Insta-Review: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Raising Sand

 Posted by
Nov 172007
 


Today I set out to listen to and share my thoughts on the Robert Plant/Alison Krauss album, Raising Sand. This collaboration, which the artists have taken great pains to say is not an album of “duets,” was produced by T-Bone Burnett. I’ve been looking forward to hearing it in its entirety. I must note that unlike most of my Insta-Reviews, I couldn’t help but hear snippets of some of these songs on the artists’ recent radio interviews, but I’ll try to keep my thoughts as fresh as possible. You have counted on me to fire from my gut, and with 2 eggs over light and a few strips of bacon still rattling around in my innards, I’m in tune with that ample part of my anatomy.

“Fortune Teller”: Right from the start, producer T-Bone Burnett’s deliberate, futuristic-retro hands are all over the production of this chestnut. It sounds like it’s more of a set-up piece than all that this collaboration promises. Is Krauss anywhere to be found other than on the backing vocal tracks? Cool guitar solo.

“Gone, Gone, Gone”: I love this Everly Brothers song! Just seeing the title scroll across the Phawker Radio player gets me excited. Plant and Krauss sound good, but what happened to the groovy beat of the Everlys’ orginal? Burnette’s insistence on seeing through his musical designs can be his strength as well as his weakness as a producer (think the ups and downs of Sam Phillips’ Martinis and Bikinis). Watch it, T-Bone! When this version needs to cut loose and hit a new dynamic, the same beat and grinding rhythm guitar carry on, as if programmed in long before any of the players got cooking in real time. Not bad, though, not bad.

“Killing the Blues”: Here’s a tender ballad featuring sweet harmony; pedal steel guitar; and a low, twangy guitar solo. Folk Scientist Burnette lets the musicians play on this one without the need to adhere to any grand concept. AAA radio was built on such dignified takes on earlier works. Maybe getting old’s not so bad!

“Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson”: Krauss takes the lead on this track, and this woman’s got pipes! The guitar work is really nice, which I’m finding is a consistent theme throughout this album. I guess Plant is sitting this one out.

“Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us”: This track’s got that straw hat/overalls rolled up/bare feet in the pond feel. I’m afraid of it. Mischievous boys should be whitewashing a picket fence. T-Bone probably wore suspenders while producing this one. Plant looks stupid with a waxed handlebar mustache. Don’t get me wrong – this is a beautiful little song, but I have no business listening to it.
Continue reading »

Share

Quick Question: Taste Over Technology?

 Posted by
Nov 162007
 


I’ve got a quick question that’s been nagging me. Perhaps someone has stats on this or at least their own impressions to share. Has the length of new albums released on CD gotten back to the standard vinyl-era lengths of 40 to 45 minutes and 12 to 14 tracks?

Remember when CDs were constantly running over 60 minutes, with at least 5 tracks you knew you would never listen to if you were anywhere near your CD player? Remember when some of us snobs would reply to charges of “poor taste” demonstrated by these epic CDs with a [sniff, adjusts Pince Nez], “You know, the only reason the vinyl albums you old farts treasure so at their typical length of 40 minutes is because of technological limitations.” Am I the only person who’s wondering whether artists are accepting the fact that albums usually work best within the 12-song/40-minute scope of vinyl-era releases for reasons other than technology?

Share

Rock Trainwrecks

 Posted by
Nov 152007
 


I am fascinated by movies that are huge, ambitious, and completely unwatchable. But that’s not the same as enjoying seeing these movies, mind you. Most of the time, I prefer to wait for detailed descriptions show up on Wikipedia, or, better yet, Nathan Rabin’s awesome My Year of Flops column on The AV Club.

It looks like this week, the epitome of the big-budget, overwritten trainwreck genre is released. I refer, of course, to Southland Tales, writer-director Richard Kelly’s reportedly incomprehensible, multi-character follow-up to his overrated-but-interesting Donnie Darko. This is one bloody, firey mess that I know I will have to see at some point in my life. But will I actually pay money for the experience? God, no.

My question for everyone today is: What is the rock equivalent of these kinds of films? Some candidates: This year, Of Montreal released Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? a bizarre cut-and-paste electro-pop album filled with jittery melodies, meaningless song titles, and embarrassingly personal lyrics. I love it. Also, there are those first few post-Big Star solo albums from Alex Chilton, Bach’s Bottom and Like Flies on Sherbert. But those albums are shambling and deliberately underdone, not overdone. How about one of my favorite albums, Jellyfish’s Spilt Milk? Or perhaps Sandinista by The Clash? What do you think?

Share

The Future Is Unwritten Refutes Townsman Hrrundi’s Anti-Hippie Bias!

 Posted by
Nov 152007
 


I got to see the Joe Strummer movie, The Future Is Unwritten, with Townsman Chickenfrank the other night. It’s funny, as I was getting ready to go, with Hrrundi’s latest anti-hippie rant (only the first in a series that I’m sure he thinks will finally convince us of his point of view on this matter) fresh in mind, I was wondering if I could somehow tie my thoughts on the life and works of Strummer into refuting my good friend’s latest cry for help. And as it happened, this Julian Temple memorial service of a biography played right into my hand!

What the film lacked in Clash nerdboy musical analysis (eg, no complete song performances, no scenes with engineer Bill Price pulling up tracks from the master tapes, no in-depth discussions of how a cool track on, say, Sandinista was built from the ground up), it made up for in love. Bucketfulls of love! Using tape recordings of Strummer telling his own tale and a vast array of unseen (at least by my eyes) footage, including childhood home movies; a very early Clash rehearsal; and a holy grail for me, actual footage of The 101ers (!!!), Temple structures the film around campfire reminiscences by friends, former bandmates, lovers, and the like.

In what first seemed like an unnecessary act of Insider Cool but what I would come to see as a warm, egalitarian touch, Temple does not flash any names under the speakers, so when you’re not seeing the obvious characters, like Steve or Mick Jones, you have to figure out for yourself if you’re seeing an old love, a bandmate from The 101ers, John Cooper Clarke, or Zander “Snake” Schloss. I think one of the points of the film was that Strummer had built a broad community in his years and any one of us might have felt a part of it. No one’s flashing subtitles under your face or my face, so why should the folks on the screen have their identities highlighted? For the most part, it kept the focus on what each person had to say about Joe. There were exceptions, of course (Johnny Depp in his Captain Jack get-up), but even Bono worked hard at being one of the admirers.

One of the highlights for me was seeing Topper Headon looking so healthy and well-adjusted. Compared with footage of him from his final days in The Clash along with my memories of him looking at death’s door a few years ago in that Don Letts film on the band, Topper is looking like he’s turned a corner, sitting on the beach in his pink v-neck sweater. Drummers that great need to stay free.

But onto the hippie/punk stuff…
Continue reading »

Share

Oats vs The Libertines, Round Two

 Posted by
Nov 142007
 


Here are the results of my second listen through The Best of The Libertines. On one hand, I feel semi-qualified to take on this task, as I think I’m one of the bigger Anglophiles on RTH. On the other hand, my favorite British bands tend to be bookish, socially awkward smart-asses (I will not use the word “arses.” There are, after all, limits), such as The Kinks and Pulp. I’m not sure The Libertines fit in that category, at least not in the terms under which Townsman Kpdexter defined them. Let’s do this.

Up the Bracket: Opens with a garbled yell (shades of “The Right Profile”) which is at least attention-grabbing. Then the song starts with a sort of stiff, martial punk rhythm. Now I know where the Arctic Monkeys got it from. I can imagine this song serving as an awesome encore. Honestly, it’s a good song with a decent hook. I can see this band having a devoted fan base, but I don’t see how they’re worthy of any real appreciation by an outsider like myself. What’s here that I can’t get from The Clash or Buzzcocks — or Art Brut, for that matter? Besides the stupid junkie mythology shit, I mean.

Time for Heroes: Without paying close attention, I can tell the lyrics are worthwhile, and they’re sung with more personality than the Arctic Monkeys.

Are we on the second album now, is that why everything is now suddenly vaguely muted and pensive?

Mayday: More stiff, frantic punk. It’s getting old. Now I picture myself seeing this song performed live while everyone around me goes nuts. A lot of elbows in my face – not fun. Hey, the song is 1:04. That’s kinda neat.

Don’t Look Back Into the Sun: I realize this is a Best of… album, but did this band have more than one setting? I can see why BigSteve wondered how much credit for the band’s merits should go to the producer. This really wants to be on the first Clash album.

Tell the King: A slightly more acoustic number. Drummer plays with brushes and there’s a little bit of Kinks-like melancholy here. It’s nice, it’s good – don’t get me wrong, kpdexter – but it just seems awfully inessential to me.

What Katie Did: Nice opening riff, but these doo-wop harmonies are kinda dopey. Are we on the second album now, is that why everything is now suddenly vaguely muted and pensive? Rhyming “girl” with “world” – a bit of a buzzkill. This song wears out its welcome.

Can’t Stand Me Now: Another very Clash-like song, especially the melodic side that The Libertines’ producer brought to that band. I like this one. I’m a sucker for bap-bap-bap rhythms played by snare drums and/or handclaps.

What a Waster:– Oh the irony! Or not! This song feels rushed, in a whole number of ways. Not least similar to Saturnismine’s issue with latter-day Ted Leo. The need for bathroom breaks continues to plague neo-punk heroes!

The Delaney Boys: Didn’t this song come on earlier on the album?

In the Band: Zzzzzz. Oh wait, there’s a neat hook in the chorus. But do we need another song about “the boys in the band?”

Death On the Stairs:: Nice hooks and all. It’s got a little bit of that “American Girl”/”Last Night” rhythm. Again, though, I feel like I heard this earlier.

I Get Along: Must continue. Must get through pro forma punk anthems.

What Became of the Likely Lads: Whatever, guys!

So. Decent band. Some good tunes here. Great punk production. But I find they’re impalpable in album-length form. This thing ran out of steam, which is not something greatest-hits albums should do, you’d think. I can’t see this album passing Andyr’s exacting, greatest-hits standards.

So, not only do I prefer the 10 bands I listed, I prefer just about every other British band on my iPod. Of course, it is possible that I hate fun, rock ‘n’ roll, etc. I am, after all, a bookish, socially awkward smart-ass.

Share

The Halls of Rock Welcome a Rolling Stone Magazine Expert Opinion

 Posted by
Nov 142007
 


Townsman 2000 Man reports a verification of his Rock Nerd Credentials. How do YOU size up?

I’ve long held the public view that I am truly only an expert in one area, that being What I Like. I’ve also held the widely shared view that Rolling Stone Magazine doesn’t know their ass from a hole in the ground, and they know even less about rock music, or at least what’s good. But now, I’m thinking maybe I should change my mind.

Because I’ve taken their Almost Impossible Quiz.

And I’ve come out on top, baby!

I even managed to get questions about Prince and Led Zeppelin right.

I scored a 43. I am an Expert and I “know my Bowie from my Bambaata.” So from here on out, when I chime in, you’ll know you’re getting a bonafide Rolling Stone Magazine Expert Opinion.

Share
 Older Entries  Newer Entries

Lost Password?

 
twitter facebook youtube