Better Than Ezra: How Does Your Garden Grow?

Ghost Park Edition

I enjoy turkey, and when the lighted star on the hill behind my parents' house comes on the evening of Thanksgiving, the holidays feel like they are fully underway. With less than a month to go before said feast day, I'm struck by how much I have going on with family, friends, faith and fancy. This blog seems a luxury about luxuries. Is is wise to pursue, or do I just give thanks that I can?

This CD is subtitled "a series of nocturnes". It would is enjoyable in the fall; An October album, but it fell just after. Worth listening to, but not necessarily while you eat turkey and green-bean casserole. Maybe while you drive to visit relatives, as the sun sets under a desert sky. There is a whimsical, dreamy quality to the songs that wasn't present on Friction, Baby. However, "murder" returns as a theme, which makes me wonder about ever visiting New Orleans whence these boys hail.

Speaking of New Orleans and nightmares:

Better Than Ezra: Friction, Baby

True Ninja Track Edition

As I said in my last post, I love this album. Of the three BTE albums I own, this is by far the best and my favorite. It was introduced to me by Jay, who picked up the cassette at a roadside convenience store on a whim while taking a cross-country trip with some friends. A happy accident.

The production on this CD is great. I love the songs "R3wind", "Speeding Up to Slow Down" and "Long Lost". Just good pop. They'd just installed a new drummer, and I had the chance to meet him when I saw BTE at the late great 'Canes when they were touring for this album. I got in for free, because when I went down to buy the tix at the El Cajon Tower Records (RIP), the teller told me he had some that he wasn't going to use, and hooked me up, no charge. I don't remember the guy's name, but I was a frequent customer in those days. It was a good show, and one of my favorites at the time. Which is why I went back and bought Deluxe. Which was a mistake.

This CD also has a true hidden track, located in the negative space before the first track, "King of New Orleans". It's kinda jokey, and not really worth the effort to hold down the back button to find it if you've heard it once, but I like that it's there. Later pressings of the CD, I understand, just tacked the track onto the end of the disc. I guess the original placement was eventually too obtuse for even BTE's tastes.

Better Than Ezra: Deluxe

Murder Pop Edition

From the song Porcelain

Well I wish I could kill you,
savor the sight.
Get in to my car, drive into the night.
Then lie as I scream to the heavens above.
That I was the last one you ever loved.
Yes, your skin is like porcelain.

Oh. Kay. BTW, this is not a Heavy Metal band.

You know, I'm not really a fan of this CD. It has their hit "Good" on it, and the first song, "In the Blood" is pretty OK. But there's something about the sound that is too sparse, too basic and bland. The cover is terrible. It looks far from professional. Certainly not a deal breaker, but it just suits the contents, sadly. I'm a huge fan of their second disc, and bought this one, hoping for more of the magic. Didn't happen. Could be the old drummer. Could be the garage-band production on songs that need more depth-of-field, so to speak. Could be the psycho lyrics.

There is a hidden track at the very end, where the lyrics are screamed in a heavy German accent; "Pork unt beans mit sauer krauten!" What in the world?!

Here they are with their "good" drummer.

The Beta Band: The Three EPs

Elitist Snobbery Worked On Me Edition



Eu comprei-o usei-me na Amoeba quando RC excursionou até San Francisco, e eu estava tentando estar fresco. Isto lembra-me de algo como Slint ou Tortoise, com mais amostras e sensibilidades do musica pop. As canções são pouco umas demasiado longas e I' a VE saltou-os quando vêm acima no wife' s iPod. Escutando através do tudo isto outra vez reacendeu minha apreciação, mesmo que eu sentisse como um chump para ser introduzida a ela com esse filme.

Translation from the Portuguese
I bought it used at Amoeba when RC toured up to San Francisco, and I was trying to be cool. This reminds me of something like Slint or Tortoise, with more samples and pop sensibilities. The songs are a little too long and I've skipped them when they come up on the wife's iPod. Listening through the whole thing again has rekindled my appreciation, even though I feel like a chump for being introduced to it through a movie like this.

Belly: King

Crab, Pin and "Mock, yeah!" Edition

Don, Fisher, Sofa, of Hearts, of Clubs, of Diamonds, of Spades, of the Hill. Follows: Roc-, Loo-, Ba-, Snac-, Frac-(Battle Star Galactica), Jo-, Smac-, Hac-, Bac-, Suc-, Jac-, Rac-, Wrac-.

See Also: Diamond, Larry, of Pop, of Fools, Rain, Sun, Lizard. Precedes: -ly, -dom.
Used in a sentence: I found this CD to be lac-.

Belly: Star

Seriously, Stop Feeding It or You'll Need a Belly Band Edition

Tanya Donelly did not count on Google when she named her band Belly. Look up "belly band" sometime. Welcome to America, circa 2010.

Circa 1993, I had just graduated from high-school, grunge was on top, hipsters emulated hippies, and "Feed the Tree" was on MTV's "120 Minutes". MTV still played music on their station then, not just on the website. Feed the Tree was a decoy, and much more "rockin'" than anything else on the album, which is mostly dreamy, slightly ethereal-folksy drivel. Except for "Slow Dog", which is kinda poppy, but has a riff that seems so contrived and overused as it transitions into the chorus, I can't give it a pass. Were it not for Shandree, this CD would have been gone long ago. But if the wife likes it, we keep it. I'm fine with that. It's kept me off the streets.

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones: UFO Tofu

Bottle Rocket Edition

In Wes Anderson's premier film, Bottle Rocket, the character of Bob played by Robert Musgrave is a hapless rich kid, whose friendship with Owen Wilson's Dignan and Luke Wilson's Anthony leads him into shenanigans. Bob is a supporting character, but essential to the plot, as he is ultimately the guy who gets the most hosed by the inane caper Dignan leads them into. Bob has an older brother, who ridicules him relentlessly, even though they are well into their late twenties and maybe early thirties in the film. This brother, played to jack-ass perfection by Andrew Wilson, is named...Future Man.

