tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89824532024-03-27T18:53:13.508-05:00The Review RevueA repository for CD, movie, and occassionally book reviews.Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.comBlogger279125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-32763446906835389092011-09-29T00:01:00.000-05:002011-09-28T21:25:59.915-05:00Forgotten Music Thursday: Uli Jon Roth - The Metamorphosis of Vivaldi's Four Seasons (2003)<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4021/1096/1600/Uli%20Jon%20Roth%20Metamorphosis.0.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4021/1096/320/Uli%20Jon%20Roth%20Metamorphosis.0.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a>Every once in awhile I stumble upon a CD that is a pure joy to listen to from start to finish, one I can’t stop listening to, where I can’t get the music out of my head even long after the banality of life has forced me to remove my headphones. Uli Jon Roth’s <i>Metamorphosis</i> is such a CD—an aural treat from start to finish, pure ear candy! <br />
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Uli Jon Roth got his start in the German metal band, Scorpions, back in 1972. During his six year tenure in Scorpions he displayed a strong Jimi Hendrix influence and both psychedelic and neo-classical tendencies which eventually led to his departure from Scorpions in 1978 to pursue a solo career that would allow him to stretch out in ways he hadn’t been able to within the context of his former band.</div>
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Initially Roth struggled to find himself musically walking a tightrope between his Hendrix influenced psychadelia and neo-classicism. But in the first few years of the new millennium he finally seemed to find a style that suited him perfectly, an interesting fusion of psychadelia, heavy metal, and neo-classicism. It’s in <i>Metamorphosis</i> that Roth’s fusion of those styles was fully realized.</div>
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<i>Metamorphosis</i> is Roth’s “interpretation” of Vivaldi’s <i>Four Seasons</i>. Backed by the fifteen-piece Sky Orchestra, Roth is at his absolute best in this brilliant fusion of musical styles. He has a sense of melody and adventure, putting his own spin on Vivaldi, making it sound new and fresh, as if it were written today and not in 1723. The first 13 tracks feature Roth sticking close to Vivaldi’s original and the final 14 tracks feature Roth’s re-imagining/re-interpretation of Vivaldi’s work, which at times sounds reminiscent of some of the more familiar work of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. But the album is best enjoyed when listening start to finish without interruption—or at least the first 13 or final 13 tracks should be listened to in single sittings.</div>
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The only drawback to this exceptional CD; and it’s one that’s, quite fortunately, easy to completely ignore are the spoken word intros to several of the pieces. Roth was/is a consummate flower child, and his neo-hippy spoken word intros don’t really add anything to the exceptional music, and without headphones they’re often not even audible over the nature sound effects Roth used for “background” during those intros.</div>
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This CD does beg the question, what more musical adventures does Roth have up his sleeves, and when can we expect another brilliant offering such as this one? Hopefully, this isn’t an isolated occurrence for Roth as he’s truly found his musical niche.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Related Links:</span><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Seasons_%28Vivaldi%29"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The Four Seasons</span></i></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> (Wikipedia Entry)<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uli_Jon_Roth">Antonio Vivaldi </a>(Wikipedia entry)<br /><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:g4320r6ar48p%7ET1">Uli Jon Roth</a> (AllMusicGuide.com)<br /><a href="http://www.ulijonroth.com/sky/main.htm">Uli Jon Roth</a> (Official Site)</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://yehao.com/ulijonroth/ulihome.asp">Uli Jon Roth</a> (Authorized Site)<br /><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:51jqeat64xa7"><span style="font-style: italic;">Metamorphosis</span></a> (AllMusicGuide.com Review)</span><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/METAMORPHOSIS_OF_VIVALDI%27S_FOUR_SEASONS"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The Metamorphosis of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons</span></i></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> (Wikipedia entry)</span></div>
Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-19431660736909559652011-08-26T21:38:00.000-05:002011-08-26T21:38:29.361-05:00One Second After by William R. Forstchen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zeF4KRRB2Tp_SiMUV8b-K8tGsE1Tx6dUx_-5eMCt4OEyZmjXc93YWTEjpa3-BRpOfSBPDFejUVAdehUxRewlCk4EV7Jqy6pfDWNFYuCtDqhXUQEXCxDEeUJNsHMqbtpQh0gs/s1600/onesecondaftercover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zeF4KRRB2Tp_SiMUV8b-K8tGsE1Tx6dUx_-5eMCt4OEyZmjXc93YWTEjpa3-BRpOfSBPDFejUVAdehUxRewlCk4EV7Jqy6pfDWNFYuCtDqhXUQEXCxDEeUJNsHMqbtpQh0gs/s400/onesecondaftercover.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>Heavily inspired by Pat Frank's post-apocalyptic classic, <i>Alas, Babylon, </i>Forstchen fast forwards to the early 21st century and instead of <i>Alas, Babylon</i>'s post nuclear world, Forstchen's cautionary tale is one of an America crippled by an EMP (ElectroMagnetic Pulse) attack.<br />
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On the surface the idea of an EMP attack seems far less severe than a nuclear attack as there's no fall-out to deal with nor any radiation sickness. But stop and think about it, a sudden pulse that knocks out electricity across the country all at once. Any device with ANYTHING electronic in it is fried. Some cars (pre-1980) might still run but they'd be few and far between. No Internet, no television, no radio-- basically we'd be completely cut off from each other. Instead of a UNITED States of America government would suddenly be forced to turn completely local and we'd be scattered groups of city-states. <br />
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Without TV, radio, or Internet we would be left to speculate over what happened and who was responsible. With Pearl Harbor there was radio to keep us informed, with the Kennedy Assassination there was TV and radio, with 9/11 there was TV, radio, and Internet to keep us informed. Imagine being sucker-punched back into the 19th century....<br />
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And it gets worse-- 19th century technology can't support a 21st century population! Something's got to give!<br />
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William R. Forstchen dares to imagine such a world in a cautionary tale in the tradition of great post-apocalyptic fiction like Pat Frank's <i>Alas, Babylon</i> and Nevil Shute's <i>On the Beach</i>. <br />
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What is especially chilling about Forstchen's book is stopping to take stock of your own situation as you read it. Would you be one of the lucky few survivors? or Would you be one of the unlucky many? If you're on prescription medication keep in mind there'd suddenly be a finite supply of it at your local pharmacy. If you suffer from any health ailments at all you'd find yourself more vulnerable with those who are stronger in the unenviable position of "triaging" the population to make sure the limited resources-- food, water, and medication go to those who are most likely to not only survive but help others survive as well.<br />
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While <i>One Second After</i> is not for the faint of heart or stomach it's an excellent read. The characters are real and tangible-- you know these people or people like them. Forstchen set the book in the town where he lives to give it a greater air of authenticity and making it all that more real to his readers. ***** out of *****<br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0765356864&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-74763629276891285122011-08-25T00:01:00.002-05:002011-08-25T08:10:01.870-05:00Forgotten Music Thursday: Survivor - Caught In the Game (1983)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOdT9HyX0ku3hPR7XZP6laaZ-tjLWayR2_PY_rbbCF3yBJIk4u8y4oMxT4sNIDvBarl9amsGScfsSMA4ocAkKZ5ShwHglJ-mm3t8l4QBauCkBDGI-6dTo-j9H13MJuPITx4Rn/s1600-h/Survivor+Caught+In+the+Game.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5060877322915397506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOdT9HyX0ku3hPR7XZP6laaZ-tjLWayR2_PY_rbbCF3yBJIk4u8y4oMxT4sNIDvBarl9amsGScfsSMA4ocAkKZ5ShwHglJ-mm3t8l4QBauCkBDGI-6dTo-j9H13MJuPITx4Rn/s320/Survivor+Caught+In+the+Game.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 267px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 267px;" /></a>In the early eighties bands like Journey, REO Speedwagon, Asia, and Survivor not only dominated the airwaves but also filled arenas with their special blend of AOR.<br />
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A bit heavier than their contemporaries—Journey and REO Speedwagon, Survivor really burst onto the scene with a little help from Stallone and their hit <i>Eye of the Tiger</i> which was used prominently in <i>Rocky III</i>.<br />
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<i>Caught In the Game</i> has gone largely overlooked or forgotten by the band and by radio. None of the tracks from this album have even appeared on any of Survivor’s multiple different “Greatest Hits” or “Best Of” collections.<br />
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This oversight is quite unfortunate as <i>Caught In the Game</i> is likely Survivor’s most consistently strong album from start to finish. The songs are catchy and have a bit more bite than the lesser tracks from their previous albums.<br />
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The album opens with the title track, an infectiously catchy rocker and other than the ballad <i>I Never Stopped Loving You</i> the album doesn’t really let up from start to finish. And even that lone ballad is the 3rd track—thus getting it out of the way early—before reverting to the more mid and uptempo rockers that allowed guitarist Frankie Sullivan to cut loose a bit more.<br />
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Survivor ended up saving the best for last with the album’s closer, <i>Santa Ana Winds</i>, one of the best tracks the band ever recorded. With guitar solos vaguely reminiscent of some of Blue Oyster Cult’s better material of the previous decade, Bickler’s soulful vocals and the keys of Jim Peterik the song is strong from start to finish.<br />
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Today, admittedly this album sounds somewhat dated, a relic or snapshot of the early eighties. But in the context of its time, this was easily one of the better albums released in 1983. It was much to the listening public’s detriment that radio didn’t give it more attention.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 78%;">(Incidentally this was David Bickler's final album with the band. After leaving for medical reasons he was replaced by Jimi Jamison. Bickler did re-join in 1992, only to be replaced in 2000 by... Jimi Jamison. Today Survivor's lead singer is Robyn McAuley. Bickler today can be heard in Bud Light <i>Real Men of Genius</i> commercials)<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Related Link:<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Caught-Game-Survivor/dp/B00005OAJB/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3595634-9697748?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1178326914&sr=8-1"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Survivor <span style="font-style: italic;">Caught In the Game</span> on Amazon.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 100%;"> (song samples available)</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"></span></span></span>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-29272588699613733702011-08-13T09:03:00.000-05:002011-08-13T09:03:05.872-05:00One Track Mind: Toto - Falling In Between (2006)<br />
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Toto has long been one of my favorite bands. Their willingness to take risks and try a variety of different styles of music has always impressed me as has their brilliant talent. After all Toto is a band of session cats. These are the guys the other bands call on to perform on their albums. <br />
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Heck these guys started out backing up Boz Scaggs on his <i>Silk Degrees</i> album and after the unprecedented success of their 1982 album <i>IV </i>they were tapped by Michael Jackson to play on his <i>Thriller</i> album.<br />
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In 2006 Toto released what would inevitably be their final studio album, <i>Falling In Between</i>. Some would argue this was their best album ever and most would agree it was their best album since <i>IV</i>. They certainly went out with a bang.<br />
