CD Odyssey Disc 861: Rainbow

This next review got delayed by a combination of me working late and over-filling my social dance card. I’m squeezing it in now before I go and play ulti.

Disc 861 is….Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll

Artist: Rainbow

Year of Release: 1978

What’s up with the Cover? There is a subset of ‘giant head’ album covers that can best be described as “head collage.” Other examples include Queen’s “The Miracle” and Kings of Leon’s “Youth & Young Manhood”

This cover may be the best of them all: five heads bound together by the human hair of rock and roll.

How I Came To Know It: This was the final of three albums that Ronnie James Dio made as part of Richie Blackmore’s Rainbow and it took a while for me to find it. I eventually got it at Scrape, a record store in East Vancouver specializing in heavy metal and hard rock.

How It Stacks Up:  I have three Rainbow albums. Of the three, I must reluctantly put “Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll” in third spot. And as this is the final Rainbow album in my collection, here is the traditional recap:

1. Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow: 4 stars (reviewed back at Disc 743)
2. Rising: 3 stars (reviewed back at Disc 625)
3. Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll: 3 stars (reviewed right here)

Ratings: 3 stars

“Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll” is the most Dio-esque of the three Rainbow albums featuring him. I’m not sure if this is just a function of it being a later release, or if Ronnie James Dio just slowly takes over whatever band he’s in. I suspect the latter.

The album has a creative a tug-of-war common in bands where the two principals are about to part ways, with Blackmore’s seventies guitar rock dominating some tracks and Dio’s bombastic fantasy-driven proto-metal dominating others.

The opening (and title) track has a bit of both elements, and you can feel Blackmore and Dio trying to adapt to each other. Dio’s lyrics have a hint of his desire to sing about weird stuff, but the song is grounded in a bluesy riff that is all Blackmore. The song’s subject matter (rock and roll is cool) isn’t sufficiently weird to let Dio get too crazy. For the most part it works, but it isn’t the timeless anthem either artist probably hoped it would be.

Better is “Lady of the Lake” which descends more fully into Dio’s crazy-ass lyrics. The Blackmore riff still grounds this track, but the soaring Dio vocals are what bring it to life as he sings about Arthurian legends, taking plenty of liberties with the story:

“I know she waits below

Only to rise on command

When she comes for me

She’s got my life in her hands

Lady of the lake.”

Er…a bit of a strained metaphor, but what the hell. The album is fully infected with Dio’s awesome and over the top lyrics. Songs like “Gates of Babylon” and “Kill the King” dig even deeper. Neither song is as strong musically as “Lady of the Lake” and “Gates of Babylon” has a lot of questionable lyrics, including:

“The power of what has been before

Rises to trap you within

A magic carpet ride, a genie

Maybe more.”

Seriously, Dio? “Maybe more” is the best you could come up with? The specific is terrific, my friend. “Gates of Babylon” also tries way too hard to work in eastern rhythms, in draining the song of energy. “Kill the King” is better, with a driving energy but Blackmore’s guitar solo, usually a highlight of any Rainbow song, doesn’t take the song anywhere it hasn’t already gone.

Blackmore gets his moments of glory on the record, starting with “L.A. Connection.” “L.A. Connection” has an irresistible guitar lick, and Dio’s vocal falls into line to sing along and reinforce it, rather than trying to soar over the top. This song has a groove to it that is good for dancing, driving or head-banging in equal measure. Blackmore’s guitar solo is tasty and adds just a hint of prog-water amid the weeds of the beat.  

The record ends with “Rainbow Eyes” a soft ballad which showcases how talented Dio is as a vocalist. Here he sings what is almost a folk song, and Blackmore’s guitar picks along behind the scenes (along with a flute) giving an elfin quality to the song. At 7:31, “Rainbow Eyes” drags on a bit too long, but it is still a nice palate cleanser to end the record. Also, nice that Dio was able to work one his beloved rainbow metaphor into a song before the album closed.

The tension between the styles of Dio and Blackmore is clear, and while not as well blended as on Rainbow’s two previous albums, still melds together into a unique and interesting sound. The album has a solid energy to it, and at eight tracks and 40 minutes, benefits from the time-limiting quality of seventies vinyl.

Two giant egos like this couldn’t last, and Dio would go on from here to make the classic Black Sabbath album “Heaven and Hell” where he discovered a brand new stubborn guitar player to fight with (Tony Iommi).

Blackmore would make five more records with Rainbow that enjoyed comparably more commercial success. None of these included Dio, and as a result have failed to catch my interest. Never say never though.

Best tracks:  Lady of the Lake, L.A. Connection, 

CD Odyssey Disc 860: Imelda May

Greetings, gentle readers! I return from a long weekend with much music success.

As a lover and collector of music I have a running list of CDs that I’m always looking for. On Saturday I found the third oldest title on the list at Ditch Records (Ice T’s first album, “Rhyme Pays” from back in 1987). I also found Billy Bragg’s “Mr. Love and Justice” (from 2008), also an ancient artifact on the list.

As a collector of a dead technology I’ve noticed that except for ultra-popular titles, anything from the late eighties (when CDs were new) or in the last 8 years (now that CDs are dying out) are hard to find if you miss them on the first print run. It’s made worse when you are attracted to obscure artists.

But that just makes the hunt that much more rewarding!

Disc 860 is….Love Tattoo

Artist: Imelda May

Year of Release: 2007

What’s up with the Cover? Imelda is chillin’ in a diner, looking thoughtful. I love the swirl in her hair (Sheila has the same ‘do right now!). Regrettably, the washed out “old-timey” quality to the picture doesn’t show Imelda off in glorious colour.

