Tim Brough's Black Leather Bookshelf

My Amazon Reviews: Queen "A Day At The Races"

2012-02-10T12:32:00.000-08:00

Queen Clone Themsleves
3 Out Of 5 Stars

It was once reported that the late, great Freddie Mercury wanted "A Day At The Races" and A Night at the Opera to have been a double album. It's too bad that they weren't, because leaving "Races" to follow the first five star classic Queen album makes it seem like a lesser vehicle. From the reverse color scheme to copping a Marx Brothers movie title, "A Day at The Races" came off sounding like a desperate attempt to copy the madly successful "A Night At The Opera."

That is selling "Races" short. While there was no stunner ala "Bohemian Rhapsody" to be found here, there was the Top 20 single "Somebody To Love" (whose liver version happens to be the best of the bonus tracks), which utilized the now trademark multi-tracked vocal style to a near Gospel effect. The album opener, "Tie Your Mother Down," played it kinky while still mimicking "Death on Two Legs" as a big concert rocker. As always, there are nods to camp and vaudeville ("Millionaire Waltz" and the Ooh La La of "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy"). However, there's an unusually high number of filler songs (the dreadful "White Man" and the maudlin "Teo Torriatte" being the most flagrant violations). I've also always wondered how much "A Day At The Races" might have improved had the band opted not to self-produce but brought Roy Thomas Baker back to the studio.

"A Day At The Races" is more easily viewed as the bridge between "A Night At The Opera" and the second five-star Queen album, "News of the World." "Opera" pushed the band into superstar stratosphere, "News" (with "We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions" as its marching order) saw Queen proclaiming themselves rulers of the domain. Being lodged in that position leaves "A Day At The Races" looking like a mid-level Queen album, when in fact it's every bit as good as "Queen II," "Jazz" or "The Works."

My Amazon Reviews: Judas Priest "Screaming For Vengeance"

2012-02-09T22:33:00.000-08:00

Coming in for the kill
5 Out of 5 Stars

Judas Priest was on a creative and commercial stride when "Screaming for Vengeance" arrived in 1982. So was Heavy Metal, for that matter. Ronnie James Dio had given new life to Black Sabbath, AC/DC was riding high with "For Those About To Rock" and even the Scorpions were breaking with their classic "Blackout." Priest had already come off a couple of highly acclaimed albums, "Hellbent For Leather," "British Steel" and "Point of Entry." 1982 was their time.

"Screaming for Vengeance" delivered. "The Hellion/Electric Eye" swooped down like the metallic falcon of the LP's cover and cast Rob Halford as the world's overseer. The title track unleashed the twin guitars if Glen Tipton and KK Downing while Halford let loose with operatic wails above the roar. Most importantly, "You've Got Another This Coming" gave the band a rare chart single, and became an anthem for sports arenas across the globe. The album itself peaked at 17 on Billboard, a high-water mark only eclipsed by "Angel of Retribution" and "Nostradamus" over 20 years later.

As iconic heavy metal albums go, "Screaming for Vengeance" is comparable to "Back In Black" or "Heaven and Hell" from the same period. While I'd personally put "British Steel" above this as my favorite Judas Priest album, punch for punch, "Screaming for Vengeance" is among the band's most fully consistent.

My Amazon Reviews: Black Keys "El Camino"

2012-02-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

The Finest in Garage Glitter and Grit

4 Out Of 5 Stars

As The Black Keys have steadily ascended to the garage stomp throne since vacated by The White Stripes, the best thing about their climb has been the increasing coolness of their albums. "Brothers" pulled everything into a tight, thudding packages, and with "El Camino," the duo - again with the help of Danger Mouse - bring everything down to a basic fuzz-guitar pounding. At the same time, everything is in its perfect place, from the raging buzz-saw solos ("Gold On The Ceiling") to the Hives-y raunch of "Stop Stop," this is an album that refines itself to the core.

