Uncle Tupelo's "March 16-20, 1992"
(August 3, 1992)
Review:
A direct title and no frills production detract not at all from this at-times beautiful (“Sandusky”), at-times haunting (“Fatal Wound”) set of recordings with lyrics that resonate as relevant despite sounding — or, in some cases, being — decades out of time.
Top Two Tracks:
“Black Eye” & “Criminals”
As I’m still locked out of YouTube and waiting on a reply email from Google support, I figured it was the right time to add a fifth installment to the “Reflections on Rock Music” series…
By Chris Moore:
This year, I’ve been reading and writing more album reviews than ever before. I’ve kept to my goal of writing one full review a week (typically long-form, 750-1000 words), and I’ve added regular installments in the “Yes, No, or Maybe So” series of one-sentence reviews. As always, I look forward to reading new editions of Rolling Stone magazine, particularly the album review section at the back.
More often than not, I’m infuriated by what I read, but that’s half the fun of it, I suppose…
This year, I’ve been making regular trips to online sources for music reviews such as Allmusic, Spin, and Uncut when I have the time and interest. Studying how other reviewers approach the same music that I’m reviewing has been educational as I develop the aspects of my writing style I like, and perhaps even moreso as I decide how I want to distinguish myself from others. After all, for any given album or even song, there are multiple opinions and points of view to be had and expressed.
Which brings me to the question of the evening:
What makes for a five star album?
FACTOR ONE: Instrumental Excellence
The most basic indicator of an outstanding album is its instrumental composition. This is not to say that an album needs be complex in order to be excellent, but there is an ineffable quality of music that stands out, whether it be unique, or well-executed, or demonstrative of impressive talent. Still, even the most simple arrangements can cause listeners to lose themselves in the flow of the song.
Perhaps the most notable example of an instrumentally excellent five star album is the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. Under the direction of Brian Wilson, the studio session musicians worked together to create what is arguably the single best album of all time. To put on headphones, or — even better — to sit at the center of a set of surround sound speakers, is a transcendent experience, listening to this flawless, intricately woven tapestry of instrumentation and, of course, vocals.
FACTOR TWO: Lyrical — and Vocal — Excellence
A song can only go so far as its lyrics and vocals will provide for it. Although some may disagree with me, a song needs to be lyrically engaging in order for it to have any longevity on my iPod. There are exceptions to every rule, but songs should be engaging and thoughtful. Even simple songs should be well-constructed. If it seems like the lyrics are phoned-in, then it’s a foregone conclusion that the song can only be interesting for so long.
Bob Dylan set the standard for great lyrics as early as his second release. By Blonde on Blonde, his seventh studio album, Dylan had not only perfected his sixties rock sound, but he also unveiled some of his wildest, most poetic lyrics yet in gems like “Visions of Johanna” and “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again.” The words certainly work best set to music, but taken out of context, they are poems in their own right.
FACTOR THREE: Strong Individual Songs
Anyone who plays an instrument knows that it takes more than musical talent, a way with words, or distinctive vocals to make a great song. Sometimes, all three can be present, and yet the song falls flat. The ability to write a truly excellent song can’t be learned from a book and could never be deconstructed. There are simply those who can create and balance guitar riffs, vocal hooks, and the like. And there are those who can’t, or at least not often.
Pearl Jam’s Ten is a great example of a five star album on which each track is equally outstanding in its own unique way. To think that rockers like “Once,” “Even Flow,” “Alive,” and “Porch” are on the same disc as ballads and dirges like “Black,” “Jeremy,” “Oceans,” and “Release” is mind-blowing. This is a case of eleven five star songs adding up to a five star album.
FACTOR FOUR: Thematic Cohesion & Relevance
It’s one thing to have a song or even several that are excellent, it’s another to have an album’s worth, and it’s yet another to have an album’s worth of songs that are thematically cohesive and provocative. The latter is key, as an album needs to pass the “So what?” test in order to be considered for the full five star rating; after all, who wants to or will continue listening to an album repeatedly if it doesn’t provide relatable emotions, situations, etc.? I’m also a strong believer that truly great albums have images, symbols, and/or themes that run throughout from front to back. These don’t need to be blunt, but they should be available for those who care to listen for them.
