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.