The "drummer" for Bela Fleck is named Future Man, too. What a strange coincidence. Bottle Rocket's Future Man is an irate turd who thinks he's above childish enthusiasm, while Bela Fleck's Future Man is a pirate nerd who thinks he's above playing actual drums.

Definitely check it out, if you haven't. Bottle Rocket. Not Bela Fleck. (Victor Wooten on bass is amazing though, I'll concede...)

The Beatles: Live at the BBC

Bring Beatles Candy Edition

At nearly 70 tracks over two disks, this is my second favorite - and last - Beatles entry for Disk-a-Day, at least as far as my current collection goes. This is early stuff, the rock they played when they first started...the covers of rock classics and some of their own songs; Poppy, catchy, and danceable all the way. Interspersed are vignettes of the band chatting up the BBC host and making jokes like kids do. Really charming, actually.

Like many of the CDs I'm "reviewing", I've never listened all the way through this one until now. I missed out. These guys were amazing live...warm, clear, and solid. It's no wonder they "made it". I was taken back to a youth I never had, but reminded that there was a time when John, Paul, George and Ringo had the world in their hands and didn't realize it, still treating it with joy and playfulness. I heard these songs and felt like all the crap going on today will pass, or change, or whatever; Now is just a moment in history, in stereo. It might do well to listen.

The Beatles: Let it Be

Jude Where's my Car Edition

From the album cover (Punctuation and format as it appears, more or less) :

This is a new phase BEATLES album...
essential to the content of the film, LET IT BE was that they
performed live for many of the tracks; in comes the warmth and
the freshness of a live performance; as reproduced for disc by
Phil Spector.

Phil Spector was a popular producer of the day. He also killed Lana Clarkson recently. So...

This album has harps and orchestra on it. It won awards, and all that. I'm not super fond of it, but that maybe from unfamiliarity. I do like the little essay above, though. This is a new phase DISK-A-DAY blog... sounds good!

The Beatles: Abbey Road

Got to be Good Lookin' Edition

Paul McCartney looks so freakin' cool on this album's cover, bare feet and cigarette worn with pride. Can we all agree that McCartney was the cool one and still is? Thanks. Of course, everyone thinks they all look great here, which is why the album cover is copied so often by all kinds of artists, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Kanye West. Ugh.

Speaking of "covers" one thing I'm not a fan of is how many different covers of "Come Together" I've heard over the years. It's a neat song, but when so many people cover it and can do nothing more interesting with it than has already been done, why bother? I guess it's a testament to the impact the song has had on these artists, but some songs should be left alone.

I don't like Abbey Road as much as Revolver. I don't know why, but it just doesn't catch me as easily. Great songs, and lots of variety, like Sgt. Pepper, but...I dunno. Is my lack of Beatles "cred" showing too much?

The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

They Were Roses Edition

When Shandree and I were still dating and she lived with her folks, I came over one day to surprise her. I purchased some flowers and plucked the petals from them, and spelled out a love message to her on the floor. On the stereo, I put this CD in and looped "When I'm Sixty Four" so whenever she got home, it would be playing when she walked into her room.

Did you know that "BEATLES" is spelled out on the cover of this album in flowers? That's not where I got the idea. A happy coincidence. I should never get rid of this actual CD, even if I never listen to it again. But I'm sure I will.

The Beatles: Revolver

"And it was still hot" Edition

Last year, I saw Where the Wild Things Are at the Mira Mesa I-Max theater, and some kids in front of us in line were talking about music. The first kid, a tall, heavyset dude, lisped that The Beatles were over-rated.

Now, I'm gonna let him have his opinion, but...it's wrong.

Still, I was a late adopter, too, so there's still hope for the youngster. I can say without reservation, however, that Revolver is one of the best pop records ever made.

I have a theory as to why this kid, and I for a time, didn't understand the genius that is The Beatles: The bands I grew up on projected strength, and wore their rock-energy like a badge for all to see. The Beatles were much more subtle and nuanced. While their songs certainly have energy and are still vital today, it's because they knew exactly where to leave space and not throw it all out there. And they knew how to "throw it all out there". (See their live stuff and the BBC sessions, coming soon!) They just chose not to do that all the time, and that's what made them brilliant.

It's the reason why The Beatles are legends and Oasis will simply strive to emulate that legendary status, without ever attaining it. Restraint. Control. Nuance.

Also, for all the haters who say that Ringo Starr isn't a great drummer, I submit his work on "Taxman". The solid meter, punch and drive the drums bring to that song are incomparable. He may have not been a "flashy" drummer, but he's easily one of the best.

Beastie Boys: Ill Communication

Cop Stunts Edition

This is the last Beasties CD I purchased, but I'm determined to grab more of them. As a matter of fact, I recently re-purchased this while up in LA for a Geezer show. I had sold my original copy in the "Great Purge".

This is a good one, with "Sabotage" being the breakout hit. This record wasn't nearly as iconic for me or my friends, so it was only recently that I appreciated the album for the powerhouse that it is, I guess. They took everything they dabbled with on Check Your Head and upped the ante. Ill Communication might not feel as accessible as Check Your Head, but think of it as their Amnesiac to Kid A. Or don't. I've become a fan of the song "B-Boys Makin' with the Freak Freak".

Maybe because I can't understand the words.

Beastie Boys: Check Your Head

G-Cubed Edition

This next one is...the first post...on my new album.

In my senior year of High School, I met a couple guys that would end up being the best friends I made in those days; Jason and Tracy. It was weird, too, because I didn't really get to know Tracy until the night of prom, when he and Joanne went with Marie and me. We hit it off pretty well, and since we both knew Jason, ended up hanging out quite a bit that summer while we tried to figure out who we were going to be.

We bonded on a bunch of stuff, not the least of which was musical taste, and this record was a staple. Whenever I hear it, especially "So Watcha Want", I remember those days, and how close the three of us were then. Since we were three white dudes, and the Beastie's were three white dudes, I think we drew as many parallels as we could muster. So of course, our group had to have a name, too.

