pixies? How were they like when you interviewed them?
Josh: What was really interesting about meeting the Pixies themselves—to me this is an interesting story and interesting spin on an otherwise over-articled band—I myself got to spend time with them when no one else did. My talk with each member was in 2001 and 2002. It’s safe to say I was the first before the reunion thing to really have each of them talk to me about the band openly.

Kim seem like the most grounded of all of them. When I was 16 years old she was the woman I wanted to marry. I heard these horror stories…I was so nervous that I waited 'til the last minute to contact her. She picked up the phone and the first thing out of her mouth was, ‘Okay Josh, why am I the last to hear about this project?’ I am sweating like a pig on the phone. I wanted to die. I flew out to Dayton, Ohio and spent an entire day with Kim and Kelly, and it’s probably one of the highlights of my early life.

Charles was the same. I heard he’s very confrontational and bored. We spent the first hour talking about our personal trainers and just life. Talking to him…he was just the normal guy in the world, and also gracious. They were all such gracious hosts. I was so humbled by that—it made me want to do right by the whole thing.

The book doesn’t follow the typical ‘tell-all’ approach of most rock biographies.
Josh: This [story] is about normal people who do amazing things. We seldom hear about normal people who do amazing things. I think people always wanted to make the Pixies bigger, crazier, fucked up and dirtier than they actually are.

Caryn: The Pixies were not a crazy rock and roll band, which I was actually a little bummed out to discover while working on the book. I think it because the lyrics were so wild…you think of a band that’s had some crazy partying. In truth, they were very calm [and] happened to write some of the coolest music ever.

Josh: It fueled me to really want to dig deep and to find out about the other subtle truths about them and the world they grew up in. So that led me to the other group that was surrounding them. What was amazing that was finding Simon Larbalestier, who did the photographs, and finding Steven Appleby who did the cartoons. That’s why I featured Steven Appleby’s cartoons in the book. I think it was such a coup that he agreed to do new cartoons to illustrate the story. Simon and Steve are great examples of all these crazy people who ended up looking like.

Caryn: We felt it was a good way of telling the story letting us step out of the way. I thought it would be better for the readers. I really think we were as objective as humanly possible.

Did you have an inkling that the band was getting back together again in 2004?
Josh: No. And I wasn’t really thinking about it and I didn’t care. That’s the other thing, I didn’t mourn that they weren’t around anymore…that they grown up and moved on. What happened was when I sat down with Chas Banks, the European tour manager, maybe 9 or 10 months before the reunion, and he said, ‘Off the record you can’t say anything about this, but I should let you know that you are a lucky boy with very good timing. There is a possibility they might play again.’ I e-mailed my book agent and said, ‘Is there any chance of speeding up the release date of this?’

Caryn: We were definitely missing some things…after the reunion was announced, we were like, “Argh!” We both picked up a bit of other Pixies transcripts from other people who interviewed them most recently, like Marc Spitz. He was willing to donate I can’t even tell you how much transcript. Stuff like that really made a difference. I don’t feel like we were missing them ever. It was just luck.

What did you come away from the experience?
Josh: It was incredibly humbling to meet them—to meet people who were so far away from you. Like, ‘Who are these people? What planet do they come from?’ And to find yourself that you are actually on the same planet with these people and you guys have both personal trainers and like drinking martinis and dressing up for no apparent reason. That’s pretty amazing.

The reason I was able to get all this because I was not a journalist. I didn’t have an agenda. And I love hearing the stories from people who inspire and finding myself in that person.

Caryn: This is really everything you wanted to know about the Pixies.

What has been to the reaction to the book?
Caryn: Pretty positive…I’ve been really happy. John Murphy was one of the first people to get in touch with me. I knew he really liked it. I haven’t heard anything from the Pixies. Even if they didn’t like it, they didn’t go public with it.