Also, I wonder how she got that big booth when she’s dining alone? Maybe she’s meeting friends and she’s the first to arrive. Maybe that expression on her face is her wondering where everyone is.

How I Came To Know It: For a while my cable provider gave me access to a music channel in the hopes I’d buy it once it was no longer free. I didn’t, but when I had access I taped about 40 episodes of a British show called “Later…with Jools Holland” which was basically former Squeeze pianist Jools Holland’s show where he hosted live acts on a series of sound stages that all faced each other.

I discovered a lot of new music through the Jools Holland show (which is known for amazing live performances) and there was no better discovery than Imelda May, who captured my heart singing “Johnny Got a Boom Boom.”

How It Stacks Up:  I have three Imelda May albums and I like all of them. “Love Tattoo” comes in a respectable second.

Ratings: 3 stars but close to 4

“Love Tattoo” is the earliest Imelda May album I have and also the smokiest.

Imelda May is first and foremost a rockabilly artist, but “Love Tattoo” has a delightful dash of lounge crooner. The combination gives the record a timeless quality that just gets better on repeat listens.

The opening track is a delightful combination of both rock and long, and has rightly become the flagship song of the record as well as May’s early career. “Johnny Got a Boom Boom” is about a boy with his bass guitar, and how he can make the ladies swoon when he plays it. If that doesn’t sound heroic enough for you then you haven’t heard the song. As you would expect, the bass playing is stellar, and I give full credit to bassist Al Gare, but Imelda’s voice is equally a star, as she switches effortlessly from husky seductress to rocker chick and back again.

The album is laden with high energy tracks, including “Feel Me” which lets everyone else in the band (piano, guitar and drum) get a little glory without ever feeling bloated. Other standouts include “Love Tattoo” and “Smoker’s Song.” On the latter May manages to make a maniacal laugh in the chorus feel derisive, playful, sexy and more than a little crazy in equal measure.

When she slows things down, as she does on “Knock 123” and “Meet You at the Moon” May’s voice takes on a soft bluesy tone without ever losing its power. Even when singing a seductive and intimate song, she always feels completely in command of the situation. Her voice is one step down from the all-time greats, but it is a very small step down and she more than makes up for it with skillful delivery and conviction.

Not only that, May is a gifted songwriter. “Meet You at the Moon” sounded so familiar to me that I looked it up to see who had originally written it, only to find it was May after all (she writes 10 of the album’s 12 tracks).  Like Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Imelda May is able to take old musical forms and write brand new songs that are both timeless and fresh.

My favourite of the softer tracks is “Falling in Love with You Again”. Another Imelda May original, the song is a pretty little waltz, lifting and falling like a relationship reborn on the end of each verse, always settling into a familiar but beautiful lilting pattern, much like the relationship it is describing.

Throughout the album, May takes measured risks with jazz or Latin flourishes, but avoids letting the album ever feel indulgent. If I had a minor quibble it would be that she probably could have pushed it a bit further; something she does on later records.

It would be easy for a record like this to sound dated or insincere, but the musicianship is great, and May sings every line with such conviction she sells every word. Tough and tender in equal measure, Imelda May has the playful style of a fifties pinup, and the songwriting talent to back all that glitz up. This is thoughtful music that never forgets to also have fun.

Best tracks:  Johnny Got a Boom Boom, Feel Me, Love Tattoo, Smoker’s Song, Falling in Love With You Again

CD Odyssey Disc 859: Bill Withers

One of the side effects of reviewing albums is that they get into your head that much deeper. Before I write one of these I will have typically have listened to the album two to three times in a row with a very active ear.

This next record is a good one, but I want something else kicking around in my head when I head downtown to do some chores, so I’m getting this review written before I leave.

Disc 859 is….Menagerie

Artist: Bill Withers

Year of Release: 1977

What’s up with the Cover? Bill can’t decide what he wants this record to be – sixties soul or seventies disco, and this cover sums that dilemma up. A classy looking Bill Withers head & shoulders shot surrounded by a bunch of goofy animals with dilated pupils that look high on coke.

How I Came To Know It: I really liked my double album of “Just as I Am” and “Still Bill” (reviewed back at Discs 627 and 628) and so I decided to get something else by him.

How It Stacks Up:  I must regrettably place “Menagerie” third out of my three albums. Here’s the full list:

1. Just as I Am: 4 stars (reviewed back at Disc 627)
2. Still Bill: 4 stars (reviewed back at Disc 628)
3. Menagerie: 3 stars (reviewed right here)

Ratings: 3 stars

“Menagerie” is a record that can’t decide what it wants to be: early seventies soul music or late seventies disco music. As a result it does a good job of both but a great job at neither.

One thing is certain though, while some tracks are more soul and others more disco, all of them sound like baby making music. “Menagerie” is a sexy album with a smooth groove that will make you want to curl up with your girl in front of a brick fireplace. Maybe lay down on the orange shag carpet and…well, you know.

Bill Withers has an exceptional voice, and although the songs on “Menagerie” aren’t as strong as the two albums I reviewed earlier, Withers’ vocals carry a lot of punch. On “Lovely Day” he carries a single note through most of each chorus with clarity and beauty. It is a reminder to modern R&B singers that not every sustained note needs a bunch of runs in it to be great. Just sing it strong and pure and let the song take care of the rest.

Regrettably, Withers’ vocal prowess can’t overcome the shortcomings of every song. “I Want To Spend the Night Together” is an exceptional vocal, but the song feels like a cross between seventies a.m. radio schmaltz and something you’d hear a second-rate crooner sing at a tiki lounge. Withers is first-rate all the way, but he can only pull this song up to “average” at best.

Better is “Lovely Night for Dancing” which is bolstered by a groovy beat and a horn section. It is still a bit a.m. radio, but the groove is too infectious to be denied, and Withers’ is on the top of his vocal game, particularly with his phrasing choices.

