Another Week Another Vinyl: Neil Young: Decade

One of the biggest problems with vinyl as a medium for music is its delicacy. I’ve made a number of purchases of used records that were completely unplayable, as well as a number that were practically unplayable. The smallest scratches and slightly improper care can turn a flawless sound to something which skips and hisses to the point you want to rip your hair out. Well this week was another one of those purchases. I picked out Neil Young’s Decade - essentially a greatest hits album that spans three discs. For just four dollars, this was certainly a bargain. After a quick examination of the album in the store, I deemed it to be in good enough condition to play. When I went home and pulled out the third disc with the intentions of listening to "Cortez the Killer", I realized the scratches were a lot worse than I previously believed. I crossed my fingers and brought the needle over to its destination and the hissing, cracking, and popping was absolutely unbearable. It looks like this will be another album more appropriately placed hanging on my wall than on my turntable.

Bruce Springsteen: Working on a Dream Review

New Jersey is cut up into four different segments - North Jersey, urban areas, the shore, and South Jersey. While all of these areas raise different breeds of people, there is one universal truth - they all love Bruce. Then there is me, I've lived in Jersey my entire life yet have always had an eh kind of feeling about Bruce. He's alright, nothing to go crazy over, but for some reason I had some sort of high optimism for Working on a Dream. Was my optimism warranted? Not exactly, in fact, after a number of listens I left with the same feeling I've always had about Bruce's music - Ehhh, it's pretty good.

There's a lot more good than bad on Working on a Dream, but the good rarely reaches anything beyond simply being just good. The album opens up with "Outlaw Pete" a dramatic eight minute epic western saga that drives home a thought provoking lyrical theme. It's one of the few moments where greatness is truly grasped. Another highlight of the album is "Tomorrow Never Knows", a short and quaint little ditty with some country twang and a great chorus to boot. Although not technically a part of the album, the bonus track, "The Wrestler" may be the strongest moment on Working on a Dream. With amazing chord changes and moving lyrics, "The Wrestler" delivers on every level.

The same cannot be said however for songs like, "Queen of the Supermarket" and "Kingdom of Days". "Queen of the Supermarket" is one of the most ridiculous songs I've heard in a long time, where Bruce tries to channel his love for a Supermarket Checkout girl. Not even the Boss can escape with lyrics as ridiculous as, "A dream awaits in aisle number two" and, "Each night I take my groceries and I drift away". And if the crazy lyrics weren't enough, the song features strong willed and passionate backup vocals declaring, "I'm in love with the queen of the supermarket". "Kingdom of Days" targets a dramatic touch with an orchestral backdrop but it never reaches the next level and matched with a dull chorus, is a complete bore.

The remainder of the album is pretty decent. "Surprise Surprise" is a fun and simple 60s pop-esque radio friendly tune. "Good Eye" is a rootsy blues track featuring distorted vocals that has potential but it never reaches the next level and feels a bit stagnant. The final song of the album "The Last Carnival" is a strong song that shows Bruce at his most vulnerable in this soft and poignant track led by Springsteen's haunting vocals.

Working on a Dream never obtains greatness, but at the same time it's not in any way shape or form bad. Even if the lackluster moments were cut out, it still wouldn't be a "Grade A" album. It has a ho-hum feeling which in essence sums up how I've felt about Springsteen throughout his entire career. Not great, but not bad either.

Grade: B-

The Last Time I Will Post About the Hall of Fame

Tis' the season for being bitter about Award Show and Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame snubs. We'll rant to no end asking why Gran Torino didn't even get a mention at the Oscars or why King Crimson, Yes or Genesis did not get their due, but in the end, is it really worth it anymore? Considering this is a music blog, I'm going to focus on the latter and will opt for a stream of consciousness kind of writing style since it's early in the morning and quite frankly I'm too lazy to make things look organized.