How do you explain the continued popularity of Pixies’ music?
Caryn: You could make a strong argument that they were a forerunner to grunge. I think it has an incredibly weird energy that I think especially captures young people. In the late ‘80s, it was a definitely slick pop rock time. And then came the Pixies…totally raw. I think it captured a lot of people’s imaginations. People in the book say that [the music] doesn’t sound dated, and I totally agree with that too.

So is the musical still a possibility?
Josh: This is the kind of reason why it was good it turned into a book. Imagine if I had taken the musical all the way and in 2004 and it was ready to open off Broadway and they had gotten back together. Do you think someone would rather spend $40 to see the Pixies again live and play their songs or coming to my musical and seeing actors telling their life stories with their music? The reason I wanted to do the musical because it was lost history. I think everything happened the way it was meant to because they got back together. You can’t write a musical about a band’s history because they are still making it.

For more information visit www.fooltheworldbook.com<

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# posted by NewBeats @ 3:15 PM
 

CD Review:Allman Brothers Band


The Allman Brothers Band
Eat a Peach: Deluxe Edition
Polydor/UME
By David Chiu

In the context of guitarist Duane Allman’s untimely and devastating death, Eat a Peach (1972) holds a special place in the Allman Brothers musical canon. Even though it was assembled not in a sort of conventional fashion—studio numbers recorded before and after Duane Allman’s death and live tracks from the 1971 Fillmore East concerts—Eat a Peach is a work of tremendous passion, anguish, and stately beauty. Almost every track on the record has gone on to become an Allman standard live and on radio from the gritty blues workouts of “One Way Out” and “Trouble No More” through majestic numbers “Melissa” and “Blue Sky.” “Mountain Jam,” based on Donovan’s “First There is a Mountain,” is 30-minutes of jam heaven that not only mines southern rock and blues but also jazz-like improvisation. Perhaps the most touching song is the gut-wrenching finale, “Little Martha,” which finds Duane Allman and Dickey Betts playing on the acoustic guitar—a poignant statement from the original Allman Brothers lineup. The second disc on this deluxe edition is entirely almost live performances from the final Fillmore East concert including the usual staples “Whipping Post,” “Midnight Rider,” and “In Memory of “Elizabeth Reed.”

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# posted by NewBeats @ 3:12 PM

Saturday, June 24, 2006

 

CD Review: Eric Clapton


Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton: Deluxe Edition
Polydor/UME
By David Chiu

Although renowned as a god when it comes to rock guitar, Eric Clapton is a man full of soul. Rather than rehashing the sounds of his previous bands the Yardbirds, Cream and Blind Faith, Clapton tackles a pop/R&B/country/roots rock approach on his 1970 self-titled solo debut, which emphasized more on his singing and songwriting than his axe playing. Featuring a superstar cast that includes Leon Russell, Delaney & Bonnie, Stephen Stills, and the future members of Derek and the Dominoes, Eric Clapton would set the blueprint for the rest of his musical career. It contains two of his popular numbers: the gospel shuffle of J.J. Cale’s “After Midnight” (Clapton would record a leaner, streamline rock version that appears on the 1988 Chronicles boxed set) and the inspiring “Let It Rain.” There are some bright pop tunes such as the ironically-titled “Blues Power” (whose sound resembles little of the blues), the chugging “Bottle of Red Wine,” and the lovely ballad “Easy Now.” The deluxe version contains the original mix by Tom Dowd that was released and the previously unreleased mix by Delaney Bramlett—one could hear some pronounced and subtle differences like on “After Midnight” with horns on the Bramlett version—along with some additional tracks including collaborations with Delaney & Bonnie and saxophonist King Curtis. If you have listened to Clapton’s 2005 pop-oriented effort Back Home, it follows in a somewhat similar fashion to his eponymous record.