“She Wants To (Get On Down)” is full-on disco, and Withers’ smooth soul voice is slightly out of place, but rather than hurting the track, it gives it a bit of groove that a bunch of back-up singers going “Get Down! Get Down!” couldn’t have managed alone. It may be a guilty pleasure, but I like this song.

Production-wise this album makes some questionable choices, as it can’t decide if it wants to side with disco organ and synthesizer or soul trumpet and piano. As a result the songs lack direction.  

My CD version of “Menagerie” is a 2003 re-issue and the Soulless Record Execs couldn’t resist putting three bonus tracks on it. I’m usually disinclined to like bonus tracks, and these three did nothing to disavow me of such prejudice. We are provided the radio single version of “Lovely Night for Dancing” and an instrumental version of “Let Me Be the One You Need.” The former is basically a shorter version of the original and the latter is like the original, minus the best thing about the record; Withers’ voice.

As for the third bonus track, “Rosie” the less said the better. The song is half droning piano romance and half strange synthesizer sounds that would better fit on an ELO or Alan Parsons Project record. The song is an embodiment of the stylistic disconnect of the main record, and just made me notice it anew.

Overall, “Menagerie” is a good record. Buoyed by Bill Withers’ voice and some very sexy grooves, it has its moments. If it had tried to do less, I would have liked it even more.

Best tracks:  Lovely Day, Lovely Night for Dancing, She Wants To (Get On Down)

CD Odyssey Disc 858: St. Vincent

Yesterday walking home there was an aquamarine umbrella discarded in someone’s front yard. Today, it was still there and, a few doors further down, there was a second aquamarine umbrella, again discarded. Was this a strange coincidence or a piece of performance art? The human brain will always seek to find patterns, making the answer to that question a riddle that eats its own tail.

Disc 858 is….Self-Titled

Artist: St. Vincent

Year of Release: 2013

What’s up with the Cover? St. Vincent rocks the new grey/pastel hair cut in a way that lets you know she was doing it before it was cool. Her dress is fabulous, as is her imperious pose, like she’s an empress in some science fiction future holding court. The throne itself falls a bit short. It looks like it was installed by bath-fitters over top of the original throne.

How I Came To Know It: I’ve been getting a lot of leads on new music from the folks at AV Club  lately. I read every music review and if it sounds interesting enough, I’ll listen to a couple of tracks (usually embedded in the review). I liked what I heard from this album and so I bought it.

How It Stacks Up:  I only have this one St. Vincent album, so it can’t really stack up.

Ratings: 4 stars

This album is completely outside of what I usually enjoy in music, but is so good at what it does it drew me in and made me fall in love.

This album is heavily produced and synthesized and I was tempted at first to label it electronica. However, at its core it is pure pop music, filled with bleeps, boops and whistles, all layered in on itself in a goulash of sound. It is decidedly out of my wheelhouse, but so artfully done I can’t resist it. I don’t even want to resist it.

The various sound effects and digital touches are perfectly placed and despite a whole lot of things going on, these songs never feel busy or overproduced. St. Vincent knows just where to put an effect, where to let a little guitar fuzz through and where to drop the synth-funk. Awesome and innovative beats serve as the pie crust for all the filling in these songs; tasty and supportive in equal measure.

The music has an otherworldly quality, and St. Vincent’s voice is the perfect match to the experience. She sings beautifully in the high end of her range, always sounding powerful and ethereal in equal measure. If Enya is what elves sound like when they sing, St. Vincent is what elves would sound like if they traveled into space.

The album is a tasteful 10 songs and 40 minutes and even though I listened to it almost three complete times over the past two days, it was still leaving me wanting more every time through.

The new wave-inspired and dystopian “Birth in Reverse” is a musical and lyrical exploration of the modern age and the perceived pointlessness of it all. “Digital Witness” does the same thing, but with a funky beat that makes you want to dance in the ruins of it all. When St. Vincent sings “People turn the TV on, it looks just like a window” it is a call to action for us to all wake up, couched in electronic beats and rhythms. These songs are like Trojan horses inside the technology fun-house we’ve locked ourselves in.

Then, just when you think St. Vincent is all crazy beats and frenetic social commentary, she slows things down with songs that are slow, heartfelt and majestic like “I Prefer Your Love” and “Severed Crossed Fingers.” There is desperation and loss in these songs, but strange triumph is woven through them that makes your heart swell rather than sink

“Huey Newton” does a little bit of everything, with dulled out back beats, and echoing, haunting lyrics. Halfway through the song a fuzzed out guitar appears and absolutely rocks out like a post-singularity apocalypse.

I’d like to point to a song or two where St. Vincent oversteps a bit or where her ambition gets the better of her, but despite a fearless approach to melody, production and arrangement it never happens. This album is proof that nothing exceeds like excess.

I was so impressed by St. Vincent’s self-titled fifth studio album that I spent quite a bit of time checking out her previous four, but none of them have the same level of excellence that she shows on this one. All I can hope for is that everything she does from here forward is as good. That will be a tall order to fill.

Best tracks:  Birth in Reverse, Prince Johnny, Huey Newton, Digital Witness, I Prefer Your Love, Severed Crossed Fingers

CD Odyssey Disc 857: Sarah McLachlan

Today’s game of Ulti was less than inspiring and my team lost badly. However, a day out running around with friends is fun regardless of whether you win or lose, so I declare it a success.

Is this next album a success? Er…kind of.

Disc 857 is….Afterglow

Artist: Sarah McLachlan

Year of Release: 2003

What’s up with the Cover? Sarah, looking beautiful and deep in thought. At this stage of her career McLachlan had sold a lot of albums, making me wonder why she still feels the need to wear some homeless man’s sweater.