Do big bands who made millions in record sales, toured the world, and had die hard fans crawling at their feet need the validation of these so called music-big-wig-know-it-alls? Honestly, do the rich and famous need the rich and famous to tell them that they are now Rock n' Roll royalty? This isn't baseball, there are no stats declaring you worthy of being named the best other than record sales and chart positions which are only statements of how mainstream you were anyway. I find it hard to believe that rock stars sit at home weeping because they weren't inducted, in fact I would find it hard to believe that they would actually be the slightest bit disappointed. A bands music will never go away, it is forever transferred to every new media outlet for everyone to hear. This isn't an athlete who will only be known by future generations by numbers and early morning sessions of NFL Films on ESPN Classic; music lasts forever! How could something as subjective as music be declared acceptable enough to enter the great Halls. Half the bands that get inducted now and days could hardly be labeled Rock n' Roll, and most of them have people searching Wikipedia to find out exactly who the hell they are . So this is my final acknowledgment of this bull shit institution set up by the industry. It's just a group of holier than thou' "rock experts" who can willy-nilly exclude entire sub genres of rock while professing the importance of others. I'm sure Robert Fripp and Peter Gabriel are sulking in their mansions every time their respective band gets passed up, especially when they're thinking back on all the albums they sold, all the places they've gone, and all the people who were screaming at the top of their lungs every time their feet touched a stage. No, those memories certainly won't be validated until they get into the Hall of Fame.

Lastly, while Johnny Rotten is typically the last person I would like to quote - he said it best when it comes to the Hall of Fame:

"Next to the Sex Pistols, rock and roll and that hall of fame is a piss stain. Your museum. Urine in wine. We're not coming. We're not your monkeys. If you voted for us, hope you noted your reasons. Your anonymous as judges but your still music industry people. We're not coming. Your not paying attention. Outside the shit-stream is a real Sex Pistol."

Oxygene8: Freak of Chance Review

It’s not everyday that we get to hear a musician wielding the Chapman Stick, but for those who are seeking a little stick play, look no further than Oxygene8. Linda Cushma, vocalist and stick player, leads the bands with her musical technician and lush vocals.

After doing a little research on the band I read many reviews which labeled Freak of Chance a progressive album. To call it prog would be a bit of a stretch. It would probably be safe to call it a light prog album with heavy pop sensibility. The music is driven by melodic atmospheric soundscapes that retain a dark and spacey tone, yet at the same time manages to have a catchy pop flair. The sound is somewhat similar to A Perfect Circle minus the heavy riffs. Cushma splits her vocalization between spoken word on the verses and stellar singing on the chorus. The spoken word gets a little irritating and almost impedes on the listening experience. There’s no reason for Cushma to not be singing throughout, she clearly posses the chops to belt it out. On the opening track “Close Your Eyes” featuring Tony Levin (King Crimson) on bass, Cushma displays her vocal talents best on the chorus purveying rich emotion through her soft and powerful voice.

Cushma is certainly a talented stick player and vocalist. The music would be well served if she were to let loose and let it all hang out. This twenty-two minute album is certainly strong, but I believe there was a lot of potential which wasn’t quite realized. Aside from that, this is still a strong album that definitely deserves praise. Oxygene8 is a band which will certainly have a bright future.

Grade: B-

Another Week Another Vinyl: Pink Floyd: Meddle

It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to make it over to my local record store. Between Christmas and various other occurrences, I just haven’t found the time or the will to shop for some vinyl. This weekend however, I was in the mood. I was excited to finally get back to the store to see if the selection had improved, and from the second I took a glance at the selection, my hopes were brought to life. I took a quick peek to see what albums were placed in front of the racks and right under the “B” section was David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust. I picked it up and was all but ready to go without even looking at the rest of the selection. Based on my past shopping experiences, there was no way I could find anything better than Ziggy. My better judgement told me to keep on looking - once again hoping to find some King Crimson, but of course there was none to be found. Then I made my way over to the “P” section and sitting at the very front was a copy of The Wall, and right behind that was Meddle!

So what should I do? I have a copy of Ziggy in my hands and the most underrated (Meddle) and overrated (The Wall) Floyd albums bestowed in front of me. I dropped Ziggy and opted for the Floyd, and unlike my promise to myself, I would have to buy two albums this week, not one. What are the odds of those albums lasting the entire week? Too slim for me to take a chance on.

Without any hesitation I placed side two of Meddle on the turntable which contains “Echoes” and only “Echoes”. The song sounded as wonderful as always, but unlike my typical listens on the iPod and CD, the song was topped with some minor hissing and popping, but for some reason it only added to the grandness and bombast. One thing I’ve always wanted to do was to listen to “Echoes” on vinyl, and the prospect of that dream had finally come true.