The Moody Blues are the inimitable masters of the concept album. The story of their first seven studio releases is one classic record after another. Perhaps the best of that sequence is On the Threshold of A Dream, an album whose tracks all lend to the larger topic of dreams that unifies the album. This was released at the peak of their creativity as a five-piece band, each member making notable contributions which range from rock songs to beautiful tunes to the spoken word.
FACTOR FIVE: Timelessness
The fifth and final factor is such an important one, and yet it is the one factor that I will admit that I second-guess myself on. True five star albums should be as relevant, thought-provoking, and entertaining ten years from now as they are today. Only time will tell how my favorite five-star albums of this decade will stack up at the end of the next decade, or the ones after that. It is quite easy to look back at some of the classics (such as those mentioned above) and recognize that they are five star quality. It is another to imagine how one’s taste and interests will shift and influence the perception of contemporary albums.
I have no doubts that my five-star records of the 2000s — albums like the Wallflowers’ Red Letter Days, BnL’s Maroon, and Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot — will be every bit as impressive to me for all my days to come, and I know with time that I will hone my ability to judge timelessness. I’m already improving, and this is all the more reason to exercise my instincts and analytical abilities in weekly editions of the Weekend Review.
** Hurry back this weekend for a live set list — posted live song by song — from a great rock band on Saturday, and a review of the concert on Sunday! **
Band of Horses' "Infinite Arms" (2010)
(May 18, 2010)
Review:
This is my choice thus far for 2010’s best “background music that you don’t notice but sounds nice” album, so take my advice: download the first two — and the best two — tracks of the album, and understand that the remainder of the songs are pretty but forgettable, several (think: “Blue Beard” and “For Annabelle”) sounding like boring takes on the Thorns’ characteristic sound.
Top Two Tracks:
“Factory” & “Compliments”
By Chris Moore:
Producer: Jacknife Lee
Released: January 10, 2012
Rating: 2.5 / 5 stars
Top Two Tracks: “Called Out in the Dark” & “The Symphony”
With an overall sound and feel crossing entirely too closely to that of 2006’s Eyes Open for my taste, Fallen Empires is no match for the best work in Snow Patrol’s catalog. Since the departure of Mark McClelland, their approach has veered away from the feel of 2003’s excellent Final Straw, but that is not necessarily a bad thing, especially given the achievements of A Hundred Million Suns (2008) as an album. Already, Fallen Empires has risen above this immediate predecessor in chart rankings in most countries. Though it is clearly an inferior, less artful, less fully rendered effort than A Hundred Million Suns, this album does have its moments: it kicks off strongly, and “Called Out in the Dark” is an excellent track. The next several tracks hold their weight until a fade is taken on the title track. From the middle to the end of the album, it is a hit or miss affair with some songs sounding half-baked, others coming across as masterful (see: the lively, catchy “The Symphony” or the aptly chosen – albeit fourth – single “In the End”).