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# posted by NewBeats @ 6:01 PM
 

CD/DVD Review: Luna


Luna
Tell Me That You Miss Me: A Film About Luna by Matthew Buzzell (DVD)
Rhino
By David Chiu

Luna
Best of Luna
Elektra/Rhino
By David Chiu

The atmosphere at Luna’s final show ever at the Bowery Ballroom on Feb. 28, 2005, consisted both of sadness and celebration. It was almost karma-like because there as a blizzard going on outside. There was a melancholy in the air because the veteran New York City-based indie band was still at the top of its game with two excellent albums in the last few years, which makes the split somewhat premature. But the show was also a celebration of twelve wonderful years of Velvets/Television-inspired music.

Tell Me Do You Miss Me, a film about the band by Matthew Buzzell, documents Dean Wareham and co.’s final days touring Japan, Europe and the States leading up to the Bowery show. It’s a penetrating look at the exhaustion of gigging and the personal priorities that consume a band having been around this long—the group members drive in vans, carry their own equipment, and play small venues to faithful fans. The live musical performances (something that Luna has always excelled at) blend in perfectly with the interviews and off-stage moments; the best perhaps are provided by guitarist Sean Eden as he tells stories about puking on the road or his romantic trials and tribulations; the other one standout is Wareham reading the letter from former band mate Justin Harwood on stage at the last show. Hearing the members reminisce about a particular venue on a particular date is really indicative of how road hard they’ve been and the toll it had taken leading to its inevitable conclusion. You also have to be really stoic and blasé to not feel something in the movie’s final scenes as band members hug goodbye and walk off into the snowy New York morning after the show. Buzzell’s point of view is both that of an auteur and fan—the result is something quite poignant—sad yes, but also satisfying.

That sense of weariness is pervasive in Luna’s recorded work although not that quite somber as Wareham’s previous band Galaxie 500. Luna’s music has been characterized by Wareham’s deadpan vocals; the shimmering guitar interplay between himself and Eden; and his lyrics that convey a cinematic/noir-ish feeling. Luna’s earlier work make up a substantial portion on this Best Of; the fact that it has five tracks (including “Chinatown” and “Moon Palace”) from its brilliant 1995 Penthouse shows how great and influential that album was. Longtime fans won’t be surprised to hear favorites on this such as “Friendly Advice” (with some dazzling guitar by the late Velvet Underground guitarist Sterling Morrison), “Bewitched,” “23 Minutes in Brussels,” the mesmerizing Tiger Lily, and the slinky Lovedust. A minor quibble: It is lamentable that a few more tracks from the final albums Romantica and Rendezvous—“Cindy Tastes of Barbecue,” “Speedbumps,” and “Black Postcards” as examples—were not on here. Regardless, the set sums up the essence of Luna and what we’ll be missing. New York indie guitar rock has since became mainstream but it was Luna that paved the way, just as VU and Television did before them.

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# posted by NewBeats @ 8:57 AM
 

CD Review: Tears for Fears


Tears for Fears
Songs from the Big Chair: Deluxe Edition
Mercury/UME
By David Chiu

Because everyone remembers the three hit singles (“Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Shout,” “Head Over Heels”) and mammoth sales (10 million) Tears for Fears’s second album generated, it is easy to forget that Songs from the Big Chair is a really solid effort, and one of the better albums from the ‘80s. At a time when the MTV era bands were posing and preening about how cool they were and looked, TFF addressed more introspective and personal themes that carried over from the debut The Hurting two years earlier, although not that much angst-ridden. The mood of the record varies from the empowering synth and guitar-driven rockers such as “Broken” and “Mother’s Talk” to the jazzy and soulful numbers “I Believe” and “The Working Hour.” Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have an album powered by hits that have since become staples on pop radio: ask anyone in the world, and he or she’ll will at least heard “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” once; “Shout” is a great anthem alongside U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and Simple Minds’ “Sanctify Yourself”; and “Head Over Heels” is a pop gem whose “la la la la la’s” in the finale updates the Beatles’ “Hey Jude.” The Deluxe Edition doesn’t offer any outtakes or previously unreleased songs but only B-sides and 7” and 12” singles. Regardless, the Deluxe Edition paints a complete picture of a time when TFF was the biggest band of 1985, while retaining a maturity and sensibility that its peers sorely lacked.