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The album opened with the title track. From the first time I heard <i>Falling in Between</i>, it swiftly became one of my favorite Toto songs. It had a fiery drive to it I'd not heard since <i>Gypsy Train</i> on their 1992 <i>Kingdom of Desire</i> album. <br />
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Between Steve Lukather's fiery guitar work and the powerful vocals of original lead vocalist Bobby Kimball (who rejoined the band in 1998 after a 14 year absence), the tasteful background vocals and keyboard work of grammy winning keyboardist Greg Phillenganes, and the precise and tasteful drumming of Simon Phillips <i>Falling In Between</i> has it all. It inevitably set the tone for the entire album.<br />
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<b>Related Link</b><br />
<i><a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2006/01/toto-falling-in-between-2006.html">Falling in Between</a></i> (album review)<br />
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Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-84474421823582487572011-07-28T00:01:00.003-05:002011-07-28T06:36:11.861-05:00Forgotten Music Thursday: Supertramp - ...Famous Last Words (1982)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33G9hCllbt91YCOcue37kCRvgX_cyku0VXu40alFO2vmzT3p65NS1Hc8yG3AoR9RkdhCCkAfRI5km64QGHIdVNCwSTb4mQ_S9lUt1uvwGU8Xd6y7uhaAPkKDELICKB7VemFr6/s1600/Supertramp+Famous+Last+Words.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33G9hCllbt91YCOcue37kCRvgX_cyku0VXu40alFO2vmzT3p65NS1Hc8yG3AoR9RkdhCCkAfRI5km64QGHIdVNCwSTb4mQ_S9lUt1uvwGU8Xd6y7uhaAPkKDELICKB7VemFr6/s1600/Supertramp+Famous+Last+Words.jpg" /></a></div>After the smash success of their <i>Breakfast in America</i> album, Supertramp bought themselves sometime by releasing the live album, <i>Paris</i> in 1980 and re-grouped in 1982 for what would be Roger Hodgson's final album with the band. <br />
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While not as commercially or critically successful as Supertramp's seventies material, <i>...Famous Last Words</i> is still a strong album and is still very faithful to the sound and musical style that the band had made their own in the previous decade.<br />
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The biggest hit from this album, <i>It's Raining Again</i> is perhaps one of the weaker songs on the album. It has that fun whimsical style but it also comes across as the band merely going through the motions.<br />
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The real meat & potatoes of the album are some of the deeper cuts like <i>Crazy</i> & <i>Put On Your Old Brown Shoes. </i>Both of which take full advantage of the vocals of both Hodgson & Davies not to mention the superlative woodwind skills of John Helliwell and apparently the band thought well enough of both of those songs as they did make it onto the setlist of Hodgson's farewell tour with the band.<br />
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While both Hodgson & Supertramp would later find some success separately there was a lightning in a bottle magic that crystallized on <i>Crime of the Century</i> and remained present through Hodgson's final show with the band in Munich in 1983. And admittedly, this album isn't as good as <i>Crime of the Century</i>, <i>Breakfast in America</i>, or even <i>Crisis? What Crisis?!</i> but it is still quite enjoyable and remains a worthy bookend to Roger Hodgson's tenure in the band.<br />
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<b>Related Links & Media</b><br />
<a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2005/11/supertramp-crisis-what-crisis-1975.html">Supertramp <i>Crisis? What Crisis?!</i> (1975) review</a><br />
<a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2008/03/supertramp-even-in-quietest-moments.html">Supertramp <i>Even In the Quietest Moments </i>(1977) review</a><br />
<a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2006/08/supertramp-breakfast-in-america-1979.html">Supertramp <i>Breakfast in America</i> (1979) review</a><br />
<a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2010/05/forgotten-music-thursday-roger-hodgson.html">Roger Hodgson <i>In the Eye of the Storm </i>(1984) review</a><br />
<a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2006/03/supertramp-it-was-best-of-times-1999.html">Supertramp <i>It Was the Best of Times</i> (2000) review</a><br />
<a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2006/03/roger-hodgson-open-door-2000.html">Roger Hodgson <i>Open the Door </i>(2000) review</a><br />
<a href="http://somethingelsereviews.com/2011/07/23/something-else-featured-artist-supertramp/">Something Else Reviews: Featured Artist - Supertramp</a><br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000069HJI&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000VX3FGC&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-72281033106774791992011-07-11T21:58:00.001-05:002011-07-11T22:05:03.744-05:00One Track Mind: Nick Cave - Into My Arms (1997)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FG0-cncMpt8?rel=0" width="480"></iframe><br />
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Nick Cave is a brilliant songwriter. Admittedly much of his material is a bit dark for my tastes but the first time I heard <i>Into My Arms</i> it moved my soul. A person's religious beliefs are very personal and I dare say that no two people hold the exact same beliefs. The song is a testament of love and respect of one another's beliefs and how love can bridge those differences. <br />
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The song is sung from the perspective of a non-believer addressing his love who is a believer. The song says, I may not believe in God, but if I did I'd ask him to protect you, to watch over you, and to guide you to me. The non-believer after going through a litany of things he doesn't believe in says he does believe in love and that his belief in love should be enough to bridge the differences in belief between he and his love.<br />
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Stripped down to just Cave on vocals and piano the song grows even more starkly personal and moving with Cave's deeply emotive vocal delivery and subtle understated piano playing. Both lyrically and musically the song is a touching and at times haunting baring of a soul. The vulnerability goes far beyond moving and is easily one of the most emotionally wrenching songs ever recorded.<br />
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The song works on both a deeply personal level and on a grander all-encompassing level. We may have our differences but don't most of us at least believe in love? Isn't that belief something to build on, to get past that which divides us?<br />
<blockquote>"But I believe in love<br />
And I know that you do too<br />
And I believe we can choose our path<br />
And we can walk down, me and you"</blockquote><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B004ZEWMN0&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-1140122197547447552011-06-30T00:01:00.001-05:002011-06-30T07:25:04.822-05:00Forgotten Music Thursday: I-Ten - Taking a Cold Look (1983)<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4661/635/1600/I-Ten%20Taking%20a%20Cold%20Look.0.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4661/635/200/I-Ten%20Taking%20a%20Cold%20Look.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a> In 1983 songwriters Billy Steinberg (guitar/vocals) and Tom Kelly (guitar/keyboards/vocals) formed the short-lived hard rock/AOR band I-Ten.<br />
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Steinberg and Kelly have quite an impressive resume as songwriters, having penned the hits <em>Alone</em> for Heart and <em>Like a Prayer</em> for Madonna among several others they had significant cred in the music industry.<br />
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Although MTV was still in its infancy, video had already killed the radio star... If this album had been released in the pre-image concious age of music videos, it very likely would have been a hit.<br />
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As it is, 3 of the songs on this album ended up being covered by other bands-- the aforementioned <em>Alone</em> became a hit for Heart, <em>Taking a Cold Look</em> was shortened to <em>Cold Look</em> and covered by Canadian hard rockers, Honeymoon Suite, and<em> I Don't Want to Lose You</em> showed up as a bonus track on REO Speedwagon's <em>The Hits. </em><br />
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The original versions have a certain fire in them that, aside from Heart's <em>Alone, </em>is sorely lacking in the cover versions perpetrated by other artists. Steinberg and Kelly's vocals, while not extraordinary, are certainly of a professional calibre that warrants taking them seriously and giving them further consideration than they ended up receiving.<br />
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This album seems to go in and out of print. When in print it's in the steep but reasonable $20 range (or used for only $12) when out of print I've seen it listing over $100!! I recommend taking advantage of the opportunity to get this album while it's in print at a much more reasonable cost. This album is a musical time capsule of all that was GOOD about music in the early eighties. For the quality of music on this album, it remains somewhat of a mystery to me why I-Ten weren't more well received at the time of this release. If the opportunity to listen to this lost gem ever presents itself to you, by all means open your ears, close your eyes, turn up the volume and enjoy!<br />
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<b>Related Media <br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001O2ZVV6&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></b>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-72299339218119303202011-06-24T00:01:00.001-05:002011-06-24T11:15:14.324-05:00One Track Mind (Squared): Marillion - Kayleigh & Lavender (1985)<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dphpDdfZUGw?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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Much like with tomato soup & grilled cheese sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly, and Queen's <i>We Will Rock You</i> & <i>We Are the Champions</i>, Marillion's <i>Kayleigh</i> & <i>Lavender</i> are inextricably linked. <br />
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Listening to Marillion's <a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2005/11/marillion-misplaced-childhood-1985.html"><i>Misplaced Childhood</i></a> album it's easy to see that this was by design as Mark Kelly's beautiful keyboard solo acts as a segue from <i>Kayleigh</i> into <i>Lavender</i>.<br />
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Both songs are rife with Fish's brilliant image-laden lyrics:<br />
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<blockquote>Do you remember chalk hearts melting on a playground wall?<br />
Do you remember dawn escapes from moon-washed college halls<br />
Do you remember the cherry blossom in the market square?<br />
Do you remember I thought it was confetti in her hair? - <i>Kayleigh</i></blockquote><br />
<blockquote>I was walking in the park dreaming of a spark<br />
When I heard the sprinklers whisper,<br />
Shimmer in the haze of summer lawns.<br />
Then I heard the children singing,<br />
They were running through the rainbows.<br />
They were singing a song for you.<br />
Well it seemed to be a song for you,<br />
the one I wanted to write for you, for you, you. - <i>Lavender<br />
</i></blockquote><br />
Both songs also feature a biting and at times even menacing sarcasm in Fish's vocal delivery that twists and darkens the mood of both songs. <br />
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<blockquote>By the way didn't I break your heart<br />
So sorry, I didn't mean to break your heart... - <i>Kayleigh<br />
</i></blockquote><br />
You can hear the venom dripping from his broken heart. He's been hurt and he wants to hurt the one who hurt him. Anyone who has had a broken heart is familiar with that sentiment and Fish captures it absolutely brilliantly not only in his choice of lyrics but in how he delivers them.<br />
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While <i>Lavender</i> begins with a lighter tone it doesn't last:<br />
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<blockquote>A penny for your thoughts my dear<br />
A penny for your thoughts my dear<br />
I owe you for your love<br />
I owe you for your love- <i>Lavender</i></blockquote><br />
If anything Lavender is even more stark in the difference between the lighter tone of the lyrics vs. the harsher delivery of them. Sung by someone else the song could be considered light and even whimsical. Sung by Fish the connotations behind the lyrics are considerably darker.<br />