It also means those who loved the disjointed and unfocused loopiness that the early albums contained will be crying Sell-Out all over the place. The simple truth is, The Black Keys have learned their craft down the a level of cool that most bands never reach. They even know and wink at it; search for the Colbert Report Sell-Out Sell-Off between The Black Keys and vampire Weekend and you'll see what Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach think of their commercial success. It's only roc
k and roll, and they're going to have a good time with it. "She wants milk and honey/She wants filthy money" cries Auerbach in "Money Maker." It's still all about cars and girls. And volume. And for now, The Black Keys' "El Camino" is the best place to find it.

My Amazon Reviews: Coldplay "Mylo Xyloto"

2012-02-07T12:24:00.000-08:00

The fire from my belly and the beat from my heart
4 Out Of 5 Stars.

If you thought "Viva La Vida" was Coldplay's big U2 move, wait till you hear "Mylo Xyloto." "I turn the music up, I got my records on/From underneath the rubble, sing a rebel song" moans Chris Martin in that awesome purely English voice of his. Brian Eno is on board to add even more cinematic flair, like instrumental brides between and before songs. Then, when you're listening to the guitar building up from below the bubbling base in "Charlie Brown," it's impossible not to be reminded of "Joshua Tree" moments.

However, this is Coldplay. Ambitions aside, Chris Martin still writes hooks and melodies better than most pop-rockers these days and as grand as he tries to be, songs like "Hurts Like Heaven" or "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" will lodge into your ear canals like wax. With Rhianna adding a sweetly seductive goodbye in the breakup song, "Princess of China," and you even get Coldplay swinging towards the RnB fences. Let's not forget the uplifting but sad single, "Paradise," maybe the best song here. Pop cascades flow from these guys to the point that they make it sound almost too easy.

Which may be why they have the Enoxifications (as they list them) of cinematic bridges and artiness. The electronic "A Hopeful Transmission" is the best of the three instrumentals here, and it calls Radiohead to mind before lunging into "Don't Let It Break Your Heart." Which is yet another anthem to lift you, and why Coldplay may try as hard as they want to prove their critics wrong and the haters will still deride them. Chris Martin seems to actually like writing big, melodic rock songs that give reinforcement to their listeners' lives without dramatic (and critical rave baiting) angstiness. That's why "Mylo Xyloto" is ultimately enjoyable and holds up as a real good album.

Take That, Bigots!

2012-02-07T12:16:00.001-08:00

U.S. appeals court rules Prop. 8 unconstitutional

The ban on same sex marriage remains in place while the case is appealed to the US Supreme court.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46294255/ns/us_news-life/#.TzGGFsiO0sI

My Amazon Reviews: Mark Ronson "Record Collection"

2012-02-06T20:20:00.000-08:00

Back to The 80's
4 Out Of 5 Stars

The albums and 45's in Mark Ronson's "Record Collection" must have been starting to gather dust around 1982 or so, because so many of these tracks come off as collages from too much of that time period's MTV watching. The likes of Simon LeBon of Duran Duran, Boy George of Culture Club, and D'Angelo all make appearances. Heck, the first time I heard "Bang Bang Bang" (the album's first song) I could have sworn Amanda Warner (aka MNDR) was Dale Bozzio of Missing Persons. There's also the usual pop-raps that that were common early in the genre. There's no gangstas in Ronson's world, but a come-on based on the ecological greatness of riding a bicycle is ("The Bike Song").

It makes "Record Collection" an endearing collage of styles without dropping into a sample happy garble. Ronson uses real instruments in place of most of the samples, which does give the album an old-school feel. Vocalists MNDR and Andrew Wyatt (along with Ronson himself) are dominant through the disc, with the cameos often blending in seamlessly among the regulars. For an album that is a collaborative stack of "singles," "Record Collection" works amazingly well. It's a testament to Ronson's eclectic taste in music and skills as a writer/producer that "Record Collection" holds together as well as it does.

