Strings of Atlas Cage - So Far From Home

The scene is a bit surreal.  The theater is empty.  Vendors languishing in slow motion, taking down tarps and laying out t-shirts, preparing for the onslaught.  I've got my photo pass and am sitting alone in a side hallway.  Ushers ignore me.

It's the perfect time to write.  I pull out my iphone and hit play.  The music is already queued up.  It should be. I've been listening to the album for days now.  On repeat.  With each listen, I dig a bit deeper.  Hear a new effect.  Pick up a new lyric.  Fall deeper and deeper under the spell of Atlas Cage.

Let's get the comparison out of the way right off the bat.  With his retro-afro, persistent dark glasses, and groove-laden take on 70's rock (with heaps of soul), Lenny Kravitz just has to come to mind.  And it should.  They both plow a vaguely similar vein of lost-in-time, yet thoroughly modern classic rock with a love of the wah and a bit of fuzz.  But here's the thing.  I never really liked, Lenny Kravitz.  Yet I dig Atlas Cage.

What's the difference, you ask?   Intent.  While both of these cats probably have the identical set of major influences, Kravitz never went far enough for me.  He was content to play it safe and try and score hits.  He just wasn't heavy enough.  Other than a few choice cuts, he really just bored me.  I didn't hate Lenny, how could I?  He's a good musician, could turn out a good tune, and was married to Lisa Bonet. All good.  But he bored me.  I didn't hate Lenny, I just nothing-ed him.

Not Atlas. 

There's something meaner in this dude.  Something definitely heavier.  No less melodic, no less capable of cranking out a great tune.  But its all darker.  Pop-friendly without the pop gloss and sheen.  It just feels more real to me.  More authentic.  More anguished.

After hearing the album for about the fifth time, I wrote Atlas this cryptic passage.  "The love spawn of an orgy weekend; fathered by Kravitz and Hendrix, suckled at the teet of mother classic rock, while spoon fed a gob of blues and a puree of funk."  He responded.  "So you're digging it, huh?" 

Yeah, Atlas, I'm digging it.

"Art and Commerce" is a journey though fuzz riffs and a throbbing rhythm that just comes on like sex.  It's a heavy bass that propels this thing.  Not a hide-it-in-the-back bass, but a deep and dark and dangerous bass.  And that works perfectly when the scythe of guitar cuts in with mutated fuzz and angry chords.  Up front, Atlas will probably admit that, like Hendrix, he's not the greatest singer in the world.  And that's just fine.  His vocals work dead-on for his throbbing rock.  He sings, vocalizes, sing-talks, shouts, and almost scats when the mood hits him.  And it's all just perfect for what he's getting at. 

"Don't Want the World" is a blitz of loosely-strung guitar chords, aching blues notes, and bending hallucinogenic solos.  Man, this song just exudes feeling.  Isolation, desperation, loneliness.  The guitar is strummed with passion and purpose, as if each slap against those strings is a catharsis.  Atlas sings with a heavy heart, like a funeral pall hanging over his head, as he lets out a moan of love lost.  "I don't want the world, I want you," the chorus cries out in deepened and darkened heaviness.   That psych lead guitar scorches through the acoustic strumming like a heart crying in pain.  And all of this is wrapped up in a melody that begs for attention. 

"Falling Sky" ups the old-school psych vibe with effect-laden guitar and a very Hendrixian vocal.   His voice strains and reaches, but not trying to find notes.  It searches to find feeling.  It reaches for emotion.  Yeah, I can get behind that.  That's one of the things Pope and I talked about when we first started the Ripple.  Make us happy or make us cry, it doesn't matter.  Just make us feel something.  Make us feel what you feel.  Atlas does that here.  The song is really more of a shell than a fully-fleshed composition, but that shell is a vehicle for the ache in his voice.  It's like a soul purging, set to music.  Then "Find a Way" storms out riding the back of monster named bass guitar and a stormfront called wah-guitar.  This is the most Kravitz-sounding cut I hear on the album, but like I said, I'm digging this one.   The bass and drums are deep and throbbing, pure funk, and my ass feels it while that guitar transport me to pure rock bliss.  The chorus slays, dropping in to a chanted "Got to find a way to get away" while the tune turns into pure 70's metal.  I'm fist pumping for reasons I don't know why.  I'm yelling at people I don't even know. People are staring at me like I'm a drooling madman, and I don't care.  Maybe I am.

"I'll be Your Stone" is an assault of fuzz, Kravitzian riffs and anger.  It's a huge song with a bottom end that could be felt on the Richter scale in California.  But it's not content to hang there.  Massive funk bass bleeds through the scratching guitar and Atlas seduces just about every woman on the planet as the heaviness rages back. "Indigo-go Girl" comes on like a transformed funk "You Really Got Me' by The Kinks, but funky in ways Ray Davies never dreamed about.   "So Far from Home" retreats to a thick, street-wise funk rap that'd make the Fun Lovin' Criminals proud.

It's a "never-stop-listening to" kinda album.  Now all I gotta do is talk Atlas into putting it out on vinyl.  I'll be first in line to buy a copy.

Yeah, Atlas, I'm digging it.

--Racer



Strings of Atlas - Dont Want The World Official... by atlascage

Mos Generator - Deluxe 10th Anniversary S/T Reissue

It was a dark and stormy night.  Inside an ominous castle situated atop the highest suitable perch in the Black Mountains of California a mad scientist was hard at work.  Frantic hammering along with high speed saws could be plainly heard above the angry growls of thunder.  Occasionally blinding light would burst forth from every window of the castle.  A careful observer would have been able to listen in to snippets of the scientist’s crazy ramblings.

“…take away my diplomas and honors, eh?  I’ll show them!”
“…call me crazy.  Me!?!?  After all that I’ve done…”
“…finish building this, my masterwork.  They’ll all have to believe…”
“…going to revolutionize everyone’s thoughts on the subject…”
“Mwahaha!”

Fast forward three months.  Fall was in full effect.  The 2011 California World Fair was scheduled to begin that very night with an elaborate ceremony that would be televised all over the world.  What no one knew was that the mad scientist Penfold planned to hijack the proceedings with the help of a select few hired hands.  After the sun had gone down and a capacity crowd had gathered in the Fair’s primary outdoor plaza the plan was set in motion.  When the Governor of California paused to take a breath following the first sentence of his welcoming speech, pyrotechnics exploded and the enormous black curtain concealing a large stage at the end of the plaza fell to the ground.  Standing in the center of said stage was a man wearing a startlingly white lab coat.  He raised both his arms, his palms pointed skyward, and began speaking into the microphone in front of him.

“Ladies and gentlemen!  Boys and girls!  Thank you for coming to my grand unveiling!  My name is Penfold.  I apologize if I startled any of you with those loud blasts.  I’m a showman at heart I’m afraid.”

“Now wait just a minute,” screamed the Governor from across the plaza.  “I don’t know who you are or what you think you’re doing here, but you have no idea what kind of trouble you’re…”  The Governor’s voice abruptly ceased after Penfold made a quick ‘cut his mike’ gesture to one of his team members.

“Thank you Governor, but your teleprompter reading services are no longer necessary.  Folks, I don’t wish to waste your time so allow me to cut to the chase.   I’m here today to show you my latest invention.”  He held up a small black box and proceeded to press the circular white button in its middle, raising a small podium beside him on stage to the level of his waist.  On top of the podium was an object covered by an opaque sheet.  “People, I ask you.  What is the number one concern of humanity going forward?  I’ll tell you.  It’s energy!  Clean, sustainable energy!  No one has been able to solve this perplexing riddle…until now.  With my new invention, I can harness the power of rock and roll to generate immense amounts of electricity.   Citizens of California, and everyone watching this around the world, I give you…the Mos Generator!”