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I "discovered" Marillion in 2002. An online friend of mine who shared some of my other musical interests (Chicago and Dream Theater) recommended Marillion to me. I started with <i>Misplaced Childhood</i> and perhaps it was due largely to impeccable timing-- I was going through a rather rough case of heartbreak myself at the time-- but the album really spoke to me... especially <i>Kayleigh</i> and <i>Lavender</i>. Granted the girl who had broken my heart inherited her name from a Barry Manilow song that had been playing in the car when her mother was on the way to the hospital and not the Marillion song-- but the bitterness of both of these songs spoke to me at that point in my life.<br />
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One of the things that I really enjoy about Marillion on the whole is that they twist and turn on its head the negative stereotype that prog-rock is overly technical at the expense of emotion. If Marillion's music is bland and emotionless then I'm a vernicious knid. <br />
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<b>Related Links</b><br />
<a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2005/11/marillion-misplaced-childhood-1985.html">Marillion <i>Misplaced Childhood</i> (1985) review</a>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-52730658446782016982011-06-09T00:01:00.008-05:002011-06-09T08:00:44.006-05:00One Track Mind: Chicago Transit Authority - Introduction (1969)<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YOroWOamrpQ?rel=0" width="480"></iframe></center><br />
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While I'm part of what is considered the "second wave" of Chicago fans in that I became a fan of theirs in the eighties when they were riding high on hits like <em>Hard to Say I'm Sorry, You're the Inspiration, Hard Habit to Break, Will You Still Love Me</em>, and to a lesser extent <em>Look Away, </em>it was inevitably their back catalog that held my interest and kept me a fan all these years later. <br />
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I remember, Christmas 1991. My parents got me my first computer and Chicago's 4 cassette box set, <em>Group Portrait</em>. I was already intimately familiar with everything Chicago had recorded since 1981 (Chicago 16-21) but I was still rather new to their older material. <br />
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I popped in that first casette and was blown away by the opening track, <em>Introduction</em>, which had been the lead track on their debut album back in 1969. Terry Kath's soulful vocals and searing guitar, that wall of brass from the horn section, and a tasteful Lee Loughnane trumpet solo that was followed by a fiery Terry Kath guitar solo. I was hooked!<br />
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About a year and a half after that, the summer of 1993, my father took me to my first Chicago concert at the Starlite Theater in Latham, NY. Latham was about a 3 1/2 hour drive from my hometown. On that tour they were opening their sets with... <em>Introduction</em>. The faces and voices had changed somewhat. Terry Kath had died in 1978, Peter Cetera had left the band in 1985 to pursue a solo career, and drummer Danny Seraphine had unceremoniously and somewhat acrimoniously been fired in 1990. In their places were Bill Champlin (vocals & keys), Dawayne Bailey (guitar & b/g vocals), Jason Scheff (bass & b/g vocals), and Tris Imboden (drums). The horn section was still intact though as was original keyboardist/vocalist, Robert Lamm. <br />
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My father & I made the same pilgrimage in 1994 and I had the joy of meeting many of the members of the band including guitarist Dawayne Bailey, bass player Jason Scheff, trumpet player Lee Loughnane, keyboardist Robert Lamm, trombone player Jimmy Pankow, and the 2 guys who were arguably the most gracious with the fans) trumpet player Lee Loughnane and drummer Tris Imboden. <br />
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Since then my knowledge and familiarity with Chicago has grown substantially. I know their back catalog front, back, left, right, upside down, and inside out. Some of their material has aged well, some has not. But <em>Introduction</em>-- no matter how many times I listen to it, it's like hearing it for the first time all over again. There's a timeless energy to it. That these guys were in their early twenties when they recorded it. None of them had even graduated college that they were able to compose and perform material like this just blew my mind. <br />
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And now whenever I hear that song, my mind goes back to those long road trips with my father (my mother joined us when we went to see them in Saratoga Springs, NY with CSN in 1996 and in Toledo, OH in 1997 when they came to visit me while I was working at Cedar Point Amusement Park. But on both those tours they had dropped <em>Introduction</em> from the setlist).<br />
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I opened with a clip of the original line-up of the band performing the song in 1972. So it seems only fitting that I close with a clip of the band, as I would have seen them in 1993, performing the song in Toronto:<br />
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<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7_gIX2VE7jE?rel=0" width="480"></iframe></center>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-65294410505535197742011-05-26T00:01:00.031-05:002011-05-26T00:01:00.880-05:00Forgotten Music Thursday: Dragon - Body and the Beat (1984)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-SWjNKAroEjvGLlfT5AoOUyH8SY9cE-eHmsa3QLTOVQy8cQT0y2be-rmZB83MXVMD4B_A3FEeTPyCY31igdZFo5V-b1NmIc1rkvEZkst5DBzqmfsYfhOR1tEhIyon7VwGs2h/s1600/dragon-bodybeat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-SWjNKAroEjvGLlfT5AoOUyH8SY9cE-eHmsa3QLTOVQy8cQT0y2be-rmZB83MXVMD4B_A3FEeTPyCY31igdZFo5V-b1NmIc1rkvEZkst5DBzqmfsYfhOR1tEhIyon7VwGs2h/s320/dragon-bodybeat.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div>With the unofficial start of summer looming on the near horizon the time to break out good summer music is upon us.<br />
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Few CDs scream summer to me the way most of the albums Dragon released in the eighties do. I'd argue that no other band captured the overall atmosphere and spirit of summer in musical form the way Dragon did. <br />
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In 1979 after firing vocalist Marc Hunter and trying to continue without him Dragon split up and Marc Hunter released a couple of solo albums (<em>Fiji Bitter</em> and <em>Big City Talk). </em>In the early 80s Dragon decided to have another go at it. They updated their sound a bit and capitalized on the success of Hunter's <em>Big City Talk</em> album and single as the springboard to catapult them back onto the Aussie charts after a four year absence with the single<em> Rain</em>. <br />
<em>Rain </em>was so successful the band headed back to the studio to record a full album leaving enough space to include their latest hit<em>... The Body and the Beat </em>was born. Before even opening the LP, CD, or cassette sleeve the album cover suggests opening the windows to let the summer breeze flow through. <br />
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From the first bars of their hit single <em>Rain </em>through to the closing bars of <em>Fool </em>Dragon gives the listener a full on blast of that summer breeze. The album is further augmented by hits like <em>Cry</em> and <em>Magic</em>. But capturing the overall vibe of summer the best is <em>Cool Down</em>. You can see the heat shimmering off the pavement, the hot sun beating down on you, the sweat forming in droplets on your forehead. This song so perfectly captures the heat of summer that even on the coldest days of winter listening to this song makes me want to crank the AC.<br />
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The upbeat vibe of <em>Promises (So Far Away</em>) captures the magic and fun of summer nights and further establishes the whole summer vibe of the album: <br />
<blockquote>The moon is a sunlight<br />
It shines in the night</blockquote><br />
While it sounds dated today the title track, <em>The Body & the Beat</em> is a fun song with Todd Hunter's solid bass chops taking center stage. The truth is, there's not really a bad track on the album-- there are good ones and great ones. If you can find this classic Aussie gem GET IT save it for a hot summer day, roll down the windows, turn up the volume and enjoy the soundtrack of summer in full force.<br />
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<strong>Related Links & Media</strong><br />
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<a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2011/05/australian-archives-1-dragon.html">Dragon (Australian Archives write-up)</a><br />
<a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2010/01/dragon-o-zambezi-1978.html">Dragon <em>O Zambezi </em>(1978) review</a><br />
<a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2010/03/marc-hunter-communication-1985.html">Marc Hunter <em>Communication</em> (1985) review</a><br />
<a href="http://www.dragononline.com.au/">Dragon (official website)</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_(band)">Dragon (wikipedia entry)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.midoztouch.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=23&Itemid=132&limitstart=5">Dragon (midoztouch.com) - Download their out of print albums in mp3 format</a><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000EO6M5E&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B004ER8C7I&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-10957245061364338372011-05-02T19:00:00.002-05:002011-05-02T22:23:19.464-05:00Australian Archives 1: Dragon<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Information Taken from Wikipedia:</span><br />
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Dragon formed as a prog-rock band in 1972. However the original line-up never released any albums. It was only after bass player, Todd Hunter, brought in his brother, Marc, as a vocalist that the band began to find success.<br />
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In 1974 they released their debut album, <em>Universal Radio</em> in New Zealand and followed it up in 1975 with another prog-rock album-- <em>Scented Gardens for the Blind. </em>While they were successful on the live circuit, their studio albums were met with very little success.<br />
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In 1975 their manager, Graeme Nesbitt, convinced them to go in a more pop-friendly direction and to tackle the Australian market. They brought in keyboardist Paul Hewson who had developed a reputation for being an exceptional songwriter. In 1976 after the release of their first pop single in Australia, <em>This Time</em>, the band was hit with their first setback. Drummer Neil Storey died of a heroin overdose at age 22. Dragon considered disbanding, but again manager Graeme Nesbitt came to the rescue and recommended Kerry Jacobsen as a new drummer.<br />
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The 1975-1979 line-up of Dragon consisting of: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Hunter">Todd Hunter</a>: bass guitar; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Hunter">Marc Hunter</a>: vocals; Paul Hewson: keyboards & vocals; Robert Taylor: guitar; and Kerry Jacobsen: drums brought Dragon their first wave of success with Aussie hit singles <em>April Sun in Cuba, Are You Old Enough, </em>and<em> Still In Love With You </em>from their albums <em>Sunshine, Running Free</em>, and <em><a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2010/01/dragon-o-zambezi-1978.html">O Zambezi</a>.</em><br />
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In 1979 Dragon attempted to break into the US market in a disastrous tour with Johnny Winter in which Marc Hunter nearly incited a riot by referring to a Texas audience as "faggots." Upon their return to Australia the band was forced to fire Marc. His drug abuse was adversely affecting his voice and his brother, Todd, felt that the only way to save Marc from himself was to fire him from the band. <br />
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The band enlisted singer Billy Rogers to replace Marc and brought in violinist, Richard Lee in an attempt to change their sound and direction with their new singer. They released one album, <em>Power Play, </em>that was a commercial flop prompting the band to disband in December of 1979. Meanwhile Marc cleaned himself up and recorded his debut solo album, <em>Fiji Bitter,</em> and scored a minor hit with <em>Island Nights</em>. He followed up <em>Fiji Bitter</em> with <em>Big City Talk</em> in 1981. The title track was a minor hit for him.<br />
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In 1982 Dragon reformed, initially under the auspices of paying off their old debts. Drummer Kerry Jacobsen left for health reasons and was replaced by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Chambers">Terry Chambers</a>. In 1983 Dragon scored a number 2 hit with <em>Rain</em>. In 1984 Dragon saw a return to their late seventies era fame with their <em>Body and the Beat</em> album. Dragon's success was further helped by the success of Marc's 3rd solo album, <em><a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2010/03/marc-hunter-communication-1985.html">Communication</a></em> in 1985. <br />