How I Came To Know It: I’d liked Sarah McLachlan for years, so when this album came out in 2003 I just bought it as a matter of course. It ended up being the last Sarah McLachlan album I ever bought, but for all that I still like it.

How It Stacks Up:  I have five Sarah McLachlan albums. Of those five I put “Afterglow” in fourth spot, just ahead of “Touch”. And since this is my last Sarah McLachlan album here is the full recap, as tradition demands:

1. Solace: 4 stars (reviewed back at Disc 249)
2. Surfacing: 4 stars (reviewed back at Disc 758)
3. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy: 3 stars (reviewed back at Disc 703)
4. Afterglow: 2 stars (reviewed right here)
5. Touch: 2 stars (reviewed back at Disc 624)

Ratings: 2 stars but almost 3

Sarah McLachlan is one of those artists that got a lot of airplay in my stereo for a decade or so, but now rarely makes it into the rotation. “Afterglow” is not as strong as some of her earlier records, but it still has its moments.

On the plus side, McLachlan’s voice is still strong on “Afterglow” fifteen years after she released her first album, “Touch.” She is also an underrated piano player. She tickles the ivory with an easy grace and just a dash of jazz sensibility.

Because of this I found myself wishing both the vocals and piano would be more forward in the mix. The album suffers from a holdover of mid-nineties production, with too many layers and fuzz to let the songs shine through. I get that this is pop and not folk music, but even a pop song needs room to breathe. Instead we get odd little blue notes spread with wanton abandon through songs that can stand on their own without the dubious benefit of such parlour tricks.

On top of that mid-nineties business, there is an excess loudness to the recording level which was a common malaise at the start of the oughts. The bass thuds heavily in every track, and turning it down just pushes the vocals and piano further into the corner.

There are strong moments on the record despite the limitations of the production. The best song by a wide margin is “Worlds On Fire,” which appears to be McLachlan’s response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. The tragedy brings out the best in her, as she thoughtfully explores the vulnerability we all felt in the wake of the attacks, mirrored against whatever fault lives in mankind that allows people to commit crimes like 9/11 in the first place.

McLachlan’s lyrics have always edged toward the schmaltzy, but when she’s on her game she manages to stay genuine. On “Afterglow” she strays on both sides of the line. “Train Wreck” feels overdone with McLachlan playing the part of a drama queen that I would cross the street to avoid, and a production that is so overly smooth that the whole display feels like an act.

Better is “Push” which has its own fair share of overblown lyrics, such as:

“Every time I look at you the world just melts away

All my troubles all my fears dissolve in your affections

You’ve seen me at my weakest but you take me as I am.”

Blech. That is bad stuff, but because the song is a bit more restrained and Sarah’s voice has a natural warmth she gets you to believe it. Similarly “Answer” is well served by just being McLachlan’s voice and piano. The sound is still a bit thick, but it is stripped down enough to still feel intimate enough to match the lyrics.

The lyrical nadir on the album is also the album’s biggest hit. “Fallen” is packed with oddly mangled sentences structured to serve forced rhymes.

“Though I’ve tried I’ve fallen

I have sunk so low

I messed up

Better I should know.”

“Better I should know” sounds like a line written by Yoda. Yoda is a great role model if you’re training to be a Jedi knight, but would be the world’s worst English teacher.

“Afterglow” is not a bad album, and as 2 star albums go I had a favourable experience. If you can cut through the dubious production decisions there are a few hidden gems that make the overall experience worth your time.

Best tracks:  World On Fire, Push, Answer

CD Odyssey Disc 856: ACDC

After a couple of lighter albums I found myself craving something with a bit more bite to it. Although the CD Odyssey is random, the universe must have heard me and granted my wish.

Disc 856 is….High Voltage

Artist: ACDC

Year of Release: 1976

What’s up with the Cover? Angus Young introduces North America to his school boy gone bad aesthetic with ACDC’s first North American release. Also a lightning bolt because…rock and roll!

How I Came To Know It: This album was part of the landscape in the small working class town I grew up in. ACDC is in my DNA.

How It Stacks Up:  I have nine ACDC albums and unlike my recent experience with Neil Young, I like them all. “High Voltage” ranks sixth best out of nine but is still awesome.

Ratings: 4 stars

“High Voltage” is ballsy, raw and at times a little rough, but that’s exactly how I want my ACDC to sound.

The record is their first release in North America and is an amalgam of two earlier albums released in the band’s native Australia the year before. It doesn’t feel glued together like North American hybrid releases can, but instead has a natural flow throughout.

The album launches with a bang, with “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll).” ACDC is known for their rhythm guitar riffs, so it is fitting that the first song on their first album has such a memorable one. This song manages to combine the grind of proto-metal with the aggressive twang of Chuck Berry. Best of all, the song features frickin’ bagpipes. When the guitar and the pipes start answering one another in riff after riff it is bombastic, ridiculously over the top, and exactly what the is needed to hit the next level.

Later in the album, “T.N.T.” delivers another unforgettable riff, this time complete with the band loudly chanting “Oy! Oy! Oy!” When you hear this song, whether you are at a high school dance, at a friend’s house or just out driving there is no resisting joining in the chant.

“Rock ‘n’ Roll Singer” is almost as powerful, and introduces the band’s other main weapon; the lascivious voice of Bon Scott. I will always stand up for Bon Scott being ACDC’s greatest vocalist, and while “High Voltage” doesn’t have him quite as dirty and grimy as he achieves on “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” he still leaves you wanting to shower after every verse. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Singer” also has some pretty sweet guitar soloing from Angus Young.