Producer: Jim Fusco
Released: January 13, 2012
Rating: 4 / 5 stars
Top Two Tracks: “Chameleon” & “Opportunities”
For several records now, Jim Fusco’s advertising rhetoric has focused on the theme of continuous improvement, on the idea that the album in question is at least one step forward from the previous one. While That’s All Jim (2003) will forever stand higher in my estimation than What About Today? (2005), I had to admit that the technical expertise, songwriting, production quality, and concept of the latter were indeed a step forward from the former. Then, when Halfway There was released in 2009, it would have been difficult to argue that it was not Fusco’s best record. Now, with the arrival of Those Around Us, it is time again to weight the question: does this most recent release truly outshine the previous record? More on that after the review… The brighter, crisper sound of Those Around Us is the logical progression from the clean, sharp innovations that were immediately apparent on Halfway There, though it is less a progression than an extension of that sound, with the single greatest difference being the addition of crunchy distortion on the electric guitars throughout, in addition to the new instruments introduced this time around. Several songs would have fit seamlessly into Halfway, most notably the live, tuning-up feel of “Run My Way” kicking of the album much like “A Night Away” revved up Halfway’s “b-side” and the upbeat, vocally driven rock track “Opportunities.” And yet it would not be fair to suggest that Those Around Us is some sort of Halfway There, Part Two (or would it be called All the Way There?). This album offers some unique tracks heretofore unequaled in the Jim Fusco catalog. The standout track is clearly “Chameleon” which, as was the case with Halfway’s “I Got You,” showcases an impressive leap forward in terms of lead vocal, instrumentation, and overall songwriting quality. The brilliance of “Chameleon” lies in its use of the high and low ranges, mixing the bright guitar and keys with the dull throb of a disappointed-sounding bass line. Other standouts include “In Your Head,” one of the most naturally fast-paced Fusco songs to date, and “Helpless,” if not as much for its overall quality then for its out-of-time feel and for featuring what is perhaps the least recognizable, least predictable guitar part on the record. Elsewhere, the sequencing of the album is typically thoughtful, as in “Chameleon” – a song about appearances, adaptation, blending in and thus fading away – being followed by an extension of the visual/appearances theme in “Look Around,” which is also notable for being Fusco’s first recorded performance on lap steel, unless you count his part on the May 2009 Laptop Sessions cover of the Wilco / Woody Guthrie song “Jolly Banker.” Elsewhere on the album, there are several aspects that either confuse previous sentiments from Fusco’s music or demonstrate maturation. Take, for instance, “Choose Your Words (Carefully)” – which, for the record, seems less a referendum than a lecture – and its track two advice; seven years ago, he used the second track to instead assert that you “can’t count on words to fill the space between.” This is an interesting modification of that original suggestion. Another notable difference comes in the closing track. “How Are You Feeling Tonight?” marks the first time Fusco has ended an album with an interrogative song since 2003 (That’s All Jim’s “Where Do We Go From Here?; before that, he ended side one of 2002’s My Other Half with “Why Do You?” and side three with “What Did I Expect?”). This most recent question track is a departure in the sense that it closes with the refrain: “Try to live just for today, hey…,” whereas the other three end by fading out with the question still unanswered (though, to be fair, “What Did I Expect?” offers syntactical challenges that would easily merit a ten page paper to fully deconstruct, and that’s a task for another day…). What this structural difference suggests is not entirely clear, though it is in keeping with the declarative nature of the record’s other songs, which taken as a whole constitute a series of observations and, ultimately, recommendations: Fusco sings “Choose Your Words (Carefully),” “Don’t Give Up,” “if she’s the one, believe in me, you would know,” “just don’t put off what you can take right now,” “Look Around,” and “in your head, it always comes out the way you choose it; in your head, you live at the top until you lose it,” in addition to reminding us – in a slight variation on “Follow You Home” – of that classic theme “you can never go home again.” Ultimately, the technical achievements of Those Around Us cannot be denied, particularly in Fusco’s nice overall use of reverb, distinct instrumentation, and (as the bonus tracks further prove) vocal arrangement. However, there are several facets of Halfway There which, I would argue, serve to maintain its position as the best Jim Fusco album to date: namely, there is a certain longing, a sense of innocent questioning, exploration and discovery, and raw displeasure that surge through the 2009 album that simply isn’t present here. This is not to undermine the strengths of Those Around Us, but rather to put them in relative perspective. To my thinking, and I’ve often seemed alone in this critical stance, My Other Half still stands as the second best album in Fusco’s catalog (for its conceptual sequencing, ambitious strides in songwriting and packaging, and for its raw, unsettled emotion), placing Those Around Us in a smack down with That’s All Jim. As must as I love the latter, I’m pretty certain the former would triumph in the end.