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Sadly keyboardist and songwriter Paul Hewson left Dragon and died of a drug overdose on January 9, 1985. Drummer Terry Chambers and guitarist Robert Taylor left the band shortly thereafter. Chambers was replaced by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doane_Perry">Doane Perry</a> (currently in Jethro Tull) and Taylor was replaced by Australian guitar ace, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Emmanuel">Tommy Emmanuel</a>. The band brought in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Rundgren">Todd Rundgren</a> to produce their next album, <em>Dreams of Ordinary Men </em>and toured Europe supporting Tina Turner under the name "Hunter" in 1986 (incidentally <em>Dreams of Ordinary Men</em> was released in the US under the band name, Hunter. The US version of the album also included a remix of their 1982 hit <em>Rain</em>).<br />
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The band briefly split up but released <em>Bondi Road</em> in 1988 with guitarist Randall Waller and drummer Barton Price. They continued touring into the 90s with the Hunter brothers, their longtime producer Alan Mansfield, and an ever changing line-up of keyboardists, guitarists, and drummers. <br />
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In 1995 Dragon released <em>Incarnations</em>, an album featuring new arrangements of some of their biggest hits with a litany of notable Australian guest musicians augmenting these adventurous new arrangements.<br />
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In 1997 Marc Hunter was diagnosed with severe oesophageal cancer. Marc underwent a litany of traditional and experimental treatments and his friends in the Australian music industry even performed a couple of concerts to help defer his medical costs. At the first of the benefits, Marc appeared on stage and thanked his fans for coming. For the second benefit he was to ill to attend but sent a video thanking his fans and friends. That concert was released on CD as "The Concert for Marc" and includes a who's who of Australian musicians including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_River_Band">Little River Band</a> vocalist - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Shorrock">Glenn Shorrock</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Crawl">Australian Crawl</a> frontman - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Reyne">James Reyne</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_Oil">Midnight Oil</a> vocalist - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Garrett">Peter Garrett</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Chisel">Cold Chisel</a> vocalist and Australian vocal legend - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Barnes">Jimmy Barnes</a>, Barnes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Chisel">Cold Chisel</a> bandmate guitarist and vocalist - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Moss">Ian Moss</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men_at_Work">Men At Work</a> vocalist - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Hay">Colin Hay</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddy_Cool_(band)">Daddy Cool</a> and later <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondo_Rock">Mondo Rock</a> vocalist - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Wilson_(musician)">Ross Wilson</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Sons">Southern Sons</a> lead vocalist - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irwin_Thomas">Jack Jones</a>, vocalist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Mathews">Wendy Mathews</a>, and even former bandmates guitarists Robert Taylor and Tommy Emmanuel. Sadly Marc Hunter succumbed to his cancer on July 17, 1998.<br />
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In 2005 Todd Hunter reformed Dragon with vocalist/guitarist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Williams_(singer)">Mark Williams</a>, guitarist Bruce Reid, and drummer Peter Drummond. They released the 2 CD <em>Sunshine to Rain</em> in 2006 featuring acoustic arrangements of Dragon's biggest hits and fan favorites performed by the current line-up of the band. On July 1, 2008 Dragon were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. They were joined on stage by Australian Crawl's James Reyne and Cold Chisel's Ian Moss to perform <em>April Sun In Cuba</em> and <em>Rain</em>. In 2009 Dragon released <em>Happy I Am,</em> their first album of original material since 1988's <em>Bondi Road.</em><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/L9SU6fMeZcA?rel=0" width="480"></iframe>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-21475915663008639912011-04-30T07:41:00.000-05:002011-04-30T07:41:54.646-05:00One Track Mind: Steve Lukather - Hate Everything About U (1997)<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IAKBX3ogIaI" width="480"></iframe></center><br />
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In 1997 Steve Lukather released his most raw and personal album to date, <i>Luke</i>. After his then recent divorce <i>Luke</i> was an emotional blood-letting of sorts. <i>Hate Everything About U</i> is perhaps the most heart-wrenching of the songs on the album. <br />
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Employing the same songwriting tool that 10cc did on their hit <i>I'm Not In Love-- </i>repetition. Lukather's repeated claims of hate instead reveal a heartbroken love. Lukather rattles off a litany of reasons for his "hate" that expose his love, regret, and broken heart.<br />
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At the time I first heard this song in 1998, I was still nursing the wounds of a broken heart suffered a few months before this song was a sucker punch to my heart. While the whole album resonated with me <i>Hate Everything About U</i> and <i>Always Be There For Me </i>(but that's another review for another time) hit a particular nerve. And while I've long since moved on I still look back on both of those songs fondly as they helped me get through a bit of a rough patch<br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000003IQA&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-38424439731916855112011-04-28T00:01:00.003-05:002011-04-28T00:01:01.253-05:00Forgotten Music Thursday: The Hounds - Puttin' On the Dog (1979)<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCwPPnHzQPe0Y9FGpr8vl5SkML1o5Nq31CuF_LByJv04jIb7slHsIJxGnp2h0TVZuOse8PuEOk5jzEwWkJCw_dxZRYpEZPQHAbPzjoTb4r1F08HFqJK5csVOLR0eGcg5NRC93/s1600/Puttin+on+the+dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCwPPnHzQPe0Y9FGpr8vl5SkML1o5Nq31CuF_LByJv04jIb7slHsIJxGnp2h0TVZuOse8PuEOk5jzEwWkJCw_dxZRYpEZPQHAbPzjoTb4r1F08HFqJK5csVOLR0eGcg5NRC93/s1600/Puttin+on+the+dog.jpg" /></a></div>In 1979 John Hunter and The Hounds released their second and final album, <em>Puttin' On the Dog</em>. While not as strong or ambitious as their debut, <em><a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2011/03/forgotten-music-thursday-hounds.html">Unleashed</a></em>, their sophomore release has its moments and is still quite enjoyable.<br />
<br />
The album opens with a fun rousing cover of <em>Doo Wah Diddy Diddy. </em>The Hounds interpretation of this rock classic while enjoyable neither takes anything away from nor adds anything to the original version leaving the listener wondering why they bothered covering the song in the first place.<br />
<br />
<em>Angel of Fire</em> is perhaps the best song on the album. It has a fire and energy to it that would not have sounded out of place on their debut and, perhaps more than any other song on the album, it recaptures the overall fun spirit and energy of <em><a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2011/03/forgotten-music-thursday-hounds.html">Unleashed</a></em>. <br />
<br />
Next is yet another cover, this time they decide to tackle the Stones <em>Under My Thumb. </em>And again while an enjoyable cover it neither adds anything to nor takes anything away from the original version. It's slightly more enjoyable than their cover of <em>Do Wah Diddy Diddy</em>.<br />
<br />
Other than <em>Angel of Fire</em>, the next 4 tracks are some of the strongest on the album and are all original songs. Of the four songs (<em>Gotta Find a Way to Meet You</em>, <em>The Moth and the Fire</em>, <em>Workin' On My Cool</em>, and <em>Horses</em>), <em>The Moth and the Fire</em> is the strongest and is easily the 2nd best song on the album.<br />
<br />
The balance of the album is somewhat uneven-- an original tune, <em>Spiders,</em> a cover of The Kinks <em>Who'll Be The Next In Line, </em>and the album closes with a strong finishing track, <em>Along The Lane</em>.<br />
<br />
After further researching this album I noticed that there was a bit of a personnel shift in the band between the 2 albums. Gone were guitarist Jim Orkis and drummer John Horvath and in their place were guitarist Donald Griffin and drummer Michael Neff. Given the general uninspired "going through the motions" vibe of the album I'm left wondering if the personnel change was prompted not by Hunter or anyone in the band but by record label executives or producer Jeffrey Lesser. The absence of Orkis was especially noticeable as Orkis had co-written 4 of the songs on <em><a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2011/03/forgotten-music-thursday-hounds.html">Unleashed</a></em>. Perhaps the 3 covers are the result of the absence of Orkis and the corollary lack of his creative input in the songwriting process. <br />
<br />
If you've heard and enjoyed <em><a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2011/03/forgotten-music-thursday-hounds.html">Unleashed</a></em> chances are you'll also enjoy <em>Puttin' On the Dog</em>... You just won't enjoy it quite as much. If <em><a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2011/03/forgotten-music-thursday-hounds.html">Unleashed</a></em> was a feast, <em>Puttin' On the Dog</em> is the microwave reheated leftovers of that feast you have for lunch the next day.<br />
<br />
<strong>Related Links</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.box.net/shared/m5xnhdn308">The Hounds <em>Puttin' On the Dog</em></a>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-22205598657538278782011-04-14T00:01:00.004-05:002012-06-08T13:42:47.463-05:00One Track Mind: Toto - I'll Be Over You (1986)<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8u1u3Q-G5xI" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></center><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>I'll Be Over You</em><br />
by: Steve Lukather & Randy Goodrum<br />
<br />
Some people live their dreams</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Some people close their eyes</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Some people's destiny</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Passes by</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">There are no guarantees</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">There are no alibis</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">That's how our love must be</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Don't ask why</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">It takes some time</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">God knows how long</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I know that I can forget you</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">As soon as my heart stops breaking</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Anticipating</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">As soon as forever is through</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I'll be over you</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember in times gone by</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Promises we once made</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">What are the reasons why</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nothing stays the same</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">There were the nights</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Holding you close</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Someday I'll try to forget them</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">As soon as my heart stops breaking</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Anticipating</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">As soon as forever is through</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I'll be over you</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">As soon as my heart stops breaking</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Anticipating</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Someday I'll be over you</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> As soon as my heart stops breaking</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Anticipating</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Someday I'll be over you</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">As soon as my heart...</span></blockquote>While not as successful as 1982's mega hits <em>Africa</em> & <em>Rosanna, </em>Toto enjoyed modest success with 1985's <em>I'll Be Over You</em>. The song tugs at the heart strings a bit. Having my heart put through the wringer a few times over the years this song has provided a comfort to me on those ocassions when the wounds of heartbreak were still fresh. Those moments, fresh out of a relationship you didn't want to end when you don't think you'll ever feel that way again. Most of us are familiar with these feelings. The song has been sung millions of times with millions of different lyrics but the sentiment rings true for different people in different variations. Some might argue there's little that sets this song apart from all of those other songs that share the same sentiments. I'd argue there's a lot to be said for the delivery and the performance of the lyrics and that's where Toto comes through in spades.<br />