Scott delivers suggestive lyrics throughout the album. “The Jack” is a song where a card game is a metaphor for catching a venereal disease. Later, songs feature Scott asking women if he can sit next to them (I imagine they look away uncomfortably but he sits beside them anyway). On “Little Lover” he sings:

“Saw you in the front row

Moving to the beat

Just movin' and groovin'

Killed me when I saw

The wet patch on your seat

Was it Coca Cola?

Oh baby I hope you liked the show

When the band said goodnight

I had to say hello”

Scott isn’t a leading man or a teen idol, he’s an oversexed creep who clearly revels in being inappropriate.

The great rhythm guitar work of Malcolm Young is on full display throughout. ACDC songs live and die on how well they sit in the pocket, and Malcom is the master of keeping the song strong in the groove. Even at this early stage of the band’s career, he is already the glue that holds everything else together. This gives lead guitar Angus and vocalist Bon the freedom they need to add flavour to each song.

Despite these high points, the album is uneven in places and a lot of riffs are similar to those used on later records to better effect. While both “The Jack” and “She’s Got Balls” are devilish good fun, both songs drag a bit through the middle.

Fortunately, the album recovers at the end with the title track which is a simple yet effective celebration of rock music.

I struggled with whether this album deserves 4 stars or fell just short at 3. I was about to say 3 but the gratuitous use of bagpipes and Aussie chants alone put it over the top.

Best tracks:  It’s A Long Way To the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll), Rock ‘N’ Roll Singer, T.N.T., High Voltage 

CD Odyssey Disc 855: Neil Young

It hasn’t been a good month for my relationship with Neil Young with the second straight review resulting in one of his albums leaving my collection.

Disc 855 is….America Stars ‘n’ Bars

Artist: Neil Young

Year of Release: 1977

What’s up with the Cover? Here’s an interesting factoid from Wikipedia (which is never wrong): this cover was designed by actor Dean Stockwell. Based on this example Dean should stick to acting. We get a glimpse of Neil’s head, a shot up a woman’s skirt, a bottle of booze and some kind of urn or spittoon all leading to the inevitable question, “why?”

I usually opt for the alternative cover on this record:

Some First Nations imagery combined with majestic mountains. It isn’t a great cover either, but it is a hell of a lot better than what’s behind Door #1.

How I Came To Know It: I recently was fleshing out my Neil Young album and I bought “Chrome Dreams II,” “Comes A Time” and this album. As Bad Santa teaches us, “they can’t all be winners, kid.”

How It Stacks Up:  With the recent exit of “A Letter Home” from my collection of Neil Young has now shrunk to 19 albums. Of these I’ll put “America Stars ‘n’ Bars” in 19^th, or the new last place.

Ratings: 2 stars

“America Stars ‘n’ Bars” is a rambling collection of songs that isn’t sure what it wants to be. It isn’t bad so much as it is unfocused. It’s like a kid that switches his major too often, and then just drops out of college to hitchhike across America.

The record didn’t anger or frustrate me like “A Letter Home” did, and there aren’t any songs I can point to with any great ill-will. At the same time, there aren’t enough songs that catch my attention and make me want to hear more.

“Hey Babe” has a nice rolling flow, and “Hold Back the Tears” has a pretty country twang that feels like a gentle summer song, but neither one stands out as brilliant either. Neil writes songs like this without effort, but on “America Stars ‘n’ Bars” it is like peeking behind the curtain to see him doing it easily. The record lacks…edge.

“Bite the Bullet” is one of the stronger tracks, and also one of the more rockin’ songs, full of sexual innuendo and driving energy. The guitar on this track is also great, with that trademark grimy sound that Neil and Crazy Horse can always muster. As an aside this is a totally different track from Motorhead's song of the same name. I know, hard to believe, but true.

I also enjoyed “Homegrown,” another rock song this time about good ol’ seventies grass. Again, the rock guitar is great and generally the rock songs on the album are better than the softer more introspective folk-driven tracks.

The worst of the softer tracks is the meandering seven minute “Will to Love” which takes forever to not get very far at all. The song includes a recording of a crackling fire that made me think of the Shaw Cable channel “Log” that they put on during the holiday season. In the video, the local cable company broadcasts a looped recording of a fireplace as a sort of public service to those of us not lucky enough to have the real thing.

“Will to Love” is similar to “Log” in that it is pleasant enough to enjoy for a few minutes, but you get quickly bored waiting for something to happen. The song meanders around a bit and never quite gets to the point. At one point Neil even sings:

“Sometimes I ramble on and on

And I repeat myself until all my friends are gone.”

With these lines Neil gives a voice to the problem I have with the song and more generally, the album. It isn’t that it is bad, it is that I want it to be better.

It might be the residual effects of “A Letter Home” working on me, but despite the good qualities of this record I’m going to part company with it as well. As Dr. Seuss might say, “I can lick 18 Neil Young albums today!”

Best tracks:  Bite the Bullet, Homegrown

CD Odyssey Disc 854: Enya

This next album is one of the first CDs I owned, so back in the day it got a lot of play. I don’t put it on much anymore, and so it was nice to hear it again. It was like visiting an old friend you don’t see very often, and finding you still have a connection.

Disc 854 is….Shepherd Moons

Artist: Enya

Year of Release: 1991

What’s up with the Cover? It’s Enya herself, looking fey and mysterious. Also, distractingly beautiful.

How I Came To Know It: I heard “Orinoco Flow” on Muchmusic back in the day and liked it. When I went to buy the album (“Watermark” reviewed way back at Disc 11) it wasn’t there, but this newer release was. Not wanting to return home empty-handed I bought “Shepherd Moons” instead.

How It Stacks Up:  I have five Enya albums (her first five). Of those, “Shepherd Moons” is my favourite so I’ll rank it…#1.

