Week 33 to 36

Things that hibernate - bears, bats, badgers, butterflies, chipmunks, frogs, groundhogs, and THIS BLOG!! Hibernation might not be the best term for what I have been doing, but none the less this hiatus has increased my hunger for music. For a while I thought I was getting ahead.... reminds me of trying to load a wheel-barrel full of frogs: 'Everytime you throw one in, two more jump out'. I have almost bought more new music in the past month than I've actually listened to which reminded me of that little saying. You can tell from the minimal volume that I haven't been listening to much music. Time hasn't been kind to me and weeks have now passed since I slowed down to "smell the song and hear the air". On the other hand, listening had become more like a chore and I wasn't truly appreciating what I was hearing. The hiatus has resolved my passion to listen and I hope to get this train back on track. All aboard as we pull out of Hibernation Station (8/16-9/19):

Carolina Chocolate Drops - Genuine Negro Jig
Jeff Beck Group - Jeff Beck Group (Vinyl)
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Mardi Gras (Vinyl)
Metallica - Master Of Puppets
Maxwell - Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Pink Floyd - Meddle (Vinyl)
Medusa Stone - Medusa Stone
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness
Quiet Riot - Metal Health
Metallica - Metallica (aka The Black Album)
Linkin Park - Meteora
Willie Nelson - Milk Cow Blues
Sarah McLachlan - Mirrorball

The Carolina Chocolate Drops fuse together Piedmont sounds with blues, R&B, country, bluegrass to produce music that has garnered a lot of attention. Robert Plant was on the 'TODAY' show on 9/14 where he made reference to his interest in the band. CCD also shared the stage recently, at the Americana Music Awards, with acts such as The Avett Brothers, Rosanne Cash, Ryan Bingham, Lucinda Williams, & Emmylou Harris. Needless to say, I am priviledged to have been able to see them perform at the American Tobacco Campus' Music On The Lawn series. Their 2010 release - Genuine Negro Jig - is just a fun album. Packed with originals, covers from familiar artist like Dallas Austin's Hit 'Em Up Style (orginally done by Boo Cantrell), and traditional songs spun into their own stringed frenzy style. This album shouldn't be overlooked. The album features a Piedmont Blues legend cover - Etta Baker's Peace Behind The Bridge. Etta passed away at the age of 93 in 2006 shortly after she was featured on Kenny Wayne Shepherd's tribute to the roots-of-the-blues album 10 Days Out: Blues From The Backroads. Robert Plant and CCD both cover the Tom Waits' tune Trampled Rose which was featured on the 2007 Raising Sand release Plant did with Alison Kraus as well as the closing track of Genuine Negro Jig.

What better way to contrast the aforementioned than to O.D. on some heavy metal. Metallica's two masterpieces - Master Of Puppets & Metallica - lead the way. However, the two albums really couldn't be further apart when it comes to true heavy metalists. Simply compare songs like Battery to Enter Sandman or Master Of Puppets to Nothing Else Matters. Metallica is the album where the band shedded the shred in lieu of a more stripped down hard rock approach. Since I'm not a true "metal-head" I'll say that "The Black Album" isn't a sell-out, but most of that comes from an increase in airplay which put Metallica's career over the top. Interesting to note that the song Don't Tread On Me and the album cover (yes there is actually a picture on it) have a connection. They both came from the Gasden Flag which can be seen below:

Ironically true metal enthusiasts think the album was a sell-out due to its lack of political rebellion against government and the Tea Party has adopted this flag as one of its symbols against the U.S. Government. I assume the irony is apparent, but if it isn't I'm not getting into politics. Wrapping up the metal parade were the 80's hair metal band Quiet Riot and 2000's rap-metal fusion Linkin Park. Metal Health spawned one of heavy metal's first number one singles Cum Feel The Noize (a Slade cover). Can't say the album was overly captivating, but considering it pre-dated "modern heavy metal" not too shabby. Linkin Park's Meteora is perhaps one of my favorite albums and in my opinion the one of the best heavy metal/rap cross-over album ever made. The transitions from song to song along with no "bad" tracks make this entire album thoroughly enjoyable to listen to start to finish.

This week contained two interesting art-rock style albums. Meddle which contains one of the simplest yet powerful songs in Pink Floyd's catalog - Fearless. Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness which Billy Corgan described as, "as "The Wall for Generation X", in comparison with Pink Floyd's 1979 two-LP concept album. I definitely see the comparisons between the "leaders" of the bands as Corgan followed in the footsteps of Roger Waters.

This weekend concluded with a three-night Black Crowes run from Raleigh to Charlotte to Asheville. Each show got progressively better as did each venue. The 'Uptown Raleigh Amphitheater' or whatever the thing is called is a decent venue, but for our show the event staff was WAY too uptight for the Crowes. The Charlotte venue was a slightly smaller scale version of Raleigh. Then you have The Thomas Wolfe Auditorium which is simply the best place in NC to see the Crowes. Perhaps because it's a venue named for a man that wrote in the same autobiographical nature of the band's approach songwriting or the fact that it's a town full of hippies where the Crowes fit right in. Regardless of the reason, it's obvious this venue brings out the best as all the bells and whistles were there from Steve Gorman's drum solo during Thorn In My Pride and visibly seeing how much fun the band was having playing. The highlight of the weekend was the closing tune Hot Burrito #2 for the Asheville show (9/19/10) paying tribute to the late great Gram Parsons - who died September 19, 1973.

Week 32

I discovered a new music website that is doing exactly what I set out to do with my blog except they have a much more robust site wnew.com. They have a section called 'Forgotten Favorites' which highlights many of the same albums I am covering here in this blog. In fact, the site has a review, which I linked in below. I also added a link at the top - so hit them up.

Had a nice long conversation with my uncle and we discussed how music today just sucks. Few hit artists have real talent and the ones that do have talent get no air play or breaks. Like I said to him, if I could travel back in time to listen to music I would land right around 1972. Hold on and learn the roots of music and one day real musicianship will make a comeback. For now, we have to dig through the wasteland of hacks to find all the gems. On to this week's gems (8/9-8/15):

Nickelback - The Long Road
Bonnie Raitt - Luck of the Draw
Bruce Springsteen - Lucky Town
Queens Of The Stone Age - Lullabies To Paralyze
Joe Cocker - Mad Dogs & Englishmen
Matchbox Twenty - Mad Season
Nick Drake - Made To Love Magic
Bruce Springsteen - Magic
Beachwood Sparks - Make The Cowboy Robots Cry
Lenny Kravitz - Mama Said
Spencer Dickinson - The Man Who Lives For Love
David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World
Stephen Stills - Manassas (CD & Vinyl)

Weeks ago I slammed Nickelback for making what I thought to be a boring album in Dark Horse. Reason being, all they did was take all the swagger of The Long Road and re-engineer it by polishing up the vocals, removing some of the riffs, made it a little more poppy and slapped a new cover on it. The Long Road is my favorite album hands down by Nickelback and to see it torn apart for commercial success annoyed me. So if you want to hear the real Nickelback, pop in The Long Road and you'll see what this band is really all about.

