My friends and partners in crime, I give you the almighty and amazing Boris!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Power Pop- Iggy's Search And Destroy Mission
Raw Power and Funhouse, kids. Them's the names. The Stooges, those tough, hard-rockin' freaks fronted by crazed rock icon Iggy Pop, were fortunate enough to do two classic albums. Funhouse in 1970, Raw Power three years later.
Let's talk turkey here. Back in 70, the Stooges already had a rep as wild dudes. They had one album of John-Cale produced proto-punk, the brilliantly stupid "The Stooges". That's the one with "I Wanna Be Your Dog" on it for all you indie kids who've heard it covered a thousand times. Iggy was a consummate front man. He had it all- a fake name, a penchant for self-mutilation, and he popularized stage-diving and audience-baiting. He embodied the punk spirit before punk truly came around.
While the Stooges were a brilliantly dumb band, mired in adolescent posturing and simplistic rock, they were also pretty smart in weird ways. Their talent for the apropos riff, the perfect vocal sting, the anthemic but sleazy sex song, was undeniable, and Ron Asheton's basic guitar style was no bar to his experimental spirit. His solos ripped and roared with abandon, no regard for technique or logic, just feeling. It was on Funhouse that these things really came together.
These are still twisted anthems of the street played with an animal at the fore barking madly. But Funhouse loses the sludge and trudges further into psychedelic swaths of noise. Dave Alexander provides tasty bass licks as Ron Asheton digs into the ether and summons forth guitar bliss. Scott Asheton pounds away primitively and with abandon. Through everything, Iggy howls and coos, screams and wails, marshalling all the charisma and energy you can squeeze from a human form. Perfect example? Sure. 1970, go.
Steve MacKay provides some searing sax work. Check the kickass bass too. No wonder Mission of Burma covered it. It rocks hard.
But what of Raw Power? What of it?
Only one of the most pissed-off, destructive, violent, and loud rock albums ever.
By '73, the Stooges were pretty much done for, destroyed by drugs. David Bowie told his management team to give Iggy one more chance. Iggy got James Williamson to play guitar, and Ron and Scott Asheton rejoined the Stooges. Ron was pushed onto bass.
David Bowie's original mix of Raw Power, which I haven't heard for some time, is reputed to be pretty muddy. Iggy remixed the album himself in 1997. The remix is extremely distorted, loud, and violent, completely in the red and in your face.
I quite like the remix myself. The apocalyptic screeches and howls emanating from Iggy cannot be ignored. James Williamson plays a mean, supremely loud lead guitar. For my money, Raw Power is better than Funhouse simply because the guitar playing is less basic. Ron Asheton, the pissed-off guitarist who got pushed onto bass, is practically in a frenzy, really brings energy to the low end. On this record, even the ballads sound evil and pissed off. Ladies and gentlemen, "Gimme Danger".
Gimme danger, little stranger. I'll feel your disease.
"Penetration" is some lecherous, lusty shit, yo.
Let's talk turkey here. Back in 70, the Stooges already had a rep as wild dudes. They had one album of John-Cale produced proto-punk, the brilliantly stupid "The Stooges". That's the one with "I Wanna Be Your Dog" on it for all you indie kids who've heard it covered a thousand times. Iggy was a consummate front man. He had it all- a fake name, a penchant for self-mutilation, and he popularized stage-diving and audience-baiting. He embodied the punk spirit before punk truly came around.
While the Stooges were a brilliantly dumb band, mired in adolescent posturing and simplistic rock, they were also pretty smart in weird ways. Their talent for the apropos riff, the perfect vocal sting, the anthemic but sleazy sex song, was undeniable, and Ron Asheton's basic guitar style was no bar to his experimental spirit. His solos ripped and roared with abandon, no regard for technique or logic, just feeling. It was on Funhouse that these things really came together.
These are still twisted anthems of the street played with an animal at the fore barking madly. But Funhouse loses the sludge and trudges further into psychedelic swaths of noise. Dave Alexander provides tasty bass licks as Ron Asheton digs into the ether and summons forth guitar bliss. Scott Asheton pounds away primitively and with abandon. Through everything, Iggy howls and coos, screams and wails, marshalling all the charisma and energy you can squeeze from a human form. Perfect example? Sure. 1970, go.
Steve MacKay provides some searing sax work. Check the kickass bass too. No wonder Mission of Burma covered it. It rocks hard.
But what of Raw Power? What of it?
Only one of the most pissed-off, destructive, violent, and loud rock albums ever.
By '73, the Stooges were pretty much done for, destroyed by drugs. David Bowie told his management team to give Iggy one more chance. Iggy got James Williamson to play guitar, and Ron and Scott Asheton rejoined the Stooges. Ron was pushed onto bass.
David Bowie's original mix of Raw Power, which I haven't heard for some time, is reputed to be pretty muddy. Iggy remixed the album himself in 1997. The remix is extremely distorted, loud, and violent, completely in the red and in your face.
I quite like the remix myself. The apocalyptic screeches and howls emanating from Iggy cannot be ignored. James Williamson plays a mean, supremely loud lead guitar. For my money, Raw Power is better than Funhouse simply because the guitar playing is less basic. Ron Asheton, the pissed-off guitarist who got pushed onto bass, is practically in a frenzy, really brings energy to the low end. On this record, even the ballads sound evil and pissed off. Ladies and gentlemen, "Gimme Danger".
Gimme danger, little stranger. I'll feel your disease.
"Penetration" is some lecherous, lusty shit, yo.
Monday, June 8, 2009
New Sonic Youth album has arrived. WOOT!
The diagnosis for studio album 16 from veteran underground rockers Sonic Youth? Rockin'. I think my post on Television was pretty timely- the passages in The Eternal seem to echo Marquee Moon and the eponymous Television album; dark moods and tension coiled, pretty and ugly vying for expression and possession of the song. The opener "Sacred Trickster" I had heard pre-launch, and it sounded classic Kim Gordon, bratty and petulant, stabbing and discordant while still rocking in an odd fashion. Check this clip from Later... With Jools Holland, one of Britain's great music showcases.
The second track on the album hooked me pretty hard- "Anti-Orgasm" grooves relentlessly and possesses an excellent bridge of messy, chopping, clanging guitar noise that is classic Youth. Also, the addition of Mark Ibold of Pavement has done wonders for their groove. It seemed with their jam phase that Jim O'Rourke was good as a multi-instrumentalist, but he played guitar more often than not as well as keys and bass.
With a dedicated bassist allowing Kim Gordon to step onto third guitar, the group seems to be recalling their late-80s days more than anything, but with an extra guitar and more killer bass grooves. Check this clip, again from Later With Jools Holland.
I've always preferred Lee's songs as a rule for most of the Youth's albums, and "What We Know" turned out as expected. Lee's "Rats" also had the most badass bassline on Rather Ripped, so there ya go. I can't believe that "Antenna" is the first Lee/Thurston vocal harmony- it really does work, it makes you wonder why a band with such usually unspectacular singers wouldn't just half-ass a few harmonies to cover up their vocal weaknesses in concert more often. Lee usually does fine on his own in a Beat/spoken word style, though. Usually only Kim truly grates my nerves, and only very occasionally- I usually have a perverse admiration for her growling and hollering delivery. I like the non-processed, amateur style in a way. It's the Youth's big "fuck you" toward vapid pop mavens, sorta like Television's Tom Verlaine being a less-than-fantastic crooner. It's these idiosyncrasies that make a band either special, or just plain annoying. Fortunately, I've opted to enjoy Sonic Youth. Back to 'in praise of musics'.
Steve Shelley is still a great drummer, machine-precise and not overly flashy, but he can really anchor down a heady jam. His trademark fills and metronome-accurate pounding really give the Youth the edge they lacked in their very early days- it's no wonder he's the only full-time drummer the Youth ever had for more than two albums.
All in all, The Eternal is about as far as one can get from 2006's Rather Ripped- few clean edges, tons of fraying and squalling and spitfire guitars slicing and singing relentless. Sure, some of the material is a bit clipped or drags, but that's the nature of the Youth. You gotta let their indulgences slide and let their strengths stick. If you can get past some of their quirks, as I have, you'll have a great time with their unique brand of revelling in noise.
The second track on the album hooked me pretty hard- "Anti-Orgasm" grooves relentlessly and possesses an excellent bridge of messy, chopping, clanging guitar noise that is classic Youth. Also, the addition of Mark Ibold of Pavement has done wonders for their groove. It seemed with their jam phase that Jim O'Rourke was good as a multi-instrumentalist, but he played guitar more often than not as well as keys and bass.
With a dedicated bassist allowing Kim Gordon to step onto third guitar, the group seems to be recalling their late-80s days more than anything, but with an extra guitar and more killer bass grooves. Check this clip, again from Later With Jools Holland.
I've always preferred Lee's songs as a rule for most of the Youth's albums, and "What We Know" turned out as expected. Lee's "Rats" also had the most badass bassline on Rather Ripped, so there ya go. I can't believe that "Antenna" is the first Lee/Thurston vocal harmony- it really does work, it makes you wonder why a band with such usually unspectacular singers wouldn't just half-ass a few harmonies to cover up their vocal weaknesses in concert more often. Lee usually does fine on his own in a Beat/spoken word style, though. Usually only Kim truly grates my nerves, and only very occasionally- I usually have a perverse admiration for her growling and hollering delivery. I like the non-processed, amateur style in a way. It's the Youth's big "fuck you" toward vapid pop mavens, sorta like Television's Tom Verlaine being a less-than-fantastic crooner. It's these idiosyncrasies that make a band either special, or just plain annoying. Fortunately, I've opted to enjoy Sonic Youth. Back to 'in praise of musics'.
Steve Shelley is still a great drummer, machine-precise and not overly flashy, but he can really anchor down a heady jam. His trademark fills and metronome-accurate pounding really give the Youth the edge they lacked in their very early days- it's no wonder he's the only full-time drummer the Youth ever had for more than two albums.
All in all, The Eternal is about as far as one can get from 2006's Rather Ripped- few clean edges, tons of fraying and squalling and spitfire guitars slicing and singing relentless. Sure, some of the material is a bit clipped or drags, but that's the nature of the Youth. You gotta let their indulgences slide and let their strengths stick. If you can get past some of their quirks, as I have, you'll have a great time with their unique brand of revelling in noise.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Tell A Vision- Standing Under the Marquee Moon
1977 was a momentous year in music by any estimation, and this is thanks in no small part to one of the greatest debut albums and one of the most essential documents of a band ever. Television's seminal "Marquee Moon" is not just a classic of punk or art rock, but indeed all rock music, and even a fan of stale and mainstream classic rock should enjoy it as much as the eggheaded art-punkers who to this day slaver over Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd's unmatched guitar virtuosity. Its appeal is so immediate, its power and technical achievement so palpable and undeniable that only the most staid and cynical of human beings can deny its brilliance. If you hate Television, I hope you hate all music. You could be forgiven for not liking music in general, but Television? No. That would be blasphemy toward our God of Guitar Noodling, Tom Verlaine.
The first time I heard Television, I was in high school. I had been to the local hipster record store (in St. Louis, the only record store of note is the awesome Vintage Vinyl), and had purchased Television's debut album Marquee Moon after a heavy round of internet buzz lauding it as one of the best 70s albums. My initial reaction was of great surprise; the music was much more traditional than I expected, at least in its basic setup. Two guitars, bass, drums, and tasty riffz. But "See No Evil", the opener, got a lot more interesting in the pre-chorus. Billy Ficca turned out this inspired, complex cymbal rush the likes of which I'd not heard anywhere before; Tom and Richard traded cosmic, glinting notes and crunching chords; Fred Smith held it all together with an upbeat and energetic bassline. The chorus itself perfectly encapsulated the song with moral relativism laid out with a start-stop vocal and a dragged out screech from Tom Verlaine's dry, reedy voice- I see, I see no... eviiiiiiiiiiiillllll! Richard Lloyd laid down an absolutely jaw-dropping solo after the second chorus, a non-stop flow of incredible playing that read like prose and sounded like poetry. Tom always said that Richard played solos that sounded like stories or scripts, and it's easy to understand what he meant. From that moment of brilliance, I knew I was hooked, and would never go back. Since then, Television has become one of the most reliable listens in my library. If I ever need a lift, ever need a just sublime moment, I turn on the TV with Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd.
Structurally, there are some touchstones of normal music, some hints of familiarity. It's from this basic framework of classicist rock music that Television's songs spiral into their trademark heady, cerebral jams. Their flow is unmistakable. No other band would be able to pull off a song like Marquee Moon. It takes the tension between traditional rock music and punk and art rock and extracts brilliance from a tightwire rope walk between the familiar and the utterly alien sounds that can emanate from a cleanly picked, undistorted guitar. Spontaneous jams and scripted solos blend seamlessly. Take a listen for yourself to their amazing "Venus" and hear for yourself.
What's amazing is that no part is uninteresting, or merely filler. Everything is in its right place, and even if one guitar is playing just chords, no note progressions, the harmonic relationships are still as interesting as the drum line, as the bass. Though Tom Verlaine dominated Television musically in a lot of ways, it's heartening to know that the band was egalitarian in emphasis on musicality and structure. No instrument really overpowers the mix, and there are few holding patterns, just killer parts, the interlocking teeth of gears that inexorably turn to power the fantastic machine that is Television.
After one more album, 1978's Adventure, Television split. Solo projects followed, of course. Bassist Fred Smith and drummer Billy Ficca worked amicably on and off with Richard and Tom, but the two guitarists would not reconcile until a reunion in 1992. An eponymous album followed, but for the most part was not as brilliant as the debut, though it may be on the level of Adventure. The best track on 1992's Television is, undoubtedly, the epic "Call Mr. Lee". It's got a killer hook, dark and impenetrable lyrics, and a dramatic, powerful solo.
The first time I heard Television, I was in high school. I had been to the local hipster record store (in St. Louis, the only record store of note is the awesome Vintage Vinyl), and had purchased Television's debut album Marquee Moon after a heavy round of internet buzz lauding it as one of the best 70s albums. My initial reaction was of great surprise; the music was much more traditional than I expected, at least in its basic setup. Two guitars, bass, drums, and tasty riffz. But "See No Evil", the opener, got a lot more interesting in the pre-chorus. Billy Ficca turned out this inspired, complex cymbal rush the likes of which I'd not heard anywhere before; Tom and Richard traded cosmic, glinting notes and crunching chords; Fred Smith held it all together with an upbeat and energetic bassline. The chorus itself perfectly encapsulated the song with moral relativism laid out with a start-stop vocal and a dragged out screech from Tom Verlaine's dry, reedy voice- I see, I see no... eviiiiiiiiiiiillllll! Richard Lloyd laid down an absolutely jaw-dropping solo after the second chorus, a non-stop flow of incredible playing that read like prose and sounded like poetry. Tom always said that Richard played solos that sounded like stories or scripts, and it's easy to understand what he meant. From that moment of brilliance, I knew I was hooked, and would never go back. Since then, Television has become one of the most reliable listens in my library. If I ever need a lift, ever need a just sublime moment, I turn on the TV with Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd.
Structurally, there are some touchstones of normal music, some hints of familiarity. It's from this basic framework of classicist rock music that Television's songs spiral into their trademark heady, cerebral jams. Their flow is unmistakable. No other band would be able to pull off a song like Marquee Moon. It takes the tension between traditional rock music and punk and art rock and extracts brilliance from a tightwire rope walk between the familiar and the utterly alien sounds that can emanate from a cleanly picked, undistorted guitar. Spontaneous jams and scripted solos blend seamlessly. Take a listen for yourself to their amazing "Venus" and hear for yourself.
What's amazing is that no part is uninteresting, or merely filler. Everything is in its right place, and even if one guitar is playing just chords, no note progressions, the harmonic relationships are still as interesting as the drum line, as the bass. Though Tom Verlaine dominated Television musically in a lot of ways, it's heartening to know that the band was egalitarian in emphasis on musicality and structure. No instrument really overpowers the mix, and there are few holding patterns, just killer parts, the interlocking teeth of gears that inexorably turn to power the fantastic machine that is Television.
After one more album, 1978's Adventure, Television split. Solo projects followed, of course. Bassist Fred Smith and drummer Billy Ficca worked amicably on and off with Richard and Tom, but the two guitarists would not reconcile until a reunion in 1992. An eponymous album followed, but for the most part was not as brilliant as the debut, though it may be on the level of Adventure. The best track on 1992's Television is, undoubtedly, the epic "Call Mr. Lee". It's got a killer hook, dark and impenetrable lyrics, and a dramatic, powerful solo.
Monday, June 1, 2009
The Chameleons
Damn, May was a dry month. Sorry that I didn't have much to say.
Sit down, kids, and let's take a trip to another world. This is a world of lovely sounds, gorgeous sweeping melodies, lush and vibrant sonic textures. This is the world of the Chameleons, one of the finest post-psychedelic British rock bands.
The Chams formed in Middleton in Greater Manchester in England in 1981. Leader Mark Burgess plays bass and sings lead vocals, and while he's no Clint Conley or Dave Allen, his bass work is driving and buoyant. John Lever plays drums, and though the Chams are mostly known as a guitar band, Lever's their secret weapon; his playing is consistently great and often jaw-dropping. Adept at speedy rhythms, off-kilter time signatures, and punishing pounding, he's all that a rock band can ask for. The signature element of the Chams' sound is the sensational guitar playing of Reg Smithies and David Fielding- their biting guitar riffs are polished to a pretty sheen, managing never to end up brittle or wispy even when soaked in reverb and delay effects. Their playing is superbly rich and textured, and their repertoire ranges from the melancholy to the epic, from the biting and scorching guitar riffs of "Return Of The Roughnecks" to the majestic bombast of the incredible "Swamp Thing", one of my favorite guitar tracks. Have a listen to Swamp Thing as performed by Mark Burgess and the Sons of God.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ6zVlIxnrQ
Sorry I can't embed, but it's been disabled.
Their first single, "In Shreds", is absolutely ace as well. Please enjoy.
Each of their albums is a fantastic listen, but most fans tend to cling to one or another for various reasons. For me, the atmospheric production of "What Does Anything Mean? Basically" and the wonderful drumming throughout propels it past even 1986's epic "Strange Times". It doesn't hurt that "What Does" also includes some of their loveliest guitar work and the hard-charging power of their debut single, the aforementioned "In Shreds" backed with "Nostalgia", a song whose title is a recurring theme in the discography of the Chameleons. Combine those great tunes with chiming, achingly beautiful tracks like "Perfume Garden" and the acoustic-prefaced but crunching "Intrigue In Tangiers" and its awesome vocals, and you've got a sure winner, "Swamp Thing" be damned.
For further proof, check out "Return of the Roughnecks", and dig that marvelous guitar interplay during the intro break. Solo rocks too.
The Chams disbanded after their manager took his own life in 1987, but reunited in 2000 and released one new studio album before disbanding again.If you have the chance, don't hesitate to check out Mark Burgess' solo projects and post-Chameleons work. He even performed a tribute to the Sound's Adrian Borland, mentioned here previously, in a concert series dedicated to the deceased musician's memory. Here's the Chams' Mark Burgess performing Borland's awesome ode to self-reliance, "Possession".
Dave Fielding and Reg Smithies, guitar virtuosos extraordinaire, also played in the Reegs, and any band with such a great guitar team is surely worth a listen. Hope that now that the Chameleons' work is available in deluxe editions, more of the public can enjoy their fine brand of lush and atmospheric rock and roll.
Thanks for reading.
Sit down, kids, and let's take a trip to another world. This is a world of lovely sounds, gorgeous sweeping melodies, lush and vibrant sonic textures. This is the world of the Chameleons, one of the finest post-psychedelic British rock bands.
The Chams formed in Middleton in Greater Manchester in England in 1981. Leader Mark Burgess plays bass and sings lead vocals, and while he's no Clint Conley or Dave Allen, his bass work is driving and buoyant. John Lever plays drums, and though the Chams are mostly known as a guitar band, Lever's their secret weapon; his playing is consistently great and often jaw-dropping. Adept at speedy rhythms, off-kilter time signatures, and punishing pounding, he's all that a rock band can ask for. The signature element of the Chams' sound is the sensational guitar playing of Reg Smithies and David Fielding- their biting guitar riffs are polished to a pretty sheen, managing never to end up brittle or wispy even when soaked in reverb and delay effects. Their playing is superbly rich and textured, and their repertoire ranges from the melancholy to the epic, from the biting and scorching guitar riffs of "Return Of The Roughnecks" to the majestic bombast of the incredible "Swamp Thing", one of my favorite guitar tracks. Have a listen to Swamp Thing as performed by Mark Burgess and the Sons of God.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ6zVlIxnrQ
Sorry I can't embed, but it's been disabled.
Their first single, "In Shreds", is absolutely ace as well. Please enjoy.
Each of their albums is a fantastic listen, but most fans tend to cling to one or another for various reasons. For me, the atmospheric production of "What Does Anything Mean? Basically" and the wonderful drumming throughout propels it past even 1986's epic "Strange Times". It doesn't hurt that "What Does" also includes some of their loveliest guitar work and the hard-charging power of their debut single, the aforementioned "In Shreds" backed with "Nostalgia", a song whose title is a recurring theme in the discography of the Chameleons. Combine those great tunes with chiming, achingly beautiful tracks like "Perfume Garden" and the acoustic-prefaced but crunching "Intrigue In Tangiers" and its awesome vocals, and you've got a sure winner, "Swamp Thing" be damned.
For further proof, check out "Return of the Roughnecks", and dig that marvelous guitar interplay during the intro break. Solo rocks too.
The Chams disbanded after their manager took his own life in 1987, but reunited in 2000 and released one new studio album before disbanding again.If you have the chance, don't hesitate to check out Mark Burgess' solo projects and post-Chameleons work. He even performed a tribute to the Sound's Adrian Borland, mentioned here previously, in a concert series dedicated to the deceased musician's memory. Here's the Chams' Mark Burgess performing Borland's awesome ode to self-reliance, "Possession".
Dave Fielding and Reg Smithies, guitar virtuosos extraordinaire, also played in the Reegs, and any band with such a great guitar team is surely worth a listen. Hope that now that the Chameleons' work is available in deluxe editions, more of the public can enjoy their fine brand of lush and atmospheric rock and roll.
Thanks for reading.
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