<br />
There's a natural progression to the song where it shifts from "As soon as forever is through" to "Someday I'll be over you." that mimics the progression we go through as we get over loves lost and allow ourselves to open up to the possibility of new love.<br />
<br />
This song has aged considerably better than some of Toto's other songs from the eighties. Over the years the band has offered alternative arrangements of the song to keep it fresh (including a beautiful and stirring acoustic version on the 1999 tour). Steve Lukather's soulful vocals are a perfect fit for the song.<br />
<br />
If you've "been there" and "done that"-- chances are this song song will speak to you as well.Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-77849687492388780172011-03-31T00:01:00.020-05:002011-04-27T15:04:05.572-05:00Forgotten Music Thursday: The Hounds - Unleashed (1978)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2GsRteMlDayqedqAcYgyqqUZ6Aw3LBi5pHkGnzPQmBGa0njW2L88MJsT-7C2GE7dFakO4HUBRJ9aL3dZEpUVmXoULzWY6TNHXkJQ0fV-4aEEEU1JemUkt050YYe9P2O08mnv/s1600/hounds-unleashed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2GsRteMlDayqedqAcYgyqqUZ6Aw3LBi5pHkGnzPQmBGa0njW2L88MJsT-7C2GE7dFakO4HUBRJ9aL3dZEpUVmXoULzWY6TNHXkJQ0fV-4aEEEU1JemUkt050YYe9P2O08mnv/s320/hounds-unleashed.jpg" width="314px" /></a></div>It's 1977. You're at Just Angels Lounge in Harvey, IL. The floors are sticky and the stench of cigarettes & stale beer hangs like a fog in the air. You're packed like a sardine with the rest of the standing room only crowd near the restrooms where the ammonia stench of the urinal cakes has your eyes watering. The bar is packed and the audience is waiting for The Hounds to take the stage. <br />
<br />
The Hounds were a mainstay of the south-suburban Chicago bar scene in the late seventies. Led by the charismatic keyboardist/vocalist, John Hunter the Hounds performed a lively brand of late seventies hard rock with tinges of glam mixed in.<br />
<br />
Hunter would take the stage dressed in a silver jacket, ratty old jeans, and a handcuff dangling from his right wrist. And given their local popularity the Hounds played to packed houses.<br />
<br />
Truth be told, I'd never heard of these guys until quite recently. A colleague of mine had the pleasure of seeing the Hounds live in the late seventies before they signed their recording contract. <br />
<br />
After a bit of investigation I found a high quality rip from vinyl of <em>Unleashed</em>. From the opening bars I felt my feet sticking to the floor, my eyes watering from that ammonia urinal cake stench, I smelled the cigarettes and stale beer. I was instantly transported back to the Just Angels Lounge.<br />
<br />
The Hounds were a band that wore their influences somewhat on their sleeves but mixed those influences together in a way that was distinctly their own... Whether it's the Mott the Hoople tinged <em>When the Boppers Turn to Rockers </em>the suggestions of David Bowie on <em>Janeane Tangerine</em> or even John Hunter channeling Mick Jagger on <em>I'll Be Your Magic Man</em> you get a fun album full of delightful seventies musical influences.<br />
<br />
After listening to this I find it a pity that the Hounds only released 2 albums (<em>Unleashed</em> and <em>Puttin' On the Dog</em>) and unfortunately they never released any live albums. While <em>Unleashed </em>is thoroughly enjoyable it only hints at the band's showmanship. It lacks the energy and the chemistry between the band and the audience that was present in their live shows.<br />
<br />
That being said, if you're looking for an excellent sample of late seventies hard rock nostalgia you really can't do much better than <em>Unleashed. </em>Try it, you won't be disappointed.<br />
<br />
<b>Related Links:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0T9X2QEG">The Hounds <i>Unleashed</i> (download the album)</a><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000YMEOY2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-23334521524602930662011-03-18T00:01:00.005-05:002011-03-18T13:23:22.639-05:00One Track Mind: Jim Steinman - Left In the Dark (1981)Jim Steinman first came to fame as Meat Loaf's songwriting collaborator on Meat Loaf's <em>Bat Out of Hell</em> album in 1977. After a rigorous touring schedule Meat Loaf literally lost his voice. Frustrated and growing impatient, Steinman soldiered on without Meat Loaf recording and releasing <em>Bad For Good</em> in 1981. <br />
<br />
While <em>Left In the Dark</em> was later covered by Barbra Streisand and Meat Loaf, I still prefer Steinman's version over either Streisand's or Meat Loaf's. Much of this is due to Steinman's spoken word intro which was missing to the later covers. Steinman's delivery which comes across as menacingly painful. The sound of a man so hurt and wronged he doesn't know whether to lash out at his lover or curl into a ball and block out the world:<br />
<blockquote>Where did you touch him?<br />
And how did it feel?<br />
How did you let it begin?<br />
What did he whisper?<br />
When did you cry?<br />
And where do you think it will end?<br />
How long did you do it? <br />
Why did you stop?<br />
Did you get to try anything new?<br />
How good was he honest?<br />
And where did you go?<br />
And who made the very first move?</blockquote>Steinman's version also excels in his vocal delivery. There's no arguing that he lacks the range of both Meat Loaf and Streisand, often struggling to hit the same notes they both hit with ease. But his struggles to hit some of the notes come across as emotional pain that add to the song's effectiveness, as if he's struggling to fight back the tears of the cuckolded and jilted lover.<br />
<br />
The strings and piano add to the heart-wrenching pain of the lyrics which are some of Steinman's best: <br />
<blockquote>There are no lies on your body<br />
So take off your dress<br />
I just wanna get at the truth</blockquote>You can hear the struggle between love, pain, and hate expertly conveyed not just by Steinman's brilliant flair for lyrics but in that anthemic over the top delivery that are a trademark of so many of Steinman's songs.<br />
<br />
All in all, <em>Left In the Dark</em>, is one of the most emotive and heart-wrenchingly beautifully written and performed songs I have ever heard. But don't take my word for it, let the song speak for itself.<br />
<br />
<strong>Song Download from Amazon<em> </em></strong>(note, the song is mislabeled as "Medley" on Amazon.com)<br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B00138FGNY&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-71865229475138542362011-02-24T00:01:00.000-06:002011-02-23T22:20:17.478-06:00Forgotten Music Thursday: Hunters & Collectors - Juggernaut (1998)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsG_qilBhyVLnrsbP2qiM_RN-VuKucWGczkQ06XGwYnVxQQBMFvaUrI1X-LTyWistVXPYJWF27QaAL0pOe_axExJer7GEHP0MD0AY08BQFQFWiRW6ffI3OtEH2gng6mdHGNfsG/s1600-h/Hunters+and+Collectors+Juggernaut.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5034557829251364994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsG_qilBhyVLnrsbP2qiM_RN-VuKucWGczkQ06XGwYnVxQQBMFvaUrI1X-LTyWistVXPYJWF27QaAL0pOe_axExJer7GEHP0MD0AY08BQFQFWiRW6ffI3OtEH2gng6mdHGNfsG/s320/Hunters+and+Collectors+Juggernaut.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a>Several Australian bands tried to crack the U.S. market. Only a small handful (INXS, Midnight Oil, Little River Band, AC/DC, Crowded House, and the Bee Gees kinda sorta) were successful in that endeavour.<br />
<br />
Much to our detriment, one of the groups whose attempt to crack the US market was met with little or no success was Hunters & Collectors-- a gritty pub rock band with a horn section.<br />
<br />
Early on Hunters & Collectors were driven largely by their rhythm section-- John Archer on bass and Doug Falconer on drums and the gritty vocals of Mark Seymour. As the years progressed the bands music grew increasingly more accessible, the horn section became a stronger component of the band's sound and Mark Seymour really came into his own not just as a vocalist but also as a singer.<br />
<br />
In 1998 the band decided they'd broken all the new ground they could. They entered the studio for one final studio album-- <span style="font-style: italic;">Juggernaut</span> and a farewell tour (Juggernaut - Say Goodbye 1998).<br />
<br />
While not as commercially succecssful as 1993's <span style="font-style: italic;">Cut </span>or 1994's Demon Flower-- <span style="font-style: italic;">Juggernaut</span> is easily Hunters & Collectors most accessible album. While their earlier material certainly had an audience, many found it to be a little TOO adventurous and at times a bit too pretentious in its adventurousness.<br />
<br />
While this album lacks any real stand-out tracks it also lacks "filler" material. It's a consistent and strong and respectable album from start to finish.<br />
<br />
There's something imminently enjoyable about hearing the horns "dancing" with Seymour's smooth vocals on <span style="font-style: italic;">True Believers</span>, the infectious groove of <span style="font-style: italic;">Higher Plane</span>, and the classic H&C sound of <span style="font-style: italic;">When You Fall</span> which recalls the stylings of much of the "Hunnas" earlier material.<br />
<br />
If you're looking for something a little bit different, an exit just far enough the main highways of music to be both enjoyable and accessible... This final farewell from a band that decided to burn out rather than fade away is well worth a few spins on your CD player.<br />
<br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0000B00I7&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-38844365097099003622011-01-27T00:01:00.000-06:002011-01-27T07:02:50.630-06:00Forgotten Music Thursday: John Barry - Themependium (2007)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2lL7rY0xw_ZS6w588mdirmCKgWobik9dK0mL3oJFxUYE18gPC7rH7Kdh_x5pSQaYzTCi3KcFgmKGco4sO455fdqGLuk7R_S_SCRIWy24Z6ZF2Bp7cuVeHiic66rlLnE1kgoH/s1600/c+o+v+e+r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2lL7rY0xw_ZS6w588mdirmCKgWobik9dK0mL3oJFxUYE18gPC7rH7Kdh_x5pSQaYzTCi3KcFgmKGco4sO455fdqGLuk7R_S_SCRIWy24Z6ZF2Bp7cuVeHiic66rlLnE1kgoH/s320/c+o+v+e+r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>With a career spanning over 5 decades, John Barry has made a name for himself as one of the most in demand film score composers-- perhaps only second to John Williams. <br />
<br />
Included in this exceptional box set are not only Barry's more well known works for the Bond films (including the signature theme) but also material from his Oscar winning scores for <em>Born Free, Out of Africa, The Lion In Winter, </em>& <em>Dances With Wolves. </em><br />
<br />
The set is rounded out by a handful of some of Barry's lesser known works including TV themes and material from his scores for <em>Raise the Titanic </em>(easily the best part of this Golden Razzie winner of a bomb), <em>Somewhere In Time</em> (the hauntingly beautiful theme that yanks on the heartstrings and some might argue is more memorable than the film) not to mention material from <em>Day of the Locusts</em>, <em>Body Heat</em>, <em>Frances, Peggy Sue Got Married</em> and many more. For fans of film scores this is a must have as Barry's scores were so brilliant they at times were even superior to the films he was scoring (<em>Raise the Titanic </em>and <em>Frances</em> are cases in point).<br />
<br />
While it could be argued that much of the material on this box set is well known (the Bond themes in particular) much of it is not. And pulled from the context of the movies and shows the music is taken from, much of the "forgotten" and even some of the more well known gems are what stand out the most as they are strong enough to stand on their own even without the films they are from as a frame of reference. <br />
<br />
There's a distinct and haunting beauty to much of Barry's work. Considering the length, scope, and breadth of Barry's career a single CD collection would not do him justice. This box set is an excellent place to start delving into Barry's extensive body of work and could conceivably inspire the listener to delve deeper into some of the full scores that are merely hinted at in this set.<br />
<br />
