Led Zeppelin Celebration Day Early Review

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Episode 85 Band of Skulls and The Smiths

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Episode 74 - Black Mountain and Sonia Leigh

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWvEY9GiN8w&w=560&h=315]



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Episode 46 NAMM edition CD Plain White T's & Otis Taylor

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Listen to more samples and get Clovis People Vol 3 here

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Jet - Shaka Rock Music Worth Buying 09/17/09

Album: Shaka Rock

Artist: Jet

Worth buying: Every track rocks

You will be interested in this album if you a fan of:  Jet, U2 at their more rocking, Classic rock, and rock that is fun to listen to.

Tell Me More: When their first album “Get Born” was released, everyone was pretty excited about it. Everyone but me that is……A friend told me that I had to listen to the album and I did (several times as is my custom)…….But I just didn’t get it.  I didn’t think they where bad mind you. I just wasn’t getting excited like everyone else was….But I let the songs sit in my ipod….and they started to creep into random rotation…..then a year later, I suddenly got it.

The lesson being that sometimes new music can hit you one way at one point in your life and then suddenly hit you differently at another point in your life. Never assume because you didn’t get into it now, that you won’t get into it later.

This brings us to Jet’s latest album Shaka Rock. I enjoyed every track on this CD. The opening track K.I.A (Killed in Action) opens with the band seeming to channel U2 as Nic Cester sings: I live in the middle of a combat zone. / And I’m too scared to pick up the phone. And while there is a strong U2 influence on songs like this one and on songs like Hollywood (check out the songs big sky opening chorus with it’s unexpected “Don’t let life kick you down” message  and you’ll see what I mean) this in no way implies that the band doesn’t maintain their own identity and sound (which they do well). If anything I think the band (like all bands worth their salt) has spent a lot of time listening to other stuff and has allowed it to mix and meld into their own groove (and maybe done a little maturing in the process as songwriters).  U2 isn’t the only new influence I hear on this album, She’s A Genius opens with a fun Zeppelin meets the Knack opening guitar line that is fun to listen to. Upon reflection, I think that fun is the operative word here. This is not music that is going to change the world (And I don’t think it was ever intended to be) This is Rock’n’Roll to bounce to while you are driving in the car.  This is fun Rock’n’Roll.  And we could all use a little fun.

What about the packaging: This is the only place where they lose points. Standard Jewel Case, Metallic disc with black printing. There is a three way fold out insert with liner notes on one side and photo of the band on the other. No lyrics. The album still rocks though.

TJR 09/17/09

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CD Format

TJR Reviews - Band of Skulls - Baby Doll Face Honey - Music Worth Buying 08/31/09

Artist: Band of Skulls
Album: Baby Darling Doll Face Honey
Worth Buying: Every song
You might be interested in this album if you are a fan of: Led Zeppelin, Cream, 70's Blues Hard rock, Classic Rock, Nirvana, Alt Rock.

Tell Me More: In today's internet age, you often times only have 30 seconds or less to grab the attention of listeners. I have often said that it takes more than 30 seconds to know if you like a song and to know if it is good. And I still believe this to be true....but lately, it seems that I am discovering great artists through 30 second clips. Maybe I am just developing better ears, but some artists seem to be able to stand out even when all you get is 30 seconds. This is how I discovered Ryan Bingham and Gizzly Bear....and now this is how I discovered Band of Skulls latest.

I was looking at the Sunday ads for Best Buy's new release sales week, going down the line and just clicking on their corresponding samples on Amazon when I was struck by this album. It was only 7.99 at Best Buy so I went and picked it up.

The first song that hit my speakers was a Heavey Blues Rock infusion entitled "Light of the Morning". Right from the gate this song sounded like an updated version of Zeppelin and Cream.

Opening songs can really set the stage for an album and this song did just that. Band of Skulls draws a lot from 70's heavy blues rock bands but they keep a modern sensibility to them.

And Like a lot of heavy blues rock from the 70's they are also able to paint with more than just one color.....In other words, their songs don't all sound the same.

A good example is the album's 5th track. An acoustic folk ballad entitled "Honest". Listening to it you might think, "This is a different band". Now part of this is the fact that there is more than one lead singer in the band and one of them is a female (Bassist Emma Richardson). Both her and Guitarist Russell Marsden share the lead vocal duties.

This immediately got me thinking of Led Zeppelin's first album opening with the very heavy "Good Times Bad Times", then on the very second song  following up with the Spanish classical acoustic song "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You". It was their way of saying, "Yes we are a very heavy band, Yes it's our first album....but we are free to go in any direction we want and you won't pin us down".

I got the same impression listening to the Band of Skulls. And I think we need more bands like this. Bands that say "Yes, we do have a sound, but we are also more than that too".

Band of Skulls is a power trio in the truest sense of he word (they are rounded out by Matthew Hayward on Drums). The CD version that I obtained from Best Buy came with two bonus live tracks. From these two track I can tell that this is a trio that can make a big sound and that they  can deliver their studio album live.....This first album bodes well for them.

What about the Packaging? The Packaging is Beautiful! Comes in a mini  album gate fold sleeve, but the CD is inserted in the outside of the interior of the sleeve so it looks like part of the interior album art. It comes with a nice lyric booklet that is easy to read. Top score on the packaging,

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On Vinyl

TJR reviews Ben Harper - White Lies for Dark Times - Music Worth Buying 08/11/09

Artist: Ben Harper and Relentless 7

Album: White Lies for Dark Times

Worth Buying: Yes, even if there where a few tracks that (for me) slowed down the albums momentum.

