I'm Not There Originial Sountrack Review

How wrong could you go when covering songs of the greatest songwriter in rock history? Well, not very wrong at all. I’m Not There is the unique biography of the legendary Bob Dylan, and for the soundtrack, twenty-nine artists were collected to record thirty-four songs. What became of this collaboration is an album with mixed but largely positive results. The songs of choice for the soundtrack span his entire career nabbing the true folk Dylan to the born again Christian Dylan. The choice of songs seem to have a goal of capturing each moment of his life, for instance the choice of “Pressin On” from his 1980 album Saved which has lyrics with heavy religious connotations.

Many try to stop me, shake me up in my mind,
Say, "Prove to me that He is Lord, show me a sign."
What kind of sign they need when it all come from within,
When what's lost has been found, what's to come has already been?

Each artist goes their own way with their respective song. Many stick to the easy path with trying to recapture the exact feel of the original, and other artists trying to make it their own. Sometimes the reach for originality pays off such as Eddie Vedder and the Million Dollar Bashers take on “All Along the Watchtower” which summonses a more Hendrix than Dylan feel. Other times the originality completely misses the boat like Anthony & the Johnsons version of “Knockin’ on Heavens Door” which simply sounds uninspired and dull. For the most part however, the artists choose to stick to the original composition.

Two of the strongest pieces on the album come from two women. The first of which being Cat Powers take on “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again”. Cat Power goes for a straight forward cover sounding extremely similar to Dylan (for a woman) with her outstanding voice. The second song being from Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and her take on the quirky “Highway 61 Revisited” which she makes all her own with her outlandish vocal techniques.

Dylan has been one of the most covered artists in Rock history, and this album continues to show why. Absolutely anyone can take a Dylan song and make it sound good as long as they hold somewhat true to the original. His career has been nothing short of spectacular, and his songwriting abilities are all but perfect.

Grade: B

Twenty Shuffled Songs Sunday

1. Bob Dylan - From a Buick 6
2. Neil Young - Winterlong
3. Bob Dylan - Love Sick
4. The Smashing Pumpkins - Zero
5. Weezer - Pink Triangle
6. The Doors - Touch Me
7. The Velvet Underground - Waiting for the Man
8. Pink Floyd - See Emily Play
9. Steve Miller - The Stake
10. Bob Dylan - You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
11. Bob Dylan - Gotta Serve Somebody
12. Coheed & Cambria - The Willing Well II
13. The Beatles - Hey Jude
14. Blue Oyster Cult - Burnin' For You
15. Liquid Gang - Blunt Force Trauma
16. Metallica - The Memory Remains
17. The Kinks - Wonderboy
18. Radiohead - Optimistic
19. Rush - What You're Doing
20. The Velvet Underground - Who Loves The Sun

Hopefully I can keep a tradition of doing this each Sunday. I think it's a fun thing to do because it gives insight into what's on my Ipod. Like last week though, the shuffling seems a bit odd. I do have a lot of Dylan on my Ipod, but showing up four times out of twenty is a bit much.

Bono Bash Fest

One thing I've always wondered was, why is there so much ill will towards Bono? Typically I can understand why people have negative views towards celebrities, but what is wrong with Bono? Maybe it's because I grew up in a household with a mother who worshiped him, but from my perspective, I see him as a man who is using his fame to better the world, and at the same time write fantastic music.

More often than not, when I hear Bono's name in public, it has a negative connotation attached to it. Many label him as egotistical, and cocky, but I just don't see that. If anything I've always seen it as quite the opposite. I see it as a noble act to take time out of ones life to actually take part in helping others. I guess I could see people labeling him as egotistical based on his stage presence, but he's a rock star, that's what rock stars do.

Maybe I'm just blind to this, but I truly want to know exactly why people hate Bono. I'm sure we have some Bono haters reading. I encourage everyone to share their reasons for disliking Bono. Now let the bashing begin!

Gavin Rossdale Wanderlust Trailer

Gavin Rossdale, of the 90s band Bush, is releasing a new album due out June 3rd. Below is a trailer for the album:

Twenty Songs on Random

I'm getting a little anxious waiting for the Rangers vs. Penguins game to come on, so in the meantime I decided to write down the first twenty songs that were played on my Ipod in shuffle mode.

1. Pink Floyd - Welcome to the Machine
2. Metallica - Trapped Under Ice
3. Foo Fighters - Exhausted
4. Blind Melon - Toes Across the Floor
5. Tool - Message to Harry Manback
6. U2 - Pride
7. The Who - Water
8. The Beatles - All I've Got to Do
9. The Beatles - She Came in through the Bathroom Window
10. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Lookin' Out My Backdoor
11. A Perfect Circle - Judith
12. The Smashing Pumpkins - Bury Me
13. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
14. A Perfect Circle - Brena
15. Disturbed - Down with the Sickness
16. The Zombies - Andorra
17. Bob Dylan - Can't Wait
18. Beck - Earthquake Weather
19. A Perfect Circle - Hollow
20. Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around with Jim

Weird, three songs from A Perfect Circle's "Mer de Noms" album. Well it is certainly a diverse list, and it looks like every decade from the 60s on was represented.

Asia: Phoenix Review

There are times when you need to put your biases behind you. In this case, I need to look past the fact that I find 80s pop-rock to be trite and uninspiring. It’s hard to admit that some of my favorite prog giants came together to form a band like Asia, but to my dismay it happened. But as I stated earlier, I need to look past my indifferences. When doing so I came to find an album that had enough hooks and catchy appeal to get me from start to end.

Asia’s Phoenix is a solid album which sounds like it came out in the wrong decade but yet is more authentic than much of the music out today. We find bands all over the radio today trying to channel the music of the 80s. Bands like The Killers and other indie groups are incorporating the sounds of 80s pop in their music. I suppose it was only time for this to occur, since it was these people who grew up listening to what I would call, a lackluster decade.

Phoenix offers enough fist pumping anthems to get any arena rock fan going, i.e. “Never Again” and “No Way Back”. The album also offers plenty of melodic power ballads that would be sure to prompt a Bic lighter fest, songs like "Heroine" and "Orchard of Mines" do the trick. Considering the original four members (Wetton, Howe, Palmer and Downes) haven’t released an album together since 1983s Alpha, they deserve a lot of credit. Phoenix has enough redeeming qualities to be considered a strong effort.

Grade: B-

Notable Mentions

Considering it was so dificult for me to come to a conclusion on what band should have been number ten, I figured, why not post the bands who were contesting for that final spot. Here is a list of the bands that were battling with Gentle Giant for the ten spot.

1) Nektar

2) Van der Graaf Generator

3) Caravan

4) Camel

5) Eloy

6) Hawkwind