<strong>Related Links</strong><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Barry_(composer)">John Barry (wikipedia)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.johnbarry.org.uk/">John Barry - The Man With the Midas Touch</a><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000NDJGC2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-44621714568227944812010-11-25T00:01:00.095-06:002010-11-25T08:10:32.510-06:00Forgotten Music Thursday: Jimmy Barnes - s/t (1985 - US) )For the Working Class Man (1985 - Australia)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQs57UiOAhM_j9kOkCe8mH0iszuktJqJnuqfVfj7INBrA_EHDCx_qvULjnpCfFyCHpxadb3k-1srm-v9f1mgmlgddJBF78SePmSNiY48H17KDT9B5npuVmaidcOePD517uTags/s1600/jimmy_barnes_for_the_working_class_man_FRONT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQs57UiOAhM_j9kOkCe8mH0iszuktJqJnuqfVfj7INBrA_EHDCx_qvULjnpCfFyCHpxadb3k-1srm-v9f1mgmlgddJBF78SePmSNiY48H17KDT9B5npuVmaidcOePD517uTags/s320/jimmy_barnes_for_the_working_class_man_FRONT.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The combination of 14 Australian Top 40 albums for <a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/search/label/Cold%20Chisel">Cold Chisel</a> and 13 charting solo albums, including nine No. 1s, gives <a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/search/label/Jimmy%20Barnes">Jimmy Barnes</a> the highest number of hit albums of any Australian artist. Yet in the United States, Barnes is virtually unknown.<br />
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In 1985 <a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/search/label/Jimmy%20Barnes">Jimmy Barnes</a>, took another stab at the US market, this time as a solo artist. His band, <a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/search/label/Cold%20Chisel">Cold Chisel</a> had, at best, a lukewarm reception when they'd attempted to crack the American market a few years earlier.<br />
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Unfortunately, largely due to poor timing, Barnes was met with a similar lack of enthusiasm on his solo attempt. While he was arguably far more talented than Bryan Adams, his music was far too similar to that of the Canadian rocker who had beat him to the punch for people to take much notice.<br />
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Luckily for Barnes the album was a smash hit that went multi-platinum outside the United States and even yielded 1998, 2003, and 25th anniversary (2010) re-releases in Australia. <em>Working Class Man</em> (penned by Journey keyboardist and the album's co-producer, Jonathan Cain) was even used in the American film <em>Gung-Ho </em>(featuring actor Michael Keaton). The title song was so popular in Australia that the film was re-titled <em>Working Class Man</em> for its Australian release. <br />
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Incidentally Cain thought so highly of Barnes that he approached him about possibly replacing Steve Perry in Journey. An offer which Barnes thankfully politely declined.<br />
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The album features some solid blues tinged rockers that have aged far better than much of the material from the eighties. While the track order was changed substantially for the re-releases the album is equally enjoyable whether the songs are listened to in the American track order:<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-small;">1. <i>No Second Prize</i> (Barnes)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">2. <i>I'd Die To Be With You Tonight</i> (Sandford)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">3. <i>Working Class Man</i> (Cain)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">4. <i>Promise Me You'll Call</i> (Barnes)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">5. <i>Boys Cry Out For War</i> (Barnes)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">6. <i>Paradise</i> (Barnes)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">7. <i>Without Your Love</i> (Arnott, Barnes)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">8. <i>American Heartbeat</i> (Cain)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">9. <i>Thick Skinned</i> (Arnott, Barnes)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">10. <i>Ride The Night Away</i> (Jordan, Little Steven)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">11. <i>Daylight</i> (Barnes)</span></blockquote>Or with the Australian track order:<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-small;">1. <i>I'd Die To Be With You Tonight</i> (Sandford)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">2. <i>Ride The Night Away</i> (Jordan, Little Steven)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">3. <i>American Heartbeat</i> (Cain)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">4. <i>Working Class Man</i> (Cain)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">5. <i>Without Your Love</i> (Arnott, Barnes)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">6. <i>No Second Prize</i> (Barnes)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">7. <i>Vision</i> (Barnes) (Bonus track not on original release)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">8. <i>Promise Me You'll Call</i> (Barnes)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">9. <i>Boys Cry Out For War</i> (Barnes)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">10. <i>Daylight</i> (Barnes)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">11. <i>Thick Skinned</i> (Arnott, Barnes)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">12. <i>Paradise</i> (Barnes)</span></blockquote>Admittedly the first time I heard Jimmy Barnes voice (his duet with fellow Aussie vocalist, John Farnham, <em>When Something Is Wrong With My Baby</em>) I was not a fan. His rasp grated on my nerves. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Barnes voice had snuck under my skin and started to fester. Over time a voice that I once found grating I've grown to absolutely love. <br />
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While some might argue that Barnes is best enjoyed within the confines of Cold Chisel, I'd counter that his solo material challenges that argument quite convincingly. While his solo material is not necessarily superior to his material with Cold Chisel it is certainly on the same level of quality. If Barnes voice doesn't grab you at first, give it time. He has a swagger to him that demands to be noticed and inevitably enjoyed.<br />
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There's an easy enjoyability to this album from start to finish. The album is augmented by guest contributions including late 70s/early 80s pop chanteuse Kim Carnes, the aforementioned Jonathan Cain, and the highly respected Aussie vocalist Renee Geyer.<br />
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In hindsight I can understand why, within the context of the mid-eighties, this album failed to generate a stir in America. However, at the same time, I'd argue this album has aged far better than many of the albums that were far more popular at the time of its release. It lacks the oversynthesized keyboard saturation that was so prevelant on other releases from that era that was so welcome at the time but now makes those releases sound so dated. The tracks written and produced by Jonathan Cain even show him exhibiting far more restraint with Barnes than he exhibited in Journey. (**** out of 5)<br />
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<strong>Related Links & Media</strong><br />
<em>Working Class Man </em>video (Australian)<br />
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<i>Working Class Man</i> video (American)<br />
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<em>I'd Die To Be With You Tonight </em>video<br />
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<em>Ride The Night Away </em>video<em> </em><br />
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<em>Boys Cry Out For War </em>video<br />
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<em>No Second Prize </em>video<br />
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<i>Daylight</i> video<br />
<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eQTKSdj3A2g?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eQTKSdj3A2g?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<a href="http://www.jimmybarnes.com/">Jimmy Barnes (official site)</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Barnes">Jimmy Barnes (wikipedia)</a><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0000A2XQD&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0000CESUA&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-67567157382676893692010-11-04T00:01:00.002-05:002010-11-23T11:45:01.585-06:00Steve Lukather - All's Well That Ends Well (2010)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgg0U8YsZIObES0fNRgM1UwiJwUJjoUFtk2R-tRJC26kHM5c-NrwGbWdqSXKxhBIPDA9NQk0Q_1f3t3g6I-rdl_VThgKbmlsSh427Gh25wSlXyA1YnAf_abO3r5ugLB9kE3Mj/s1600/AllsWellThatEndsWell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgg0U8YsZIObES0fNRgM1UwiJwUJjoUFtk2R-tRJC26kHM5c-NrwGbWdqSXKxhBIPDA9NQk0Q_1f3t3g6I-rdl_VThgKbmlsSh427Gh25wSlXyA1YnAf_abO3r5ugLB9kE3Mj/s320/AllsWellThatEndsWell.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In his latest outing Steve Lukather shows he's still at the top of his game. While his last album, <i>Ever Changing Times</i>, was thoroughly enjoyable; <i>All's Well That Ends Well</i>, shows that Lukather is at his best when he's at his most personal. Much like with his 1997 album, <i>Luke</i>, Lukather gets a bit more personal than on his other solo releases. <br />
<br />
The album opens with <i>Darkness In My World</i>. The opening is somewhat ambient in nature until almost two minutes into the song when Lukather shifts gears with an infectious rhythm groove. This is one of the more melodic examples of AOR I've heard in awhile. Despite the advent of iTunes and single-serving music, Lukather proves album oriented music still has its place.<br />
<br />
<i>On My Way Home</i> sounds like it wouldn't have been out of place on <i>Ever Changing Times</i>. The style is reminiscent of that album. Lukather has said that this album is a continuation of that album and <i>On My Way Home</i> is certainly a track that bridges the styles of the two different albums together. The vocals are tight and the song has those trademark jazz fusion influences that Lukather is known for. The guitar solo hints to one of Lukather's influences and close friends, Larry Carlton. <br />
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<i>Can't Look Back</i> is Lukather's look back at looking forward in his life. The song captures Lukather's nature of restlessness. He's been a perpetually active musician since before Toto's inception in 1977 between touring, recording, and doing sessions at a pace that would drive many of us to exhaustion. The song features a soulful guitar solo, the kind Lukather has come to be known for. <br />
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<i>Don't Say It's Over </i>is one of Lukather's trademark ballads<i> </i>lyrically reminiscent of Toto's <i>I'll Be Over You</i> but musically it completely fits into the musical jigsaw of this album. <br />
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<i>Flash In the Pan</i> is a hard driving rocker displaying Lukather's trademark lack of restraint. The song is balls to the wall from start to finish. One of the more amusing and fun songs on the album.<br />
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<i>Watching the World </i>displays Luke's growing disenfranchisement with the political establishment and the general state of the world. "Sitting here watchin' the world, fallin' apart, oh, what can you do?, Standing in the shadows of lies and deceivers, When does it end?"<br />
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<i>You'll Remember </i>can best be described as a fusion rocker. It would not have sounded out of place on <i>Ever Changing Times</i> and is one of the "common threads" that ties this album to its predecessor. The guitars and vocals are definitely pop rock, but the keyboards and rhythm speak more to Luke's fusion influences.<br />
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<i>Brodie's </i>has a bad-ass blues vibe it's the pissed off bitter counterpoint to the more melancholy <i>Watching the World</i>. The lyrics are fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) have a fair share of pop-cultural references to big-screen TVs and Facebook pages. It makes the song prescient for our times but over time will likely "date" the song to this era.<br />
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The album closes with the instrumental fusion rocker, <i>Tumescent</i> (You've got to love Luke's highbrow sophomoric sense of humor-- great song title for an instrumental piece!).<br />
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From start to finish the album is one of Lukather's best. Mixing the polish of 2008's <i>Ever Changing Times </i>with the dark personal vibe of 1997's <i>Luke</i> for an album that works on many levels.<br />
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<b>Related Links</b><br />
<i>All's Well That Ends Well</i> promo video clip<br />