Lullabies to Paralyze - what a cool title for an album!? QOTSA is a band that I have grown to appreciate more and more over the past year. The reason I got into them had nothing to do with the producer and collaborater - Chris Goss - that gave them the band its name, but it's still cool to see someone with notoriety that shares my last name. The album also has a song Burn The Witch that features Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top as well as Jack Black.

I am far from being a David Bowie fan, but The Man Who Sold The World is as good an album as any to own. My favorite track from the album is Black Country Rock, which is the one song that sounds least like the rest of the album. This album is often regarded as the birth of "glam-rock". In case the term is foreign to you here are a list of bands to check out - T. Rex, Gary Glitter, New York Dolls, and Lou Reed. While this isn't my favorite genre I find a lot of appeal in how much show these artists brought into the rock n' roll show. Bands that owe their persona creations to the genre are acts like KISS, Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, and every other Hair Metal band.

There are influential albums and then there is Manassas. This album from Stephen Stills is just plain out of the solar system. It's a four part album each of the four sections contains a theme. I actually found an in depth review on WNEW of the album that was right on the nose with how I felt and will defer to it for my full review. Stills assembled the modern day equivalent of a super-group and even brought in Bill Wyman of the Stones for a track. Wyman reportedly was willing to quit the Stones to join Manassas if that tells you anything about their significance. This album has rock, blues, country, and a little bit of everything else you can mix in while remaining on the path of a cohesive album. My favorite tunes from this album were Song of Love, Anyway, Colorado, Bound to Fall, and What To Do. Inside the liner notes at the end of the Side 4 (for those of you that have never listened to an album on vinyl you have to literally flip it over to keep listening) track listing it states the album is a tribute to Jimi Hendrix - Al Wilson - Duane Allman. And on that note let me just say that liner notes and sides for albums is the one thing that the digital age has killed in music. You lose the history when nobody cares about what went into making an album, it's roots, it's influences, musicians, credits. The digital books that come with download music never get viewed. Anyway enough of the soapbox - go out and listen to this masterpiece.

Week 31

Let's skip the mumbo jumbo this week and get on with the gettin' on (8/2-8/8):

Southern Culture On The Skids - Liquored Up And Laquered Down
Little Feat - Dixie Chicken
Little Feat - Little Feat
Ted Nugent - Little Miss Dangerous
The Little Willies - The Little Willies
Tim McGraw - Live Like You Were Dying
The Velvet Underground - Loaded
The Clash - London Calling
Alison Krauss & Union Station - Lonely Runs Both Ways
Faces - Long Player
Little Feat was founded by the highly influential Lowell George after departing Frank Zappa's band Mothers of Invention. One of Little Feat's most famous songs Willin', from their self-titled debut, is cited as the reason for George leaving Zappa's band, but the specifics of why aren't exactly clear. When Little Feat was recorded Lowell's hand was hurt and the talented Ry Cooder actually played slide on the studio recording of Willin'. By the third album Dixie Chicken came out the bands sound was more defined. Notably Dixie Chicken also features Bonnie Raitt, whom at the time had released a few albums with little commercial success. While taking my time to get this blog written I also learned that Richie Hayward, drummer of Little Feat, passed away on 8/12/2010. The write-up on Little Feat's official site states:

The world’s a little quieter and a lot less rhythmic today, although heaven’s a lot funkier. We urge everyone to hug your loved ones, light a candle, listen to something righteous, and pledge to give more to the world – because Richie sure did.

Do yourself a favor and listen to some Little Feat in memory of Richie. I love both of these albums, but my favorite is Sailin' Shoes which is the second studio album. My son loves the art for Dixie Chicken and Sailin' Shoes which were both done by Neon Park:

The Little Willies is a side project Norah Jones has with friends from there time together living in New York. They formed back in 2003 and played off and on over their downtime with their full time bands. When they finally got around to recording they packed an album full of their influences like Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, Kris Kristofferson, Hank Williams, and Fred Rose mixed with originals. This music is just plain fun to listen to as the spin they songs in their own style which is more like swing than plain country. Highly recommend checking this one out.
 
Despite the thinking that a Velvet Underground album titled Loaded would be a drug reference, it actually has to do with the fact that the record label (Atlantic) requested the album be "loaded with hits". Velvet Underground was purged from their previous label which was releasing all their druggie and hippie bands which included acts like the aforementioned Mothers of Invention. Lou Reed left the band prior to the release which had much to do with pressure from the label and lack of progress in the band. Many track were edited and altered without his consent. Despite the controversy the album is actually loaded with great music and contains great tunes like Sweet Jane and Rock & Roll despite the fact that the album itself wasn't the hit the label hoped. The final track from Loaded - Oh Sweet Nuthin' - has been a staple of The Black Crowes since their Woodstock recordings at Levon Helm's studio and is featured on the Cabin Fever DVD release from those sessions.

The Faces Long Player album kicks off with the ripping tune Bad N' Ruin (if you read last week's post you now know where the author got his pseudonym). Noteworthy news on the Faces are the fact they have re-united for a reunion tour. Rod Stewart is not joining them due to scheduling conflict and obviously Ronnie Lane passed on years ago, but the core of this band and the soul Ronnie Wood is there and I for one am anxiously awaiting news of when they may tour the US. For a hint of what has me so excited check out the BBC interview Wood and drummer Kenney Jones. The answer is potential guest appearances by Chris Robinson and Slash.