One day, while we were trying to think of that name (DORKS would have worked...), we were lamenting about how lame we were at attracting girls. Tracy called us, sarcastically, the "Go Get 'em Gang". And it stuck. We referred to ourselves as G-Cubed (like, G to the third power) the rest of the summer.

Man...

So, recently, the guys in Geezer and the band members of local mainstays Ilya got together to do some shows as License to Ilya, a Beastie Boys tribute. While I wasn't too fond of how this show went, I loved doing this song. Check out Zach Goode(MZA), Adam Gimbel(The King Old-Rock) and me(Nas D).

Joan Baez: Hits/Greatest & Others

If My Mom had a Record Deal Edition

...she'd sound better than Joan. Sorry folksters, Joan sucks. I'm not exactly sure why she's an icon, other than her connection to Bob Dylan, and actually, the live recordings I've heard of the two of them are pretty entertaining. His jacked up voice with her pedestrian warble = magic, kinda like Jerry Cantrell and the late Layne Staley of Alice in Chains. Solo...not so much. Together: GOLD.

I know, I know. How can I dis Joan Baez? She was an icon, an established staple of American Music at the turning point of American Music. Well, too bad. American music got good when the British came back and took it over in retaliation for 1776, forcing the Yanks to follow suit. We may have invented Rock&Roll, but they honed it, and I'm looking forward to a little later in the "B's". You know who I'm talking about.

I would like to have dinner at Joan Baez's house. I bet she makes a tasty green-bean casserole.

Bad Credit: Financial Hip-Hop

No Cash Value Edition

Five perfect tracks on this local comedy rap troupe's first CD are all it takes to make this disc worth owning. Bad Credit is all about the Benjamins, going so far as to demand the five-bucks back they loaned to Bill Gates, the sop. Their live shows were great, and though they released a full-length album, it meanders in parts, while this EP is pure entertainment that fires on all cylinders. These songs are funny and have great hooks. What else do you need on a lazy Saturday in California? Well, other than food in your belly and a roof over your head and the security to enjoy financial freedom and being able to have anything your petty heart desires in seconds?

Obviously, nothing.

Bad Mood Zeus: Bad Mood Zeus

B-ginning Edition


Hiya, Spinners! Welcome to the first entry in "B"! Brought to you by "A"...


This power trio from San Diego changed their name to the name of their label after this first CD came out. A change of bass players instigated a change of monikers, as I found out later after my friend Brenda told me about this great band she listened to called Superunloader. A little investigation revealed I'd already heard them. For manic, jam-funk 70's rock, look no further.

Seriously, when I first heard this CD way back in '93, I was astounded by how authentically retro it feels. These three guys seemed to channel all the fury of Hendrix, Woodstock era Santana, and a little of The Who for good measure. My favorite song on the record is the understated "The Maze". This one seems to favor groove over manic thrash-funk, and it's better for it. The CD is long out of print, but you can purchase all the songs through their website.

This album reminds me of the days I spent at Grossmont college right out of High School. I was trying to figure out who I wanted to be, and music played a big part in the process, for better or worse. On one side was Bad Mood Zeus, Rush, and all the prog-rock and Pearl Jam in my collection. On the other side, the local indie emo kids that I was befriending introduced me to Fugazi, Slint, Drive Like Jehu, et al. It feels good to be an adult, able to enjoy all of it without needing it to define my life. It's more fun that way. Youth is a mess, though fantastic.

Avion: Avion

Truth and Consequences Edition

I know the singer. Steve Bertrand lives in LA. He has had enough success to really taste it, but maybe not enough to fill him up. I haven't talked to him in years. Here's maybe why:

When I was in Rookie Card, Steve finished with his first band, The Tories, and started Avion. I naively asked him if we could share shows: He'd do one with us in San Diego, while we'd then do one with him in LA. It all went south. Steve agreed to do it, but wasn't really excited about it, getting the idea pretty quickly that we wouldn't draw the kind of crowd they were used to in LA. Which is true. We wouldn't, and didn't, due in part to very shitty promotion of the show on our behalf. No one in the band save me had any interest in Avion.

The night of the show, Avion came down in a bus(!) and hung out in it pretty much the whole night, except when it was time to play. I saw Steve that evening for maybe two minutes. He didn't stick around to watch our set. I guess he felt upset about the lack of turnout and the long drive. Too bad. He called me a few days later, upholding his end of the deal. I told him we'd opt out if we had to presell tickets, which he acknowledged we would have to, and mentioned that he figured as much; "No hard feelings". That was the last time I talked to the dude.

Which is fine, but kinda lame. We originally met under different conditions, before the Tories' first album came out, when he was traveling with some Christian friends from LA, including Billy Zabka (Daniel-san's Johnny!) and the as yet unknown Doug Jones (Abe Sapien from Hellboy; Pan’s Labyrinth), ministering at churches, talking about Christianity in Hollywood. After we met, I used to make a point to go see the Tories whenever they came to SD.

Steve, if you ever read this, I apologize. I've harbored some pretty bad feelings towards you for a while now, and that's wrong and useless. Let's have a cup of coffee and meet back at God, instead of at the alter of rock-&-roll, which is no god at all.

Also, I don't really like the Avion CD. Who cares?

Audience of One (Shadow Mountain Student Ministries): Audience of One

Not Ashamed, but Certainly Sensitive Edition

I believe in Jesus Christ; That He is God, that He died for the sins of the world, and that He rose from the dead. I believe He is the only way to God, and that all men will perish unless they accept His free gift of salvation by believing in Him alone.

If you are still with me, and haven't erased this blog from memory, thanks. My Christianity may come as a shock, it may offend; or maybe not. I don't even know what's shocking anymore. I'm constantly surprised. I say all that so you understand why this CD is in my collection, and why it's so important to me. Artistically, it's not very good. There is nothing to really set each song apart from the others in arrangement or timing, save one standout played at double the tempo of all the others. The recording sounds a little hollow, and while the mix is fine, there's no "oomph". There are far better CD's representing contemporary worship songs.