Penfold quickly withdrew the sheet covering the object on the podium unveiling what appeared to be an old Victor Victrola machine.  The only noticeable difference was a thick cord running out of its back that disappeared through the floor of the stage.

“Judging by the amused looks on some of your faces, I can see that a demonstration is in order.  I completely concur.”  He reached inside of his lab coat and brought out a vinyl record.  “This is the debut album of the band whose name I borrowed for my invention.”  Penfold pulled the record from the sleeve, placed it on the turntable, and lowered the needle.  The music started.  Moments later countless machines whirred to life behind the stage and a wonderland of lights nearly succeeded in turning the night sky into day.  The crowd collectively gasped and gawked.  The mad scientist smiled so widely it nearly tore his face in half.

“Hahaha!  I guess none of you knew that there was a fully functional amusement park behind this stage.  Take a good look folks.  Everything you see is made possible by my Mos Generator.  I invite you to enjoy yourselves with the amusements on offer.  I assure you, I’ll be available to anyone who has a question for me, scientific or otherwise.”

And with that, Penfold walked confidently off the stage.

Waveriders please excuse me for a moment, because I’m going to break one of my cardinal rules.  If you have read any of my previous reviews you might have noticed that when it comes to language I like to keep my writing G rated.  Well…I’m afraid that I can’t contain myself this time.  Holy ****!  The debut album by Mos Generator is so ******* awesome I can hardly ******* stand it!  This thing is so ******* fantastic, it makes every other hard rock album I’m listening to (and I assure you that includes some very good albums right now) it’s *****!  ***** *****!  ******* ****, why did I not know about this album ten years ago when it first came out?  Palm meet forehead repeatedly.

Right, now that I've purged myself of the need to use coarse language let’s get down to business.  Mos Generator is a power trio out of Port Orchard, Washington.  The three titans of rock who make up the band are Tony Reed on guitar/vocals/keyboards, Shawn Johnson on drums, and Scooter Haslip on bass.  Yes that’s right, I said titans of rock and I meant it.  Mos Generator play rock and roll music.  They play hard rock music, the kind of hard rock that is clearly rooted in the 1970s.  That means their songs are built around tremor inducing guitar riffs coupled with a lock step rhythm section that is both backbone and harmonious support structure.  Yes the obvious go-to reference point is Black Sabbath.  That’s unavoidable but honestly, being a huge Sabbath fan myself, I never find myself listening to Mos Generator thinking boy, that sure sounds like that (fill in the blank) Sabbath song.  On reflection, that is one of the biggest compliments I can give this band.  Despite wearing their influences on their collective sleeve they are clearly their own band sonically.

My first actual exposure to Mos Generator came through a Facebook post made by one of my two bosses, Pope JTE, which allowed me to listen to one song from the debut album.  Waveriders, I played that song at moderate volume and I had to question whether or not I had just lived through an earthquake.  Shortly thereafter I heard the song “Sleeping Your Way To The Middle” and I knew I couldn’t live without a copy of this album any longer.  While I realize that all three band members had been making music with other acts before forming Mos Generator the quality level of this, their first album, is stunning!  Top to bottom it is smack you in the face, forehand and backhand good!  The original album is made up of seven songs that clock in at just over thirty minutes.  I know that may not seem like a lot of time but trust me, you won’t be left wanting.  This album is the very definition of ‘all killer, no filler’.  I guarantee that you’ll be hitting the play button again and again in record time.  Oh, and I suppose I should mention the bonus materials.  Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.

With this deluxe reissue not only do you get the bulletproof original album, you also get about two hours of extra music including unreleased studio demos, a half hour rehearsal jam, and all kinds of live tracks.  And waveriders let me tell you something.  Those live tracks, including one full show that saw limited release under the name Live At The Manette, are awe inspiring.  Yes there is plenty of energy in the studio recorded songs, but live Mos Generator sounds like a runaway train that’s about to derail itself!  I can’t imagine anyone attending one of their shows and remaining seated.  Well…unless they lack a pulse or they happen to be deaf.  Truly, when the band gets going it feels like they are performing a high wire routine with no safety net underneath, and it is intoxicating.  I would happily pay for these ‘bonus tracks’ separately no questions asked.  The amount of musical goodness contained within this reissue is positively absurd!

Let’s put a bow on this shall we?  You may have never heard of Mos Generator, or you may be a fan wanting to complete his or her collection.  The bottom line here is this waveriders.  If you are looking for an ultra-high quality 1970s inspired, ridiculously talented, musically inventive band your search has ended.  You know what, scratch that.  If you call yourself a hard rock fan you absolutely must own this album!  Believe it!

--Penfold

Buy Here- http://ripplemusic.bigcartel.com/product/mos-generator-10th-anniversary-deluxe-edition

Saint Jude - Diary Of A Soul Fiend

 
 

I am a man of my word. Months ago I promised you, my faithful readers, and the Ripple editors that I would select a random piece of new music and review it regardless of whether I liked it or not. I think I missed a few months but that's life. Anyway, I'm back on track with the latest edition of the grab bag special. I was thinking about what to write up when the new issue of Classic Rock magazine arrived and this CD literally fell into my lap.

Saint Jude are a soul/R&B influenced band based out of London fronted by vocalist Lynne Jackaman. Their debut album is titled Diary Of A Soul Fiend and they describe their sound as maximum rock and soul. I'm going to assume that they know that Solomon Burke is the King of Rock and Soul since they are self-proclaimed soul fiends. Saint Jude draw more from a Rolling Stones/Rod Stewart version of soul that was probably discovered through the Black Crowes rather than from Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, etc. This is definitely a rock band so I'll cut them some slack. They're not going to blow Sharon Jones off the stage, but they're also not tying to compete with today's true queen of soul.

Of the ten songs on this CD I definitely prefer the more up-tempo material like the first three songs "Soul On Fire," "Garden Of Eden" and "Little Queen." The band comprised of guitar, bass, drums and organ (no names on the cover) are tight and the tones are vintagey. Lynne's vocals are very strong. She has a great voice, never screechy like Janis Joplin or too relaxed like Dusty Springfield. She's probably a big fan of Rod Stewart, which is bad news for me since he's one of my all-time least favorite singers, but Lynne's much easier to take than Rod the Clod. Her voice reminds me a little bit of Lydia Pense, singer of the San Francisco funk rock band Cold Blood. As a matter of fact, the entire album reminds me of that band. Similar instrumentation, influences and white people playing R&B. If you've never heard Cold Blood, check out their song "Kissing My Love," one of the hardest hitting funky rock songs you'll ever hear.

The slow songs on this record are not my cup of tea at all. The only ballads I really like tend to be sung by people like James Brown, B.B. King or Bobby "Blue" Bland. "Down and Out" and "Rivers and Streams" are reminiscent of Stones songs like "Wild Horses" or "Maggie May" by Rod. If you like those types of songs you'll probably really like the rest of this album. There are also two live songs at the end of the record that are also way too Stonesy for me, but prove that the band can play well and that no-one had to fix her vocals in the studio. If stuff like the Black Crowes is up your alley, then you'll love Saint Jude. If you're an old fart like me who listens to Albert King all the time then this will probably leave you cold. But, hey, it's good to try new things every now and then.