Week 29 & 30

Since my last post, I made it out to Walnut Creek for the first time in a few years. I was offered a chance to see Carlos Santana and decided that I shouldn't pass on an opportunity to see a legend. Which brings me to a new musical connection for the week - What connection do Santana and Lenny Kravitz share? Both have used Cindy Blackman as their drummer. Apparently, Carlos liked her more than Lenny as he recently proposed to her on-stage after she finished her drum solo a few songs into the set. The night I saw Santana she wasn't drumming, but I did have the opportunity to see Blackman when she was with Lenny. She is a jazz drummer and those tend to make some of the best rock drummers. Take a look at Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones or my personal favorite Joe Westerlund of Megafaun. And lest we forget that Animal's hero was Buddy Rich and that Animal's drumming was actually performed behind camera by Ronnie Verrell. The drum battle between Animal and Rich on the Muppet Show is a classic - in case anyone is interested click here. Enough randomness let's get on with it - this post I used an extra hand in writing part of the blog (7/19-8/1):

Eric Clapton - Backless (vinyl)
Grateful Dead - Blues For Allah (vinyl)
Eagles - Hotel California (vinyl)
Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hot
Lenny Kravitz - Lenny
Avril Lavigne - Let Go
Goo Goo Dolls - Let Love In
The Joe Perry Project - Let The Music Do The Talking
Velvet Revolver - Libertad
The Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill
Jonny Lang - Lie To Me
Sly & The Family Stone - Life
Jim Croce - Life And Times (vinyl)
Gov't Mule - Life Before Insanity
Today The Moon, Tomorrow The Sun - The Lightning Exhibit (no link available)
The Black Crowes - Lions

It's hard to believe, but when I recently decided to buy Hotel California on vinyl it was actually the first Eagles album I have ever bought. Sure I own their Greatest Hits, but a full studio album from them was not in my collection. Since I didn't own one I decided to buy their most significant album of all. This is the first album featuring Joe Walsh and the emergence of Don Henley as the band's leader. When I was younger hearing the song Hotel California made me ill for many many many years. This song has since found its way back into my good graces and I actually enjoy it now. The rest of the album is solid and really contains no slouch tunes. Don't look for me at an Eagles show anytime soon though as the three figure minimum ticket price will never be justifiable.

I love the cover of Let The Music Do The Talking. This is a prime example of what the corporate music industry looks like. A bunch of stiffs in suits making decions on what they think people want to hear. This is why we have independent record labels. No artist wants a corporate board telling them what to release. While there is some great music on this album it isn't an album I listen to much. Joe Perry wanted to just make music and prove to Aerosmith he didn't need them. His latest solo albums are much better and highly recommended, but the original Joe Perry Project albums are reserved for Aero-nuts like myself.

Velvet Revolver followed up their debut Contraband with Libertad, in my opinion, which was a jbetter effort than its predecessor. However, the band clearly was already well on their way toward dismantling. Scott Weiland was basically up to his old ways and the entire band was spiraling back into their old....."habits". Weiland is back with STP, Slash released a solo album, and Duff has been playing with Jane's Addiction. Rumor has it though that a new front-man is in the works and I for one cannot wait to here more from VR. Libertad is a great album, but the live footage of some concert performances was less than spectacular. In hindsight, it's clear what was going on internally with the band watching these clips.

Jonny Lang is another guitarist in the Kenny Wayne Shepherd mold. He started young and released music that sounded decades more mature than the performer. I have seen Lang one time and was very impressed. Since then I have been looking forward to seeing him again and was deeply troubled to learn I missed him as he recently was in Durham for the conclusion of the latest 'Experience Hendrix' tour. More troubling was that other guitarist part of that tour included Brad Whitford (Aerosmith), Joe Satriani, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and bassist Billy Cox who actually played with Jimi just to name a few. Now I would have paid $100 easy to see that show. Alas, I missed my opportunity and will have to catch this tour next time. As for Lang, Lie To Me is his debut album and very much worth checking out for modern blues enthusiasts.

Hello to all the cosmic-cuties and freakie-deakies out there in cyber space. Eric was kind enough to delegate some responsibility to me for this installment of his blog, so I'll be chiming in with some brief thoughts on 2001's Lions by The Black Crowes. Do any of you have a certain record from your childhood that still drums up a big emotional connection when you hear it today? This is one of those albums for me. This was the first "new release" Crowes album I had ever bought - having gotten into the Crowes after their first five albums had already been released. I remember spinning it for the first time ever while riding with my Dad in the car  and the false start to Midnight From The Inside Out blaring through the speakers - he gave me the same disapproving look that I'm sure my Grandfather gave him over his Mountain albums. Listen closely for the crying baby during the outro of  Cosmic Friend (it's the drummer's kid). This song was originally written by guitarist Rich Robinson for his son (the chorus would have went something like "Quin, you are my hero"), but brother Chris insisted on a more cosmically toned "My friend, the cosmos is calling" instead. Many of the songs on this album would be re-worked during later line-ups of the band - beg, borrow, or steal a show from the '05-'06 tours that include a Soul Singing with an extended reggae-esque jam or a funky Young Man, Old Man or a Greasy Grass River that breaks down with some spacey advice from Mr. Robinson - "A mind shown is a mind blown and a mind blown is a mind shown." A version of Ozone Mama that is usually coupled with I Ain't Hidin' by the current line-up would be well worth the effort to track down as well. Most Crowes fans either love or hate this album: with the most vocal crowd often being the latter. Go into this album with the understanding that it is not written with the same formula used in the creation of Southern Harmony or Three Snakes and appreciate it for what it is and the statement that this band was making at this particular point in their history. If you still don't dig it, take the Crowes' advice and "take your ear holes and go home." -badnruined

Week 27 & 28

I officially past the 300 album mark. My head is spinning trying to comprehend the number of songs consumed. As if finding the time to listen to all this music isn't hard enough, finding the time to work on this blog continues to be a challenge. Life is just too complicated sometimes - it's the vast array of choices we are offered in today's world. Instant data in absurd quantities available anytime and just about anyplace. More on that later, but for someone like me who has a hard time figuring out what I want to do next - sensory overload kicks into high gear - out comes Capt. ADD. For example, reading Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles while listening to Led Zeppelin. Who does that? It's times like these when you have to say no to a vice and just accept there aren't enough hours in the day. While my motto is - "I'll sleep when I die!" - exhaustion wins and priorities suffer. Prime example is this blog - on which I have consistently been overdue lately. Hope you're ready to get the "Led" out (7/5-7/18):

Bert Jansch - Jack Orion
Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
Rolling Stones - Jamming With Edward (CD & Vinyl)
Alice In Chains - Jar Of Flies
Joe Perry - Joe Perry
Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding
U2 - The Joshua Tree (CD & Vinyl)
Aerosmith - Just Push Play
Justin Timberlake - Justified
Keb Mo' - Keb Mo'
Keb Mo' - Keep It Simple
Muddy Waters - King Bee
The Doors - L.A. Woman
The Ramones - Leave Home
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (CD & Vinyl)
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II (CD & Vinyl)
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III (CD & Vinyl)
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (CD & Vinyl)

Alanis Morissette was extraordinarily pissed when she released Jagged Little Pill and especially so on the track You Oughta Know. Not exactly a secret, but little known is this theme where Flea appears as a guest performer. Dave Navarro who was also a RHCP at the time sat in and what resulted was the anthem for women that states vividly - DON'T SCREW WITH MY EMOTIONS!!! Point taken. This album never gets old to me. Hand In My Pocket, Ironic, You Learn, Head Over Feet, All I Really Want all are songs that haven't gotten stale 15 years later. Glenn Ballard knows how to produce albums that sale and this album hit a homerun spawning 6 singles, 3 of which hit #1 on the US Top 40.