Still, it's the first full-length recording I ever did. My friends Adam, his sister Anna, his future wife Erin and Mike on bass had played regularly together for months by the time we recorded this, all in one long day back in 1997. When we finally got copies in hand, we were proud and excited to share it. I am still glad to have done it, though I can hear every flaw and a million ways to "do it better". I just have to ask myself, to what end would I want to; For praise of my God, or praise of myself? That is the question all Christian artists wrestle with. I am wrestling with it to this day; even as I wrote this, even as I contemplated removing the first paragraph...

Natacha Atlas: Gedida

Full Belly Dancing Edition

Last summer saw Shan and I go to three weddings: Two of them Arabic. If you've never been to an Arabic Wedding, beg borrow or steal an invitation. Good food, good drink, great music and dancing. Or, you could buy this album for a taste of the music, at least. High energy, rhythmic and sexy, you will tap your foot, even if she only sings one song in English. (And one in French!)

This album surprised me. I wasn't sure I wanted to listen to it on the ride to work, especially after the rock-show high I was on from the night before. However, I'm glad I did. While the songs here may not be purely traditional, they are likely more accessible to new listeners, with great instrumentation and rich production values. As a kid, I grew up hating the bootleg live tapes my dad used to play on long car rides of his favorite Arabic singers. Perhaps if he'd been blasting Natacha Atlas, I would've come around a lot sooner. Maybe...

David Arkenstone: In the Wake of the Wind

Hurtling Between the Earth and the Moon Edition

When I lived with Mark Jaeschke right out of High School, there was a D&D culture that sometimes spilled over into my life, even though I largely stayed away from the Role Playing Games that were played in the garage on a fairly regular basis. The Grammy nominated In the Wake of the Wind was one of the carry-overs, recommended by one of the roommates; I forget who. A soundtrack to a fantasy idea of Arkenstone's, the album plays like a videogame score, and in fact Arkenstone has gone on to make music for videogames, notably World of Warcraft, aka "America and Korea's Number One Addiction".

It's a fine album, though mostly lifeless. There is no movement; no drive to the all-instrumental songs, but it's a good album to have on as background during a rousing game of tabletop role-playing, I'd wager. Maybe in the nursery to put baby to sleep with dreams of adventure and keyboards. Speaking of which, David Arkenstone (Say it out load: ARKENSTONE! Magical!) has three kids. Their names are - Quillon, Dashiell and Valinor. I'd have gone for Thundarr, Ookla and Ariel myself, but that's just me...

Fiona Apple: When the Pawn...

Former Guinness World Record Album Title Edition

When the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king
What he knows throws the blows when he goes to the fight
And he'll win the whole thing 'fore he enters the ring
There's no body to batter when your mind is your might
So when you go solo, you hold your own hand
And remember that depth is the greatest of heights
And if you know where you stand, then you know where to land
And if you fall it won't matter, cuz you'll know that you're right

I say "former" because some other jackasses saw an easy way into Guinness and trumped it. Very clever.

I got this for free through a cd-of-the-month club, remembering that I liked the first album. It's very much like the first album, though quite a bit more mature musically. I enjoy it, but I don't love it. I think I will enjoy it more when the songs come up on shuffle when I get an iPod again.

Oh, Fiona, where art though? I know she released a third album, but I never got it. She also sang a "duet" with Johnny Cash, "Bridge Over Troubled Water". It seems as if she did it after he was gone, though. It's jarring, and frankly not very enjoyable. Is Ms. Apple past her expiration date? I hope not.

Fiona Apple: Tidal

Of Your Eye Edition

Confession: I bought this first Fiona Apple CD because I thought she was pretty. Well, that and I liked the "Shadowboxer" song they were playing on the radio. The record company thought she was pretty too, I guess, as they made the album cover an extreme close-up of her face, then riddled the CD booklet with more photos of her very model-like visage.

As a girl with a piano and a funny name, she got a lot of comparisons to a certain artist whose last name also starts with "A". This is unfair, as Fiona's songs are quite different. Her husky, dirty voice is much more "come-hither" than "don't try it", though her lyrics tell of a girl who is wary. Fiona was indeed a girl here, while Tori seemed more the woman on her debut, for better or worse. There are hints of lounge, blues, jazz, show-tunes and an homage to Sade, but the similar instrumentation across all the songs and her distinctive voice hold it together. Good job, producer Andrew Slater! Also unlike Tori's albums, Tidal clocks a mere ten songs, which is just enough.

Shandree and I saw Apple in San Diego. She seemed enthusiastic, if a little green. The "finale" saw her dancing around with angel wings strapped to her back and a huge grin on her pretty face. I am less inclined to enjoy Tidal these days, but it's good for a rainy afternoon.

Tori Amos: Scarlet's Walk

Room Temperature Edition

Shandree described this album as "homogenized". I can do nothing but agree. This is the last Tori album in the docket, apart from quite a few singles and B-sides, but I'll let you listen to her cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" below and decide for yourself if it's a joke or an homage. I've chosen not to cover them for my pleasure and yours.

The reason this is the last Tori album Shandree bought is as stated above: It has no guts. Nothing but mid-tempo 4/4 gravy here. At 18 tracks, with every track after the tenth sounding like it could be the last, this is sleepy-time tea. No bite, nothing to chide or praise. Just lukewarm drivel. There is nothing else to say. Goodnight.

Tori Amos: To Venus and Back

Dionaea Muscipula Edition

We've got TWO discs worth of Tori here, folks. Because more is better...?

Disc one is made up of original songs, and the direction here is sorta ambient-techno. It's alright. Honestly, I think the strange shift in this "side" of the album lead to the inclusion of disc two, which is a live set of material from her first four albums, catering to the fans.

I enjoy disc two much more as well. The band is great, and the energy of the songs is readily apparent. And...she speaks! Tori cutely introduces a song as a "friend", one who never made it on any of the albums despite her best intentions. In fact, her song told her to "F*** Off" at some point. Fascinating. "Jesus" is a lyric in this song, too. Which interests me, as he is often referred to metaphorically, but I have to wonder if she thinks saying his name enough will get him to answer in the way she deems fit? I wonder if he hasn't answered her already? Does she know it?

