More big artists here this week than you can shake a vinyl at! [Can you shake a vinyl at something?]
Welcome back folks to this week's new releases. As you can see from some of my hyperlinks that I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of a few of these gems. Others happened to fall into my lap and still no complaints! I am enjoying the large quantity of tunes to match all moods of my day. That's ranging anywhere from some morning positive vibes like Aretha or Annie, to the heaviest of afternoon brick wall awakenings like Slipknot/Alice Cooper/Amarathe. Hell, I have even been enjoying the complete weirdness that is Primus and their Willy Wonka tribute album all afternoon!
Welcome back folks to this week's new releases. As you can see from some of my hyperlinks that I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of a few of these gems. Others happened to fall into my lap and still no complaints! I am enjoying the large quantity of tunes to match all moods of my day. That's ranging anywhere from some morning positive vibes like Aretha or Annie, to the heaviest of afternoon brick wall awakenings like Slipknot/Alice Cooper/Amarathe. Hell, I have even been enjoying the complete weirdness that is Primus and their Willy Wonka tribute album all afternoon!
Either way, there is surely something here to catch your fancy and pick up at a local record store. If you have the Tuesday rainy day vibes here in Toronto then I might suggest an online retailer or a trusted digital source. As long as you have a chance to enjoy some of the awesome tuneage then my work has been done. Enjoy!
(Aretha Franklin - Sings The Great Diva Classics)
There’s a clear commercial hook here — you already know and love the songs. Credit Clive Davis with that time-honored scheme. But in play, it could have backfired. Why mess with material already done to perfection?
Luckily, Franklin wasn’t after perfection. Never does she restrict herself to formal arrangements or pruned vocal readings. Applying that approach here would have drawn a direct comparison with the iconic originals, a losing game. Instead, Aretha acts more like a jazz singer, scatting and vamping her way through vocals that are ravenous and free, adventurous and loony.
To her, these songs aren’t destinations. They’re vehicles for her to improvise and strut. -NY Daily News
(Neil Diamond - Melody Road)
Judging by the love-drunk tone of "Melody Road," Diamond followed through on his plan. "Marriage is not an easy thing / But look at all the joy it brings," he sings in "Marry Me Now." Elsewhere, the 73-year-old rhymes "what a little bit of love can do" with "took me to a place that I never knew." Imagine scribbling in a notebook aboard a yacht somewhere; these are precisely the sort of lyrics one might create. -LA Times
(Susan Boyle - Hope)
I have really enjoyed making this album. I had a huge input in music suggestions and finally have been able to record one of my all time favourites, “Angel,” originally by Sarah Mclachlan. I also am pleased to be able to sing some uptempo songs that show variation in my repertoire. There are also iconic songs, which were a risk to take on but I hope I’ve done them justice in my own way. John Lennon’s “Imagine” was one of the hardest to record, not because of the music or the vocals but because I wanted to do his song justice. Of course the die -hard Lennon fans will probably criticize but I hope that people like my personal take on the song. I themed this album around inspiration and hope because those are two elements we all need in our life to drive us forward and inspire us to go out and capture our dreams- they worked for me after all. -Boyle
(Annie Lennox - Nostalgia)
Nostalgia is loaded with blues and jazz standards from the 1930s and 1940s, stone classics by Hoagy Carmichael, Gershwin, Duke Ellington, some relating to the civil rights movement. Lennox immediately sells the material short with that lame album title, though she does at least manage to avoid a rheumy-eyed big band cash-in. The arrangements are tasteful and spare enough to ensure the spotlight is on Lennox’s full-bodied voice. -Scotsman
The arrangements are varied, employing the band's notorious kitchen sink mentality to interpret the sounds of the originals, and the vocalists show an impressive range of acting chops. Claypool vividly embodies the role of Grandpa Joe in "Golden Ticket" and hits Gene Wilder levels of insanity on "Semi-Wondrous Boat Ride," while guitarist Larry Lalonde nails the Veruca Salt tantrum of "I Want It Now." They even save the film's biggest downer: "Cheer up Charlie" had millions of kids reaching for the fast-forward button, but Primus make it one of the album's highlights, with Claypool sounding sweet on the track's demented, playful hook, alleviating the draining sadness of the original. -Exclaim
(Bush - Man On The Run)
One thing that Bush never struggle to do is create evocative, lyrically potent songs and this album is no exception. It holds a collection of well-constructed tracks led by Rossdale’s unwavering vocals, creating a solid album that unfortunately just falls flat as a whole.
It’s no secret that Bush are a killer band that know how to make a great song. ‘Man On the Run’ is a collection of consistently good tracks, but with no evolution or steady engagement throughout the album, that’s all it is, a few good songs. -Sound Sphere
(Billy Idol - Kings & Queens of the Underground)
Billy doesn't really throw himself into autobiography here, preferring to merely write from the perspective of an old punk rocker on the verge of senior citizenship. Frankly, that's enough to give Kings & Queen of the Underground character if not quite a kick. Idol may be posturing -- that's what he does for a living, after all -- but he's relaxed here, certainly more so than he was on 2005's hard-edged Devil's Playground, having fun playing with his past while trying on some new fashions. Some of the styles are undeniably tacky but, hey, bad taste is part of Idol's legacy and Kings & Queens of the Underground touches upon that garishness along with his exaggerated swagger, fondness for hooks, and an irascible snarl, and that makes it an autobiography even if it never tells a story. -All Music
(Amaranthe - Massive Addictive)
The downside of the whole album is that it seems as if Amaranthe puts more and more forus on the trance/dance/pop aspects of the songs. In nearly every song there is a small techno style mid section, which acts like a sort of break in the song. Even in the ballad True, you can hear some unneccessary “digital” sounds in the background.
All in all, even thoug Amaranthe has improved in some areas, the album feels like a step backwards for the band. Maybe it would have been better if they would not rely on the electric/computer sounds as much, since the songs in which those are less, sound much better and it feels as if those are better mixed. So for me, more metal, less techno/pop, and the album would have been much better! -Metal Exposure
There are also a lot of the trademarks that have made Slipknot great over the years. The incredibly heavy and rapid fire drumming gives us such future moshpit monsters like ‘Sarcastrophe’ and ‘AOV.’ The percussionists also step up to the plate with some pummeling moments on the single ‘The Devil in I’ and the album’s first preview track, ‘The Negative One.’ Guitarists Jim Root and Mick Thomson get their chance to shine on such tracks as ‘Nomadic’ and ‘Killpop.’ And Sid Wilson‘s scratching and high pitched samples stand out on ”Sarcastrophe,’ ‘Custer’ and ‘The Negative One.’ -Loudwire
CD/DVD/Blu-Ray:
(Alice Cooper - Raise The Dead: Live From Wacken)
Alice not only raids his impressive back catalogue, including a couple of rarer gems, he also throw’s in a couple of cover songs, and you end up with is a great set list, as opposed to just having a predictable set list.
Alice is on top of his game here, his stagecraft and showmanship has never been better, as a live show Alice takes some beating. I won’t bore you about the sound quality, nor indeed the HD video the concert was shot in, we have all come to expect this level of presentation by default now, however there are some added bonus material on the dvd, including a 20 minute interview with Alice on the tour and more. -Planet Mosh
No comments:
Post a Comment