U2 had already established themselves as a successful touring band prior to The Joshua Tree. However, The Joshua Tree was the album that catapulted them from great to epic status. There is a tight little musical connection this week with this album as Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Van Morrison & Bob Dylan all greatly influenced Bono to go in the direction for this album. This album marked U2's birth into the roots of music, which proves that to go forward sometimes you have to go backwards. As for the connection, well Jimmy Page (of Led Zeppelin for anyone that is blatently aware of that fact) did a "rockumentary" about the electric guitar called It Might Get Loud which features himself, The Edge (U2) and Jack White (The White Stripes). In addition to this connection this week features albums by all the influencers, sans Van, for The Joshua Tree. Been a while since I have made this statement, but this album certainly makes it on my Top 10 must have albums on a deserted island.

Keb Mo' was first introduced to me through a PBS special which paid tribute to Muddy Waters. He performed the Muddy classic I Can't Be Satisfied with a slide steel solo on stage and I was floored. After that I knew who he was and added him to my wish list. Keep It Simple was my favorite album of the two from this week and the title-track was a big reason. The lyrics embody my views on life these days:

Well I went down to the local coffee store
The menu went from the ceiling all the way down to the floor
Decaf, cappuccino, or latte said the cashier
I said gimme a small cup of coffee and let me get the hell up outta here

While I do not drink coffee - the sentiment is there - life is too darn complicated. Which goes back to my point in the intro about how overwhelmed we are with information we are. As Keb Mo' says, let's just Keep It Simple. None of this music is what many consider "classic" blues, but all the elements are there and I highly recommend Keb Mo' if your interested in roots music.

I found it very interesting that Plant doesn't have any writing credits on Led Zeppelin and the album has credit to Jagger. The early days Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham were primarily a band covering classic blues tunes reworked into the sound we all distinctly recognize as Led Zeppelin. If anyone ever wants a lesson in blues look no further as Zeppelin often "borrowed" from many classic artist - primarily Willie Dixon. See Week 3 if you're not familiar with Dixon. While I love all three of their first albums, hands down my favorite Zeppelin album is IV, which contains my favorite song When The Levee Breaks. Earlier I mentioned It Might Get Loud; in the film Jimmy Page visits Headley Grange, which is a manor in England, where the band recorded the majority of IV. In the film he talks about how Bonham got the drum sound featured on Levee by having his kit set up in the front entrance. I won't spoil the movie in case anyone wants to watch, but it's full of great little bits and bobs of this sort. Again, if I had to pick one of the four albums to have on a deserted island, IV would be the one I'd have to take. Or perhaps Physical Graffiti.....hmmmm!?

Week 24, 25, & 26

Halfway through the year and not yet halfway through my ever growing collection. I feel like I have gotten closer to a personal Independence Day as my life seems to have settled down some to allow more room for music once again. With that I have made some changes to the look of the blog, basically because I was just bored and to make it fresh. I will probably make frequent changes to help keep it visually appealing.

Please notice that I have added a link above to Daytrotter. The stuff they are doing is way too cool and many bands I follow are on there. Check them out and explore some new bands - it's worth the time. Plus the illustrations they have are super cool.
 (vinyl)
Ready, FIRE, aim  (6/14-7/4):

R.E.M. - Document
Jim Croce - I Got A Name (vinyl)
Janis Joplin - I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! (vinyl)
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - I Love Rock N' Roll (vinyl)
Nirvana - In Utero
Nirvana - Incesticide
Ry Cooder - Into The Purple Valley
Rolling Stones - It's Only Rock N' Roll
Lenny Kravitz - It Is Time For A Love Revolution
Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock - It Takes Two
Maroon 5 - It Won't Be Soon Before Long

Chatham County Line - IV

Marc Ford - It's About Time (The Black Crowes)
Ron Wood - I've Got My Own Album To Do (Rolling Stones)
The Joe Perry Project - I've Got The Rock N' Rolls Again (Aerosmith)
Izzy Stradlin & The Ju Ju Hounds - Izzy Stradlin & The Ju Ju Hounds (Guns N' Roses)

R.E.M. is just not one of my favorite bands, but Document contains my two favorite songs by them - It's The End Of The World and The One I Love. At a Jr. HS talent show some friends of mine performed the latter tune and I instantly loved the song, but this was WAY before I had any idea who R.E.M. was or any band really to that point. For a band that isn't really a hard core rock band - this song has some cojones.

Perusing through the extensive vinyls available at Nice Price Books (Carrboro branch) I came across this Janis Joplin album and passed on buying it several times. Eventually the temptation was too great and I broke down on popping on it. The record - I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! which is Janis' debut solo album. It has no "classic" tunes, but this album is solid. It isn't her normal blues rock, but rather a soul/R&B style sound not unlike James Brown or classic soul music of that era. I was pleasantly surprised with my purchase. The CD re-release includes some bonus tracks, but the version I have is as it was originally released.

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts!! What a cool name for a rocker and band!? Of course the title track is well known by everyone - I Love Rock N' Roll. What may not be known by many - self included - was that it is actually a cover. The album also includes a cover of Crimson And Clover by the Tommy James and the Shondells. I'm not sure if there is a true queen of female rockers, but I'll be casting my ballot for Joan in if there is ever an election.

Nirvana isn't tops on my list of classic bands and neither of these albums did much in the way of changing my opinion. In Utero contains the hit Heart Shaped Box, but I preferred Incesticide despite it's lack of radio hits. Despite being an Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin fan Cobain captured how commercial rock was becoming in the era with Aero Zeppelin . Perhaps he was just angry at not having the same success, but regardless of his reasoning he hit the nail on the head.

Since I've gone into grand detail on how much I like Lenny Kravitz - I defer to the review from allmusic above for It Is Time For A Love Revolution. It captures my thoughts more precisely than I could re-create myself. I will also punt my review to allmusic again for Maroon 5 with It Won't Be Soon Before Long. When I was listening my ears were convinced I was hearing a Justin Timberlake album. Turns out they agree.