Ratings: 4 stars

“Shepherd Moons” is an album that will soothe a troubled soul. It did that for me in 1991. 25 years later I’m much less troubled, but it still fills my heart with peace and calms my spirit’s rougher edges.

If that introduction sounds a little overwrought, then welcome to new age music. And I don’t mean that in a bad way, either. New age music is meant to inspire the soul and if that means your soul bubbles over a bit in a wanton display of joy, then it is working the way it’s supposed to.

Enya’s signature sound is to take Celtic and classical musical structures and fill them with an ambient quality through multiple layers of overdubbing. The result is an unearthly choir that is something more than human. It always makes me think of what elves would sound like. Enya even looks elven.

Better than any other Enya album, “Shepherd Moons” finds the perfect mix of new age production and old school Celtic mystery. Despite the inherently artificial production that goes into making the album, the songs still feel suffused with organic vitality.

Enya also makes sure the album has a strong dynamic range. A lot of new age music can drone on through the length of a full record, but Enya keeps things interesting. The high energy “Book of Days” is sandwiched between the introspective classical piano piece “No Holly for Miss Quinn” and the insular and thoughtful “Evacuee.” From opening to closing the record feels like a single art piece, rather than just a collection of songs.

That said, I have my favourites, none more so than “How Can I Keep From Singing?” Because of all the layered production, Enya’s voice can sometimes feel fuzzy, and you might be tempted to think that her vocals are entirely artificial. “How Can I Keep From Singing?” dispels this notion, with an incredible vocal performance. I also love the lyrics, which are a message of hope in a sometimes unjust world:

“When tyrants tremble in their fear

And hear their death knell ringing

When friends rejoice both far and near

How can I keep from singing?”

Technically not a message of hope if you are a tyrant, I suppose. Anyway, listening to Enya I always get this weird feeling that all darkness has an end. She’s like Galadriel in Lothlorien giving a light to Frodo to help keep him safe on his journey. In fact, the album even has a song called “Lothlorien” which is a two minute piano piece that makes you feel like you’re walking through an enchanted forest full of elves. Yes, this music is both inspiring and nerdy.

The songs that edge into traditional Celtic forms are among my favourites. “Ebudae” has a rising rhythm that is an infectious earworm despite not being in English. It makes me feel like I’m sitting around a campfire chanting in some bygone time, except with less bugs and smoke.

“Smaointe” is the last song on the record and one of my favourites. I can’t even pronounce the song’s title, but Enya’s heart-wrenching vocal carries a deep sorrow that breaks through the language barrier. The song has a Daniel-Lanois like ambience that never intrudes on its intimacy, and the Uillean Pipes (played expertly by Liam O’Flionn) provide a poignant offset to Enya’s soft and pure singing.

The only track that didn’t quite hit the mark is “Marble Halls.” This song goes one step too far into schmaltz, as Enya recounts a dream where she is incredibly wealthy, but her greatest gift remains the love of her partner. Even the melody seems a bit too dear.

Still, this is one track out of twelve and I like all the others to varying degrees. I’m not much for new age music overall, but Enya is the master of it, and “Shepherd Moons” is her finest work. For many readers, one Enya album is too many. I am sorry you feel that way. If you do decide to open your heart to just one though, make it “Shepherd Moons.”

Best tracks:  Caribbean Blue, How Can I Keep From Singing?, Ebudae, Angeles, Book of Days, Lothlorien, Smaointe

CD Odyssey Disc 853: Billy Bragg

I’m just back from running a bunch of errands and prepared to settle in and wait for movers to bring me some new furniture.

Amidst the chores I found time to nip into the local record store(s) and find a few bargains. I am now the proud owner of two new Dar Williams albums and one more Carolyn Mark album. I guess it was a day for folk music.

On that note, here’s another great folk artist.

Disc 853 is….Worker’s Playtime

Artist: Billy Bragg

Year of Release: 1988

What’s up with the Cover? Based on the title of the album, this would be some workers taking a break. This particular break looks suspiciously like a formal meeting, with a loudspeaker a bunch of flags and assorted sloganeering. Holding a meeting over the lunch hour is not a break, Billy.

I note the cover has a logo that says “capitalism is killing music.” Er…what? I’m more concerned with illegal downloads. Don’t steal your music. Buy it and support musicians!

How I Came To Know It: Last year I was digging through looking for Billy Bragg albums I’d missed earlier and were worth getting. “Workers Playtime” is one of two albums I picked up along the way. The other is “England, Half English” (reviewed not long ago at Disc 804). I am still looking for “Mr. Love and Justice,” which I haven’t been able to find on CD yet. Yes, I happen to buy my music on antiquated technology. All those CDs is what the blog is all about, people!

How It Stacks Up:  I have eight Billy Bragg albums. Of the eight, I put “Worker’s Playtime” in seventh, just edging out “England, Half English.” That doesn’t mean it is bad. I only own my favourite Billy Bragg albums, so competition is tough.

Ratings: 3 stars

Some albums just feel like break up albums. I have no idea what Billy Bragg’s personal life had going on in 1988 (I like to encounter the music with as little outside knowledge as possible), but “Workers Playtime” has a lot of heartache on it.

Fortunately, Bragg is a gifted storyteller, so even if his stories are sad and troubled they are still enjoyable to listen to. At least half this record is composed of break up songs, seen from different facets. Bragg deftly paints the picture of relationships at the painful edge of ending, others in full decay, and still others that are just plain destructive from the outset.

The best of the lot is “Valentine’s Day Is Over” which is told from the perspective of a woman who is tired of her drunk, abusive partner. Bragg weaves poverty and unemployment into the story, reminding us that money issues puts pressure on any relationship, while still not excusing the dirtbag’s behaviour.