This is more amusing...

Tori Amos: From the Choirgirl Hotel

The Other Famous Amos Edition

After the sinister lullabies found on Boys for Pele, Tori found The Rock again, and I'm pleased. While I'm less familiar with these songs than I would be if doing a review proper, I can say that I gladly listened through the album twice and a half today on my drive to and from OB. I even turned up the volume a couple times. That's right.

This just goes to show that I have an ear for percussion, and the lack of it makes me crazy. Tori, I think, benefits greatly from having multiple instruments on her songs because her style is so distinct. Because of that, anytime she goes minimalist, the songs run together like warm goo.

I was surprised to hear the musical similarities in the tunes "She's Your Cocaine" and Live's "They Stood up For Love", especially in the intro's. As in, I wouldn't be surprised if the two were written concurrently as a songwriting challenge with each other. Well, probably not, but that would be cool, right?

Tori Amos: Boys for Pele

Hyperventilation Edition

"Mary had a Little Lamb" ala Tori Amos circa Boys for Pele, where "lamb" is a euphemism:
(breathe in) ...mMaaaayaaaRaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiyaaaaahhh.....
Hayaaad a little...(pregnant pause) Laiyaaahhhhhh.....yesssss....

Shandree took me to see Tori in San Diego when she was touring for this album. Like the record, her sound was stripped down. Way down. Just her and a piano on stage for two hours. I might have enjoyed seeing her regular drummer Matt Chamberlain, but alas... The seat was comfy. I was able to relax (read:nap), and I'm pretty sure I was the only guy in the joint. NOT an exaggeration, friends. Honestly, apart from maybe two songs, Boys for Pele has no hook, and sounds an awful lot like meandering whimsy. If you enjoy meandering whimsy, look no further. At eighteen tracks, it's seven too long.

Am I giving you the impression that I don't like Tori Amos? That's not true. There are times when I really enjoy a song or two, but for the most part, her work is a trifle melodramatic, and not different enough, song to song, to hold my interest for extended periods. Which is inconsistent, I know, for a guy who really, REALLY likes Dream Theater.

Maybe I should have saved these albums until "T", like the iPod does.

"Day-yes-perado" (I'm not making this up, am I?)

Tori Amos: Under the Pink

Best and Worst Edition

From "God":
God sometimes you just don't come through
Do you need a woman to look after you?

I don't listen to that song. I'm not saying that to assert myself as better than the song, nor those who do listen. I just don't enjoy it. Musically, it's intense and interesting. Lyrically, it's ignorant and insipid. Lowest Common Denominator stuff. Too bad. Under the Pink also has my favorite Tori Amos song on it, "Cornflake Girl". This song also has a social-justice theme, and is much more thoughtful, I think.

One may argue that I don't enjoy "God" because it attacks my ego, while I can enjoy "Cornflake Girl" because it's about women betraying women, and my penis is left alone. I'm willing to talk that through. I agree that the subjugation of women by men and religion is a problem worth exploring a solution for. But are the differences between the two songs that significant?

"You bet your life ...".

Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes

Y Can't Tori Read The Last Man Edition

When I got Shandree, I also got Tori Amos, for better or worse. Tori is fairly amazing, musically. This is her first solo album, after her failure in the glam-metal band Y Kant Tori Read. There are elements of metal here, for sure. Certainly a flair for the dramatic. As a heterosexual male, I have a healthy respect-slash-fear of Tori and her flock. In the comic Y-The Last Man, Brian K. Vaughan suggests that if all the men in the world died, Tori Amos would start a commune in Europe for women artists. I believe this is true.

I enjoy the songs "Girl" and "Happy Phantom". Really good arrangements. She sings on the latter "They say Confucius does his crossword with a pen". I'm pretty sure Tori does the same thing, judging by the dearth of restraint her body of work exemplifies.

Almost all of which is on the docket for the next few days. Oh dear...

aMiniature: DepthFiveRateSix

Drummers Gotta Stick Together Edition

Shandree went on the dreaded and celebrated East Coast Trip a couple years ago. Mr. Dyke was the guy in charge, a teacher who happens to live close by, in Santee. He also plays drums, but it was very recently that I learned he used to drum for aMiniature. "Mike Halloran* called me the Pete Best of the band" said Mr. Dyke when I saw him at Starbucks one morning. Turns out, he did not record drums on "DepthFiveRateSix", but I imagine he could have.

This is a perfect example of the proverbial San Diego Sound. Math Rock, as it is wont to be called; Quick tempos, turn-on-a-dime changes, intricate dueling guitars, and absurd song titles. "Featurist", "Weepo" and "Ouisghian Zodahs in Panoply", for instance. I tracked this one down again after selling it in "The Great Purge", and I've listened to it more in recent times than I did when "Showdowned" was being used as background music for KGCR station checks. Good stuff that still stands up.






*Mike Halloran is a local radio "legend", though his legendary status can be equivocated, at times, to his ridiculous name dropping. Still, an ardent supporter of local music, and that's a good thing.

Anthrax: Anthrology - No Hit Wonders 1985-1991

No, I'm the Man (NOT!) Edition

This is the essential Anthrax comp, covering all the best stuff of the "Joey Belladonna Years", including most of State of Euphoria, remastered and at a more suitable volume. Covering two discs, it's nice to have the cover of Joe Jackson's "Got the Time", as well as the Judge Dredd inspired "I Am the Law". Not the Stallone movie, the 2000 A.D. comic. Rap-Rock trailblazer "I'm the Man" is here, as is "Bring tha Noize" with Public Enemy, which was a staple in Jason's car stereo when we were first hanging out. The last track is their version of "Antisocial" in French, as a tribute to the original song by French rockers Trust.

I, personally, would be remiss to let any mention of Anthrax go without bringing attention to Charlie Benante, the rapid-fire drummer for the band. Charlie is a well documented toy and comic's aficionado, and his influence on the song-writing is unmistakable. Maybe that's why so many singers have come and gone.