--Woody




BONUS (optional): Cold Blood "Kissing My Love"

Svarti Loghin - Drifting Through The Void

In one of my numerous daily conversations with my writing/business partner and the musical savant Racer X, I made mention that I was kinda’ digging this weird little niche of music that thankfully bears no title. As a description, I stated that it’s like a bunch of ambient black metallers were going through their parents record collections and deciding that they wanted to play 70’s style progressive and psychedelic rock . . . or maybe it’s vice versa. 70’s music lovers playing modern atmospheric black metal just seems like such a stretch, but hey . . . what the hell do I know? I just report what I hear! The last year or so, I’ve had some great experiences re-discovering, or self-discovering music that was originally released in the 70’s and early 80’s, and I’m finding that a lot of modern musicians are also going back to this era of music for inspiration. Year of the Goat, Hypnos 69, Been Obscene, Stone Axe, Opeth, Colour Haze . . . all are but a few of the bands that come to mind that look to the past for guidance towards the future.

So, I was going through my iPod and purging all of the stuff that I never listened to or I felt had no reason to be cluttering up my precious bits and bytes, and stumbled on a band called Svarti Loghin. I must have received this album as a digital download and it got lost in the pile of other digital submissions (always a major problem with digital submissions . . . out of sight, out of mind). I simply don’t remember ever seeing it come through, but I must have listened to enough of it to decide that I would download it for the future. Well, folks . . . the future is becoming the present and I’m getting to this outstanding album from Svarti Loghin entitled Drifting Through The Void. Part black metal, part shoegazer, a touch of 90’s Seattle rock, and heavily influenced by some of the 70’s sounds, especially in the way of textures, tones, and general coolness. The interesting aspect about this album is that the band is captured embracing the organic and natural ethos of today’s atmospheric black metal in the way of composition, production, and darkened menace. And yet, there’s still something that these guys are doing that I can’t put my finger on . . . and that makes me want to listen to Drifting Through The Void even more . . . just so I can try to figure out what the hell is going on here!

“Red Sun Sets” opens the album with a nice, eerie atmospheric instrumental piece, filled with pianos and softly strummed strings over the soft and subtle sounds of either a mellow wind blowing across a plain or of water washing across a shore of rock. No matter, it’s an intro that will make you feel like you’re in nature, preparing to get pummeled by the screeching vocals of some face painted dude in a robe. Not quite. While the vocals do eventually assail us with a raw bellow, it’s not exactly that demonic and grating sound that I’ve become accustomed to with the black metal genre that I so expected this album to fall under. Surprisingly, “Kosmik Tomhet” has more of a post-grunge, alternative rock vibe than anything black metal . . . so things are looking up in several ways. The first minute plus of the song is some heavily textured guitar rock, big and dense sustained chords with clear arpeggios being plucked over the rhythm, and then the wall of distortion disappears, almost like the morning fog lifting and the rays of the sun creeping through the air. Then the heavy guitars and bass return, performing a rather uplifting melody . . . and then we’re greeted by the vocals that couldn’t be further from black metal. These vocals have a nice mellow timbre to them and they croon out this haunting melody before doing a complete one-eighty and we’re assailed by the demonic and tortured howls that are more reminiscent of the black metal genre. The music is still creeping along at this shoegazer pace, but the bass drums are thundering away at double time and the vocals are raging in apocalyptic torment. This little epic piece of music runs just under eight minutes long, and it’s so easy to get lost in the texture and atmospherics of the tune. Man . . . what an amazing contrast of styles!

The same ideas run through the next track, “Odelagd Framtid”, ranging from shoegazer/ alt-rock in musical texture and sheering the face off with the deathly howls of black metal, and it’s completely mesmerizing! It’s the title track that seemed to strike me as the most intoxicating, however. Vocally, and maybe a little musically, the melody reminds me of Temple of the Dog. It’s an immediately memorable tune in that I can see myself tooling around the office and humming this one. Shadows of Eddie Vedder linger around the vocal performance, that is, until the middle portion when the tune takes a decidedly dark turn through the woods. The vocals return to the haunted howls of a soul striving to be free of its torment and the music is laced with tendrils of creepiness that one might find in the darkest moments of Katatonia’s greatest hits. And then, it all breaks down to the purest organic elements of an acoustic guitar, bending notes in a very Southern swampy blues style akin to Stephen Stills plowing his way through the riffs of “Black Queen”. Throw in a little harmonica and this portion of the song fits well on any dilapidated porch in Louisiana. I love the vision behind this song . . . it could have gone straight down some dark highway, but Svarti Loghin decided to take a side road and found some incredible moments along the journey.

The band outdo themselves with the nine minute majesty of “Bury My Heart In These Starlit Waters”. Hypnotic as the gentle ebbs and flows of the ocean under a full moon, the music rolls across the horizon of the mind, reflecting hopes, dreams, sadness, and fear. Even when the demonic vocals from the oceanic deep bubble to the surface, I don’t feel the terror that I thought I would or should, it all feels so natural and perfectly fitting. In my mind, this song could easily have been the soundscape behind the Kon-Tiki voyage of 1947 . . . sitting on a raft in the middle of the Pacific ocean, letting the current take the craft wherever the current wanted to go . . . some may want to pop some Dramamine prior to listening to this one.

Drifting Through The Void was a something that I unfortunately missed from 2010 or even 2009. I say unfortunately simply because I would have loved to include this in my year end Top 10 list. But alas, I’ll simply have to spout off about how brilliant it is here and now. It’s an album full of some fantastic cosmic adventures in sound, heavily textured and immensely haunting. It may not appeal to all rock fans because of the heavily intense vocal work, but then again, it may open some to those darker elements of black metal that they were afraid to investigate prior. I love this one. The exclamation point came with Svarti Loghin’s interpretation of Sabbath’s “Planet Caravan”. I heard the opening notes and felt like I was being propelled through space in some cryogenic sleep  . . . half conscious, watching the stars float past my glass enshrouded capsule. Amazing album . . . check out the darkness, folks!

--Pope

Buy here: Drifting Through the Void
Buy here mp3: Drifting Through the Void

http://www.myspace.com/svartiloghin

Been Obscene - The Magic Table Dance

I’d like to start this review with an apology to Been Obscene . . . and to Elektrohasch . . . and to my cohorts in cohorts in crime at The Ripple Effect. You see, I’ve had this Been Obscene album topping my stack of CD’s for easily six months and it constantly got shifted from one side of my desk to my car stereo, back to some other corner of my desk, then back to my car again, and so on, such forth, etc, etc. The Magic Table Dance didn’t deserve such poor treatment. In retrospect, this album should have immediately had glowing words penned about its existence, exalted for its musical exuberance, revered by yours truly. But for some reason, I decided that it was best to let the sonic 70’s splendor represented on this disc to ferment within the very cells that make up my being for a good long time. In many ways, I’m glad that I’m just now getting to writing about this record. It’s passed the test of a fairly great amount of time and the luster hasn’t dulled in the least . . . in fact, it may have actually grown in radiance!

I don’t know a whole lot about the band in terms of how long they’ve been around or what their musical intent is or what their favorite flavor of ice cream is, and I can only draw from the music that makes up The Magic Table Dance. From what I hear, Been Obscene is a band that channels the best moments of 70’s-era Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, maybe a little Sabbath . . . basically, anything that sounds like it originally came from the early 1970’s rock arena without sounding like anyone particular band . . . and mixed it with a modern rock sensibility to make the whole sound relevant for today’s fickle rock n’ roll ear. More concerned with letting the music do the talking, the songs on The Magic Table Dance have a strong instrumental focus, however when the vocals set in, the melodies are rich and memorable. The music ranges from psychedelic and airy to borderline proto-metal and then ventures in to heavily progressive and epic movements, and all done with these great guitar tones that teleport the listener to that bygone era that has the Ripple staff reaching for their rattles and pacifiers.