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# posted by NewBeats @ 8:51 AM
 

New Interviews: Cheap Trick, Los Lobos, Fiery Furnaces

Just wrote a few new music interviews for some of the outlets I write for:

Cheap Trick: Cheap Trick just released a brand new and fantastic album “Rockford.”
http://www.nj.com/living/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/living-0/115105036510440.xml&coll=3

Los Lobos: One of music’s most enduring band, Los Lobos will be releasing a new album this fall
http://www.nj.com/living/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1151136833184910.xml&coll=3

The Fiery Furnaces: Eccentric doesn’t even explain the Brooklyn rock duo’s music:
http://www.courierlife.net/site/news.cfm?newsid=16819937&BRD=2384&PAG=461&dept_id=553358&rfi=6

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# posted by NewBeats @ 8:39 AM

Thursday, June 22, 2006

 

CD Review: Bullets and Octane


Bullets and Octane
In the Mouth of the Young
RCA
By David Chiu

Sounding somewhere in between punk and nu metal, Bullets and Octane deliver hard-charging rock that offers not a wasted moment. In the Mouth of the Young contains compact, succinct songs delivered with enough thrash for a hardcore audience; yet the musical is accessible enough for those weaned on stadium rock from bands such as Van Halen. In fact, lead singer Gene Louis sounds at times like a serious-minded David Lee Roth minus Diamond Dave’s goofy humor. Only “Bathroom Floor” deviates from the fast and hard blueprint, revealing a sly melodic side. The band, who live up to its name, sounds rough and ready on record; the songs even probably translate better live.

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# posted by NewBeats @ 4:50 AM

Monday, June 19, 2006

 

CD Review: Sonic Youth


Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
The Whitey Album (as Ciccone Youth)
Geffen/UME
By David Chiu

Sonic Youth
Rather Ripped
Geffen
By David Chiu


It is hard to imagine that a group whose sound has been built on a foundation of distortion and dissonance could last 25 years, and is still making great music. There has never been a notion of ‘sell-out’ throughout Sonic Youth’s career even as it signed on a major label almost ten years into the career. So it’s interesting and almost quite fitting that this durable New York City band would release its new album and reissue its first recordings released in the same year year, thus bookending each other.

Sonic Youth, originally an EP and released on March 1982, sounds like a product of its times from the New York art rock scene of the early ‘80s. Not surprisingly, this EP was released on art rock composer Glenn Branca’s label Neutral. The characteristics of what Sonic Youth would become date back to this five-song set: dissonance (I Don’t Want to Push It), primal/minimalist rhythms (“She’s Not Alone”), and clanging uptempo guitar rock (“The Good and the Bad”). (Also interesting to note: original and soon-to-be former drummer Richard Edson adds his reminisces in the sleeve notes) This reissue also tacks on several bonus tracks of live performances recorded in 1981 at the Music for Millions Festival in New York City; the fact the songs were recorded on cassette adds to the live music’s crude-sounding quality, which makes it all the more authentic. You have to imagine what the crowd who was there thinking about all this noise (it wouldn’t be surprising if several just walked out). It’s a glimpse of also what an interesting and improvisational live band Sonic Youth was back then through the heavy guitar of “Hard Work,” the driving “Cosmopolitan Girl,” and the appropriately-titled “Loud and Soft,” as the band verges between punk and free jazz here.

Flash forward 25 years later and Sonic Youth’s new album Rather Ripped contains music that definitely marks several progressions from their earliest, minimalist avant rock recordings to indie guitar pop (although they still are able to churn out evocative guitar noise and dissonant textures courtesy of Lee Renaldo and Thurston Moore). You’ll notice if you listen to this compared to Sonic Youth how Rather Ripped is melodic and accessible but manages to still sound quite indie. Tracks such as “Jams Run Free,” “Reana” and “Incinerate” are straightforward and up tempo, examples of the Sonic Youth template followed by many later indie bands; “Do You Believe in Rapture” is lovely, sounding like an avant garde take on the Stones’ “Beast of Burden”; “Sleepin’ Around” is sly, sexy and dark. The band still retains its distinct atmospherics such as on the noisy guitar effects on “Rats” and the dreamy and somber finale “Or.” Rather Ripped is the band maturing gracefully on its own terms—
DIY style.