My Amazon Reviews: Tom Waits "Bad As Me"

2012-02-05T23:23:00.000-08:00

One will never be as bad as Tom Waits
5 Out of 5 Stars

A clattering bumpy ride of an album, this is Tom Waits at his visceral best. "Bad As Me" as the Waits persona as God's last drunken bluesman rising from the gutter to try and find what is better, even if even he knows it's all a myth. All you have to imagine is the man with the beaten suitcase at a train station, aware that baggage follows you everywhere you go, bit "maybe things will be better in Chicago." It's a theme that rolls along from beginning to end of "Bad As Me," with the final chorus of Auld Lang Syne fades from the lament of losers gathered on "New Year's Eve." It's a collection of songs worthy of Waits best albums, like "Rain Dogs," "Swordfishtromboines" or even early work like "Blue Valentine."

Tom has also assembled what could be his best band in many a year. Marc Ribot leads an all-star cast of guitarists, including Keith Richards and Los Lobos' David Hildago (who gets the best licks in the rocking "Let's Get Lost"). It's Ribot's typical pick and stab style that makes the greatest impression on the tougher numbers, including the exceptional "Hell Broke Luce." Punctuated by Ribot (and Richards) guitar snap, New Orleans Brass and sampled machine gun fire, Waits barks about the soldiers we've dumped in Iraq and Afghanistan and then forgotten.

"The Big **** bomb made me deaf,
A Humvee mechanic put his Kevlar on wrong?
I guarantee you'll meet up with a suicide bomb."

Then ends with the soldier/narrator home, blind, deaf and broke, cursing "What is next?" It could be the most powerful song he's ever written. Waits does have a sense of humor, though, and that comes through in the non-sequiturs that make up the title track, but goes a bit overboard when he quotes "Mr Jagger, and Mr Richards" while singing a song about getting "Satisfied" as Keith riffs away behind him. It's "Bad as Me's" only misfire, the rest of the album is just a kick. Given the usual long waits for Waits, "Bad As me" is well worth the time it took to arrive.

My Amazon Reviews: James Lee Stanley "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues"

2012-02-03T22:46:00.000-08:00

Soundtrack to a Novel
4 Out Of 5 Stars

James Lee Stanley was so enamored of Tom Robbins' novel "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues" that he created an album based on the individual characters. However, the man was hampered by the fact that a big screen adaptation, starring Uma Thurman, was being released to theaters with a major label soundtrack featuring the music of KD Lang. Stanley had a secret weapon in his pocket, and that was Robbins himself. Robbins co-wrote the title track to the lonesome, harmonica driven title song. While Lang's movie soundtrack moved from the rodeo to the electric disco, Stanley's felt like a trek across the prairie.

James' CD also sounds like it should accompany the book. Where the movie soundtrack played like an accompaniment to the visuals, songs like "Racing The Moon" or "Open Your Eyes" made more a theater of the mind as you recall the book. Even the cover of "I Only Have Eyes For You" feels properly placed. James Lee Stanley may not have been the the music on the silver screen, but it ultimately is his version/vision of "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues" that has the musical staying power.

My Amazon Reviews: Searchers "Love's Melodies"

2012-02-02T16:29:00.000-08:00

Searching for The Time Machine
3 Out of 5 Stars

Original Searchers John MacNally and John Pender were the core of the original incarnation of The Searchers, playing on such classic songs as "Needles and Pins" and "Sweets for My Sweet." Frank Allan had been in the band from the late sixties on. Even if the hits had long stop coming, The Searchers soldiered on. Then, it seems, time caught up with them again. Their brand of jangle pop had been flaunted by everyone from Tom Petty to REM, and in 1980, Sire Records (home to Talking Heads, Ramones, etc) signed them for a new album. That 1980 album, simply titled "The Searchers," was an amazingly deft, surprisingly strong modern jangle pop album, did modest sales and garnered a fair amount of critical acclaim.

Naturally, there was a follow-up a year later. "Love's Melodies" is just as good, despite sporting an awful album cover. However, the album followed the same formula as the prior; tart covers of songs by a crop of current writers, a pair of originals, and the tingle of twelve string Richenbachers giving The Searchers their classic sound in an up-to-date setting. This disc does miss the killer punch of The Records' Will Birch's "Hearts In Her Eyes," but The Searchers went back to him for a pair of gems. Both "Everything But a Heartbeat" and "Radio Romance" came from Birch's pen and highlight "Love's Melodies." The Motors get a solid via a cover of "Love's Melody," as does Moon Martin on "Love's Made a Fool Of You."