Opening with the five-plus minute instrumental title track, Been Obscene teach us a lesson on song craft, slowly building the tension measure by measure, infusing lines of guitar melodies that will have you humming yourselves to sleep. The musicianship throughout the song (and album) is top notch, all members playing to their individual strengths, complimenting the other musicians as well as the song, and when their individual abilities need to shine, there soon becomes no question that these cats can chop away with the best of them. “Uniform” kicks in shortly after the opening mind fuck and the subsequent riffology has that awe striking ability to it. Y’know that moment when you sit a little further back into your chair, raise your head from your desk and gaze into some far and distant land and think, “Fuck. I get it.” The first minute or so of the song has a great and dense guitar riff crunching away while the fill laden drum pattern keeps flawless time, but then the riffs take center stage and crush the air from the song, creating a massive wave of tension. Just as quickly as the air is crushed from the space between the notes, this talented group of musicians open things up again and slow the pace down, letting the notes breathe over the steady throbbing grove of the rhythm section. And it only gets better once the vocals drop into the mix . . . soft, clear, a touch fragile, yet laced with an undercurrent of danger. In a word, memorable. In another, remarkable.

The band get a little psychedelically creepy with “Come Over”, complete with a riff that dangles in the air like a dusty cobweb in an old mansion. A little on the Sabbath-y side, but you have to dig deep into the Sabbath catalog to find the sounds. The groove is slow and sure, like a cat stalking its prey. The vocals are all sorts of bad ass . . . a little blues-y, a little jazz-y, a whole bunch of bad ass. Getting towards the midpoint of the track, the guitars open up to the same sultry bass groove and the wall of distortion assails us. This is the point where the individual performances of the various musicians shine like a thousand suns. Everybody excels well past the point where I would have expected in the song. In most cases, at this point of a song, the guitarist or the drummer is the lone stand out . . . going into some superfluous solo that really doesn’t add anything to the overall feel of the song. In the case of “Come Over”, every member of the band, every instruments suddenly pops out from the background like some weird sonic 3D image and fascinates the senses . . . never overplaying their parts, but never staying mundane or playing the same lick twice. Progressive, yet accessible . . . melodic and memorable, yet mentally challenging for the listener and the artist at the same time.

The near fourteen minute progressive epic “Demons” could easily been cast aside by the unknowing as a pretentious piece of music, but I say nay. The song is an ambitious piece of music that does what music should be doing . . . entertaining, telling a story, challenging the listener to think of music as something more than a three minute radio friendly chart topper. Thank you, Been Obscene. Thank you for breaking the mold and taking me on a journey that is more than a bunch of disjointed riffs haplessly strung together to eat up a quarter hour of my time. “Demons”, in now traditional Been Obscene fashion, builds note up note, then measure upon measure, idea upon brilliant musical idea, ultimately creating a well thought out and emotionally charged piece of music. In a classic prog-rock manner, the song ebbs and flows, hits its crescendos and then drops back down to subtlety, and then becomes raucous again. The middle explosion of sound, though loud and distorted, is filled with beautiful vocal melodies that somehow compliments and contrasts against the chaotic musical frenzy of the instruments. Pay attention to the guitar work towards as we barrel into the last quarter of the song, then while one is keyed in on this performance, adjust your listening just a hair to the drum work . . . I love the way these guys work together and great such a vibrant piece of sound. Pure art!

I apologized earlier, and I apologize again. I should have written about this album months ago. It should have joined label mates Hypnos 69 and been in my Top 10 list of 2010. Shoulda’, woulda’, coulda’. The Magic Table Dance is a criminally underappreciated album despite its rave reviews. It’s an album that grows with every subsequent listen, it develops into its own character and almost becomes a different experience with every new spinning. Steeped in the 70’s rock cup of tea, the sounds are familiar, but not overtly recognizable. The songs are so damn good that for those remotely interested in songwriting, you’ll sit in wonder as you listen to this group of fine musicians relay their musical ideas. Looks like I need to make another trip to the Elektrohasch Store and see about picking up this gem on vinyl . . . seriously, it’s better than I’m hyping right now!

--Pope

www.beenobscene.com

http://www.elektrohasch.de/

Buy here: www.allthatisheavy.com

Taddy Porter - S/T

“Hey man, we got the kegs.  Four of em.  You ready?”

Ready?  The words trickle through my brain.  I’m 18 years old, finishing high school.  Hanging with my friends Jeff, Paul, Ron, John, and Chris.  Dave is there.  So’s Bob.  Gary's somewhere.  The beer is cold.  An abandoned barn has been pre-scouted as the spot du jour.  My “man-machine” the 1974 Fiat is gassed and ready, intimidating the world with it's huge rubber bumpers.  The word has been spread around the school.  It’s time for a good old-fashioned beer blowout. 

And it’s up to me to bring the music.

Now, in reality, that scene may have taken place in the late ‘70’s or early ‘80’s, but the perfect music to complete this scene just dropped into my hands, fresh and dirty in 2011.

Taddy Porter bring on a southern-fried, greasy blitz of big riff, blues-infected rock that just begs to be cranked up and blown out of ’67 Camaro’s, ’73 Mach One’s, and just about any pick-up truck ever made.  These guys are simply a party in a bottle.  This is retro-rock, near-perfection and should blow the band huge.  Their blues riffs are meaty and beefy enough to get the guys gathered around the keg head-bobbing in rock-mania unison, while the backbeat grooves and undulates with enough sex to keep the girls swaying their hips on the dancefloor.  Or in this case, the dance barn.

I knew I was in good shape from the very first seconds of “Whatever Haunts You,” quite simply a monster of retro-fried Zeppelin blues frenzy.  From the very first moment, the boys show restraint, inherently knowing what it takes to bring dynamic to the song.  A simple, bluesy guitar stutter brings us on.  A drum beats somewhere in the background, steadily, like someone making love behind the barn door.  Slowly, languidly, the pace picks up until . . . all blues hell breaks loose.  Andy Brewer belts out the opening with a gruff-Plant energy as guitars, bass, and drums kick into full fury around him.  Dust bellows from the abandoned barn as air guitars break out from the guys and those young girls start swaying in ways far too seductive to write about in a family music site.  Oh fuck that.  They’re sexy as all get out.  Guys lining the walls watching those girls grind and shake, fantasies filling their heads.  And in each of those fantasies, “Whatever Haunts You,” is playing.  Dropping down to a mid-song respite, bellowing back up with a raging guitar solo courtesy of Joe Selby.  Kevin Jones on bass and Doug Jones on the kit keep those female hips taunting and teasing.  A great modern blues rock number through and through.

“Big Enough” keeps the sexual energy driving with a country-fried blues work-out.  This is what I always wanted the Black Crowes to sound like.  Big muscular guitars, stop-start riffing, snotty backing vocals, and Andy spewing out lyrics that seem to be about just what you might think with a title like “Big Enough.”  Not sure about that, but on my imaginary dancefloor that’s what they’d all be thinking anyways.  Toss in a truly bopping chorus and this song is another barn burner.

“Shake Me,” rocks in a Bad Company vein, maybe with a touch of BTO or many other 70’s rockers.  The opening riff reminds me of half of an ELO track before it takes off into dirty blues rock heaven.   For the life of me, I can’t imagine why this song wouldn’t be a hit.  In the 70’s it would’ve been and Taddy Porter would be filling stadiums with their southern Arena rock approach.  And the crowd would’ve eaten it up.   Whiskey soaks through each note like a home-bottled brew of 70’s moonshine.  Each riff is powered with enough grit and dust to make it truly authentic.  These aren’t guys going through the motions and they aren’t living in the past.  They’re living this rock, day to day, moment to moment.  Authenticity drips from each song like blood from an opened vein.  Toss some Stone Axe into the mix and we got a whole new breed of modern 70’s rock. 