On a somewhat lighter note, Sonic Youth exercises somewhat of sense of humor as Ciccone Youth, a side project that also features former Minuteman/fIREHOSE bassist Mike Watt and Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis. First released in 1988, the Whitey Album is an avant rock/beatbox tongue in cheek tribute to the Material Girl. Aside from the usual guitar dissonant augmented by keyboards (Macbeth), the band incorporates funky electronic beats and a hip-hop sensibility. Equally charming are Watt’s interpretation of Madonna’s early hit “Burnin’ Up”; Kim Gordon’s deadpan delivery on Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love”; and Thurston Moore’s equally deadpan vocalizing on “Into the Groovey” (a cover of “Into the Groove” ). This is not a joke record by all means, and it’s kind of nice to hear the band break away a little bit from their usual course.

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# posted by NewBeats @ 5:52 PM
 

CD Review: Def Leppard


Def Leppard
Yeah!
Bludgeon Riffola/Island/UME
By David Chiu

For a group that emerged during the new wave of British metal (i.e. Judas Priest), the members of Def Leppard were mainly influenced by pop and glam rock of its youth in the ‘70s. Yeah! is the band paying tribute to those influences with sincerity and vigor. Quite surprisingly and refreshingly, the selections are not the obvious hits but ones that are not often covered as T.Rex’s “20th Century Boy,” David Bowie’s “Drive-In Saturday,” ELO’s “10538 Overture,” Roxy Music’s “Street Life,” and the obscure John Kongos’ “I’m Gonna Step On You Again” (I've never heard of the song). Even longtime guitarist Phil Collen takes a rare lead vocal, sounding very much like Rod Stewart on the Faces’ “Stay With Me.” The band treats the songs to the letter pretty much and the sound is very lean minus the oomph and thump of their Mutt Lange-era recordings. Hopefully in a couple of years bands influenced by the Leps will treat their heroes with the same respect as the veteran Sheffield rockers has done with theirs.

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# posted by NewBeats @ 5:44 PM

Sunday, June 18, 2006

 

CD Review: Evangelicals


Evangelicals
So Gone
Misra
By David Chiu

For a band that is from Norman, Oklahoma, Evangelicals sound very British, or at least a distant cousin to Washington’s Modest Mouse. The trio’s debut So Gone is as melodic and dissonant as it is also detached and out-of-body; typical of the band’s overall sound is the opening, the cheerfully-titled “A Mouthful of Skeletons” which contains a stop-and-start tempo, swirling soundscapes coming from a music box, and absent-sounding, dreamy vocals. And yet when the explosive rock takes a back seat, there are some lovely jazzy and ethereal moments (i.e. "Hello Jenn," "My Headache"). And remember the earlier reference to British bands: On the whimsical “Here Comes Trouble,” Evangelicals channel an upbeat-sounding Cure. If this was released back in 1990, So Gone would have been a classic. But then again who says this strong concoction can’t be now?

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# posted by NewBeats @ 1:03 PM

Saturday, June 10, 2006

 

CD Review: Sonya Kitchell


Sonya Kitchell
Words Came Back to Me
Velour
By David Chiu

In the end, youth will never match experience; on the other hand, young Sonya Kitchell is blurring that fine line. If you didn’t know that she is 16-years-old, you could have swore she was a veteran singer/songwriter with several albums under her belt (Kitchell is already a seasoned pro having been on tour). Her remarkable debut album Words Came Back to Me reflects a maturity and wisdom beyond her age: These are songs that deal with people’s experiences with everyday insecurities, fear, longing, obstacles, and love. The last song “Jerry” might be one of the saddest, if beautiful, songs ever written in pop these days—about love lost and overcoming it. Stylistically, the album verges on jazzy soul (“Let Me Go”), blues (“Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind”), and folk (“Think of You”)—they are as gentle and assured as they are soul-searching. Kitchell’s understated and soulful vocals add to the folk and jazz sensibilities of her sound, which can somewhat be compared to Julia Fordham and Joni Mitchell. This is someone to watch out for.