No, singers love their lyrics to be written by the drummer.

Anthrax: State of Euphoria

The Other White Powder Edition

Junior High nostalgia is what this is to me. Evan Benner and Ray Klaar introduced me to Anthrax, specifically "I'm the Man", the first Rap-Rock song I ever heard, and probably the first ever executed with any success. That song was on an EP of the same name and not on this album, but "Antisocial" is, which was the closest Anthrax ever got to a "hit" as far as I can tell. (AND IT'S A COVER! From a French band called Trust.) I'm far less a fan of that song now, as it's just too basic and catchy to last past it's age.

There is some strange dichotomy on this record lyrically; In "Make me Laugh" Joey Belladonna mocks the televangelists of the day in a crass, cynical voice, while "Who Cares Wins" cries for social justice with the chorus "There but for the grace of God go you or I; Open your eyes". "Now it's Dark" is an homage to the movie Blue Velvet, and "Misery Loves Company" was released well before the film adaptation of Stephan King's book starring James Caan and Kathy Bates was released.

This album is high-energy, with precision, machine-gun drumming and charged guitar. Unfortunately, the CD I got was an older release, and seems mastered very low in volume. This is the last true "thrash" album Anthrax put out before going a little more straight-forward metal with "Persistance of Time", then full =METAL= when they got the singer from Armored Saint. That sentence explains itself.

Alta Voz: City of Echo

Twin Advantages Edition

I met the brothers Wardle through my involvement in Rookie Card. Jared worked with Adam at the Garden of Speedin', a parts-locater magazine that catered to vintage cars. He and his twin Darrin formed a band called Day and Age together. When Day and Age broke up...that is, their drummer was out...the Wardles formed Alta Voz. As a placeholder, I was asked to drum with them. How could I refuse?

I only played one show at a grungy little dive-bar called Scolari's Office. It was fun, but I was clearly the sore-thumb; The fat white kid between the two handsome latino chaps and the tall, skinny white kid. I have to say, when they found a permanent drummer, I was a little jealous, (AWKWARD) but I knew my term was limited, and it's all good.

Years later, I ran in to Jared at another dive bar down the street from the former Scolari's. I hit him up for a copy of the album Alta Voz recorded, and listening to it now, I remember the fun it was to play with them. Darrin has since married and moved away, and Jared has pursued other musical ventures, soon to be reviewed. (Soon?!) As for myself, I doubt I'll ever be in a band as cool as Alta Voz, but it may be for the best. I'll never feel comfortable in skinny jeans.

Check it

Not Pictured: Me

Alien Ant Farm: ANThology

You're Best Song is a Cover Edition

Smooth Criminal - These guys cover that here. Granted, it wasn't the first single off the album, but it's the one everyone remembers, if they remember Alien Ant Farm at all. Which is unfair, because I feel that they had a few good songs on their first Studio album. In line with bands like Incubus and 311, but with a slightly more math-rock sound, AAF where (Are? I dunno...) pretty decent for a drive to the beach with the windows open. I really like the songs "Movies" (the first single) and "Attitude", but can't stand the ballad "Death Day". Still, the real standout is, indeed "Smooth Criminal". Kind of a bad move to release that as a single and video, but I guess it sold a few more albums, and allowed them to make a second, TruANT (get it?). Wikipedia says they have a third, and a "best-of". Really? Must be nice. I don't own these, because they didn't cover any more Michael Jackson. Looks like they have songs on genre-movie soundtracks and in videogames, too. Must be real nice.

They're also friends with Papa Roach. Well, you can't win 'em all...

Alice in Chains: Dirt

I Should Have Said "Stuff" Edition

Speaking of Godsmack, (and why would I want to otherwise?) they got their name from a song title on this album. Oh, this album. Dirt is pretty jarring, like a swift rabbit-punch to the temples. I would say it’s Alice in Chains’ best CD as a whole, but it’s depressing for its heavy reliance upon nihilism and self-loathing. In other words, perfect for a late teen who hasn’t figured anything out yet. Yeah, I was that guy. I can appreciate the musicality now, if not the sentimentality.

The veteran tribute “Rooster” is on this CD, and I am always reminded of my own stupidity when I hear it. I was at Magic Mountain with my girlfriend at the time, and we were shopping for a bit as we prepared to leave. I grabbed a stuffed Foghorn Leghorn from a shelf and started singing “Yeaaah, they come to snuff the rooooster!” as loud as I could. She was thoroughly embarrassed, and I was totally amused with myself. The trend of that kind of behavior continues to this day…

Alice in Chains: Jar of Flies

Everyone was a Kid Edition

This 7-song EP came out around the same time I was doing a radio show on the Campus of Grossmont College. The promo copy had little toy flies in the jewel-case spine. This is by far AiC's most touching work, and the only CD of theirs I kept during "The Great Purge" of my collection a few years back, when I needed money and Music Trader was buyin'. On the cusp of the band's return after frontman Layne Staley's death, I am hung up on the lyrics from the song "Nutshell":

"And yet I find, repeating in my head
If I can't be my own, I'd feel better dead"

Too bad. I return to this disc once in a while, often as fall arrives. There is a haunted quality to these songs, more so than the driving crunch that inspired Godsmack to form needlessly.

Afghan Whigs: Gentlemen

What Jail is Like Edition

This is a heavy, dirty, wounded fist punching you in the gut. I can't listen to it all the time. I first got this after I saw the video for "Debonair" on MTV late at night. It was my soundtrack for the "Deathtrip", when Justin Knight and I drove through blacked-out LA to San Francisco, the day after the Northridge Earthquake. The look of this band; the sound, kinda blew my mind. Greg Dulli's vocals are rough, raw, and not that great, but perfect for the songs...Songs about addiction, broken relationships, and self-loathing. I understood these sentiments in my young adult years, naive as I was to the bigger picture. While I don't relate in the same way now, I can appreciate the chronicle this album represents, and the cries for salvation in every odd chord or sloppy drum-fill.