As the party rages on and the keg starts to dry up, “Long Slow Drag” offers a brief respite from the frenzied rock.  A momentary slow dance before “I Gotta Love,” attacks in Blackfoot intensity.   The party rages back to full force.  With that charging guitar riff and killer vocal hook, hands fly into the air, the dance barn fills, beer flies and spills.  “Mean Bitch” sums up the wallflower guys’ thoughts at all the girls who rejected them that night with a guitar solo that can burn off enough of these guys’ pent up sexual frustrations.

The first fight of the night erupts to the rocking second half of “Fire in the Streets” which escalates from it’s subdued beginning in true Bad Company fashion to a full-on fist-throwing guitar epic mid-section.  A few lips get bloodied.  A few girls start crying in high school dramatics.  It’s all good.  It’s a Saturday night at a barn beer fest. 

Finally, as the keg runs dry, Taddy Porter cool the crowd down with the restrained, mid-tempo closers of “Railroad Queen” with it’s tasty slide licks and southern boogie, then the finale of “King Louie” a guitar screamer with a fierce backbeat a la The Rockets or 38 Special when they were good.  Andy’s voice really shines here revealing some tastefully roughed up soulful vocal chords, and the band ushers the crowd out with some stinging guitar leads.

The Camaros fire up.  The Mach One’s drive off.  Empty kegs get thrown into the back of the pick up trucks and I climb behind the wheel of my . . . Fiat.  Testosterone burned.  Sweat stained.  Sexual fantasy induced.  It’s been one helluva night.

And Taddy Porter is on tap for next weeks blast as well.


--Racer



Buy here: Taddy Porter
Buy here mp3: Taddy Porter (Amazon Exclusive Version)

Angel – S/T

There was a time that I liked Angel, and truth be told, I really can’t remember why.

I first saw them on the Midnight Special, the same show that featured the very first time I ever saw KISS on television.  KISS were amazing, everything my teenage, comicbook-cum-fantasy brain had ever concocted, with fire and smoke and blood and demons and  . . . oh yeah!.

Then there was Angel.  Signed to Casablanca (the same label as KISS), dressed in pristine long flowing white gowns, polyester, disco bell-bottoms, and mile-high platforms, they were like the anti-KISS.  Where KISS was ugly, they were beautiful.  Where KISS was raw and dangerous, Angel were pure and pristine.  Where KISS had testosterone-humping sexcapades, Angel had . . . something.  Something I never really could put my finger on.  But at the time I liked it.  I remember eating up White Hot and Sinful, which today just don’t hold up very well to my ears.  A mix of over-the-top glam pop that tried just a bit too hard to be precious.  In reality, Angel had latched onto something.   With their flowing long (I do mean LONG) hair, glammed out androgyny, and pop-metal hooks, they essentially laid the foundation for hair metal to follow.  In their own way, Angel were pioneers.  Pioneers of hair metal.  Now, I never cared for hair metal, which may explain why I’d lost interest in Angel over the years.

Then I stumbled upon this, their 1975 self-titled debut and a little fly started buzzing unflaggingly in my brain.  Hadn’t “The Tower” been a real kick-ass rock song?  Actually, hadn’t their first three albums--before glam-overload took over--revealed a band that cranked out a Queen-inspired, KISS-fueled hard rock-meets-keyboard-prog attack that was pretty good?  I remembered “Mirrors” from their second album, Helluva Band, and remembered cranking that song near-endlessly in my bedroom between KISS and Aerosmith freakouts.  Hadn’t I?

And besides, Angel always had the world’s coolest logo –which reads the same upside down as right-side up

So with those memories clouding my otherwise confirmed resolution against the band, I decided to plop down the $1 and pick this platter up out of the bargain bin and see if 36 years had been kind to the band.  


Immediately, my memory proved to be correct.   “The Tower,” is a monster of mid-70’s, keyboard-infused (but not guitar sparse) prog pop.  After the full on keyboard and manic drum pomp intro assault, delicate guitar courtesy of Punky Meadows pierces through the mix.  The bass rides a gentle sweep beneath this, while Greg Guiffria allows his keys to mellow into texture mode.  Frank Dimino’s voice at times hits a shrill octave that just screeches too much for me, but not on this song.  Here, his voice wavers and captivates and soars, taking off as the song rises and falls to the escalating chorus.  Throughout, Barry Brandt keeps the drums active, calm at times and rampaging at others.  When Punky breaks loose with his big solo, it’s with restraint and taste, but no lack of dexterity.  Truly, this is a “lost” 6:52 prog-mini-classic and all by itself is enough to warrant the band being remembered today.  Makes you wonder what their career would’ve been like if they’d pursued this path throughout their career.

But then “Long Time” makes me question whether I spent my dollar wisely.  A slower, mid-tempo love-lost, 7 minute lament, Dimino’s voice dives right into that register that makes me want to swallow a vat of acid.  Then, just when I’m about to give up on the album, the boys hit it.  About 3 minutes in . . . what’s that?!  Damn, out of nowhere, the insipid, whiny Angel leaves and we’re left with a damn fine, totally retro, Zep-inspired, proto-metal riff freakout.  Man, this is heavy!  Dimino’s voice lowers a bit and he rides this passage like a vet of the early ‘70’s acid metal days.  Punky layers in some more guitars and damn if the whole thing doesn’t work in the end.  Even Giuffria’s harpsichord at the end seems appropriate here, not pretentious. 

Ok, so I’m hanging tight with this so far, let’s see what “Rock & Rollers” has in store for me.  Big riff intro, neo-gothic harmony vocals.  Wasn’t expecting that.  Also wasn’t expecting the whole thing to drop away, leaving behind a low-end heavy, glammed-boogie riff, laced with enough keys to make Uriah Heap proud.  Heavy and grooving.  Not the most original song in the world but damn fun. 

So now that side one has made an impression, I flip the disc over and see if side two can maintain it.  “Broken Dreams” is a great start.  Heavy keyboard prog boogie again in the Heap vein and with a tasty bottom end.  Dimino’s keeping his voice in check, Punky’s letting the strings bend, Giuffria’s riding the keys like a man humping his best-friend’s wife.  A touch of heavier Sweet here, a hint of ‘70’s pomp.  It’s all good, baby.  “Mariner” brings back the epic flare with a piano-driven, sea-faring saga.that reaches a nice groove near the end of it’s 4-minute plus journey.  Not my favorite here, but not annoying. 

And besides, any grievances I had about “Mariner” are dispelled within the first two seconds of the monster, neo-KISS riff-rampaging intro for “Sunday Morning.”  The keyboard extravaganza is a bit much for me, but it fits the time, riding in the big pomp world of bands like Zon, Prism, Trillion, or Styx.  But even that can’t lessen the rock impact when this song hits its groove.  When that ascending guitar riff is riding, the song’s a winner, and it ends with a mastodon-sized heavy outro before it crashes right back into the riff-fest of “On & On.”  Again, the heavy stuff here is great.  Overall, the pomp glam overtakes the meat of the song and it wilts a bit, predicting some of the more uninteresting pop-metal of their later years, but still when it’s heavy, it’s about as heavy as pomp rock got in the mid-70’s.  Which brings us to the over-the-top pomposity of “Angel (theme)” a synth-driven instrumental that really never served as the bands theme as much as the guys thought it would.