Q: What do Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and Izzy Stradlin have in common?
A: Both worked with Slash most recently on his latest solo album featuring a plethora of lead singers and other famous musicians. Izzy also played rhythm guitar with Slash in this rock n' roll band called Guns N' Roses. And that is where our theme for this week comes from - guitarists and their solo albums - which completes the circle that started at Slash's solo album. This posting the solo efforts of Izzy Stradlin, Joe Perry, Ron Wood, and Marc Ford made it into rotation. As noted above, the bands from which they hail are rock royalty.

Marc Ford's Two Mules And A Rainbow and Cry, Moan & Wail are two marvelous tunes. Marc's voice and guitar style are a perfect fit. His first departure from The Black Crowes led to It's About Time which showed he was overdue to make his own album. Ford enlisted Berry Oakley Jr. for this album, the son of The Allman Brothers Band bassist Berry Oakley. As stated in a much earlier post, Berry Jr. also played in Bloodline with Joe Bonamassa in which he used his father's "Tractor" bass. Fender copied all the specs of that bass to market as the Berry Oakley model.

Long time member of the Rolling Stones also member of The Faces & Jeff Beck Group - Ron Wood. Doing research I came across the Ronnie Wood Gallery and was amazed at just how talented he really is. In addition to being perhaps one of the best slide guitarists of all time, he has created some great art. Are you ready for a crazy 360 degree connection this week? Ronnie released his solo debut the same year as It's Only Rock N' Roll. You could almost consider it a dual Stones release as Jagger and Richards both contributed to Ronnie's I've Got My Album To Do while Ronnie first appeared on a Stones record. The plot thickens though as the aforementioned I Love Rock N' Roll was quoted by author Merrill as "a knee-jerk response to The Rolling Stones' 'It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)'." To further complete the loop, Ronnie has an upcoming new solo release that will feature none other than - Slash and Flea. Whew!! What a tangled musical tapestry!?

Joe Perry and Izzy round out the solo albums with even more connections. G'NR covered the Aerosmith tune Mama Kin and the bands toured together early in the Gunner's career. These two albums have one very large thing in common - ripping guitar work with less than perfect songwriting. Both I've Got The Rock 'N Rolls Again and Izzy Stradlin & The Ju Ju Hounds are great albums that showed off the talents of guitarists ready to do there own thing just like the ones above. So here's to guitarists with egos to do their own album!!! Notice all albums start with that one letter word "I".......yeah that's a stretch, but not too big of one.

Week 21, 22 & 23

Thanks to my readers for the comments in Week 20. I have seriously slacked off on the blog, but I'm getting back on track. I have a tremendous amount of respect for just how hard maintaining a blog is week after week. Since this blog is weeks overdue, here goes (5/24-6/13):

The Flaming Lips - Hit to Death In The Future Head
The Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hall
Aerosmith - Honkin' On Bobo
Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy
Toby Keith - How Do You Like Me Now?
The Fray - How To Save A Life
Bruce Springsteen - Human Touch
Today The Moon, Tomorrow The Sun - Hurry Up And Wait (no link available)
Def Leppard - Hysteria
Oakley Hall - I'll Follow You
Muddy Waters - I'm Ready
Al Green - I'm Still In Love With You
Albert Collins - Ice Pickin'
Allman Brothers Band - Idlewild South
Grateful Dead - In The Dark
Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door

My appreciation for The Flaming Lips, particularly Wayne Coyne, grew after watching the documentary The Fearless Freaks. If you haven't seen it, watch it!! Hit To Death In The Future Head was the predecessor to Transmissions From The Satellite Heart which contained the band's only commercial hit - She Don't Use Jelly. The 29+ minute bonus track, at the end of Hit To Death..., is a static-hop from speaker to speaker that would make a fine torture technique for driving someone insane. I challenge anyone to listen to it in its entirety. I personally couldn't do it. After about 9-10 minutes I felt like I was getting Hit To Death In The Future Head. All in all the album is quite good and I still need to add some more of their catalog to my collection.

The Jayhawks was unfortunately a band I never got to see live. However, I did see Mark Olson & Gary Louris on there recent tour in support of Ready For The Flood. More on that much later, but it is now one of my favorite albums. Hollywood Town Hall is alt-country delicacy. Waiting On The Sun is a fantastic tune and my personal pick from this album. Of additional note, Nicky Hopkins (long time session pianist that did work with everyone including the Stones) contributed work to the album. To continue the theme - if you like alt-country then it's in your interest to listen to I'll Follow You. As stated in an earlier week, Oakley Hall released this on local Durham label Merge. All The Way Down, Marine Life, Angela, and No Dreams are choice tunes. The album doesn't really have a down track.

Houses Of The Holy is not my favorite Led Zeppelin album, nor is it my least favorite. My least favorite is without question In Through The Out Door. All the synthesizer is just too cheesy. There are some great songs and music, but the gratuitous electronic layers really detract from the album. On the other hand, HOTH contains Zeppelin right around their peak. Songs like The Ocean, Song Remains The Same, Over The Hills And Far Away, The Crunge, etc. are just timeless.

James Brown may have been the Godfather of Soul, but Al Green was the one that paved the way for smooth soul/R&B. I'm Still In Love With You is just the cream of soul/R&B music. Love And Happiness is easily one of my favorite songs of the genre. Contrast the soul of Al with the mega-arena selling sounds of Hysteria. Two albums that couldn't possibly be more diametrically opposed. In retrospect the songs are sorta overdone in many aspects, but the nostalgia of the largest hair-metal band from the 80's still has a draw that's hard to resist.

The week(s) ended with the roots and the extension of the blues. Muddy Waters, Allmans, Albert Collins, and even Led Zeppelin. Zeppelin and Gregg/Duane never held back using material from Muddy. Both covered or "borrowed" lyrics extensively from the king of the delta-Chicago blues. Doing a little research I also learned Albert Collins produced several Canned Heat (who played at Woodstock) albums. Rock is the blues at it's core and having these albums rounding out the week gave proof of the connections that exist and carry forward to this day.

Week 20

Why does vinyl sound better than CD? Listening to vinyl makes it feel more "real" if that's the way I could describe it. The mixes are closer to the true sound of the recording. You can certainly tell a subtle difference when listening, but it's tough to say exactly what it is, so here is ONE scientific explanation that I thought was interesting: Is the sound on vinyl records better than on CDs? That helped me understand the differnces a little better! Grab your board and ride this week's sound waves (5/17-5/23):

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers - Bare Wires
Grateful Dead - Grateful Dead (aka-Skull & Roses) (vinyl)
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River (vinyl)
Goo Goo Dolls - Gutterflower
Oakley Hall - Gypsum Strings
Counting Crows - Hard Candy
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers - A Hard Road
Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
The Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty
Gosling - Here Is…
North Mississippi Allstars - Hernando
AC/DC - High Voltage
Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited

CCR was a band I knew about through hearing my Dad talk about them, but until I got into music heavily never explored. The first thing I bought by them was Chronicles Vol. 1 (aka - greatist hits) and loved it. I never owned an actual album until I started my vinyl collection. Listening to Green River as it was originally intended was a treat. Discoverng music from a classic band beyond greatest hits is like the feeling you get when you find forgotten money hidden away in an old book. It's been there all along waiting for you to discover it, you need to simply open the right page.