Bruce Springsteen's Working on a Dream to Be Streamed on NPR

NPR Music – www.NPR.org/music– will exclusively stream Bruce Springsteen’s forthcoming album, Working on a Dream, beginning Monday, January 19 at 11:59PM (ET), one week ahead of the album’s release. The entire record will be available for on-demand streaming at NPR Music until its release on January 27.

Bruce Springsteen will be performing as part of We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, the Opening Celebration for the 56th Presidential Inaugural on Sunday, January 18 (7:00-9:00 p.m. ET/PT). The event will be televised exclusively by HBO and will be free and open to the public.

Additionally, Bruce Springsteen will make his videogame debut with two songs available exclusively on Guitar Hero World Tour. Between January 27th and February 4th, gamers will have the opportunity to download “Born to Run” and “My Lucky Day” for free. The songs will be available on Xbox, Playstation, and the Wii.

When Life Has You Down, Turn to ELO

Sometimes when life keeps beating you down - or car in my case - you need to turn to some bright and happy music. For the past year I've been driving what could probably legally be declared as a lemon. If I were to have added up all the money I've put in this car for its bi-weekly repairs, I would probably see a strong possibility of driving a brand new Jaguar right now if I didn't own this waste of a car.

Well this past week I found myself stranded on the parkway once again waiting for a tow truck to come to my rescue. Instead of loathing in sorrow I decided I should probably change up my mood. With only a backpack of reading material, a broken car, and an iPod at hand I decided I would opt for some cheerful music. While scrolling through the endless array of bands I knew there was only one place to turn. And where may that be you ask? Well none other than Electric Light Orchestra! Oh yes, how can your spirtis not be lifted when the pounding piano of "Mr. Blue Sky" comes on? Oh no, "There ain't a cloud in sight / It's stopped raining / Everybody's in a playing / And don't you know / It's a beatiful new day." So while I'm there why don't I continue on and listen to "Showdown", reminding me of the epic duel between bowlers Big Ern McCracken and Roy Munson in Kingpin. Then why stop there? Lets move on to "Evil Woman", which always has me bobbing back and forth. Yes, ELO may be a bit corny, but how could these tunes make you feel anything less than awesome? My forty five minute wait for a tow truck in the freezing cold was far from a miserable experience, in fact it may have been the best forty five minutes of the day.

So with all of that said, what music do you turn to when you need a little happiness?

Random Touch: A Box and a Word Review

There’s a fine line between good progressive rock and meandering and jumbled noises. Unfortunately far too many artists - especially improvisational artists such as Random Touch - try to take their music to the extreme avant garde level and end up tripping and falling over that line. The music on A Box and a Word - if one can even call it that - is discombobulated and has no true direction and is driven by dissonance. Think King Crimson’s “Providence”, a song that seems to get in the way of the true meat of the album with its nonsensical blathering. The problem with this album is, it’s like listening to “Providence” for fifty minutes.

Now I can’t sit and rip this album to shreds, because it does have a number of redeeming qualities. A lot of these songs - once again, if you can call them songs - are rather entertaining with their ability to really pull at your senses with their often heightened sense of urgency, topped with ominous and atmospheric sounds. In fact, many of these songs would be well served if they were placed in a horror film to increase the tension. Much of the music on A Box and a Word could even perform well as intros or outros to many prog pieces. Unfortunately, all these songs are standing on their own, and there is no support structure holding them up. As far as I can tell this was actually their goal whether how crazy that may be.

This album is directed to those who enjoy improv, soundscapes, and bone chilling eeriness. Their interest group may be slim, but I’m sure they have a home somewhere.

Grade: D+

GENAUDIO Will Change the Way the World Listens to Audio

I'm a sucker for new and positive wrinkles in the way I listen to music. For example, I'm one of the few fools who actually bought into SACD's released by Sony, as well as DVD-A's, both of which deliver superior sound quality to CD's and can also deliver 5.1 surround sound. I must say, I absolutely love listening to them, but if you haven't figured out already, they clearly haven't seen much success, and it's sort of making all the equipment I bought in order to play them, a little obsolete. So now there is another new and unique way of intaking music, and below has all the information. I'm pretty excited to hear it.