The song ends with the man trying to win back his lady’s affection with a Valentine’s gift and her answer is a fitting wakeup call for him:

“Thank you for the things you brought me, thank you for the card

Thank you for the things you taught me when you hit me hard

That love between two people must be based on understanding

Until that’s true you’ll find your things

All stacked out on the landing, surprise, surprise.”

Beyond the lyrics, “Valentine’s Day is Over” is set to a melody that is mournful and thoughtful, with a clever transition to a triumphant chord progression, mirroring one woman’s journey from despair to empowerment.

While not all of the heartbreak tracks on “Workers Playtime” can’t match the musical strengths of “Valentine’s Day is Over” all of them deliver great insight into the many ways love can die.

This being a Billy Bragg album, it wouldn’t be complete without some social commentary. “Tender Comrade” is an a capella track against war, and “Rotting on Remand” is a critique of the conditions prisoners undergo while imprisoned and awaiting trial. Both songs are OK, but musically neither grabbed me.

Much better on this front is “Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards” in which Bragg seems equally disillusioned with capitalism and communism. The song cuts a nice path between disappointment and inspiration. At his core, Bragg has always been an optimist when it comes to the human spirit, and the song’s energy builds naturally until it ends with a chorus of people singing along in unison.

“Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards” has Bragg saying that if you don’t like the system you’re living under, work to build a new one. I don’t share his revolutionary fervor, but I agree that if you want to make a difference, sitting around complaining isn’t gonna do it.

This is a music blog, not a political blog, so I’ll leave it at that, just as Bragg’s song fades out and leaves us energized despite all those damned broken hearts he’s peppered the record with earlier.

Best tracks:  Must I Paint You a Picture, The Price I Pay, Valentine’s Day is Over, Waiting For the Great Leap Forwards

CD Odyssey Disc 852: Tom Waits

Because the human mind loves pattern recognition, here are a couple of interesting facts. This is the third straight review of an artist where I’m into double digits for reviews. Also of interest, of the past 10 reviews, eight of them were released post-2000.

What conclusions do I draw from this data? First, when I like an artist, I tend to really like them. Second, I continue to find new music to listen to…kind of. Four of those eight recent albums are just artists I’ve liked forever that are still releasing new music.

This next album is an example of the latter.

Disc 852 is….Real Gone

Artist: Tom Waits

Year of Release: 2004

What’s up with the Cover? Artist name and album title. It doesn’t get much simpler. Tom has chosen a font that says “I love spray paint, but also murder.”

How I Came To Know It: Once again, this was just me drilling through the collection of an artist I already loved.

How It Stacks Up:  I have 19 Tom Waits albums but one of them (“Big Time”) is a best of so really, there are 18. Of those 18, I put “Real Gone” near the bottom of the pack at number 15. Tom Waits is very solid over his career though, so there is no great shame here.

Ratings: 3 stars

“Real Gone” is Tom Waits at his brave and craziest. It isn’t my favourite album of his, but I admire it for its pure uncut chutzpah.

Waits has been experimenting with his ‘weird circus’ sound dating back to 1983’s “Swordfishtrombones” (reviewed way back at Disc 149). However, from 2002 through 2004 he took all that clanging percussion and vaudevillian oddity to a whole new level. “Real Gone” is the third album released in that period (the other two being “Blood Money” (reviewed at Disc 235) and “Alice.” Unfortunately it isn’t as good as either.

All the ingredients are there. Tom’s voice has its usual style, ranging from ‘40-grit whiskey throat’ through ‘strangled homeless man’ (both are surprisingly enjoyable). The arrangements are still as innovative as anything I’ve ever heard in music and the underlying melodies are still strong and thoughtful.

This last item is the most surprising. The songs are packed with strange plunking of guitar notes, and the whacking of various unknown objects. These objects (usually actual drums, but who knows?) make sounds that go clang, boom or hiss (one song is actually called “Clang Boom Steam” and those are the three noises that establish the repeating riff). It would be easy to lose the melody amid all this. If you cut through all that, you realize these are traditional folk and blues chord progressions, repurposed to serve whatever bizarre carnival plays through Tom’s mind.

“Real Gone” is as crazy as they come. It isn’t for everyone, but I appreciate it. Unfortunately, the songs didn’t appeal to me as much as those on the two similarly styled records that precede it. I can’t put my finger on why, and I think it is just a matter of taste. Maybe Tom finally lost me in his quest to construct meaningful songs out of seemingly random percussion. With Tom it is never random, but at some point it can be clever to the point of losing the narrative.

While the music doesn’t grab me as much as a lot of other records, the lyrics remain strong. “Circus” is a spoken word track that isn’t at the same 5 star level of “9^th and Hennepin” off of “Rain Dogs”, but is still solid. Instead of telling the stories of a street corner, “Circus” introduces us to a variety of circus performers including Molly Hooey described in the following scene:

“And me and Molley Hoey drank

Pruno and Koolaid and she had a

Tattoo gun made out of a cassette

Motor and a guitar string and

She soaked a hanky in 3 Roses

And rubbed it on the spot

And drew a rickety heart and

A bent arrow and it hurt like hell”

Another reason I get my ink done by professionals, not carnies, but you can’t deny Tom paints a pretty picture of a lady who probably gives ugly tattoos. On a related note, what the hell is Pruno?

On “Baby Gonna Leave Me” Tom sings “If I was a tree, I’d be a cut down tree/If I was a bed, I’d be an unmade bed.” No one paints the disheveled down- and-out like Tom.