Oakley Hall is a Brooklyn band currently on local Durham label Merge. They have sort of dropped off the map as they don't have any recent tour dates anywhere in the area and haven't updated their website (they made a small update and mentioned themselves how out of date their media is). The band has had a few lineup changes over the years, but Patrick Sullivan and NC native Rachel Cox have been the core of this Americana/folk/country rock band. The album featured this week is my favorite release of theirs - Gypsum Strings - featuring my personal favorites Living In Sin In The U.S.A. and Lazy Susan. For those of you that like a fiddle in the band, Claudia Mogel offers a nice dosage throughout, but visit Second Guessing for a full dose.

Counting Crows' Hard Candy features a collaboration in writing with Ryan Adams as well as the huge commercial success of the Joni Mitchell cover Big Yellow Taxi. I am partial to the hidden track version of BYT instead of the overdubbed Vanessa Carlton version which charted the commercial success. I haven't listened to much Counting Crows, but liked what I heard here beyond the known commercial hits.

Another band from this week that has dropped off the planet is Gosling. These guys are super talented and churned out some terrific songs on Here Is... which was their "debut" after a full name change (sans a lineup change from Loudermilk). These guys actually toured with Motley Crue before the name change, which I found to be most curious given their old sound and new sound don't really fit the Hair Metal mold. Anyway, Here Is... an awesome album from a band I am sad to see no longer in the scene.

My album of the week is Hernando. Yes, I am biased toward the North Mississippi Allstars because of the baddest slide guitarist I've ever seen in person - Luther Dickinson. This last album is perhaps the most complete sounding record NMA has released. It's full of AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix guitar licks while keeping true to the roots of the Mississippi-country-blues. My favorite track from the album is I'd Love To Be A Hippy, sung by bassist Chris Chew. The song was actually co-written by their father Jim with Champion Jack Dupree. It's an amazing slow blues tune that always gets the crowd pumped up.

It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock N' Roll) is easily my favorite AC/DC song. How cool is the bagpipe/guitar solo!? Yes, bagpipes!! In addition to being a one of the baddest frontmen of any band, Bon could play a mean set of pipes. High Voltage is the blueprint of AC/DC albums.

Week 19

I'll save the intro for the week and Let The Music Do The Talking:

Metallica - Garage, Inc.

Medusa Stone - Ghosts

Taj Mahal - Giant Steps & De Old Folks At Home

The Flying Burrito Brothers - Gilded Palace Of Sin, The

Rolling Stones - Goats Head Soup (CD & Vinyl)

The Sword - Gods Of The Earth

Bob Dylan - Good As I Been To You

Gov't Mule - Gov't Mule

Soul Asylum - Grave Dancer's Union

Bruce Springsteen - Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.

I've made reference to Medusa Stone in previous posts, but this week i finally get to expand on their work as their EP - Ghosts made it into the set. This band from Wilmington, NC has been one big break away from blowing up for a few years now. The only thing missing is a label big enough and smart enough to promote them. Ghosts is an EP they released a few years back between their debut release and their latest Shaking Hands. These guys just flat out blow the doors off every place they play. The true test of a successful band is being able to pull off live what you lay down in the studio, which makes these guys worth the price of admission.

Gram Parsons makes another appearance this week with his work in The Flying Burrito Brothers on The Gilded Palace Of Sin. This version of the band features Gram and Chris Hillman working together again fresh off their departure from The Byrds. While G.P./Grievous Angel are the pinnacle of Gram's solo work - The Gilded Palace Of Sin is the pinnacle of his work in a band. Christine's Tune, Do Right Woman, Hot Burrito 1 & 2, all classic tunes from this epic album. If you like country-rock and haven't heard this album, then mark your name in the pretender column.

Bob Dylan returns as well with a full cover album of traditional folk numbers in Good As I Been To You. Released in 1992 this album sounds like something that was recorded to wax cylinders nearly a century earlier. Notably this is the first album Bob ever released not to feature on original, but make no mistake the sound is pure Dylan.

This week two albums shared a common thread. John Popper of Blues Traveler is featured on the track Mule from Gov't Mule's debut self-titled in addition to the Metallica cover of Lynyrd Skynard's Tuesday's Gone on Garage, Inc. As stated early in this blog, I am always in to finding these linkages between artists and having heard both these albums without realising the connection was like uncovering a hidden gem of a music fact. Music is a giant tapestry full of inter-woven parts and this thread is yet one more which ties many bands together.

This week's musical trifecta will be the three contrasting albums Gods Of The Earth, Gov't Mule, and Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. each of which took me several listens to appreciate. All three albums share a common theme - great story-telling through music, fine musicianship (each in their respective genre) and solid listens throughout the entire album without containing one "radio" single. Sometimes the best music has to be sought out instead of force fed. These three albums are full of delectable tastes.

Week 18

What a good week of music!? This week saw a return to the complete eclecticism: R&B, country rock, indie, mainstream rock, classic rock, folk, blues. I didn't realy listen to any "bad" albums either. I will say that Wilco's A Ghost Is Born wasn't up to par with what I expected it to be, but all around the entire week was solid. Got to see a live show as well which exposed me to a new local band - Mount Moriah. They will be playing June 9 at Duke's Music In The Gardens with Lonnie Walker. Summer shows are in the air - time to for the music to share:

Guns N' Roses - G N' R Lies
Gram Parsons - G.P. / Grevious Angel
A Rooster For The Masses - Gallo Rojo
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown - Gate Swings
Megafaun - Gather, Form & Fly (CD & vinyl)
Aerosmith - Get A Grip
JET - Get Born
Aerosmith - Get Your Wings (CD & vinyl)
Al Green - Gets Next To You
Wilco - Ghost Is Born, A
Bruce Springsteen - Ghost Of Tom Joad, The

Gram Parsons is perhaps the single most influential person in Alt-country/Country Rock. He spent time in The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds, but his two solo albums G.P & Grevious Angel contain some of the best work ever recorded in the genre. A Song For You, She, The Streets Of Baltimore, That's All It Took, Love Hurts, and the eerily surreal closer of his recordings and life - In My Hour Of Darkness. Both albums prominately feature Emmylou Harris, which was where her career took off. As lyrics from the the aforementioned state - some say he was a star/but he was just a country boy/his simple songs confess/and the music he had in him so very few possess.