You will be interested in this album if you are fan of: Blues, Blues Rock, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin.

Tell Me More: This album is my introduction to Mr Harper and his band. I was first exposed to them via the Sundance channel's Live at Abbey Road series, which led me to checking out this latest album. For the record: Ben Harper and Relentless 7 have cooked up some very dark blues rock that has hints of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin mixed in. It is within this style of Blistering Blues Rock that the band really fires it's thrusters on full, and when their music really grabs ahold and captures me. It is only on two slower tracks that come at the midway point that I felt like album lost me for a bit.

I remember playing in a Funk/Rock outfit. We had the upbeat Funk/Rock part of it down, but we had a hard time trying to figure out what our version of a ballad would sound like. And I think that that is what Ben Harper and Relentless 7 are still figuring out. Or perhaps that is what they have figured since the album closes with a ballad entitled Faithfully Remain, and this song (for me)  works as well as their rockers.

What about the packaging? Top score on the packaging. The Cd is beatifully packaged in a gatefold mini LP sleeve. That features gorgeous artwork on the outside and inside. It also come with a nice lyrics booklet that is easy to read and also illustrated.

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Deluxe CD with DVD

On Vinyl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2THeiRAFq0U

Chinese Democracy is out (Yes that is the sound of hell freezing over)

   

After 17 years, Chinese Democracy by Guns n Roses hit the shelves at Best Buy.

 

For my money this is not a Guns n Roses album. Gun n Roses broke up years ago. This is an album that Axle Rose made with a lot of side players and for commercial reasons (very smart reasons) he is calling it Guns n Roses. As you know, from my previous post, I am not a big fan of Axle Rose. I said I wouldn't be buying this CD. And I haven't. But the album was available for streaming on Myspace. So I listened to it a few times.

 

Can I be objective and just listen to the music in spite of what a crybaby I think Axle is?

 

First of all I didn't listen to the album as much as I normally do before I do a write up for this site. I also never listened to it with the lyrics since those where not available to me.

 

I probably listened to the whole thing about twice, which is how much I think most music critics who have to write tons of reviews on a weekly basis listen the music that they are assigned. Just enough times, so that they can describe what this music sounds like without venturing to far as weather of not they really liked it.

 

I can say after 2 listens that the music on Chinese Democracy is good. And that I might get to like it even more with repeat listens (My normal rule is at least 3 listens and at least one listen while following along with the lyrics....provided they are included).

 

The only thing that weighs this album down is Axle's need to make every song on this album sound like it will become an epic signature song for them. Picture if you will if Led Zeppelin tried REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, HARD to make an album where each song is Stairway to Heaven and you will get the idea. There seems to be no room for just a fun Rock'n'Roll song on this one. I also feel pretty confident that what is left of Axle's once legendary voice is now being filtered though auto tune for these recordings, but once again it doesn't that the music isn't good.

Because it is good. And it might even be great. But I am not going to take the time to find out. Ove the years Axle has been unprofessional in how he has treated his audience and his former band mates, so I have no qualms about being unproffesional in how I write about his CD. 

I know how sensitive about even the most remotely negative citicicism Axle can be (This guy has actually cancelled shows because he didn't like what that city's newspaper said about him).

So congratulations Axle. You made some good music. I still think you're overrated and spoiled little child,. And I am still not buying this CD just on a matter of principal......I am sure your crying all the way to the bank......I can hear your empire crumbling now.

 

No Stairway to Heaven

It happened last night. The dreaded question. I was playing at the Sawdust festival.  I had just finished my cover of Led Zeppelin's "Going to California". Like a radio DJ I back announced the song when someone in the audience asked; "That songs by Led Zeppelin"? "

"Yes", I replied.

"Well than that means you could play Stairway to Heaven too.....Right"?

I have never understood this leap in logic.  But there are a lot of folks out there who think that because I know how to play song "A" by such and such band, that I should then also know how to play song "B" by such and such band.

To those who have never learned how to play an instrument, let me set the record straight. Think of each song as being a different mini language unto itself. Before you can learn how to play a new song , you must learn it's language. Now it's true that many songs will have similar chord patterns and this will make learning those songs easier, but there will still be subtle and sometimes not so subtle differences that require their individual learning curves (and that's not even counting that you have to learn a different set of lyrics).

A good analogy for this is the difference between the kind of Spanish they speak in Mexico vs the kind of Spanish they speak in Spain.

It follows then, that the more songs you learn, the easier it becomes to learn more new songs. This is why if say you have an experienced guitarist who has never played Johnny Be Goode before (which is a simple song) but he's heard the song plenty of times. You can tell him, it's a a 1,4,5 chord progression in the key of "A", and he can say "OK, I can do that, so long as you can sing the lyrics".

However if you ask him to play "Mood for A Day" By Yes, it isn't going to matter how many times he's heard it, He is going to have do his homework and learn that songs individual language before attempting a performance.

But how do I explain all that to the guy who thinks that song are learned by osmosis.

I didn't.

I just said to him very seriously "I'm afraid Stairway to Heaven is against the rules".

He nodded solemnly and replied "Oh".