So, 36 years later, what’s my verdict?  At one time, Angel really were a helluva band, and this is a fine, pomp heavy debut.  The heavy stuff was heavy, the pomp was pomp and the whole album is laced with enough of a prog tendency to make the imagination wonder “what if?”  What if the American public had been ready for an album like this back in the day?  What if Casablanca knew how to market rock as well as they did disco?  What if Angel had stayed this course and cranked out their own Magician’s Birthday or Demons & Wizards?

But then if they had, maybe hair metal would never have existed.  Maybe that wouldn’t have been such a bad thing.

In the end, it was a dollar well spent.

--Racer

Buy here: Angel
Buy here combined with Helluva Band: Angel/Helluva Band





and Mirrors off their next album, Helluva Band

Ripple Theater – Rush – Beyond The Lighted Stage

“The band you know. The story you don’t”

Well, that’s not totally true. I guess that statement depends on just how big a Rush fan one is. Take me, for instance. I own darn near every album, seen the band live around four times since the late 80’s, watched the live DVD’s through all of the various bonus features, and have read at least two books on the history of the band and three of the four Neil Peart travelogue’s . . . (deep inhale) so the informative content of Beyond the Lighted Stage wasn’t all that knew for me. However, spending three hours or so watching one of the bands that has been a constant musical companion through life is always time well spent. Watching the trio in various situations was like hanging out with old friends, a group of people who I know on an intimate level though have never personally met. It was almost like I was catching up with my college chums over a nice meal and a few glasses of wine.

Beyond the Lighted Stage is brought to us by the wonderful production team of the Banger Brothers, the same group that brought us last year’s fantastic Iron Maiden documentary, Flight 666. If you’re one of the folks who’s spent the time immersing themselves in that epic piece of film, then you should have an idea of the production quality of this one. The team of Scott McFadyen and Sam Dunn takes us through the rich history of Rush, starting with the childhood of both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, the musical development of both kids and their eventual meeting with original Rush drummer, John Rutsey, and eventually the addition of “the new guy,” Neil Peart. Broken up into numerous chapters, the early portion of the documentary introduces us to the parents of the members of the band, which I feel helps give the band that extra human element. Due to this bands god-like reverence from its fans, it’s easy to forget that these guys are flesh and blood, emotional animals like the rest of us, and the inclusion of the family members is a nice, heart-warming touch that acts a subtle reminder that Rush is made up of real life people.

The rest of the documentary runs through the band's meandering and weaving rise to fame. They didn’t do it the easy way, never achieved the chart success of their peers, or had the super-nova explosion of fame. Rush started by playing music that they loved listening to and created their own success without sacrificing their integrity or ideals. I can’t think of any other band, especially coming up in the 70’s that the same thing can be said about. As Gene Simmons says in one of his many interview snippets about the band, “They’re fearless.” The band never shied away from something that they were told couldn’t be done. They never took the easy path in creating their art when the more difficult path was available . . . and more interesting. They never conformed to the ever changing world in which we live in, and based on the band’s continued success, especially in the way of touring, Rush can kinda’ sit back and nod the heads in approval as to how everything turned out.

Beyond the Lighted Stage is filled with great commentary from a number of artists who hold the band in reverence like so many fans around the world. As already mentioned, Gene Simmons adds his two cents, Sebastian Bach, Kirk Hammett (Metallica,) Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails,) Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters,) and Vinnie Paul (Pantera) are but a few who have been touched by Rush in one way or another, and though we may not hear the direct influence in each of these bands’ sounds, the indirect influence is just as important in creating the music of tomorrow. The Jack Black segments are pretty damn funny, especially when he starts singing . . . good comedy. Oh . . . and speaking of comedy, make sure you throw in disc 2 and watch the segment of the lads eating dinner. Damn! I knew these guys had a sense of humor, but after a few consumed bottles of wine, Lifeson’s banter had me damn near in tears. Watching this portion of the film is the highest highlight for me because it’s the moment where the members of Rush are suddenly vulnerable human beings, enjoying some time that only a life-long friendship can create.

One other must see moment on this disc, specifically disc 2, is the performance of "Cygnus X-1." I’ve said it for the past twenty-five years, Alex Lifeson is the most underrated rock guitarist out there, and this performance is one of those moments that has me shaking my head and wondering why he isn’t mentioned in the same breath as his peers. His emotional attack and dynamic approach on this song is otherworldly . . . the volume swells, the bizarre chord changes, the lightening fast scale runs, the palm muted riffing . . . seriously, breath taking!

Beyond the Lighted Stage is an excellent documentary on a band that has been doing what they’ve been doing for almost forty years. The video has humor, it’s informative, highly entertaining . . . it’s everything one could ask for in a documentary. With that being said, there’s no way that three hours of edited video footage is going to give you the most comprehensive information on Rush. For the casual fan or those who want to learn a little more about Rush, the documentary is perfect. For the Rush fans who wake up with "YYZ" rattling in their heads coz’ that’s just how brilliant the song is, then Beyond the Lighted Stage is simply a must have to complete the collection. My advice for those who want to know more about the band is this: Purchase and watch said documentary, then run out and purchase and read Contents Under Pressure written by Martin Popoff and Rush: Chemistry by Jon Collins. Both books go into an insane amount of detail about the history of the band, the recording of each album, the trials and tribulations of the subsequent tours, and the philosophical and personal conflicts within in the band. And, of course, you can’t really know the band unless you listen to the music, so . . . go out and buy all of the albums and spin ‘em ‘til your head explodes.  -  Pope

Buy here:  Rush - Beyond the Lighted Stage [2 DVD]
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage [Blu-ray]

www.rushbeyondthelightedstage.com

www.rush.com

A Sunday Conversation with Behind the Sun

Powerful.  Beautiful.  Heavy and evocative.  Those were just some of the adjectives that ran through my mind the first (second, third . . . ) time I played the dynamite new album from Israel's Behind the Sun.  Mixing heavy, post-grunge rock with prog tendencies, some beautiful ambient guitar work and a love of jam bands, Behind the Sun are an intoxicating blend of many styles of rock that all seem to blend effortlessly into one grand vision.

Joining us today, are Aaron (guitar) and Gad (vocals) to enlighten us on all things Behind the Sun.

When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkel, the first time I ever heard Kiss's "Detroit Rock City," it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphany's since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and revolutionary to your ears.


What have been your musical epiphany moments?
Gad: One epiphany moment would surely be the first time I heard The Beatles - Revolver on the old stereo, on vinyl, with the headphones on my head. And the following shock waves - The Doors, The Who, Zeppelin, Mad Season, Tool, Opeth and Pearl Jam

Aaron: I would have to say the first time I heard Miles Davis' Bitches Brew. I think I was 17. I was like "what the [expletive] is THIS??? What I am hearing here??? Is this even LEGAL??? It was like nothing else I'd ever heard.

Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?

Aaron: I read an article once about Jimi Hendrix where his producer said when Jimi wrote the music first the songs were awesome and when he wrote the lyrics first it was incredibly hard after that to fit the ideas into a song format. I find that this is a very common problem. The music tends to suggest the lyrics but not the opposite. So I almost always start with a riff or two --- then I look for a clever line to put in the chorus and go from there. We wrote and rewrote the lyrics to our song "The Professionals" from the album 3 or 4 times, keeping only the chorus from draft to draft. As heavy or convoluted as some of the riffs may be, I'm a big believer in a catchy chorus and title.

Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new motivation?