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<a href="http://www.stevelukather.net/">Steve Lukather (official site)</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Lukather">Steve Lukather (wikipedia)</a><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0047YO3LM&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B003YFDGF4&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-1135811210125183752010-10-28T00:01:00.001-05:002010-10-28T07:07:38.502-05:00Forgotten Music Thursday: Brian Vander Ark - Resurrection (2004)<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4661/635/1600/Vander%20Ark.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4661/635/320/Vander%20Ark.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a> It was once said of Billy Joel that his mass appeal is due to his ability to write songs which can be so personal and individual for so many different people. Each of his songs can conceivably mean something different to every listener. Where Billy Joel has left off, others have risen to the challenge of writing songs that have that similar mass appeal. Brian Vander Ark is such a singer and his album, <em>Resurrection</em> shows some of the best material of one of the best singer/songwriters of his generation, picking up the torch left by the likes of Elton John, Billy Joel, and Bruce Springsteen, but with a style all his own.<br />
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Despite the success of their 1997 hit <em>The Freshman</em> few people (outside of Michigan at least) are familiar with The Verve Pipe in general and the songwriting talents of their lead singer, Brian Vander Ark in particular.<br />
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While the Verve Pipe didn't grab me at first, there's no denying that Vander Ark's songwriting has only improved with each successive album. His solo album, <em>Resurrection</em>, follows in the natural progression of the Verve Pipe's 2000 release, <em><a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2005/11/verve-pipe-underneath.html#comments">Underneath</a></em>. The two albums make excellent companions to one another.<br />
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The opening track, <em>1229 Sheffield</em> has some of Vander Ark's more clever turns of phrase:<br />
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<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">Returning our bottles for ten cent deposits</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">I'll drink us two dollars more...</span></em><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><em>The pet names you once gave me, w</em><em>e soon gave to the pets</em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">I still come when you call them, just to be sure</span></em><br />
<em></em><br />
There's a naked honesty to Vander Ark's songwriting that some may describe as "angsty" but to pigeonhole it would do it a great disservice. Another highlight to the album, <em>And Then You Went Away</em> probably best captures Vander Ark's "heart-on-the-sleeve" angst:<br />
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<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">You hung your favorite picture so you could see it everyday</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">Then you went away, then you want away</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">It's by the window garden you said you'd water everyday</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">Then you went away, then you went away...</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">Slipped on the velvet curtains you had custom made</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">Then you went away, then you went away</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">And there's my new best friend, the one you took in as a stray</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">Then you went away, then you went away</span></em><br />
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Much like many of his Verve Pipe songs, there's a common theme of the evolution of relationships-- people growing together, growing apart, and the circumstances we face in relationships and the effect those events have on the relationship-- sometimes making it stronger, other times tearing it apart. This theme, tackled initially on the opening track, <em>1229 Sheffield</em> is revisited on <em>Mileage:</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">Pass by the high school</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">A memory rerun</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">When I was seventeen couldn't wait for twenty-one</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">I pass by the church</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">Where I married you</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">When you were twenty-one and I was twenty-two...</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">So I speed past the building</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">I always wanted to</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">Since I was twenty-one, almost twenty two</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">If I'd had the nerve</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">I'd have quit there before</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: 85%;">You turned twenty-three and couldn't take me there any more...</span></em><br />
<em></em><br />
The album as a whole is Vander Ark at his very best. His voice is soothing and consistently interesting. The songs never falter, there's not a "weak" or "skippable" song on the CD-- if anything most songs fall victim to the repeat button and with each new listen provide the listener with the gift of a new perspective. This is an album that only improves with each listen. So listen and enjoy!Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-75591628742289447392010-10-15T21:00:00.001-05:002010-10-15T21:00:00.743-05:00Steve Hackett - Out of the Tunnel's Mouth (2010)<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIU6tapRzMu8hcij5hB8eyjxSDCSqI88IQsHwT5sclo85r2983aOii1TZzafrPKduPFbgXoWlDONt84Fso1UCO3OLBzrwViT3DqHh67FVqLgi3xuPI0TDBIU4PWagje4yqptm/s1600/Steve+Hackett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIU6tapRzMu8hcij5hB8eyjxSDCSqI88IQsHwT5sclo85r2983aOii1TZzafrPKduPFbgXoWlDONt84Fso1UCO3OLBzrwViT3DqHh67FVqLgi3xuPI0TDBIU4PWagje4yqptm/s320/Steve+Hackett.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Every once in awhile a song, an album, or even just a simple solo-- be it vocal, guitar, keyboard, or some other instrument will send chills up and down my spine. Admittedly that hasn't happened in a long time. There have been albums I've enjoyed. And while I've dared music and musicians to wow me it's been quite awhile since I've been gobsmacked by an album. Steve Hackett gave me a much needed and long overdue musical sucker punch with his latest release.<br />
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While not as well established or known as his former bandmates, Steve Hackett has developed a respectable and devoted cult following since his departure from Genesis following their <em>Wind & Wuthering</em> album in 1977. <br />
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In the years since his departure from Genesis, Hackett has explored several different musical styles-- classical, flamenco, world music, jazz, and even the prog rock that he'd come to be known for in his five years with Genesis.<br />
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Of all of the albums that he has recorded since his debut, <em>Voyage of the Acolyte</em>, none of them has married all of the music styles that he drew upon for influence as well as <em>Out of the Tunnel's Mouth. </em>The Genesis influences are unmistakable and it leaves one wondering if this album is what Genesis might sound like today had Hackett been the driving creative force in the band instead of Banks, Rutherford, and Collins. Incidentally, the album also features Hackett's predecessor, Anthony Phillips, playing 12 string guitar.<br />
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The album starts with the hauntingly beautiful, <em>Fire On the Moon</em>, there's a dark haunting quality in the opening of the song thanks to the music box that complements Hackett's guitar and vocals throughout the song. At about 1:10 the song shifts from haunting to transcendent and majestic before shifting back to haunting at 1:37. The song shifts back and forth between haunting and majestic throughout. Hackett's vocals are reminiscent of Pink Floyd's, Roger Waters and David Gilmour. The guitar solo that comes in at 2:46 is one of the most emotive solos Hackett has recorded since <em>Firth of Fifth </em>on Genesis <em>Selling England By the Pound</em>. Hackett graces the song with a second guitar solo starting at 4:36 that picks up where the first had left off at 3:25. There is a beautiful keyboard piece that dances around Hackett's guitar solos. It never over-powers the guitar it merely accents the better elements of Hackett's fretwork.<br />
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<em>Nomads</em> starts with a brilliant flamenco flavored acoustic guitar solo that further showcases Hackett's versatility. As with <em>Fire On the Moon</em> the vocals on <em>Nomads</em> are more used like an instrument than for lyrical effect. Heck the phone book could be sung to the same melody and make the song just as satisfying. That being said the lyrics are well written and certainly leave some of Hackett's fans wondering why Banks, Rutherford, and Collins didn't utilize Hackett's talents more when they had the opportunity to do so. The flamenco guitar resumes at 2:45 into the song before Hackett switches from the acoustic flamenco to his trademark electric guitar at 3:07 for another brilliant solo that is nearly as enjoyable as the solos in <em>Fire On the Moon</em>.<br />
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The style and mood of the album shifts from the light and airy flamenco tinged <em>Nomads</em> to the pastoral prog-rock vibe of <em>Emerald and Ash</em>, a song that would not have sounded out of place on a Caravan album back in the seventies. The song is chocked full of imagery. The song is also colored with some beautiful sax playing by Rob Townsend. This song also features not only Hackett on electric guitar but Anthony Phillips on 12-string acoustic guitar. The two former Genesis guitarists sound absolutely brilliant together.<br />
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<em>Tubehead</em> is a more straight ahead instrumental rocker with Yes's Chris Squire guesting on some frenetic bass playing. Where the previous material was lighter and more relaxed. <em>Tubehead</em> has a dark crunchy edge and plays like a train running full speed ahead.<br />
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The mood shifts to somber and melancholy on <em>Sleepers</em>. Much like with <em>Fire On The Moon</em>, <em>Nomads</em>, and <em>Emerald and Ash</em> there's a haunting beauty to <em>Sleepers </em>making for yet another brilliant track on an album that had already been consistently brilliant. The mood on the song shifts from melancholic to dark and sinister at 4:53. If ever there was a song that screamed of Halloween, <em>Sleepers</em> is it. Hackett's guitar playing evokes spooky haunted houses on chilly fall evenings.<br />
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<em>Ghost In the Glass</em> has a light jazz fusion vibe to it. The percussion suggests a dimly lit jazz club after closing. The acoustic guitar work of Anthony Phillips gives way to the haunting electric work of Hackett whose electric playing is augmented by a string section of violins and violas. Much like the keyboard work on <em>Fire On the Moon</em> the additional strings accent Hackett's guitar playing.<br />
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<em>Still Waters</em> is deceiving in its title as it has a rolling blues vibe to it adding yet another musical style this already musically diverse album. <br />
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The album closes with <em>Last Train to Istanbul </em>which has more than subtle hints of Middle Eastern influence. You can hear the train chugging along at a moderate but steady pace through the Turkish countryside. There is a lot going on in the song and it's easily the "busiest" song on the album. With so many different styles coming into play and so many different influences you can listen to the song multiple times and hear something new and different each time. <br />
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What makes <em>Out of the Tunnel's Mouth</em> so enjoyable from start to finish is its accessibility. Not all of Hackett's explorations into other musical styles have come together as well as this album. Despite featuring so many different musical styles there is a cohesiveness to the album. All of the songs sound like they belong on the same album. And all of the songs, despite the myriad of different styles, are distinctly Steve Hackett. I'm willing to go out on a limb here and say this is the best solo album of any member of Genesis past or present and better than any of the albums Genesis has recorded since Hackett's departure (Five out of Five Stars... or if you prefer a PERFECT TEN on a scale of 1 to 10!)<br />