And the album cover...

I saw Afghan Whigs at the old SOMA, and they played a lot of this album, as well as a great cover of "My World is Empty". Dulli chain-smoked onstage in black-jeans and a white button-up shirt, and I remember thinking he was the coolest sumbitch ever. The band drove through their set with relentless energy, and I felt like a bad-ass for being there. What foolishness. What bold, young, brash, beautiful and utter foolishness.

The Album Leaf: In a Safe Place

Fever Dreams Edition

Once, when I was in Junior High, I got sick with the flu, and missed something like a week and a half of school. At some point, and I remember this distinctly, I lay in bed, and I believed that I was not resting on a mattress, but on the head of a pin, and if I moved, I would impale myself straight through. I lay perfectly still, my eyes half open, as all the furniture floated to different corners of my room, threatening to crash to the floor if my concentration-slash-daze was broken.

There was no pain, only the sense that pain was possible and very real. There was no comfort, only the desire for relief. Uneasy, spacey and humanly morbid. Was I hallucinating, or dreaming? I'm not entirely sure, but the experience was very real.

Just so, The Album Leaf.

Alaska!: Emotions

Deadliest Catch! I Get It! Edition

Rookie Card played with these guys in LA. That is, we played on the same stage earlier in the evening, but before everyone decided to show up. Spaceland. Ugh. And yet, despite the lame experience, I really like Alaska. This three-piece does great spook-pop. The song, "Broken", specifically reminds me of the Silent Hill soundtrack. Not the movie, the game. Those who know, know; Fuzzy and ethereal, yet with a definite groove. This is another band I keep meaning to find more of.

Alaska has become pretty prominent in our current pop-culture. Jewel claims Alaska above San Diego in interviews. Sarah Palin, The Deadliest Catch. ( Also, that crab-fishing show.) I‘d like to visit someday. There is a small town called Unalaska in the Fox Archipelago that looks delightful, and also scary. As in, haunted town scary. I’m sure it doesn’t help that half the year is dark and frozen.

The Advantage: Elf Titled

8th-Bit Wonder of the World Edition

I first read about The Advantage, named after an old Nintendo joystick controller, on a video game related website raving about what a great show they put on. Not so much for stage presence, but musicianship. When they came to San Diego, I made it a point to go see for myself. What's interesting about these guys, as opposed to other video game-themed bands, is the exactness and precision in the way they make their guitars and drums sound like the 8-bit midi sounds we grew up with in old Nintendo games. Certainly there is a greater richness to the audio which comes from using analog instruments to mimic digital samples, but every nuance and beat is upheld and carried over, which is fairly amazing considering the staccato, punchy nature of the music. The Advantage are, to be sure, accomplished musicians.

I for one love hearing themes from Contra, MegaMan and the classic Sunsoft Batman game blasting from my car stereo. The Advantage has good taste, and choose songs that stand apart and make you tap your foot. Fans of the NES would do well to track down this album. However, if you have no sense of nostalgia for the halcyon days of retro gaming, you might be left feeling indifferent. Even so, if you choose to pass on the CD, go see them live if possible. That might change your mind.

Not The Advantage, but fun:

Bryan Adams: So Far So Good

Giant Crabs Edition

I had to delete the comma between "Far" and "So" twice after looking at the cover again. Also of note on the inside of the booklet: Why is Bryan Adams taking a piss on his truck? I don't get it...

Looks like I have a lot of "best-of's" and compilations. I guess I do, though I listen to them far less than full albums. However, for Bryan Adams, this will do it for me. Every hit is on here; All the movie stuff, the video stuff and the stuff in between, like the duet with Tina Turner on "It's Only Love". I like that. While Adams' music is ballad-centric, I like his "rockers", particularly "Summer of '69" (Bryan was 10 years old in 1969, btw.) and "Kids Wanna Rock", which I remember fondly as being used in an episode of Dynaman. Overproduced, with nary an edge to be found, this comp is more nostalgia than anything. Good for a spin every couple years, I guess.

Except the song "Run to You". Here's a taste of the lyrics:

"Shes got a heart of gold she'd never let me down
But you're the one that always turns me on
You keep me comin' round
I know her love is true
But its so damn easy makin' love to you"

What a cheating piece of crap!

Agua Dulce: Agua Dulce

Real Men Play Bongos Edition

This is the 1998 self-titled EP from the local Latin-Jazz group. I don't know if they're active anymore. I think I got this from a guy at my old work who got it from a customer who was in the band. Honestly, I never gave it much of a listen until recently. I probably wouldn't have appreciated it very much, except two years ago, I saw some live Latin-Jazz as performed by Jack Costanzo, aka Mr. Bongo. In the live setting, watching folks salsa dance and swing, I was smitten. I wanted to purchase some Latin-Jazz then, but never got around to looking into it, or figuring out where to look.

The best part about seeing Jack Costanzo was certainly the bit about him giving ME a shout out during the show. See, my in-laws know him from church, and he invited them to the show. They took me for my birthday, and I got to meet Jack, who is probably one of the sweetest, coolest guys in "the biz" I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. I say this here, and I'll likely say it again, even as it totally distracts from Agua Dulce, but really...Jack is much more entertaining.

This is a fun record, with some catchy, albeit ambiguous tunes on it. I'd be hard-pressed to remember any names. It'd play well at a party or as background music at work...work where you're allowed to dance. The album cover looks like it belongs on a Yes album, which I approve of.

Now, Mr. Bongo!

Aerosmith: Aerosmith

Boston Bad-Ass Edition

Yes, I said bad-ass. Aerosmith's first, humbly unnamed, is a kick in the teeth. The version I have is righteously remastered, and perhaps watered down because of it. This disk would benefit from some vinyl crackle, at least to represent the rough and tumble that the five boys represented at the time. The liner notes on this CD are wonderful - Reviews and fan-appreciation for the band from the time of this album's debut, properly lauding the lads as "true to themselves; There's no imitation country or superhip posturing or frosted hair and beautymarks..." (Dann DeWitt)

So yeah, while described as "hard", it's nothing to today's "hard", or even the 80's "hard". I imagine I'd like to hear Aerosmith playing a club while I drank a strong beer and chatted with friends on a Friday night. More jammy than AC/DC, but with equal measure of cheeky tough.