Gad:For me, getting to know a new word or a new phrase in English will sometimes spark an idea or better say - will be the missing piece in a puzzle that's been laying in my head.Other than that, when I find myself traveling across the country, mostly to remote and unfamiliar locations, I get inspiration from the sights, the people and the colors.

Aaron: Almost all of my ideas come from current events and relationships with people in my life. Although I am writing a song for the NEXT album about Brian Wilson which I think is going to be pretty crazy.

Your music seems to very deeply reflect the area where you live, can you talk to us about that?

Gad:Naturally, our music will reflect what we experience in this turmoiled region. We find it hard to write without what's weighting on our hearts and minds finding it's way into the music and the lyrics. we try to avoid dealing with the politics, not only because we all have different point of view on how the problems can be solved, but mostly because we're trying to end songs with a more optimistic message...

Aaron: I have to say there's a lot of pessimism and cynicism in the lyrics I wrote but that may be more of personal problem...

Gad: Another way for us to try and deal with the problems of this region, is to go back to the old stories of this great country and draw inspiration and guidance from past victories and failures.

Aaron: I can tell you that Gad's song "15th dawn" is about his reserve duty in the army and "Wishful Thinking" was inspired by the incredibly stupid leadership this country had at the time of the 2nd Lebanon War. After that it gets more abstract but the influence of the middle east is in there.



What is your musical intention? What are you trying to express or get your audience to feel?

Gad:It depends. If it's a personal song, a song that deals with relationships, friends and life in general - It's more of a sharing-the-experince kind of thing - "here's what I feel/think about what's probably going on with your life too".When the song's more about failing rulers or anti-war, we're trying to pass a different message to whomever's listening, whether the listener's from Israel or not from around - let's learn some lessons learned with pain and suffer, let's do this differently.


In songwriting, how do you bring the song together? What do you look for in terms of complexity? Simplicity? Time changes?

Aaron: I usually bring in riffs for a verse and chorus to the band and then we figure out where we want to take it. Sometimes we change the tempo completely and go off in a different direction entirely. I'm a big believer in keeping the big themes simple in terms of music and lyrics because I think it has more of a powerful impact. That said, time changes can bring a bit of spice to the music and grab the listener and demand his or her attention for a particular section or transition. I also like odd time signatures because they can instill a unusual feeling in the audience, like the 5/4 time in the verses of "Still" for example. The beginning and end of "Wishful Thinking" also involve some unusual time signatures, which I think pushes the listener off balance a bit and gives a feeling of being on a lurching cruise ship. At least that's how I was feeling that day.


How's the Israeli music scene?

Gad:First of all, it's important to say we do have a very vibrant and various music scene here. Besides the local oriental Mediterranean music and pop music, there are 2 major scenes in the Israeli rock - metal and indie.

The Israeli metal scene is full of good bands, some are around for quite a while now (Salem, Orphaned Land and Almana Sh'chora/"Black Widow") and some are not active for that long but are doing quite well such as The Fading that won the 2009 Waken Festival battle of the bands and Betzefer (signed with Roadrunner records). Without a doubt, the biggest, most successful representative from this scene would be Orphaned Land. They are signed up with Century Media and they're playing the biggest metal festivals all over he world.

Israeli indie rock has it's fair share of successful bands/artists but it's a more .... indie success. Names such as Asaf Avidan & the Mojos, Rockfour, Eatliz and Izabo have all enjoyed some success in and outside of Israel.

As a result, we have 2 kind of festivals, metal or indie, all year around.

Aaron:  I love Israeli music (Infectzia, Barry Saharov, Arik Einstein, Shalom Hanoch, Amir Benayoun) but sadly I don't think it has any influence at all on what I'm writing. I didn't grow up on Israeli rock like the rest of the band. My mother was listening to the most commercial and banal Israeli pop when I was a child and I preferred Iron Maiden and Metallica.

Come on, share with us a couple of your great, Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?

Aaron: We had a bass player who was in another band at the same time and we both booked shows on the same day. He was supposed to play with his other band hours before our show but of course there was a delay and he only made it to the end of our set. But the show must go on so we borrowed a bass from the opening band and passed it around each song between myself and the other lead guitarist each song trading off who was playing the bass. It required some setlist and mental gymnastics. By some chance, we spotted our ex-bass player in the audience also and we also brought him on stage to play a song with us.
   There's that and also a near riot we played to at a poorly organized "co-existence" festival in Lod. The show was put on in a vacant lot in a run-down area of the city not far from the most notorious open air drug markets in the country. Some kids in the audience of thousands of impatient locals tried to rush the stage causing problems for the acts playing. Some other friendly people in the crowd lit dumpsters on fire to show their appreciation. The band before us had some not so wonderful things to say about the police and the country in general. So by the time it got around to our slot the police decided to shut down the show and disperse the crowd. Not sure we would've survived that one anyway so maybe its for the best. Needless to say we haven't been invited back to Lod.

What makes a great song?

Gad:A well balanced mixture of sweeping energetic music, a chorus filled with hooks and mind grabbing lyrics

Aaron:You should feel like you are somewhere else... someone else. you are telling a story (or reporting a story maybe). Even if its an instrumental. Stravinsky was telling a story too without words. (OK he had ballet dancers. We don't have that kind of a budget here.)

Tell us about the first song you ever wrote?

Aaron:The first song I ever wrote that got played by a band I was in was called 1984. I think I had just read the novel in class in 7th grade. Maybe it wasn't the most original song (or title, or concept) but it was very encouraging to play a song you wrote in front of an audience. Even if they had no idea what the hell the singer was singing.

Gad:So far I can only speak lyrics wise. The first song I wrote for the band (and made it in) was a song called "Sunflower". The song sort of portrayed my desire or my efforts to get the best out of close people when you know they have a lot more to offer, a much bigger potential. I was so proud when it got Aaron's care musically.

We played Sunflower live for a while but looking back at it, the song wasn't *that* good....I guess it was more of a stepping stone for us on our way to writing, arranging and executing better songs.

What piece of your music are particularly proud of?

Gad: I can't really put my finger on a specific song (again, I'm only speaking lyrics-wise). I'm proud of any of the songs I wrote that made it in and are still being played by the band, just as I'm proud of any of the songs we play in general, where I feel I contributed a little bit to it's progress with a vocal line or with a little part for an instrument.

One particular example which I still remember with a lot of joy is the time we played "Strong Wind", at the time still a "regular" song, in a rehearsal and I started "stretching" the lines, to ease some of the tension. It almost immediately resulted in the song turning into a jam and made it easier to turn it into a platform in which we could show our love for jam-rock (Dead, Phish, Gov't Mule, Allman Brothers)

Aaron: I'm very proud of my guitar solos in "Still" and "Strong Wind". For years I was the "rhythm guitar" player until my good friend Assaf pushed me in the direction of writing and playing leads. I'm still light years behind Assaf but I like to think I am at least moving in the right direction.

Who today, writes great songs? Why?

Gad: Music-wise, I can think of a few bands/artists that really caught my ear -
Jack White with the Racontures - Jack White, in general, is a very talented musician but his work with the Racontures really stands out in my mind. Though his feet stand firmly in the muddy banks of the delta blues, he somehow found the way to reach all the way to 2000's and with lots of catchy melodies and real passion in his singing and guitar playing - he won me over. The Racontures's 2nd album is really awesome.

Josh Homme - Whether with QOTSA, Kyuss, Desert Sessions or the latest outfit The Crooked Vultures - Homme always finds the twisted, interesting way to introduce you into his vision of how rock music should sound.

Mikael Åkerfeldt/Opeth - with memorizing melodies, vocal harmonies, beloved progressive parts and highly executed music in general were the first to open up a bridge for me to cross into heavy metal, heavier than I ever listened to before.