The best song on the record is “Make It Rain” which is dirty like a mud pit and energized like a poorly grounded electrical panel with one of those “Danger: High Voltage” signs on it. You shouldn’t touch either, but the riff is so infectious you do anyway. This song is a blues track about lost love that’s as down and low as they get. As Tom sings it:

“Since you're gone

Deep inside it hurts

I'm just another sad guest

On this dark earth”

Unfortunately, while “Real Gone” is good, it doesn’t consistently manage the level of tracks like “Make It Rain.” “Real Gone” is also ‘real long,’ clocking in at 16 tracks and 71 minutes. I think the album would be a lot tighter with about four fewer songs and 20 minutes less playing time.

Fortunately, even a weak Tom Waits album is still pretty good, and there is enough on here to warrant a solid three stars.

Best tracks:  Don’t Go Into That Barn, Circus, Make It Rain

CD Odyssey Disc 851: Steve Earle

It is another beautiful day outside and I’m looking forward to taking the top down on my convertible. I am thinking of selling it soon, so every day in the sun is that much more precious.

Disc 851 is….Sidetracks

Artist: Steve Earle

Year of Release: 2002

What’s up with the Cover? Steve Earle keeps putting bad Tony Fitzpatrick art on his album covers and I keep panning it. I admire Steve’s tenacity more than he would admire mine. This is one of Fitzpatrick’s better efforts, but it is still not good.

How I Came To Know It: I just keep drilling through Steve Earle albums as they get released, and this one is no exception.

How It Stacks Up:  I have 17 Steve Earle albums, but I tend to not rank his album that consists only of Townes Van Zandt albums. I’m not sure why, since this next album is over fifty percent cover songs, but I guess there’s enough original content I figured it was fair. In any case, “Sidetracks” lands a respectable ninth out of the 16.

Ratings: 4 stars

“Sidetracks” is a collection of songs spanning a six or seven year span that were either written for movies or covers of other artists. Despite coming from different years the collection feels remarkably cohesive. Funny how good music just goes well with other good music.

Every artist that makes enough albums will eventually end up with a bunch of songs that for whatever reason didn’t make it onto on one of them. Often those songs are best left on the recording studio floor, but sometimes (such as Pearl Jam’s “Lost Dogs” or Tom Waits’ “Brawlers,Bawlers and Bastards”) there are great songs that deserve to be heard. “Sidetracks” is full of examples of those.

Five of the album’s 13 tracks are Earle originals, and despite the other eight being some of rock’s most iconic songs Earle’s work stands shoulder to shoulder with them. It is a testament to his exceptional songwriting talent and artistic vision.

With one exception (“Sara’s Angel,” an instrumental) the Earle tracks are songs recorded for movies. I’d heard of all four movies (“The Rookie,” Pay It Forward,” “The Horse Whisperer” and “Dead Man Walking”) but I’ve only seen one. This is just as well, because that would have had me associate the songs with movies that don’t appeal to me, providing a context outside of the music that isn’t necessary.

In fact, the best song on the record is “Me and the Eagle” which is a masterpiece of songwriting. The song soars up musically at the same time as you imagine the eagle sailing higher and higher into the mountains, and the narrator travels to those lonesome backcountry spaces where he is most at peace. Lyrics, melody, arrangement and theme all come together perfectly and when we hear Earle sing:

“When it’s all said and done, I usually find

Me and the eagle are of the same mind.”

We can hear the voice of a taciturn loner, settled on some mountain crag staring out at a west coast wilderness, content with his own company.

The other movie song that appealed was “Ellis Unit One.” Taken from “Dead Man Walking.” It is song opposing the death penalty. This is a topic that brings out the best in Earle (he wrote another masterpiece on the same topic, “Billy Austin,” for his 1990 album “The Hard Way,” reviewed way back at Disc 179).

Here he once again humanizes the issue, this time from the perspective of a guard that has spent a career taking prisoners down the hall to their death, first to the electric chair and later to lethal injection. “Billy Austin” captures the terror of the prisoner, and “Ellis Unit One” bravely explores the emotional toll on those that carry out the sentence. The song ends with:

"Well, I've seen 'em fight like lions, boys

I've seen 'em go like lambs

And I've helped to drag 'em when they could not stand

And I've heard their mamas cryin' when they heard that big door slam

And I've seen the victim's family holdin' hands

"Last night I dreamed that I woke up with straps across my chest

And something cold and black pullin' through my lungs

'N even Jesus couldn't save me though I know he did his best

But he don't live on Ellis Unit One"

As a treatise against the death penalty, “Ellis Unit One” is a hell of a lot more effective than the movie “Dead Man Walking” which I found heavy handed and preachy. Earle manages to deliver a harder emotional gut punch than Tim Robbins’ film can manage over two hours.

In terms of the covers, Earle covers a lot of ground. He does “Johnny Too Bad” and manages to seamlessly marry his own style with the Jamaican rhythms of the Slickers original. He takes on Nirvana’s “Breed” and gives it so much raw rock power that I ended up preferring it over the original.

The Flying Burrito Brothers’ war protest song “My Uncle” and the back-road trucker whimsy of Little Feat’s “Willin’” are both perfect for Earle’s iconoclastic troubadour aesthetic and he doesn’t disappoint.

The Chamber Brothers’ “Time Has Come Today” is buoyed by great guest vocals from Sheryl Crow, but pulled down by having to listen to Abby Hoffman’s shrill complaints of yesteryear. “Creepy Jackalope Eye” is well performed, but I don’t like the Supersuckers’ song to begin with, so I could have lived without that one.

For all that, this record is a great example of how some artists are so good that their table scraps are better than what most people make the lead track on their record. Earle is a master of his craft, whether creating stories of his own, or reinterpreting someone else in his own inimitable style.

Best tracks:  Open Your Window, Me and the Eagle, Johnny Too Bad, Breed, Ellis Unit One, Willin’, My Uncle