Las Vegas, NV and Englewood, CO – (January 7, 2009) – GenAudio Inc., developer of AstoundSound™ 4D sound localization cue technology and finalist in the CES i-Stage competition, opened the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2009 by officially launching a consumer version of its AstoundStereo™ technology, the AstoundStereo Expander computer software, and announced the giveaway of 10 million free music downloads of various songs processed and re-mixed using GenAudio’s revolutionary professional audio software. AstoundStereo can be experienced through as little as two audio channels, such as any headphones, home theater speakers or laptop speakers.

The AstoundStereo Expander software processes audio files on the user’s desktop or laptop computer in real-time. This enables the listener to hear their music, movies and video games in a new way, being completely immersed in the sound with elevation, intensive depth perception and widening of the stereo image, creating a four dimensional audio experience. Professional recording artists, record labels, video game development houses and major motion picture film studios have already embraced the technology.

Consumers who wish to experience digital audio in AstoundStereo, including movies, music and games, can now download a free 30-day trial of the new AstoundStereo Expander software for Mac or PC by logging onto www.astoundstereo.com. Consumers can then purchase the Expander for an introductory offer of $19.95.

To demonstrate the capabilities of AstoundStereo technology, GenAudio has partnered with cutting edge artists Public Enemy and Kan’Nal as well as leading music download provider Hip Digital to give away 10 million free music downloads processed with AstoundStereo to provide a four-dimensional sound experience. These tracks and more are available from GenAudio at www.AstoundStereo.com/freetrack starting January 8, 2009 for a period of 30 days.

“When people hear these songs, they will have a new appreciation for the way audio will be heard across the entire entertainment industry spectrum.” said Jerry Mahabub, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GenAudio. “We are confident once people hear any of the free music tracks processed with AstoundStereo, they will want to apply this technology to their existing stereo audio content on their Mac or PC. This will lead everyone to want AstoundStereo integrated into all of their audio devices, such as portable music players, DVD players, car stereos and many more.”

GenAudio and Universal Pictures recently partnered for the release of Hellboy II: The Golden Army for DVD and Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def, re-mastered for home theater. The AstoundStereo technology was integrated into the 5.1 and 7.1 programming for both DVD and Blu-Ray Hi-Def releases enhancing the existing surround sound mixes. Reviews of the Hellboy II: The Golden Army DVD have described the film’s audio mix as masterful and deserving of the highest audio ratings. Most recently, GenAudio partnered with Lionsgate to bring the enhanced audio experience provided by AstoundStereo to the surround sound mix of the DVD and Blu-Ray Hi-Def versions of Bangkok Dangerous, released on January 6, 2009. Both of these titles were re-mastered for home theater at MiCasa Multimedia.

About GenAudio

GenAudio, Inc. is headquartered in Englewood, CO. GenAudio’s mission is to provide a true 4D sound solution for the entire entertainment industry — AstoundStereo, the next dimension in audio. AstoundStereo is a 4D software based sound solution that integrates seamlessly with consumer electronics and software applications, as well as provides professional audio production solutions through a minimum of two speakers or headphones. AstoundStereo is the most accurate and intense 4D sound localization cue technology available today. The technology works with most consumers existing equipment and no special hardware or decoding devices are needed.

For more information visit: www.genaudioinc.com

Another Week Another Vinyl: The Mars Volta: Amputechture

So this is my Christmas edition of Another Week Another Vinyl. This Christmas I was treated to two brand new albums. I received The Mars Volta Amputechture from my girlfriend, and Metallica Death Magnetic from my brother. Both are fantastic musically, and both have great cover art. Although, I must say I was pretty unimpressed with the packaging of the Metallica vinyl, especially considering how impressive the CD packaging was. Amputechture, on the other hand has some amazing cover art and the actual vinyls, as you can see on the picture above are colored both orange and white. This is my first experience with a vinyl that is colored anything other than black, which is pretty exciting. The only gripe I have with the album is that there are no indications on the records of what is disc one or two and no indication of which side is which. But maybe that was their intention, unlike the rest of their albums, this seems more like a group of songs thrown together, and there is no right or wrong way to digest the material. As long as I can figure out where "Day of the Baphomets" is, I'm happy!