Lyrics wise I always thought Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder write beautiful songs. so far, minus Cornell's "Scream" material, they hardly ever failed to deliver the goods.

Aaron: Most of the music I listen to is from about 1950 (dawn of cool jazz and bebop) - 1980 (the end of the road for most progressive rock and 60s bands) but of the "new" music I'd agree with Gad about Opeth. I also like Hiromi (Japanese piano phenom). She just made an album with Stanley Clarke who I loved in Return to Forever. Strangely the "new" music I listen to is usually metal so I'd say Tool, Mastodon, Opeth ...


Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?

Gad: Spin the black circle! :-)

Aaron: I understand the vinyl concept as a purer analog wave. On the other hand, why buy a vinyl record of an album which was recorded using ProTools and take it home and play it on your dinky record player which your Grandma threw out in 1965? I suspect that there's a huge nostalgia factor or a hipness factor there. On the other hand there is an advantage to playing the cd and not mp3 which is I tend to think the CD format encourages you to listen to the entire album in order as the artist intended. Nobody really uses the random function on a single cd player, do they?

We, at the Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. When we come to your town, what's the best record store to lose ourselves in?

Gad:Where I live (Rehovot, about 20 km south of Tel Aviv) there aren't many record stores and only one store ("Panica") you can maybe lose youself in if you're into vinyls like me but in Tel Aviv you can for sure lose youself looking for goodies in the 3rd Ear store ("Ha'ozen Hashlishit").

Aaron: I'm very impressed by Ktzat Acheret ("a little different") in Tel Aviv on Frishman St and also the Metal Shop on the same street a few doors down. 3rd Ear is great too.

Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our readers, the waveriders?

Gad:Don't ever put aside your instrument/iPod/mp3 player/cd player/record player. Let music blow your mind and take you places. Always look for the next band/artist that will excite you and support them.

Aaron: Don't be afraid to edit and revise your music, lyrics, and yourself.

Classic Album Redux - Head East – Flat as a Pancake

There was a time in high school, when I listened to a ton of Head East.  As the years went by, it seems that time had kinda passed the guys over, which is a shame.  At their best, Head East produced some of the catchiest, arena rock of the ‘70’s, and for those who’re interested in exploring their deep catalog, their 1975 debut is a beaut of a place to start.

I think part of the problem Head East had was one of perception.  With their mid-western roots (St. Louis, MO) and their good ‘ol boy long-hair-and-denim image, seems like people always wanted to clump them in with the more melodic southern bands like Atlantic Rhythm Section.  But Head East were nothing like them, other than both bands having an inherent ability to craft a damn-fine rocking pop song.  Head East weren’t nearly as jammy as the southern bands, and while they employed a good southern tone and twinge to their guitars and certainly knew how to boogie, Head East weren’t afraid to bring out the keyboards and display a gentle prog tendency.  All of this made them hard to classify.

In their purest form, Head East were an arena rock band, pure and simple. With fine musicianship, great vocal harmonies, tight arrangements, and stellar song writing chops, Head East really came across like a blend of Journey and REO Speedwagon (back when both bands were still cool, ie. Infinity-era Journey and You can Tune a Piano, but You Can’t Tunafish-era REO) or maybe the perfect combination of Rush and Southern Rock.  Or perhaps they could be thought of as a fully Midwestern Supertramp.  Certainly, Supertramp would've approved of their vocals.

Flat as a Pancake showcases all that made Head East a consistent draw on the arena circuit and stands the test of time as a damn good ‘70’s AOR album.  Even better than that, it kicks off with one of the great, lost 70’s melodic rock songs, “Never Been Any Reason.”  Sure, Head East never threatened the charts too seriously, but “Never Been Any Reason” and “Love Me Tonight,” did crack the charts and Flat as a Pancake went gold.

And for good reason.  “Never Been Any Reason,” displayed everything that made Head East special.  Beginning with big washes of synth (Moog?) as if this was a prog album (think Kansas) Head East dropped the keys on a dime and cracked it down to a simple, yet perfectly toned guitar riff.  By the time the vocals came in, I was already hooked.  Then, when I heard the vocal interplay of the opening verse, the song became infectious.  drummer Steve Huston has a slightly rougher, throaty tone, while lead singer John Schlitt’s higher voice sounds like a cross between Steve Perry and Geddy Lee, but with some good southern soul christening his vocal chords.   And when they get together, beauty is born.   Actually, all five members of the band sing, and lay down the vocal harmonies in a way that just speaks perfection.   Any doubts that  remain about “Never Any Reason,” vanish as soon as the so-good-it-drills-into-your-head chorus breaks out, “Save my life/I’m going down for the last time.”  Toss in an opulent moog synth solo mid song, and a near-accapella  chorus breakdown and we definitely have one of the best, lost melodic rock songs of the decade.  You can still hear it today on certain Classic Rock station formats.

But Head East weren’t about one song.  “One Against the Other,” brings on a bit of that southern boogie with a racial tolerance/socially conscious slant to the lyrics.   It’s no surprise that “Love Me Tonight” tickled the charts. With it’s elegantly strummed acoustic guitar and great bass run, the boys display their chops easily.  Toss in another hum-it-as-soon-as-you-hear-it chorus and we got another winner.  Light and easy, this is probably the most Supertramp-esque song on the album.  Think “Give a Little Bit,” and you won’t be too far off. 

“City of Gold,” meanwhile proves that these guys didn’t forget how to rock.  Bring that prog back, with it’s synths, complex arrangements, and tale of a quest to find an ancient city made entirely of gold.  Heavier in tone that any other track on the album, “City of Gold,” shows that Head East really could’ve taken their music in any direction they’d wanted.  Hints of the Moody Blues.  Shades of Rush.  It’s all here.  “Fly By Night Lady,” ends side one with an adrenaline-rousing, richly textured, acoustic rocker.  Perhaps even more than “Never Any Reason,” this song encompasses Head East.  Great hooks, stellar vocal arrangements, a great vocal from Schlitt, some good anger, nice aggression, charging acoustic guitars, fierce bass runs.  Another lost classic from the ‘70’s, and while this one was never a hit, it may be my favorite track on the album. 

“Jefftown Creek,” kicks off side two (yes, I own the CD, but only play the vinyl).  Big organ builds slowly, building anticipation for what’s sure to be an epic.  Again, here we get the more proggy Head East, a far cry from their rootsy,country boy image.  And while the song is light (“me and you and a bottle of wine) the scope of the arrangement isn’t.   This is full-on southern-tilt epic, with some of the mightiest Skynard-esque guitar chops on the album.  The unison vocal harmonies are about as tight as you’re gonna find anywhere, and the whole song just boogies over it’s 6 minutes-plus with a confident southern swagger that I find irresistible. 

“Love Me Along,” brings out a little southern bluesy vibe a la ARS with some tasty slide and gang vocals.  “Ticket Back to Georgia,” is a lighter-waving ballad, while album closer “Brother Jacob,” just sends the band out with a loose abandon of twangy, hillbilly rock.  If the Grateful Dead had done this number, it’d have been a staple of their live sets.

There’s a perfect harmony to the album as whole and such an easy flow between songs that it almost feels like a “greatest hits,” package, not a band’s debut. But debut it was.  Head East went on to a long career, criss-crossing the country on the arena circuit and released several more stellar albums, like their double-live disc, but if you’re looking for a place to start with these guys, start at the beginning.

Flat as a Pancake may just be one of the great lost melodic rock albums of the decade.


--Racer

Buy here: Flat As a Pancake