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# posted by NewBeats @ 8:14 AM
 

CD Review: Depeche Mode


Depeche Mode
Speak and Spell
Reprise/Sire/Mute/Rhino
By David Chiu

Depeche Mode’s debut album inaugurated not only electro pop but it also created an empire. A lot of ‘80s bands followed Depeche’s footsteps with synthesizer-driven singles only to fall into obscurity shortly after; on the other hand, Depeche Mode’s popularity continues to grow with an ever loyal and fervent young fandom. It speaks volumes about how Depeche Mode’s dark yet catchy music really connects with us. After all, people are people…why should it be? Hard to believe that the band is also 25 years old.

Although Depeche Mode would eventually make spectacular music from Black Celebration on, its beginnings were pretty modest starting with the 1981 debut album. The technology and synths on that record might sound quirky and dated by today’s standards; yet the infectious melodies, courtesy of chief songwriter Vince Clarke, sink under your skin. You’d be lying if you weren’t at least moving your head to “New Life” or “Dreaming of Me,” two of three Depeche’s classic singles on the album; the other, the galloping “Just Can’t Get Enough” has grown to be an ’80s anthem of sorts, though Depeche’s later songs wouldn’t be this sentimental as this (“What’s Your Name” sounds cheesy but it’s a guilty pleasure too)

It’s not to say all of the material on Speak and Spell is lightweight and fey—tracks like the subversive “Puppets,” the creepy and pulsating “Photographic,” and “Tora! Tora! Tora!” offer hints of the somber hits to come.

Just as the band was starting to make its mark, Clarke left to form Yaz and then later Erasure; he’s since emerged as a brilliant (electropop) tunesmith. That left the songwriting duties up to Martin Gore who would prove so integral to Depeche’s vision and eventual direction. It’s somewhat of shame this record doesn’t get as much recognition as future classics Music for the Masses and Violator because all of the ingredients of Depeche Mode’s success can be heard on Speak and Spell.

This deluxe reissue not only contains the original album remastered but it also contains a DVD version in 5.1 and stereo as well as a documentary that includes not only interviews with the current members of the band but also Vince Clarke (kudos, but doesn’t mention why he left the group). The die-hard fans probably have the additional tracks already such as “Ice Machine” and “Any Second Now” but those also on here as well.

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# posted by NewBeats @ 8:10 AM
 

CD Review: Boston


Boston
Boston
Don’t Look Back
Epic/Legacy
By David Chiu

Bob Dylan might have released an album with the title “The Basement Tapes,” but if he hadn’t, it would have been the perfect moniker for Boston’s 1976 multiplatinum debut album. The songs that would make up Boston and usher in arena (or if you want to be cynical, corporate) rock— were recorded 30 years ago in founder/guitarist Tom Scholz’s basement; the assembling the rest of the guys seemed like an afterthought. Scholz might have languished and labored in obscurity recording the songs in his basement but the hard work and ingenuity paid off: the symphony of guitars and pristine production forged a distinct sound with enough and frequent melodic hooks to ensure a good ol’ time for the young and faithful.

Although Boston released a retrospective album in 1997, its debut should have also been called Greatest Hits because nearly every track continues to receive radio airplay. Not a day goes by without listening to “More Than a Feeling” at least once on classic rock stations—alongside “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Stairway to Heaven,” that track was one of those classic rock anthems; following that track in terms of popularity is “Foreplay/Long Time,” which many have probably played air guitar (and air keyboards and air bass) to. And even if the corporate rock label insinuates something soulless, you would be hard-pressed to find such claim in energetic boogie tracks such as the self-prophecy “Rock and Roll Band” and “Smokin.’” With its 17 million in sales, Boston continues to be the old reliable standby of the arena rock era, but it still sounds riveting.