This week couldn't have been much better as Gather, Form, & Fly finally got here. It felt like waiting for Christmas for this album to arrive; even though I've listened to it many times since beginning the project. This album is phenomenal!!!! Not only was I able to listen to the album this week, but I got to catch Megafaun fresh off a European tour live at Cat's Cradle with Mount Moriah and Great White Jenkins. The first time I saw them they opened there for Vetiver just after recording this album and before it was released. Seeing how the songs have evolved shows the bands willingness to push boundaries which makes every performance truly unique. Back to the album, The Longest Day is by far my favorite tune from the album, but it's not the tight harmonies of Brad, Phil, and Joe that shine on this track; rather Christy Smith's hauntingly beautiful delivery that makes you feel the pain built into the prose. The entire album is never boring as digital looping mixes with lo-fi banjo/guitar twang to create a truly unique sound. Megafaun is a band that I hope sticks together for many years to come.

Rocks is regarded by many (Slash included) as Aerosmith's best album ever, but my personal favorite album is Get Your Wings. Lord Of The Thighs and Seasons Of Wither are two of my favorite Aerosmith songs. Someone recommended that I learn how to play something I listen to each week on guitar; while that task is daunting I did heed their advice and tackled Seasons Of Wither. It's not a terribly complicated song, but that's where the true joy lies in the song. The best songs are simple, stripped-down, minimalist, yet powerful. Get Your Wings is that album. If you want to take flight with Aerosmith roots, then this album is the perfect place to climb aboard.

Week 17

Last week I went past to the 200 album mark without even noticing. Perhaps it's because my input of new music at time exceeds my listen rate. Today it crossed my mind that my musical collection will make a good stockpile in case of a global nuclear musical meltdown. If I ever am forced into a bomb shelter with all of my music, I can survive for years without hardly listening to the same song twice. This week the Crosley CR246 (that's my record player with built in CD burner) was finally put to the test as the needle dropped on Pink Floyd's Meddle to transfer the large black vinyl to compact disc. Oh the joys of modern technology that bridge the gap from the old world to the new world. The sound quality is superb, but the mix of the vinyl is maintained leaving only a faint crackle or pop behind to preserve the nostalgia. The copied CD was even recognized by iTunes making the conversion process even more astonishing. Enough geeking out - on with the show (4/26-5/2):

Rolling Stones - Flowers
Van Halen - For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
The Pneurotics - Forty
Blues Traveler - Four
The Fray - Fray, The
Sarah McLachlan - Freedom Sessions, The
Bob Dylan - Freewheelin Bob Dylan, The
Eric Clapton - From The Cradle
Wes Montgomery - Full House
The Stooges - Funhouse
Pink - Funhouse
Justin Timberlake - Future Sex/Love Sounds

This week was the first to not feature a true classic/hard rock album. Flowers has some of the Stones hits from their pop sounds of the early 60's, one of Van Halen's  weaker albums, with the rest being blues, jazz, punk, folk, indie, and pop. Despite my strong palette of rock, occasionally I go off the chart with something poppy like Pink's Funhouse. Don't ask me why, but I like her music. Perhaps it's the rebel attitude in which she approaches the music scene (bashing other pop artists), but more than anything her lyrics speak more to broken homes, abusive relationships, and general mayhem which have a meaning beyond most pop artists. She has a very soulful voice and doesn't overdub in auto-tuned singing to clean up the slight off pitch note. Funhouse is exactly as the title suggest - a fun album with views from slightly distorted mirrors.

Local bands are a dime a dozen, especially bad ones. So when I come across a band like The Pneurotics it's nice to plant them on my local watch list and try to catch them whenever I can. The first time I ever saw them was when they opened for another band (Casuall Fiasco from VT which is no longer together). It was one of their first EVER shows, but a few years later this band has grown into a tight band with some great tunes. Second Skin is their second release and shows progressions over their debut. If you're in the greater Triangle region check them out. Husband/wife duo Rich and Mimi on guitar and bass lay down some great punk grooves. The drummer they have now isn't too shabby either.

This week we return again to Robert Allen Zimmerman's work. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is perhaps one of the most iconic albums Dylan recorded. The opening track Blowin' In The Wind might be his biggest hit, but the album contains plenty of other greats like Girl From The North Country and Don't Think Twice, It's Alright. The tunes Down The Highway and I Shall Be Free were my favorite from this album.

The juxtaposition of the three album run near the end of the week highlighted some great albums from blues, punk, and jazz. The Stooges second album Funhouse is a powerful sophomore release from punk pioneers. 1970, Dirt, Loose are my favorites from this album. Iggy may have been the front man and image of the band, but the Asheton brothers were the brain trust behind the sound. I got into The Stooges a few years ago as the news of Ron Asheton's death made music headlines on January 6, 2009. Contrast his style with the crisp jazz style of Wes Montgomery on his Full House album. Jazz is a music form that becomes more interesting to me each time I listen and Wes was one of the biggest names in jazz guitarists. Then when it comes to guitarists none is much more versatile than Clapton. On his first "true" blues solo album, From The Cradle hits some of the most well known blues standards while mixing in Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Freddie King and others into his own signature arrangements. These three albums were the triumphant trio of the week.

Week 16

Last week I caught Leon Russell with Medusa Stone opening at the Lincoln Theatre. I'm excited to see what direction Medusa Stone heads, as a new heavily Black Sabbath influenced tune closed their set, showing signs the band might be headed in a varied musical direction. One of the coolest moments of the evening was learning that the ES-335 that Leon's guitarist played was once owned by Freddie King. Leon played with Freddie who gave Leon the guitar, and now Leon gifted it to his guitarist. Witnessing an actual passing of the torch (the guitar was cherry red) on stage was a surreal experience. I also got a chance to see A Rooster For The Masses, which I can say was a band I would certainly pay to see again. They are great musicians with a solid collection of songs, but it would be nice to get a little more on-stage presence from the entire band. On to this week's set (4/19-4/25):

Motorhead - Ace Of Spades
Jethro Tull - Aqualung (vinyl)
Alice In Chains - Facelift
George Michael - Faith
Puddle Of Mudd - Famous
ZZ Top - Fandango!
Norah Jones - Feels Like Home
The Felice Brothers - Felice Brothers, The
Pink Floyd - Final Cut, The
Small Faces - First Step
Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

AC/DC - Flick The Switch

Jethro Tull's Aqualung is one of the creepiest, but coolest album covers in rock archives. The title track is perhaps the most famous song from the album, but Locomotive Breath is my favorite tune from the album. The entire track was overdubbed to create the song and the record itself incorporated one of the first uses of quadraphonic sound. Quadraphonic sound is basically the first form of surround sound in 4.0. The technology was way ahead of its time, but was too expensive to last in the era of its invention. Back to Aqualung, the album is said to be a concept album, but Ian Anderson has gone on record saying it was just a collection of songs. The record does have two distinct themes as side 1 is a collection of songs about sorted characters while side 2 contains a predominantly anti-church theme. It's not hard to see how some of this material had an impact on the heavy metal world in retrospect. One interesting note on Jethro Tull, Tommy Iommi of Black Sabbath and Phil Collins did a very short stint in the band, but at different times.