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<strong>Related Links</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.hackettsongs.com/">Steve Hackett (official site)</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Hackett">Steve Hackett (wikipedia)</a><br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B003P0L8VW&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-72912031693565085632010-10-10T17:44:00.001-05:002010-10-10T17:46:26.519-05:00Black Country Communion - Black Country (2010)<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRKrZwsNRfPzSJ82_v_9afl4GOjsXRojwQ1ihiIG6jzULqhSwrvShbd0_zYHuaDHlECgaiNWg2J5cKlFrXy5eSZi9CGvBOAFhWbXZHogmTnivBIa6xw3ZExz_12VSpLAob0Vs/s1600/folder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRKrZwsNRfPzSJ82_v_9afl4GOjsXRojwQ1ihiIG6jzULqhSwrvShbd0_zYHuaDHlECgaiNWg2J5cKlFrXy5eSZi9CGvBOAFhWbXZHogmTnivBIa6xw3ZExz_12VSpLAob0Vs/s320/folder.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Sometimes music jumps out and grabs you on the first listen, other times it merely plants a seed that slowly grows inside you. <em>Black Country</em> is an interesting mix of songs that do both. <br />
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The opening title track, <em>Black Country</em>, grabs the listener and holds on tight with Glenn Hughes vocals and driving bass along with Jason Bonham's exceptional drumming leading the way for much of the song with Joe Bonamassa playing some solid guitar throughout. This is the perfect opening track for the album as it is a force unto itself. Hughes vocals are just as powerful as they were in his days in Deep Purple.<br />
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<em>One Last Soul</em> was the lead single released in mid-August. While catchy with some killer vocals by Hughes, it's actually one of the weaker tracks on the album. It lacks the punch and attitude of <em>Black Country</em> and some of the stronger tracks that come later on the album.<br />
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<i>The Great Divide</i> chugs along on the backbone of Hughes bass playing Bonham's drumming. Hughes vocal wails are reminiscent of Robert Plant at his vocal peak in the seventies showing that even pushing sixty he still has a tremendous range and can still rock harder than many guys half his age.<br />
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While there are no weak tracks on the album and Black Country Communion is to 2010 what Them Crooked Vultures were to 2009 (THE supergroup of the year), easily the best tracks on the album are <i>Song of Yesterday </i>and <i>Too Late For the Sun</i>. The latter of which features an extended jam that really shows what this band is capable of when allowed to stretch out and improvise, whereas the former is the antithesis of <i>Too Late for the Sun</i>, it's a beautiful and well constructed song from start to finish. Where <i>Too Late For the Sun</i> has pure unbridled raw energy, <i>Song of Yesterday</i> has a more refined polish to it. Joe Bonamassa shines throughout the album but <i>Song of Yesterday</i> is easily his best track on the album. That's saying a lot given the overall strength of the album.<br />
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This album was recorded rather quickly, most songs were cut with as few takes as possible which gives the album a very pure energy. There's a rawness to the material that speaks to the general spirit of classic rock and at the same time enough polish to really display the brilliant talents of each of the band members.<br />
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Black Country Communion has captured the spirit and vibe of the bands that inspired them. If you're jonesin' for some twenty-first century classic rock this album should top your list!<br />
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<b>Related Links</b><br />
<i>One Last Soul</i> live<br />
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Interview with Glenn Hughes<br />
<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/npdAGUHhFng?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/npdAGUHhFng?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br />
Glenn Hughes & Joe Bonamassa performing <i>Medusa</i><br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lUcJv9EOXzY?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lUcJv9EOXzY?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<a href="http://www.bccommunion.com/">Black Country Communion (official site)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.glennhughes.com/">Glenn Hughes (official site)</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Hughes">Glenn Hughes (wikipedia)</a><br />
<a href="http://jbonamassa.com/">Joe Bonamassa (official site)</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Bonamassa">Joe Bonamassa (wikipedia)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.jasonbonham.net/">Jason Bonham (official site)</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Bonham">Jason Bonham (wikipedia)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.dereksherinian.com/">Derek Sherinian (official site)</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Sherinian">Dereik Sherinian (wikipedia)</a><br />
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Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-71185189616480075712010-09-30T00:01:00.007-05:002010-09-30T00:01:01.450-05:00Forgotten Music Thursday: Moving Pictures - Days of Innocence: The Ultimate Collection (2003 expanded re-release of 1981 album)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsYPfClZmb41ORsaSLf2ilpbsk_on1C8WDgYOsBHLw6UU9Lo94k41gYl5z2_y2YsTvbRBAhbs9_eS9p-b2BSF4UrOjglzp2ShLAF4hIzoiT0HN6eIThQ6N4kHknFSqUMZ78P_/s1600/Days+of+Innocence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsYPfClZmb41ORsaSLf2ilpbsk_on1C8WDgYOsBHLw6UU9Lo94k41gYl5z2_y2YsTvbRBAhbs9_eS9p-b2BSF4UrOjglzp2ShLAF4hIzoiT0HN6eIThQ6N4kHknFSqUMZ78P_/s1600/Days+of+Innocence.jpg" /></a></div>In the early eighties there was a spike in interest in all things from Down Under. Little River Band who had risen to popularity in the late seventies saw their popularity grow. Groups like Split Enz, Men At Work, INXS, the Hoodoo Gurus, Crowded House, Icehouse, and Moving Pictures also made their indelible stamps beyond their own watery borders. While some of these groups are still remembered fondly, some are still even active, many of them have also faded into obscurity. Moving Pictures fall into the latter category.<br />
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Initially their success was limited to their own native shores. They saw moderate success on Australia's Countdown with their song, <em>Bustin' Loose</em> and then it all blew wide open when they released <em>What About Me?</em> It quickly became a worldwide hit, buoyed by its rotation on the then rather new and fledgeling MTV (remember when they still featured music videos?)<br />
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Their debut album, <em>Days of Innocence</em> which features both the minor "local" hits, <em>Walls</em> and <em>Bustin' Loose</em> as well as the worldwide smash, <em>What About Me?</em> is a delight with its sax-laden power-pop, catchy hooks, forays into New Wave, and the vocals of Alex Smith. In 2003, with Moving Pictures back catalog out of print. This collection featuring <em>Days of Innocence</em> in its entirety along with a handful of non-album singles and the stronger material from their follow-up album, <em>Matinee</em>, which remains out of print to this day was released to sate the public interest in this band.<br />
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Given the extra material on the album, one can easily determine why <em>Matinee</em> remains out of print. While the material is enjoyable it hasn't aged well and is not as strong as the first 10 tracks that make up the original <em>Days of Innocence</em> album. That being said, this import is a thoroughly enjoyable snapshot of the best this band had to offer before they split up, went their seperate ways and the band became but a footnote, the subjects in a grainy music video, and an ocassional earworm that would surface on eighties themed radio shows in the United States and Australia. <br />
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With the album's dated sound, listening to it is a time machine of sorts. If you close your eyes when listening to it you can not only hear the eighties but feel them seeping into your pores and taking you back to the era in which the music was recorded.<br />
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<strong>Related Media and Links</strong><br />
<em>What About Me</em> music video<br />
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OzQKECQgjW8?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OzQKECQgjW8?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wzftxq9aldhe"><em>Days of Innocence: The Ultimate Collection</em> (Allmusic.com review)</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Days_of_Innocence"><em>Days of Innocence</em> (wikipedia)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:kvfpxq8kldhe">Moving Pictures (Allmusic.com)</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving_Pictures_(band)">Moving Pictures (wikipedia)</a><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000050AMF&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-74182997001256229522010-09-23T00:01:00.002-05:002010-09-23T18:31:16.920-05:00Gotye - Like Drawing Blood (2006)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVM3ctpdyvA_Nq_eVGRnFS9CUzWzA9PTsbv0oNA4whRXZ5HhwqxiCHiia0SagWjdLey7NRLNa4GqUY_xRf-ld7y5C_ZxxT9MAo186YSlkQEpnHVN9tRVlcHj-Obq31dcJsWp6M/s1600/Like+Drawing+Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVM3ctpdyvA_Nq_eVGRnFS9CUzWzA9PTsbv0oNA4whRXZ5HhwqxiCHiia0SagWjdLey7NRLNa4GqUY_xRf-ld7y5C_ZxxT9MAo186YSlkQEpnHVN9tRVlcHj-Obq31dcJsWp6M/s320/Like+Drawing+Blood.jpg" /></a></div>Normally electronica is not a musical genre I pay much attention to. Other than my forays into the solo work of former Dream Theater keyboardist, <a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/search/label/Kevin%20Moore">Kevin Moore</a>, under the <a href="http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/2006/09/chroma-key-dead-air-for-radios-1999.html">Chroma Key</a> moniker I've given electronica a rather wide berth. That's not to say I dislike electronica more that it's never really been on my radar.<br />
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I was recently introduced to Gotye by the husband/wife musical blogging duo <a href="http://yourzenmine.blogspot.com/">YourZenMine</a> who were generous enough to send me Gotye's 2006 album, <em>Like Drawing Blood.</em> Given Wally De Backer's rather transient nature, the story behind the recording of the album reads like lost chapters from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Birmingham">John Birmingham's</a> <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He_Died_With_A_Felafel_In_His_Hand">He Died With a Felafel In His Hand</a></em>- as the album was recorded in various Melbourne bedrooms between 2003 and 2005. <br />
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Gotye (pronounced go-ti-yay, like you would pronounce the French "Gaultier") is Belgian born, Australian bred Wally De Backer and while somewhat unknown here in the United States, De Backer is an ARIA award winning singer-songwriter who derives his music (self-admittedly) about 99% from sampling. <br />
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<em>Like Drawing Blood</em> is a delightful lo-fi album with a decidedly indie feel that is thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. De Backer's voice is very listenable and well suited to his music. The mastering however is purely brilliant and betrays the lo-fi nature of the recording of the album giving this lo-fi gem a well polished hi-fi feel.<br />
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There's an ambience to the music that feels perfect for long relaxed drives with the windows down. While the CD is still only available as an import here in the United States it is available for download from Amazon's mp3 store for a very reasonable $6.99. The album is well worth such a reasonable price tag. Given its accessibility and pop sensibilities I'd argue that this is the perfect "gateway" album to either introduce new listeners to electronica or to win over listeners who in the past have been rather apathetic to the genre. <br />
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<strong>Related Links</strong><br />
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<i>Hearts a Mess</i> video<br />
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GnXFJOXvL_A?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GnXFJOXvL_A?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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<i>Learnalilgivinanlovin'</i> video<br />
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jdOevbchxOc?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jdOevbchxOc?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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<em><a href="http://yourzenmine.blogspot.com/2010/08/gotye-like-drawing-blood.html">Like Drawing Blood</a></em><a href="http://yourzenmine.blogspot.com/2010/08/gotye-like-drawing-blood.html"> (YourZenMine review)</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like_Drawing_Blood"><em>Like Drawing Blood</em> (wikipedia)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gotye.com/">Gotye (official website)</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotye">Gotye (wikipedia)</a><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=therevrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001MFSVXU&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.com1