Producer: Steven Page
Released: January 17, 2012
Rating: 4 / 5 stars
Top Two Tracks: “A Different Sort of Solitude” & “Manchild”
While I find it difficult to be excited about a mere two song EP two years after Page’s first album was released, I suppose we can’t expect more than for him to “make art when inspiration blows [his way],” as he sings in “Manchild.” In that sense, this “mini-EP” – aka glorified single – is a tease, as both songs are clearly not throwaways from Page One but new, fully realized compositions with a tendency toward the expansive and epic in their soundscapes. If anything, the theme of separation and recreation of one’s identity is stronger and more focused here than it was on his debut album, a thread that’s made clear up front in a title like “A Different Sort of Solitude.” One has to wonder if “Manchild” is a significant title given Page’s long tenure as a Lady, but perhaps that’s just the BnL fan in me stretching things a bit…
Producer: Mike McCarthy
Released: January 24, 2012
Rating: 4 / 5 stars
Top Two Tracks: “”Honolulu Blues” & “Not Much Left of Us”
There is something truly beautiful about a solo project from the front man for a rock band that redefines his sound while retaining his core attributes and maintaining the interest and edge of a full band effort. Craig Finn has achieved this sort of stark, perhaps even raw beauty on his solo debut Clear Heart Full Eyes. As soon as the opening chords of the first track, “Apollo Baby,” there is just a hint of a gorgeous sort of menacing snarl that pervades the record. The instrumentation on Clear Heart is stripped down in comparison to the Hold Steady’s typical arrangements of Finn’s songs, but it is far from minimalist; on most tracks, there are one or two guitar parts with distinct parts, unique bass tracks that add cohesion, and a drum beat to drive the progression. Even though Finn’s themes here are as serious as ever and perhaps a little more so in some places, there is an unmistakable sense that he is having the time of his life. It may be written off as a side effect of his lead vocals being stronger, higher in the mix than usual, but it is difficult not to feel the smile – or is it a smirk? – in “New Friend Jesus” or not to sense the general lyrical force and vocal conviction offered up by Finn throughout. There’s not a clunker in the bunch, and tracks like the character tale “Jackson,” the rootsy romp “Honolulu Blues,” the sparse, devastating “Rented Room,” and the heartbreakingly perfect closer “Not Much Left of Us” will stand among the best songs in his catalog. While I hope this solo detour doesn’t extend the time between Hold Steady records too much, I also hope that he’ll find his way back to a solo record in the not-so-distant future.
Released: January 24, 2012
Rating: 3 / 5 stars
Top Two Tracks: “War on War” & “Cruel to Be Kind”
I’ll preface this by admitting that if Wilco wasn’t one of my favorite bands of all time (top ten, if not top five), then I would never have considered spending money for what is essentially a live-in-the-studio rehash of tracks from last year’s The Whole Love, with the lead single from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002) and a deep track from A.M. (1995) thrown in, topped off with a cover of Nick Lowe’s “Cruel to Be Kind” with the man himself taking lead vocal duties. This being said, while there’s nothing really new here, there is the tremendous take on YHF-alum “War on War” and a general sense of vitality in their performances. While I can’t in good faith rate this iTunes Session higher than three stars, I do recommend it for diehard Wilco fans. Others should download The Whole Love in its entirety, as it was the best album from 2011 and perhaps the second best Wilco album of all time.
Producers: Jeff Ayeroff & Julie Yannatta
Released: January 24, 2012
Rating: 1.5 / 5 stars
Top Two Tracks: “Ring Them Bells” (Natasha Bedingfield) & “One Too Many Mornings” (Johnny Cash, [Bob Dylan,] and the Avett Brothers)
What a mess. One would think that, what with nearly eighty tracks assembled from a widely varied and not-so-untested array of artists, a compilation of this depth and breadth – referring to both artist and song choice – would have enough gems to make its purchase worthwhile. Instead, Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International largely function as a reminder that there is no replacement for artistry and, often, perfection the first time around. The only truly great track here is the only one previously released: the title track, from Dylan’s 1964 acoustic album Another Side of Bob Dylan. There are standouts, of course, in the efforts of artists like Natasha Bedingfield, Brett Dennen, Patti Smith, Jack’s Mannequin, Elvis Costello, and others. There is remarkably strong work from artists that surprised me – most notably Rise Against’s take on “Ballad of Hollis Brown” and Raphael Saadiq’s better-than-competent cover of “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat” (though none will ever top Beck’s version). And then there are the other sixty-something songs, less than half of which are bearable enough to be termed mediocre. The majority are simply uninspired, and an uncomfortably high number are utter garbage. The only truly surprising jewel is a reworking of The Times They Are A-Changin’ alum “One Too Many Mornings” by the Avett Brothers, who were granted access to the session held with both Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan early in the 1970’s, when Dylan was still in the heart of his “Lay, Lady, Lay” voice phase. I have yearned to hear fully rendered songs from this reportedly spotty (in terms of quality) session, and the Avett Brothers have done this track justice. At the end of the day, my consolation arrives in the knowledge that the proceeds here go to Amnesty International, and I wish I could recommend more than a handful of – maybe ten at best – tracks.