Don’t Look Back (1978), on the other hand, had the joyless task of following up its mammoth predecessor. Most artists would kill to have an album that sold 7 million copies, which Don’t Look Back did; in Boston’s case, it was a disappointment. Strangely, Don’t Look Back follows the same formula to a tee, although rushing its release might have been a factor to its ‘sophomore jinx.’ Admittedly, Don’t Look Back might have not had tunes that sunk deep like on the first album; the highlights here are the title track really soars; “A Man I’ll Never Be” set the standard for the power ballad before any ‘80s hair metal band; and “Party” continues the boogie. Such expectations, perhaps unfairly, was unrealistic and thus would be the last Boston album until almost ten years later, as Scholz ended up in litigation with the record company and the departure of the other members except singer Brad Delp. Imagine the agony for the fans…unless you didn’t like the band.

And speaking of Brad Delp: Although Scholz clearly dominates the band, the guitars, the music, and the vision—Boston’s other signature sound is Delp’s soaring vocals (he handled all the voices himself on the albums); he ranks alongside Rush’s Geddy Lee as which guy can sing the highest.

In their recent remastered versions and repackaged design, Boston and Don’t Look Back sound and look better than ever. (No bonus tracks grace the albums). There in no denying band set the standard for power rock whether you like its music or not. Somewhere in America, there is a kid playing air guitar to the sounds of Boston.

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# posted by NewBeats @ 8:08 AM
 

CD Review: Harry Nilsson


Harry Nilsson
Everybody’s Talkin’: The Very Best of Harry Nilsson
Son of Schmilsson
A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night
RCA/Legacy
By David Chiu

Once touted by the Beatles as their favorite act, Harry Nilsson was one of pop music’s most enigmatic figures: a singer/songwriter who achieved early commercial success but whose career was also stylistically diverse.These days since his death in 1994 he seems more like a cult figure and his stature grown; in his prime, he was definitely popular thanks to two songs—“Everybody’s Talkin,’” from the film Midnight Cowboy; and the overwrought ballad “Without You.”

As indicated on this latest compilation, Nilsson didn’t live off of his singles success—he branched out into quirky sounds (“Me and My Arrow,” “Daybreak”) and romantic ballads (“Remember (Christmas)”). There is also “I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City” (a close cousin to “Everybody’s Talkin’”) and his own “One,” famously covered later by Three Dog Night. He also lived up to his ‘Schmilsson’ alter ego with some of his eccentric tunes such as “Coconut” and “Spaceman.” That’s what made Nilsson hard to pin down—he was always followed his own muse even if it resulted in diminishing commercial returns. This compilation confirms his status as an unconventional artist in pop music.

And Nilsson continued to be unpredictable with Son of Schmilsson, the 1972 follow-up to his commercial breakthrough Nilsson Schmilsson. Clearly this album, in the guise of his “Schmilsson” persona, reveals the artists’ eccentricities like on the opener “Take 54,” the lovely “Turn On Your Radio,” the country parody of “Joy,” and the defiant, angry f-you of “You’re Breakin’ My Heart.” In addition to its best-known tracks Spaceman and “Remember (Christmas),” the album also contains the cheerful if morbid “I’d Rather Be Dead” (sung by actual retirees—what were they thinking?).

Nilsson was also a pioneer of sorts. Long before pop artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Rod Stewart and Joni Mitchell late in their careers has tackled the standards, Nilsson, who was still in his commercial prime, recorded an album of them, A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night (1973), with the help of two unlikely collaborators: producer Derek Taylor (the legendary Beatles publicist) and arranger Gordon Jenkins. And for the entire albums, Nilsson rendered the standards just like Crosby, Sinatra, and Vallee with sincerity and romanticism, a far cry from the irony and humor that marked his previous works. It’s a record to listen to with dimmed lights and cigarette in tow.

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# posted by NewBeats @ 8:00 AM

Sunday, June 04, 2006

 

CD Review: Robert Fripp


Robert Fripp
Exposure
DGM
By David Chiu

First released in 1979, Exposure was the debut solo album by King Crimson founder Robert Fripp.And just like on the previous Crimson records, Exposure furthers Fripp’s tendencies to shatter the boundaries of conventional (progressive) rock music with its tangents towards punk, avant garde, minimalism, and straightforward pop (and elements of Crimson’s ‘Red’ era). Guest vocal contributions from Peter Hammill and Terre Roche (whose shrieking vocals on the title song will draw comparisons from younger listeners to Bjork) graces the album; there is also a heartfelt performance by Peter Gabriel on “Here Comes the Flood.” The surprise to mainstream listeners is Daryl Hall (yes, of Hall and Oates), who proves himself a capable singer in any genre from the punk aggression of “You Burn Me Up I’m a Cigarette” to the wonderful “North Star.” Due to record company and managerial interference, some of Hall’s vocal contributions were removed on the record; those performances are restored on this expanded edition, which includes the original 1979 album, the third edition 1983 remix, and alternate tracks. Fripp, of course, remains Fripp the masterful guitar player who lays down the trademark bone-crunching metal-like riffs and atmospherics through his trademark Frippertronics. Exposure may be all over the place stylistically but it serves as an important bridge between the first era of Crimson to the group’s reemergence in the early ‘80s. And it also proves that it didn’t have to feature the King Crimson name on the album cover to establish a unique musical identity on its own.

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# posted by NewBeats @ 6:25 AM
 

DVD Review: New Order



New Order
NewOrder Story (DVD)
WB/Rhino
By David Chiu

New Order can be characterized be a series of contradictions in its history: beginning as the Manchester dark post-punk group Joy Division fronted by the mesmerizing Ian Curtis; then after his suicide in 1980, the surviving band members reemerged as a hugely commercially successful (and equally influential) electronic pop band New Order. A group in its earlier incarnation once voiced despair and anguish in songs such as “Atmosphere” and “Transmission” would later pen a hit anthem for the British World Cup Soccer team. The biggest one, however, might be seeing David Hasselhoff in his Baywatch trunks as the group performs the song “Regret” on a beach. You had no idea that was coming.

And yet, unlike other pop acts of its time in the ‘80s, New Order is still somewhat of an enigma, whether it is by accident or calculated design. Even the DVD liner notes describe this documentary as “a business plan, a quiz show, (and) a sheer glossy spectacle…”

Still, in addition to featuring groundbreaking videos of big hits (“Blue Monday,” “Bizarre Love Triangle,” “Perfect Kiss,” and “True Faith”) NewOrder Story does provide a fascinating glimpse into the group’s history and how it reinvented itself after a major tragedy and the mindset of the individual members (Despite the guarded persona, they are just like you and I folks). It is something to note how the group evolved musically—an example is an early performance of Temptation from the early ‘80s and a reprise of that song a decade later at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Unlike other music documentaries, NewOrder Story features for the most part full-musical performances so that the interviews with members Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert, and commentary by Factory Records owner Tony Wilson, producer Arthur Baker, Bono, and the legendary Quincy Jones, doesn’t impede the music’s flow. It is also important to know that this was documentary was from 1993; the band went on hiatus until 2001 when it recorded “Get Ready” featuring only Sumner, Hook, and Morris.

The one thing that comes across clear in NewOrder Story is the influence of the late Ian Curtis. Early on, the documentary features performances by Joy Division, and in the end credits is a haunting black and white video of “Atmosphere.” New Order succeeded in spades artistically and lucratively, but it still proudly acknowledges its dark past.

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# posted by NewBeats @ 6:13 AM

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