I thoroughly enjoy watching Steven Tyler and Joe Perry talk about their Rock'n'Roll in the film, The Decline of Western Civilization Part 2. (See the opening to this film below - Aerosmith at 4 mins. in) They're practically laughing at the metal heads that followed them, and I don't blame them. I'd likely let my boy listen to Aerosmith today, but would as soon break all speakers in the house than let Insane Clown Posse cross the air. I wonder what he'll accept at my age? The mind reels...

Aerosmith: Toys in the Attic

Not GI Joes Edition

Toys in the Attic was the first music I heard from Aerosmith, recommended to me by Ray Klaar, my guru of music through High School. Subsisting on a steady diet of Iron Maiden and Stryper at the time of my first listen, this stuff was a revelation. Groove and bluesy-rock mixed with some pretty heavy licks. Nothing a fan of Led Zepplin wasn't already familiar with, but I wasn't yet a fan of the Zep, so this did me good.

Listening to the whole album again after many years was interesting. There is much more to early Aerosmith than "Walk This Way" and "Sweet Emotion". Both were, of course, stand out tracks, but "Uncle Salty" and "No More No More" hold up still, yet go largely under appreciated.

I was ruined on Aerosmith for a little while. I had a girlfriend who loved them, though mainly post-"Pump" stuff. It was a strange relationship at a strange time in my life (what time or relationship in one's late teens isn't strange?) and as Aerosmith seemed to be the soundtrack to it all, I lost what was once a good feeling towards them. Time heals, I guess. I'm a different person, but I can still dig a good tune.

AC/DC: '74 Jailbreak

Albums Contain/Definite Cuts Edition

This is an EP with four tracks that were on on the Australian-Only release of AC/DC's first album recorded in 1974, and "Jailbreak", another "lost track". Bon Scott sings here, and the bluesy chunck-rock that defined AC/DC is in full effect. There is a live quality to these recordings that make you understand why AC/DC became the rock icons they are today.

Where does AC/DC stand in my collection? Well, I certainly like the quick, mindless rock these guys define. They are like blue-blooded chaps you'd like to have a beer with on a Friday night after a long week working at the docks. But I don't work at the docks. I'm a nerd, and while AC/DC is fun, it's like novelty fun for me; A lark that I might turn up if hanging with old friends on a "guys night out". So, I'd love to see them live, but I'd never pay more than $15 do do so.

On the other hand, there's this from 2000. From the article:
(Michael Stipe of R.E.M.) was taking part in the Sarasota Film Festival, and attended the State Room party to present actor Stephen Dorff with the festival's Young Lion Award. At the party, a photographer tried to get Mr. Stipe to pose with another rocker, AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson, who lives in Sarasota, but the R.E.M. singer refused. That didn't seem to bother Mr. Johnson much, though. The singer, who immortalized "Back in Black," told one partygoer: "I got to tell you, mate, I don't like him, and I don't like his (expletive deleted) music."

AC/DC: Ballbreaker

Australian Creeps/Dangerously Close Edition

Where Back in Black was the triumphant return of AC/DC after the death of original singer Bon Scott, Ballbreaker feels like the seventh-inning stretch for some tired dudes who maybe aren’t that into it anymore. The paces have slowed, there’s a little less spark, and none of the songs are as memorable or catchy as anything that’s gone before. Opener "Hard as a Rock" is solid as a rock, for sure, but hard. I dunno.

I had a friend in high school named James who love, love LOVED AC/DC. As in, it was the only band he cared about, far as I knew. He was a fresh-faced, tall, skinny dude with an easy going, chilled out nature. Clever too, so when I read stupid song titles such as “Cover You in Oil”, “Burnin’ Alive” and “Caught With Your Pants Down”, and James’ is the first face I see in my mind when I reminisce on the times I used to listen to AC/DC a little more regularly, I have to chuckle a little bit.

AC/DC: Back in Black

Angus Can't/Defeat Children Edition

Now we're talkin'! This is the seminal AC/DC album, in my humble opinion. If you have to own one, it should be this one. I caught on late, however. The first AC/DC album I got on tape back in the 80’s was “Who Made Who”, the soundtrack to Stephen King’s film “Maximum Overdrive”. A lot of “Back in Black” is on “Who Made Who”, but it just feels better here. It was pretty obvious that Maximum Overdrive was Stephen King’s “ego-project”, going so far as to include his self-professed favorite band as the soundtrack. It didn’t save the movie, sadly. Emilio Estevez, what happened to you?

The title song on “Back in Black” holds a special place in my heart, since I performed as Angus Young in a Battle-of-the-Airbands in High School with my friends. I rocked it; School-jacket, backspin and all. I stayed up very late making an AC/DC stage sign out of PVC pipe the night before. We got huge applause, but it was the cheerleaders doing…some nonsense…that won the night. Bah!

Lyrically, this album is like Haggis: All guts and junk-meat. It's edible, but you probably don't want to chew on it too long or think about it too hard. Musically, though, the whole album is tight, crunchy, catchy rock at its purest and blackest. So good, it's a cliché. Don't let that scare you off.

Sterling Rocks Out to AC/DC from Jim Renaud on Vimeo.

The Best of ABBA: The Millennium Collection

Swedish Supergroups Have More Fun Edition

This is one of the albums I would never have bought for myself. Shandree is the ABBA fan, but listening to this CD I understand the love. Luscious production, harmonies, and arrangements abound. I was struck by their early songs being more story-driven, lyrically. Like prog-pop, or Epic-Disco. I'll go with that. "Waterloo" and "Fernando" in particular contain strange, referential lyrics for blonde-bubblegum pop.

Fun Fact: My lab cohorts at Sony will often yell out "FERNANDO" when the mood strikes. Whatever mood that may be.

Oh, Sweden.

Also, this: