CD Odyssey Disc 384: Saxon

Back from a long day, including another trip to the vet with Inigo, I'm feeling a little tired, but not so tired I can't work in a little discussion of heavy metal.

Disc 384 is...Best of Saxon

Artist: Saxon

Year of Release: 1991, but featuring music from 1979-1988

What’s Up With The Cover?: For some reason my camera couldn't take a good picture of the actual cover, so I just slapped the above photo together in Publisher with some clip art. Just kidding - this is the cover, but it looks like something I just slapped together in Publisher. Do better, Saxon.

How I Came To Know It: I was a teenage heavy metal meat-head in the eighties, and Saxon was one of my favourite bands. I didn't have any of their records, but my brother had several and I taped songs of them with gusto. I'm not a big enough fan anymore to justify buying a bunch of albums, so in this (very rare) case, a 'best of' suited my needs. That said, I might still get 1984's "Crusader" if I see it at a reasonable price.

How It Stacks Up: I only have this single album, and 'best of's don't stack up, so the question is moot, and I win the car.

Rating: no ratings for 'best of' albums. That's a rule of A Creative Maelstrom, and a damn good one, too.

It's funny the bands that are such a big part of my youth that stick with me, and the ones that lose their lustre. Bands that have stuck include Alice Cooper, Blue Oyster Cult, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Bands that haven't stuck include Grim Reaper, and this one. Both of the latter ended up as "best ofs" on my CD shelves in recent years.

Saxon was part of the famous new wave of heavy metal that came out of England in the late seventies and early eighties. They had a loyal following, but never achieved the worldwide acclaim of Priest or Maiden. That said, they had a pretty good career, and if they were smart, probably made enough money to pay off their mortgages and put their kids through school before it was all said and done. Here's hoping, anyway.

Like a lot of metal bands from the eighties, Saxon is inspired by very cool topics for their songs, many of them historical. On this compilation there is a song about the lunar landing ("The Eagle Has Landed"), the assassination of John F. Kennedy, ("Dallas 1 PM"), Vietnam ("Broken Heroes") and the Crusades ("Crusader").

Not only did I find these songs the most lyrically interesting, they tend to be the best musically as well, full of powerful guitar licks and inspired vocals from lead singer Peter "Biff" Byford, who has the perfect voice (not to mention name) to sing eighties metal. High pitched, with an operatic power that soars over the layers of guitar.

In fact, the only song I loved that wasn't about something historical was "Denim and Leather," and even it is really a history of heavy metal's earliest days:

"Where were you in '79 when the dam began to burst?
Did you check us out down at the local show?
Were you wearing denim, wearing leather - did you run down to the front?
Did you kill for your ticket through the ice and snow?

"Denim and leather, goes well together
It was you who set the spirit free."

Saxon is far from famous in North America, but most fans of eighties metal have at least a passing knowledge of this song, which is such an early and important anthem of the movement. Denim and leather (and a healthy head of hair) was indeed the uniform of myself and my fellow metal heads those days.

"Denim and Leather" doesn't emptily pander to the notion of the metal community, though, it delivers, with an instantly recognizable guitar riff, and awe-inspiring guitar solo that continues to stand the test of time, more than thirty years after its 1981 release.

My favourite track on this record, though is "Crusader." Lyrically, this song is a bit schlocky, and at times Saxon seems to just be throwing in every expression remotely related to the crusades, with lots of pained references to "Christendom" and "lords of the realm." It is told entirely from the perspective of the crusader as well, so don't expect any historical balance. That said, it is done more as a narrative voice than a political statement. Besides, the riff is amazing and so very, very heavy. Mmmm....heavy.

For all their historical bias, when Saxon sings about things that aren't historical the results are much worse. Most of their other songs tend to be variations on "isn't it great to play rock and roll?" with forgettable songs like "And the Band Played On" and the truly unlistenable "This Town Rocks."

The liner notes make much of their great live experience, and four of the songs on the album are live versions. Whatever makes them great live, it does not translate onto the record. They just sounded like poorly produced studio versions to me.

Also, this compilation suffers from the same problem as my recollection of the studio albums I've heard, which is that they have a three or four really great songs, and a lot of filler. When I was a kid this never bothered me, because I just taped the songs I liked off of each record and made my own version of a best of.

In the case of this version, there are fifteen tracks (note: one too many) and of those I only really enjoy four or five. One of those is a remake of a Christopher Cross song, "Ride Like The Wind" which while an improvement over the original, is still at its core, a Christopher Cross song.

I'll close by saying that while my once ardent love of Saxon has shifted to more of a 'just friends' relationship, they are still finding new fans. On our trip to Vancouver last weekend, we ducked into a game store, where I was surprised to hear them playing (I think the song was "Broken Heroes" the chorus of which has the line, "where are they now?"). Turns out they're still kicking, because the guy who worked there was a huge Saxon fan, and owned a ton of their records. He looked all of twenty-two.

So congratulations, Saxon. You're still managing to get the message out to new generations that we should never be ashamed of putting on some denim and leather and setting the spirit free.

Best tracks: The Eagle Has Landed, Crusader, Denim and Leather, Broken Heroes, Dallas 1 PM

CD Odyssey Disc 383: KISS

Back from a long weekend of fun in Vancouver, it was an adjustment to return to work today. While over there I dropped into Scrape Records on East Broadway If you like hard rock and heavy metal, this is the store for you. I picked up five albums (including a couple by Rainbow, one Manilla Road, one Cirith Ungol and a guilty pleasure - Judas Priest's "Turbo").

I then went over to West 4th, excited to continue my success at Zulu Records, but I was disappointed. They appear to be converting over to vinyl (they used to be about 50/50). I love vinyl, but losing another independent CD shopping location was a bummer. Speaking of bummers...

Disc 383 is...Creatures of the Night

Artist: KISS

Year of Release: 1982

What’s Up With The Cover?: The four heads of the band featured in full kabuki-style makeup. The problem is that Ace Frehley (lower left) doesn't even play on this record, so the record cover isn't just boring, it is inaccurate.

How I Came To Know It: I've known KISS since I can remember speaking, and the first record I ever bought ("Destroyer" - reviewed back at Disc 210) was a KISS record. I bought "Creatures of the Night" many years after it came out, partly because I took my time going through KISS' back-catalogue, and partly because it had a bad reputation. I eventually broke down because I wanted to have the single "I Love It Loud."

How It Stacks Up: Not counting two solo efforts, I have ten studio albums by KISS. It is not without some sadness that I name "Creatures of the Night" my least favourite of these, so tenth.

Rating: 2 stars.

My favourite feature of "Creatures of the Night" is its length; it is short. Since most of the review to follow is unkind, let me clarify that this album is not truly awful or unlistenable - I did see fit to award it the coveted prize of 'average' with 2 stars. However, it is a deeply disappointing KISS record, particularly for a long-time fan of the band like me.

The first thing this record is missing is Ace Frehley's artistic grounding. Yes, Vinnie Vincent is a more than competent guitar player, but his style just isn't the right fit with this band - Frehley's 'alien guitar' rock is what Paul and Gene need to take their relatively simple hooks to the next level. If Paul Stanley loved being famous, and Gene Simmons loved being rich, Ace Frehley loved playing rock and roll. KISS albums without him are never the same.

In fact, the general feel of this album is well outside of KISS's sweet spot. For all of my early teen associations with KISS as a metal band, they are first and foremost hard rock veterans with a sound firmly grounded in the seventies. They took to eighties metal readily enough, but under its influence they lost some of their grotesque charm.

The lasciviousness of Paul Stanley's voice is lost on "Creatures of the Night." The mix has his tone sounding thin (which it isn't) or shouty (which it is - at least on this record). To which some of you would say, "well - isn't metal music about shouting?" No, it isn't. Singing loud doesn't mean shouting - for quintessential examples, see Dickinson, Bruce and Halford, Rob.

Stanley is game to try though, and fights ably against production decisions that play against his strengths - notably on the single "I Love It Loud" which is actually a pretty excellent rock song. He is also good on "Rock And Roll Hell" although this song just had me thinking of similar KISS songs from earlier in their career that were better.

When they do tone it down, for the power ballad "I Still Love You" they are pale imitations of their earlier work. The song is a hot mess that gets away from glorious shock-rock tracks from earlier in their career (think "Shock Me", "Christine Sixteen" or "Goin' Blind" - and those are just off the top of my head). "I Still Love You" is a painful six minutes long, and comes off as a pale imitation of the Scorpions' "Still Loving You" even though the latter wouldn't be released until two years later.

Lyrically, this record is painful, even for KISS. Their lyrics have always been a little silly, but in an over-the-top way that makes you not want it any other way. The lyrics on "Creatures of the Night" are just as silly, but they lack the smarmy charm of earlier work. There are so many examples I'd like to quote, but here's a quick sampling. From the title track "Creatures of the Night":

"Searching in the darkness
Running from the day
Hiding from tomorrow
Nothing left to say."

Actually, KISS - there is plenty left to say, because you've told me next to nothing with these lines. If you listen carefully to the rest of it, the song could be about vampires, but even if that were true, lines like 'nothing left to say' are indicative of a writer's worst enemy: laziness.

How about these from the song "Danger":

"Danger, danger
Give me danger, danger, give me
Give me fires that endlessly burn
I've passed the point of return."

Not only does this song insert a catchphrase for no apparent reason except to serve a rhyme, it doesn't even get the phrase correct. Yeesh.

I was going to gripe about the fact that Bryan Adams (yes - that Bryan Adams) cowrites two of the songs, but the songs are two of the better ones on the record, "Rock and Roll Hell" and "War Machine."

"War Machine" in particular, was a nice surprise, coming as it did as the final track on the album. It has a powerful guitar lick, and is well sung throughout. It is a very metal-sounding song, but KISS rises to the occasion and delivers a powerful track that left me feeling (a little) merciful. I believe it is Gene Simmons singing, and while Simmons will never win a singing competition, his voice suits this style of music fairly well. The song is even strong lyrically, telling the tale of a mechanical weapon of war that rises up against the human race, "Terminator" style.

In closing, "Creatures of the Night" isn't a great record. It isn't even a particularly good record, but KISS soldier through poor production decisions, the loss of Ace Frehley, and even Bryan Adams and never stop trying to give the best product they can. On a few tracks they even succeed. And on that note...

Best tracks: I Love It Loud, War Machine

CD Odyssey Disc 382: Gang Starr

Today is my anniversary! 15 years ago today, Sheila and I got married. Since then it has been a hell of a ride, and through thick and thin, you're still my best friend, beautiful. Here's to another wonderful 15 years, and more besides.

For a day of celebration, I've been remarkably busy day running errands, but none more important than getting Inigo to the vet (again) to have fluid drained from his chest. His 'idiopathic chylothorax' continues unabated, which is a fancy way of saying his chest cavity continues to slowly fill with fluid (chylothorax) and we don't know why (idiopathic).

What I do know, is that it is time to educate myself on this thing and see if anything can be done. I've done some research and discovered that in many clinical trials something called rutin, which is a natural substance derived from flowers, helps halt and even reverse this sickness. So, with his chest again empty, and the vet's blessing to add rutin to his other medication, I'm off to try to save him again. Here's hoping.

In the meantime, there is always music, and today's disc for review.

Disc 382 is...Hard To Earn

Artist: Gang Starr

Year of Release: 1994

What's Up With the Cover?: A pretty typical late eighties/early nineties rap album cover. The two members of Gang Starr (rapper Guru and DJ Premier) put on their best 'we cool' pose. While hardly exciting, this is what I expect to find in a rap cover, so I've got not complaints.

How I Came To Know It: Many years ago, my buddy Casey put me on to a guy named Guru who did an album called Jazzmatazz, which was a fusion of his rap with jazz musicians. I loved it, and later found out that Guru was also one half of the rap act Gang Starr, a critically acclaimed rap act from New York. Intrigued, I purchased an early record of theirs called "Get In The Arena" and loved it. "Hard To Earn" was just me drilling through their collection - in this case based on a recommendation from the knowledgeable staff of Ditch Records.

How It Stacks Up: I currently have three Gang Starr albums, with plans to get more (they have six total). Of the three that I have, I'd say "Hard To Earn" is second, or right in the middle.

Rating: 3 stars

A little over two years ago, Guru died of cancer, and rap lost one of its great artists, largely unknown outside of its own community. It was while reading the resulting obituaries that I learned that he hadn't always just been Guru, but was once one half of the critically acclaimed Gang Starr. Digging through Gang Starr's music has been a great and recent pleasure ever since.

"Hard To Earn" is a rap album that features my favourite rap subject: rappers bragging about how awesome they rap. This album came out in 1994, when a lot of rap was moving into 'harder' subjects, but for me the "I rap better than you" is still the grand daddy of all rap subjects.

In terms of style, "Hard To Earn" is focused on laying down very soulful grooves - nothing terribly complex, but very well-paired with Guru's smooth delivery. Guru has a calm, relaxed tone that never seems rushed - he reminds me of L.L. Cool J. I like them both, and have never felt a need to choose between the two.

Guru's phrasing is probably his greatest strength, his ability to roll concepts through the end of a line while always staying in the groove. There are a number of tracks where sections are delivered by guest rappers, some of which are great. In particular Smooth B (from the rap duo "Nice & Smooth") does some amazing work on "DWYCK" including:

"Smooth, I drop jewels like paraphernalia
I'm infallible, not into failure
Like a rhinoceros, my speed is prosperous
And pure knowledge expands from my esophagus."

However, Smooth B's mastery was the exception, and I mostly preferred Guru's stylings to any of the the guest stars on the record. And no, I have no idea what DWYCK stands for.

DJ Premier is like a good drummer, keeping a steady beat that Guru can play with, and then occasionally delivering some high quality scratching. Like a guitar solo, a good scratch shows skill, fits in with the flow of the song, and doesn't go on too long - Premier delivers on all three.

As a rap aside, I enjoyed hearing Guru repeatedly referring to his modest height (5'8"), usually in the context of making it clear it hasn't kept him from being popular with the ladies - usually the ladies of his opponents in a rap battle. Quoting any of these would be lost without being able to hear the rhythm and cadence of the music. Also, most occurrences involve some crude imagery - note Tipper Gore's warning label on the cover.

Overall, this record was so much fun I kept it in my player a couple of extra days, and probably gave it three or four listens, simply because it was a great record to walk to and from work with. I was tempted to give it four stars, but a couple things resulted in it falling short.

First, the album has 17 tracks. Long time readers will know that I believe there are very few reasons to have more than 14 songs on a single album. "Hard To Earn" is composed of short songs, with most under four minutes, so it isn't overall length. It is just that with that many songs, it is the equivalent of watching TV with someone who keeps clicking through the channels - it gets hard to focus and enjoy on one thing. There are easily 12 songs worth keeping on this album, but if Gang Starr had dropped the other five, they'd be a lot easier to individually recall.

One of the tracks, "Aiiight Chill" is just a series of messages on DJ Premier's answering machine. Yes, this song is subtly clever, as Premier shows the natural rap cadence of normal speech by pairing it with an evolving drum beat. It also has the added historical value of demonstrating that in 1994 everyone in Gang Starr's circle of friends signed of a message with "Aiiight Chill." I tried it earlier tonight, and it felt like a pretty cool way to end a message. As a song it just came across as overly clever, and not musically interesting enough.

Apart from these minor problems, "Hard To Earn" is a high quality rap record, which gets better and better with repeat listens. Although relatively new to my collection, I have a feeling it is going to get worked into the musical rotation many times in the coming years. Guru may no longer be with us, but his rap genius will always be with us.

Best Tracks: Tonz 'O' Gunz, Speak Ya Clout, DWYCK, Blowin' Up The Spot, Mostly The Voice

CD Odyssey Disc 381: Rolling Stones

I've had a productive morning so far. Up early to clean the kitchen floor, vacuum the house and do two loads of laundry (so far). I may even feel suitably motivated to do my taxes later, but for now it is time for another blog entry.

I'm using Google Chrome these days, and it works well enough, except for the finicky nature of choosing a font, so if the fonts seem wonky, please be assured that I find it every bit as annoying as you do.

Disc 381 is...Beggar's Banquet

Artist: The Rolling Stones

Year of Release: 1968

What's Up With the Cover?: The world's worst toilet, complete with the kind of pointless, drunken graffiti you get if you are ever unfortunate or foolish enough to find yourself in a bathroom like this. I'm not sure, but that toilet paper on the left side does not look sanitary.

How I Came To Know It: I've known the Rolling Stones for years, but only very recently began to appreciate them the way they deserve. After getting "Sticky Fingers" (reviewed way back at Disc 73), I quickly filled out my collection with some Stones classics, and "Beggar's Banquet was one of these.

How It Stacks Up: I have six Rolling Stones albums. Of the six, I would put "Beggar's Banquet" a strong third, behind "Sticky Fingers" and "Some Girls."

Rating: 4 stars

"Beggar's Banquet" is the beginning of the Rolling Stones' Golden Age, the first of four classic albums culminating in 1972 with "Exile On Main Street." Some people would argue the run should include 1973's "Goats Head Soup" as well, and I can only hope those people have their own blogs to express such opinions.

"Beggar's Banquet" has a heavy blues influence, and even includes a straight up blues remake, with "Prodigal Son." This influence gives the music some oomph, and is the principal reason that I prefer the Stones to the more pop-oriented Beatles.

The hits on "Beggar's Banquet' remain classic rock songs to this day, 44 years after their release. The biggest of these, "Sympathy For the Devil" is one of rock's great singles, from the opening hand drummed-beat and piano riff, leading into Jagger's magnificent depiction of Satan himself, chest puffed out as he brags of his many foul deeds. The song blares out with Keith Richard's guitar work, with Jagger delivering crazy woo-hoo-hoos in manic falsetto.

The other big song, "Street Fighting Man" has also survived the test of time. In fact, while I didn't mention it on my recent review of Rage Against the Machine's "Renegades" that record does a kick-ass remake that demonstrates just how at home in modern production it would sound if it were released today.

There are some aspects of the album that bother me. The Rolling Stones love to joke around, and sometimes it works, but often it doesn't. On this record their depiction of a southern U.S. shotgun wedding in "Dear Doctor" just comes off as hackneyed and forced. Jagger's poor attempt at an American accent doesn't help matters, nor does his falsetto impression of the bride.

Similarly, I found "Jigsaw Puzzle" distracting and pointless. It feels - musically and lyrically - like something constructed while on drugs that seemed profound, but simply doesn't translate back into the world of sobriety. For these reasons, despite some five star individual tracks like "Sympathy For the Devil" this record stays in the low end of four stars for me.

Four stars is still excellent overall, however. The fact that it came out in 1968 also shows how ahead of its time it was, and not just musically. Songs like "Stray Cat Blues" are downright edgy, graphically referencing sexual encounters with under-aged groupies. There are few things creepier - downright grosser - than Mick Jagger singing "I bet your Momma don't know you can scratch like that." Dude is dirty, and likes to tell us about it.

Th next track explores a gritty lower-class relationship, with "Factory Girl." "Factory Girl" is recorded in a very folksy style that belies the subject matter of love among drunks. My favourite lines:

"Waitin' for a girl and she gets me into fights

Waitin' for a girl and we get drunk on Friday nights

She's a sight for sore eyes

Waitin' for a factory girl."

And this leads into the album's final track, "Salt Of The Earth," a song in honour of all the hard working people slogging it out at the edge of poverty, doing important work for little reward, and often no acknowledgement. That is until Jagger sings:

"Raise your glass to the hardworking people

Let's drink to the uncounted heads

Let's think of the wavering millions

Who need leaders but get gamblers instead."

More than any of the other Stones records I have, "Beggar's Banquet" captures the grit of the ordinary man best. At a time when so many people were obsessed with building utopian societies, and staging love-ins, "Beggar's Banquet" gets down in the trenches and gives you a good look at the many people who are just getting by.

And so I raise my glass to the hardworking people, and I raise my glass to the Rolling Stones for delivering a classic rock album that has stood the test of time.

Best Tracks: Sympathy For The Devil, Street Fighting Man, Stray Cat Blues, Factory Girl, Salt Of The Earth

CD Odyssey Disc 380: Clannad

My apologies for being away for so long (a whole week, as it happens). It has been a hell of a week.

On Saturday, we took our cat Inigo to the vet expecting a routine 'he has a cold' type of diagnosis, and found out that his chest cavity was completely packed with 'something' - a tumour or fluid or something, and that it was rapidly killing him. We then had to wait on pins and needles until Wednesday just to get him in to see a specialist and get an ultrasound. The whole time in between we watched him slowly fade away.

Well, he made it to the appointment, and we found out that against the odds, he doesn't have cancer. He did have a chest full of fluid that was drained. He also has heart disease and they gave him some medicine and if he gets lucky, a shot at living another year or year and a half. Pretty god damned awful, considering he is only 8 years, 7 months old, but better than what I had expected to have to do yesterday afternoon.

I love this cat a lot - he has a gentle and loving soul that you don't find every day, regardless of species. Throughout the week I've been filled with a futile rage at how manifestly unfair the situation is, and frankly, there's still a lot of that in me. He's on some heart pills, and we won't know for a couple weeks how things are going, but it is better than it was 36 hours ago.

Anyway, with a full day of eating and sleeping under my belt, I'm ready to tackle a music review. Inigo is on my lap, purring as I type, and as long as that lasts is a good thing.

Disc 380 is...Fuaim

Artist: Clannad

Year of Release: 1982

What’s Up With The Cover?: Another awful folk album cover. This one utilizes all of the graphic design 1982 had to offer, including (I think) physically cutting an image of the band out and putting it onto some weird orange background. See how the area around their hair looks like a bad collage cut-out from a magazine? Well, in 1982 we called that 'digital imagery' boys and girls.

How I Came To Know It: I last reviewed Clannad way back at Disc 83, where I'm sure you'll recall me mentioning how I had heard them on an HBO series called "Robin of Sherwood." "Fuaim" was me looking for something by them that had songs I didn't get on their 'best of' album, and was a bit older, since 1993's "Banba" hadn't grabbed me.

How It Stacks Up: I have three Clannad albums, one of which is a 'best of' and can't really stack up. Of the two studio albums, "Fuaim" is the better one.

Rating: 2 stars.

This album's listening time was severely impacted by my emotional circumstances over the last five days or so. I've listened to it a lot (at least six times straight through) but this was mostly because I've been in a depressed state and sleepwalking through my life. I couldn't bring myself to write a music review, and so couldn't really move past this album.

At the same time, "Fuaim" was what I needed. It is atmospheric folk music, and many of the songs are in Gaelic. It is light and simple and easy to lose yourself in, and when you're exceptionally sad, it is a good salve.

"Fuaim" is also one of the last Clannad albums to feature Enya, who is the sister of Clannad's lead singer at the time, Maire Brennan (Enya's last name is Brennan). She does mostly back up vocals to Maire on this record, but takes the lead on two, "An Tull" and "Buaireadh an Phósta," neither of which I understand a word of, but you can pick out the more pure tone of Enya's voice as opposed to sister Maire's more traditional sing-songy folk voice.

"Fuaim" is a Gaelic word pronounced "foom" and it means sound. In this case, it is the sound of very traditional Gaelic folk music, mixed with just a hint of early eighties jazz-lounge. If you're wondering if that combination sounds as disjointed and ill-paired as it should, the answer is yes. There is something about Celtic bands that have played together for a while that makes them experiment in these ways, and it doesn't always work out.

The worst track for this is the interminably long "Ni La Na Gaoithe La Na Scoilb?" When I say this song is interminably long I don't just mean the title either, I mean it goes on too long, noodling it's way for over six minutes in an increasingly painful homage to bad eighties AM radio, even to the point of including a cheesy fade out.

At the same time, Clannad are skilled musicians and songwriters, and they make it work in enough places to make the record enjoyable. Also, from a historical perspective it is interesting to hear the early influences to Enya's records. She clearly learns from her experience in Clannad, and tracks like "An Tull" are catchy, up-tempo songs that will have your tongue trying to sing along phonetically, even when you don't know what is being said.

The more traditional songs are also good in places, and I particularly enjoyed "Lish Young Buy-a-Broom" which I think is an English language ditty that I think is about getting drunk and wandering through town seeing what fun might arise.

This is a good album with a mellow mood, but it is not a great album and in places it is almost unlistenable with its strained effort to sound modern. That said, fortune delivered it when I needed it - a little whimsy when my fragile state couldn't have handled anything too harsh.

Best tracks: Na Buachailli Alainn, An Tull, Strayed Away, Lish Young Buy-A-Broom

CD Odyssey Disc 379: Deep Purple

Another walk to work and back, plus a drive to get a haircut, and another album is ready for review. My hard drive is failing, so I'll try to write fast.

Disc 379 is...Machine Head

Artist: Deep Purple

Year of Release: 1972

What’s Up With The Cover?: I believe this cover is supposed to be 'trippy' with the distorted reflections of the band in what I assume is a piece of polished steel. I just find it looks out of focus. Not my favourite cover, and considering the masterpieces being put out at this time by other hard rock bands at this time, a rather poor effort.

How I Came To Know It: Like everyone, I've grown up with "Smoke On The Water" but never thought to buy any Deep Purple. My buddy Tony V. brought this over one night and I got a chance to hear it, and I liked it. I told Santa I would like to own it a couple Christmases ago, and Santa happily obliged.

How It Stacks Up: I only have this one Deep Purple album, so I can't really stack it up.

Rating: 4 stars.

"Machine Head" is one of those records that if you're a student of hard rock (as I am) you kind of have to own if you want any street cred. I've only had it for a couple of years, but the street cred is very nice, thank you, and keeps me warm on cold nights.

I had the same reaction to this album as I had to the first two Led Zeppelin albums; I knew it was supposed to blow me away, and when it didn't I was a bit let down. Which is not to say "Machine Head" is a bad record - it is an excellent record, a balls to the wall hard rock record that helped shape the sound of heavy metal, before heavy metal existed. For that alone, I must tip our hat.

The album opens with "Highway Star" which has a thrumming and repetitive bass and drum sound that makes you feel like you're driving when you're not, and makes you drive faster than you should when you are. It is a song about being in love with your car, but it is a reckless love, full of gratuitous guitar solos and grandiose claims to fame. It is a song well suited to the car radios of 1972 Dodge Chargers that likely once played it.

The song also feels like the first part of Black Sabbath's "Trashed" from Black Sabbath's 1983 album, "Born Again." No surprise, since that is the one Sabbath album featuring Deep Purple front man Ian Gillan on vocals. Also, "Trashed" is a song about having a car accident. I guess if you speed around in your Charger for eleven years, it catches up with you.

Every song has a memorable guitar lick, as Ritchie Blackmore shows his skill on that account. Some of the better licks are bluesy down-low stylings on "Maybe I'm a Leo" and the proggy-acid fueled solos on "Pictures of Home" but of course, the most memorable lick is "Smoke on the Water."

And when I say, this is the most memorable lick, I don't just mean on "Machine Head," I mean of all time. There is no more recognizable song in the world, and as I type this twelve year old boys across multiple continents are sitting in their shag-carpeted basements trying to make it the first song they learn on their electric guitar. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

For all the joy I get out of "Smoke On the Water" (which is a lot, even after hundreds of listens) I was surprised to find it was not my favourite song on the album. That honour goes to "Space Truckin'." "Space Truckin'" takes a little longer to get going, but I like how it takes its time, shifting gears about an hour in with a low groove as Gillan exhorts his listeners to 'c'mon, c'mon, we're goin' space truckin'."

And that's about as deep as "Space Truckin'" gets. It is a song imagining how you could party your way around the galaxy. The journey features with two awesome and completely different riffs, then a guitar solo, then a drum solo, and over the top lyrics cramming as many space references as is humanly possible to manage, including such gems as:

"They got music in their solar system
They've rocked around the Milky Way
They danced around the Borealis
They're space truckin' every day."

This eventually fades into a series of shrieks from Ian Gillan sounding like he got too close to the sun on the final orbin and lit his over-ample head of hair on fire. All of this in a furiously paced 4:34 of playing time. I wouldn't say this song would change the world, but like "Highway Star" it makes you want to move.

This record was a lot of fun, and is well-deserving of its reputation as a classic. I've heard better classic rock albums, including from that year, including Blue Oyster Cult's self-titled debut and Black Sabbath's "Vol IV" but that doesn't take away from "Machine Head," which has stood the test of time, in the basements of budding rock stars and the condos of aging rock fans alike.

Best tracks: Highway Star, Smoke On The Water, Space Truckin'

CD Odyssey Disc 378: Mary Chapin Carpenter

I didn't know this next album particularly well, so even though I finished giving it the requisite 'start-to-finish' listen yesterday, I kept it in the car and MP3 player and gave it a full four listens.

Disc 378 is...Shooting Straight in the Dark

Artist: Mary Chapin Carpenter

Year of Release: 1990

What’s Up With The Cover?: An out of focus head shot. Why, MCC, why do that? Anyway, I'm not a fan of this cover, which looks like so many folksy women singers of this time, right down to the script-like font.

How I Came To Know It: I've known Mary Chapin Carpenter for a long time, but this particular album was a favourite in the day of my friend Norm. I was into 1992's "Come On Come On" but he really liked "Shooting Straight in the Dark." Although I considered buying it for many years, I only did so a couple years ago.

How It Stacks Up: I have five Mary Chapin Carpenter albums, and I like them all in their own way. This isn't the best though, and I'll put it 4th out of 5, just ahead of "Stones In the Road."

Rating: I struggled with this one, waffling between 2 and 3 stars but going back and checking my last few reviews in each category (hint: you can do that in the sidebar) I'm going to go with 3.

"Shooting Straight in the Dark" is a sweet album, in the best possible sense something can be sweet. Not saccharine. Not 'dear' or 'precious,' but sweet - like a tall glass of lemonade on a hot summer day; welcome, and comforting. Hardly overwhelming, but that's not what you want in a glass of lemonade.

It starts with her voice, which is smooth and full, with lots of power in the lower register. I have no doubt she could belt it out with the vacant banshees of American Idol , but Mary Chapin Carpenter knows better. She reins it in, and let good phrasing and honest delivery slip into the cracks between the notes.

She's also sweet in her arrangements. "Shooting Straight in the Dark" is her third album, and fits nicely in the middle of the five I own. It is a little bit more contemporary sounding, as she moves toward the sound that would make "Come On Come On" such a huge record, but there are plenty of her more early country sounding songs. The transition of sounds doesn't always work, but it works enough to deliver a good record.

Fittingly, I was attracted to "Middle Ground" which has a little bit of both sounds in one. It is a song about starting over at the age of 33 (which is about how old she was when she made this record). Listening to this song reminded me of the similarly themed Aimee Mann's "31 Today" and more generally of that momentary panic you experience when you hit your early thirties and start to wonder if you're doing what you're supposed to be doing. Been there, done that. If you're there now don't worry; it'll sort itself out.

I also enjoyed the southern guitar picking and fiddle on "Halley Came To Jackson" which reminded me of Michelle Shocked's great record, "Arkansas Traveller." Carpenter sings of the 1910 and 1986 visits of Halley's Comet, first as a father with his infant daughter, and then the same daughter grown old and watching for the second time, but experiencing it for the first. It is both playful and nostalgic at the same time, a warm hug across 75 years.

Sweet can be sad too, and this record has its share of sad and broken relationships, including "What You Didn't Say" and the record's best song, "When She's Gone," a two part tale of a woman leaving, and then a man looking back after she's gone. The song's final lines show you don't need a lot of fancy language to convey a lot of heartache:

"She didn't beg and you didn't plead
She knew exactly when to leave
The way she knew as you kissed her
When she's gone you won't miss her."

For all this well-deserved praise, this record's quality is a bit uneven. This is particularly true when Carpenter picks up the tempo and goes for a more rockabilly feel, like on "Right Now" which is supposed to be a booty-call song, but falls flat. I found it kind of embarassing, like when the shy girl pretends to be otherwise to get the popular boy's attention. Booty call music is more the realm of Lucinda Williams; Mary Chapin Carpenter is just too...well, you know.

The first two songs ("Going Out Tonight", "Right Now") are the weakest on the album, which is not only weird, but sets a bad tone for the record. She recovers nicely through the middle tracks, but it felt like she was trying to be commercial at the front end, and it gets in the way of her brilliance.

Overall, "Shooting Straight in the Dark" is a good record, and an enjoyable listen, but it feels a little less grounded than the record before it (1989's "State of the Heart") and not fully matured into the classic that followed it (1992's "Come On Come On").

That said, as Carpenter points out on "The More Things Change":

"I'm the same sweet girl you couldn't get enough of
Way back when you pledged your love."

So true, and for all my minor quibbles, I enjoyed this tall glass of lemonade.

Best tracks: When She's Gone, Middle Ground, Can't Take Love For Granted, Halley Came To Jackson

CD Odyssey Disc 377: Rage Against The Machine

A crazy day is winding down. Our psychotic cat, Vizzini stole our dinner (steak) even as it was marinating in the sink. By the time he was done with it, it could not be salvaged, and so we retaliated in the only way civilized folk can: we went out for dinner. Take that Vizzini.

And now, a music review.

Disc 377 is...Renegades

Artist: Rage Against The Machine

Year of Release: 2000

What’s Up With The Cover?: It is pretty basic, but I love it. An iconic, made for CD design that over ten years later is instantly recognizeable.

How I Came To Know It: I was already a fan of Rage Against The Machine, but it seems like everyone I knew bought this album. It's awesomeness went through our group of friends leaving few unmoved. In any case, I've had it since shortly after it came out.

How It Stacks Up: Rage Against The Machine only made four albums before their break up, and I only have two - their first (reviewed just over 100 albums ago, at Disc 276) and this one, their last. Of the two, I slightly favour their debut, principally because it is original material (see below). Other than that there is little to separate them.

Rating: 4 stars.

It is rare that a remake can rival an original song, which makes "Renegades" that much more amazing as a great record entirely consisting of remakes. This record is clearly a labour of love, as RATM pays homage to some of their favourite artists and influences; a rogues gallery as disparate as Bob Dylan and Cypress Hill.

From the opening notes of the opening track, a remake of Erik B and Rakim's "Microphone Fiend" it is clear they are not interested in simply re-recording other people's songs, but intent on making each one their own. The original track is a brilliant example of early rap, just a sample, a simple beat and the rhythmic rapping of Rakim. The RATM is a reimagining of the sample and beat into a Tom Morello guitar riff.

Of course in the hands of Zach de la Rocha, the angriest lead singer in rock, the rap becomes a violent fusion of Ice T-style spitting with the angry edge of metal.

And so the whole album goes, taking the laid back gangsta groove of Cypress Hill's "How I Could Just Kill A Man" and adding heavily reverbed guitar over top of that groove, then later converting Bob Dylan's light guitar jangle on "Maggie's Farm" into a bass guitar groove, twice as long, five times as heavy and just as spirited and nasty as the original.

This album has been huge in my life since I first heard it. It isn't just that it stays in steady rotation after all these years, although that is certainly true. It is that it helped me discover a number of other artists. For this I can thank my friend Spence, who took the time to track down the originals of every song on this record, and made an 'originals' set list out of them matching "Renegades."

As a result of listening to those originals, I got into Erik B. and Rakim and Cypress Hill when I was amazed to hear their originals were just as good as RATM's remakes. Even the RATM version of "Kick Out The Jams" is amazing, almost matching my personal favourite, Blue Oyster Cult's live version on "Some Enchanted Evening."

Whichever version of these songs you prefer, RATM helps you appreciate the original just as much as their homage to it. Some of original artists honoured I have yet to explore properly. Covers that bear further investigation into the original include Volume 10's "Pistol Grip Pump" , and EPMD's "I'm Housin':

I have no idea what "I'm housin'" means in hip hop culture - but a quick check of the urban dictionary lists about six different things. The song seems to focus on the one that involves carrying a concealed weapon (hardly a surprise remake for Rage Against the Machine - the world's angriest band). For me it has become a frozen expression taken out of context, that I use to indicate that I'm staying home and deliberately skipping something more social or exciting. As in, "Would love to see the show, but I'm housin' this weekend, dude." Less exciting perhaps, but no one gets hurt in my version.

I could say more, but it has been a long day, so I'll just sign off saying that this could easily have been a five star album. The only reason it isn't is that I can't give five stars to an album made entirely of remakes, no matter how incredible it is. If that seems unfair to you RATM apologists, just remember that I did the same thing to Steve Earle's masterful tribute to Townes Van Zandt back at Disc 28. If I can do it to Steve Earle, I can do it to anyone.

Best tracks: Microphone Fiend, Pistol Grip Pump, Renegades of Funk, I'm Housin', How I Could Just Kill A Man, Down On the Street, Maggie's Farm

CD Odyssey Disc 376: Dan Mangan

Driving home from the gym tonight I again marvelled at people who wait at a light until a few seconds before it changes, then inch forward only to hit their brakes one last time. Then the light changes and they drive off.

There just seems something terribly wrong with wasting all that inertia for nothing. It feels like there's only so much inertia in the universe, and these guys are spending it fruitlessly.

Anyway, that's my deep thought for the day. Now on to the music.

Disc 376 is...Oh Fortune
Artist: Dan Mangan

Year of Release: 2011

What’s Up With The Cover?: It looks like a picture from the Great Depression, with people lining up to get to California and away from the dust bowl. It's a hell of a world sometimes.

How I Came To Know It: I was introduced to Dan Mangan by my friends Joel and Sherylyn, who bought me his second album "Nice Nice, Very Nice" for my birthday. I liked that album a lot, but when I bought the one that preceded it I was disappointed. Joel encouraged me to not give up on him and get this third one, and he was right - it was another good one.

How It Stacks Up: If you've been reading along (yes - more reading comprehension), you'll know I have three Dan Mangan albums. I'd put this one second, or middle of the pack.

Rating: 3 stars.

Strangely, I just mentioned this album back at Disc 372, when I admitted I'd uploaded it for an idle listen when I didn't feel like giving "Bachelor Pad Royale" a second listen before reviewing it. Little did I know that I'd be rolling it only a few albums later.

Every artist Joel and Sherylyn have put me on to in the last few years has resulted in me buying multiple albums (The Dead Weather, Mother Mother, The Kills, Gogol Bordello) and Dan Mangan is no exception.

Mangan is a Vancouver indie act that blends understated pop arrangements with folk sensibilities. I'm not generally a fan of indie, but I like it best where it intersects with folk, so Mangan is right in my wheelhouse.

His voice isn't particularly powerful, and he doesn't demonstrate a great range, but he has an honesty in his delivery and his phrasing has a way of making you feel there is a torrent of additional thought underneath what are often very simple lyrics. It is a winning combination.

Musically, he uses a surprisingly large number of instruments for music that sounds so simply produced. This is becoming a lost art in modern pop music, where everyone seems to think more layers equals more better. The results are usually about as compelling as that last sentence; well-meaning but ultimately mangled.

By contrast, "Oh Fortune" is Manganed - the record features the usual Big Four (vocals, guitar, bass and drums) and then adds in a whole horn section. When I say horn section, I don't just mean a few trumpets here and there either - we're talking trombones, clarinets, french horns - the works. He also has about four different types of organs, a bunch of strings and a piano or two.

The trick is that he brings each in only when they are needed, allowing the range of instrumentation to communicate a lot of different sounds, but keeping the whole nice and simple, with lots of audio handles for your ear to get a hold of.

Lyrically, the songs are fairly basic and understated - it is more Mangan's delivery that makes you a believer. He does stray into that indie habit of falling in love with a series of clever phrases that don't always string together into a compelling narrative. No doubt there are music fans that like this approach, but it isn't for me. One high point is "Post-War Blues" which begins satirically:

"Let's start a war for the kids.
A purpose for which to unite
Make them some words they can mince
What they don't know they won't mind."

This song is more than satire though, as Mangan gives voice to more than post-war confusion, but a more general post-modern confusion. One that affects him so profoundly he muses over something as dark as war, just in the seeking of purpose. These examinations of directionlessness is what indie is best at, and Mangan does it better than most.

All that said, I have three complaints about this album, two minor and one major.

First, it is heavily introspective. This isn't really a fault at all, and on headphones (which is how I'm listening as I write this) it is excellent. However, the lack of a lot of musical peaks and valleys make it harder to enjoy in the car or on the stereo, where it has to compete with ambient sound. Even when I was walking to work, I had to pause it a couple of times for traffic, just so I could give it a fair and full listen. Hardly a fault, since many of life's most beautiful things open up to you in quieter moments, but still worth mentioning.

More annoying is Mangan's habit of naming songs something clever rather than something descriptive. The first two tracks are "Helpful As You Can Be Without Being Any Help At All" and "How Darwinian" - neither track ever says anything remotely akin to these. I even like the first song, but if all else fails, how about naming it after the first line, "Both feet together..." That would've been a fine name, Dan.

The worst offender on this front is the last song, "Jeopardy" which is a song entirely composed of questions. Get it? Like the show where the answers are in the form of questions? Yes, I get it, Dan, but sadly it brings me to my more major complaint. Mangan is a smart guy, and that comes across in his lyrics, and his song composition. However, sometimes (as in "Jeopardy") it feels more like he is experimenting with form, when he should be providing a final product.

I absolutely love some of these songs, but others feel like something that came out of writer's workshop, excercises for his mind, not finished products. Another example would be "Daffodil" where he tries to write an entire chorus out of different flowers:

"Oh daffodil, my petunia
Oh daffodil, my rose."

I'm not even sure what the hell this means, but its strained imagery pulls me out of the moment. A big part of music for me is putting me into the moment, so when this happened it browned me off.

Luckily, it didn't happen that often. In fact, even "Jeopardy" managed to be one of my favourite songs, despite Mangan's efforts to wreck it by insisting I look behind the curtain. Ultimately, he's good enough to pull it off.

Best tracks: About As Helpful As You Can Be Without Being Any Help At All, Post-War Blues, Starts With Them Ends With Us, Jeopardy