Producer: Ringo Starr
Released: January 31, 2012
Rating: 3.5 / 5 starrs
Top Two Tracks: “Wonderful” & “In Liverpool”
Ringo Starr returns to rock after but a brief absence – a mere two weeks more than two years since Y Not was released – and this time without an embarrassing title and without the song quality falling apart at the end. It would be disingenuous to suggest Ringo 2012 is a return to pre-Y Not form, as it is no less a hodgepodge than its predecessor, an album on which Ringo collaborated with someone different to write every track, as well as returning to a previously recorded track. Ringo 2012 follows the same pattern, including a cover of a thirties folk song (“Rock Island Line”), a Buddy Holly cover (“Think It Over,” first released last year on the Listen To Me: Buddy Holly tribute album), and two re-recorded songs (“Wings” from 1977’s Ringo the 4th and “Step Lightly” from 1973’s Ringo). This leaves a mere five wholly original tracks. Even still, this latest Ringo album bears the marks of an artist who has worked to make a cohesive compilation of songs. They are smartly sequenced, the best being saved for (almost) last, namely the beautifully arranged, heartfelt “Wonderful” and “In Liverpool,” which somehow manages to transcend being the token “remember when I was a boy on the verge of becoming a Beatle” track. The rest fall in line well: despite its brevity, “Think It Over” is fun and well arranged, of all the tracks to revisit, “Wings” fits well here as the single, and “Slow Down,” despite bearing the oh-so-obvious songwriting influence of Joe Walsh (see: Y Not’s “Fill in the Blanks for comparison), is an excellent, upbeat closing track whose energy defies its title. In the end, Ringo 2012 won’t change the world, but it will make you want to tap your feet, dance and sing, or play along, not to mention crossing your fingers that Ringo continues to be so prolific.
Producer: Ed Sanders
Released: January 31, 2012
Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars
Top Two Tracks: “Darkness” & “Different Sides”
In a fast-paced world, Leonard Cohen refuses to hasten his step to draw us in. Listening to a Leonard Cohen album requires attention and patience to fully appreciate its lyrical and musical nuances, and Old Ideas is no exception. There is a timeless quality to this album, a sense throughout that the songs could have been written at any time during the past one hundred years. Yet they weren’t written long ago and they are not covers; these are brand new tracks, and clearly driven by Cohen’s passion. What I find most intriguing about Old Ideas is the manner in which Cohen manages to interweave elements of the sad and the sensual, taking the gruffness of turn-of-the-century Dylan vocals and flavoring it with a subtle array of inflections that make it inextricable from the casual beauty of the instrumental arrangements. “Darkness” is as close as the album gets to an up-tempo track, and it is driven along by some of the strongest lyrics on the album; as the song continues, so the darkness spreads as though it were a contagion whisking away pleasures both present and past. Likewise, “Different Sides” kicks off with one of the best opening lines: “We find ourselves on different sides of a line nobody drew.” This closing track incorporates all the best elements from the nine that precede it: crisp, grumbling Cohen vocals, silky smooth female background vocals, an organ hovering somewhere between lilting and mournful, and percussion that holds the piece together. In short, Old Ideas is a strong effort with consistently arranged and strongly poetic tracks, and though some do fade into the mix there are several that stand out as more, elements able to stand apart from the rest and yet encapsulate the beauty and sorrow of the overall record.