This week had a nice heavy mix of folk-style singer/songwriting with Norah Jones, Fleet Foxes, and Nick Drake. The debut release Five Leaves Left is a great album while it also contains that sad aura of an artist that departed well before his time. Just like Otis Redding, much of Nick Drake's musical success took place after passing on into the great beyond. Thanks to the miracles of recording technology for preserving some this timeless musicians abilities. Norah Jones' Feels Like Home is a gem of an album. In addition to containing covers of Gram Parsons, Tom Waits, and Townes Van Zandt the originals shine just as brightly. The album also contains Levon Helm on drums for What Am I To You? and a duet with Dolly Parton on Creepin' In which garnered one of three Grammy's for this album. The album may play tribute to it's antecedents while sounding fresh, just as the Fleet Foxes have done with their break-through self-titled release. Perhaps the two might join for a tour one day - I for one would shell out for such a billing.

First Step was credited as the Small Faces in the US to garner more commercial success, but this is just the Faces debut album. The "Small" portion of the band name was dropped due to the addition of larger than life additions Ron Wood and Rod Stewart fresh off their departure from the Jeff Beck Group. This album is raw, but is packed full of great tunes. Production is very loose which makes this album feel more like a live performance with little overdubbing. The later studio releases gained the band bigger success in the US, but this album was exactly as titled - a First Step.

This week had some big name acts, but the lesser volumes from their catalogs. The Final Cut by Pink Floyd, AC/DC's Flick The Switch and Famous by Puddle Of Mudd. Decent albums, but not the finer collections that have been covered. I got to finally listen to Motorhead which has been on my list of bands that I'm familiar with, but never actually listened to fully. Ace Of Spades is just like their front-man, Lemmy, brash and bold with a driving assault of unadulterated rock Not something I think I'll be listening to over and over, but when the mood to listen to thrash rock hits I'll know where to turn.

Week 15

As Tax Day came and went I was reminded of the George Harrison tune Taxman which was the opener for  Revolver:

Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman

Should five per cent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman

If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.

Don't ask me what I want it for
If you don't want to pay some more
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman

Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
And you're working for no one but me.

George was rather ticked about learning how much tax the UK government was taking from their earnings since they had reached the highest tax bracket. The song still holds true over 40 years later. This week was heavy on the modern rock with Alice In Chains, QOTSA, Vertical Horizon, Saliva, Rage, and Hinder. Mixed in were the contrasting styles of Def Leppard, Yes, Widespread Panic, The Cranberries, and Neil Young. The icing on the rock cake this week had to be Exile On Main St., or perhaps it was the entire cake. We'll tie our tax theme back in when we get to Exile below, so away we go (4/12-4/18):

Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue
Yes - Big Generator
Queens Of The Stone Age - Era Vulgaris
Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St.
Def Leppard - Euphoria
Saliva - Every Six Seconds
The Cranberries - Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?
Neil Young - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Widespread Panic - Everyday
Vertical Horizon - Everything You Want
Rage Against The Machine - Evil Empire
Hinder - Extreme Behavior
 
After a 14 year hiatus from their last studio album and the death of lead singer Layne Staley, Alice In Chains are back with Black Gives Way To Blue and a new front-man. The album was written almost entirely by Jerry Cantrell making the album seem like a solo album with the AIC name attached. William DuVall sounds much like Staley helping keep the bands sound in tact, but isn't an exact copy. Think of it like the Bon Scott to Brian Johnson transition for AC/DC. The new album is just as good as the albums made over a decade ago. The same messages exist, but the production is a little tighter. This album did not disappoint me with it's expectations. One odd point to note is Elton John adding piano to the title track. As one review I read noted, nothing about the piano is unique and could have been played by nearly any studio pianist. I give this one a solid thumbs up and worth buying.

Queens Of The Stone Age mix art rock with punk-metal and catchy guitar licks. While the bands lineup has changed multiple times the core of the group is Josh Homme. Era Vulgaris is the last studio album released by QOTSA from 2007. Homme's latest project is Them Crooked Vultures with David Grohl and John Paul Jones - which sound amazing and has been added to the wish list. Talks have surfaced that QOTSA will begin working on a new album in the summer which is exciting to see former members returning. Era Vulgaris is a strong release, but not quite up to par with Lullabies To Paralyze or Songs For The Deaf. Era Vulgaris wins when it comes to album covers.

Exile On Main Street is perhaps the greatest rock n' roll album ever made. It has a mix of nearly every genre of music and doesn't have a single bad track. The band moved from England to the French Riviera and into Keith Richard's Villa Nellcôte to record this album. The reason for the move - to avoid paying taxes in England due to financial hardships. Even the world's greatest rock n' roll band can't avoid the Taxman. The re-release of Exile is set to hit stores May 18 and includes 10 new tracks and collectors book. I cannot wait to get my claws into it. In researching stories on the album (of which thousands exist) the most interesting item I found was the link on the Rolling Stones magazine site with the original review from 1972. Initial reviews are not glowing, but that's how I felt listening to it just a few years ago. The lore of the album was out there, but I didn't get it the first time I listened either. The album has grown better with each listen and is for certain in the top 5 of my albums to have on a deserted island. Exile has become the litmus test of albums. If you don't own it, buy the re-release.

Aside from the albums listed above, my favorite two from this week were Evil Empire and Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. The two albums are nearly as far apart as you can get on the musical spectrum. As I stated in one of the first few weeks Tom Morello is one of my favorite guitarists. Evil Empire is what you get when you smash Public Enemy and Guns 'N Roses together. Political/social activist rapping mixed with a driving rhythm section and technically proficient lead guitarist. Contrast that with Neil Young's Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere which contains one of his most recognizable songs - Cinnamon Girl. The album also marks the beginning of Young's collaboration with the band Crazy Horse. Both albums are fabulous listens.