The Searchers also took a step back to their heyday by taking on John Fogerty's "Almost Saturday Night" and nodded to a band that had obviously taken some influence by recording Big Star's "September Gurls" about a decade before The Bangles. The seriousness of the album's selection should have made more music buffs sit up and take notice, as most of these could have slipped on any current modern rock station. Even a couple decades later, "Love's Melodies" stirring harmonies and chiming guitars hold up excellently. It may have taken a long time for these two discs to make it to CD, but they're still very much worth having.

Passings: Phil Brown, bassist and founding member of The Records

2012-02-02T16:12:00.000-08:00

From Steve Simels at PowerPop blog: Phil Brown, bassist and founding member of The Records -- and if you don't know who they are and love them to distraction I'm surprised you're reading this particular blog -- has passed away after a long illness.

That really sucks. The Records were one of my 80's faves with tow US albums on Virgin Records. They wrote terrific jangle-pop, to the point that "Starry Eyes" just missed the top 40 and "Hearts In Her Eyes" got covered by the classic pop group, The Searchers. The Records should have been huge.

Here's one of my faves from their debut:

Dr. Steve Porter, Pennsylvania a real Blue Dem

2012-02-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

Dr. Steve Porter, Pennsylvania

Read more through the link.

My Amazon Reviews: Kate Bush "50 Words For Snow"

2012-02-01T21:58:00.000-08:00

Winter Music
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Grey skies, swirling flakes, choir-boy son. In "50 Words for Snow," her first new collection of songs in eight years, Kate Bush pulls herself in a cold cloak of moody introspection that seems perfect for brooding on the shortest days of the year. The CD clocks in at a dreamy hour, with songs stretching as long as 13 minutes. Themes drift in and out, establishing themselves but never pulverizing you. "The World is so loud," she quietly intones on the opening song, "but keep falling, I'll find you." This is no "Running Up That Hill." "50 Words for Snow" takes its time to accumulate.

That may make it tough going for some listeners. Some of the songs here take on a classical, even operatic quality (comparisons to Tori Amos' recent "Night of Hunters" sprang to mind on my first listen) to many of the songs. There's also nothing here that ropes you in on a first listen. Kate is exploring a sensual world here, and it moves in slowly. Still, there are two moments of pure oddness here. On "Snowed In At Wheeler Street," Kate may have drawn the absolute weirdest vocal performance out of Elton John's career, and on the title track, Stephen Fry drily keeps giving his 50 words, each phrase becoming increasingly odder as the song goes on. All the while, Kate is egging him on, singing "come on now, you've got 32 to go!" With its bubbly synth gliding underneath, it's the most likely song to become remixed into a single.

Then again, despite the melancholy, cold feeling to the disc, "50 Words For Snow" contains songs about making love to a snowman ("Misty") and possibly getting it on with Bigfoot ("Wild Man"). Chilly or not, you never know what to expect when it comes to Kate Bush. I'm more than willing to sit by with a cup of hot cocoa and see where the seasons take her.

My Amazon DVD Reviews: "Abrupt Decision"

2012-01-31T19:15:00.000-08:00

Puppy Love
5 Out of 5 Stars

Denis is having a rotten week. He just lost his job of 11 years. His relationship is gone stale, and rocky. His Mother, a sweet and overbearing woman, is seriously ill. With all the turmoil going on around him, what does Mom suggest? "Get a dog." But when Dennis goes to the pound and can't decide which dog he wants, the one he finally chooses is gone when he goes back. When he finds out why, Dennis decides exactly what his modern mid-life crisis needs.

He makes his "Abrupt Decision" (the fifth feature from filmmaker Paul Bright) when he realizes that his creative collapse mirrors that of the dogs' dangerous lives. With some inspiration from his Mom (Cynthia Schiebel) and the reluctant support of his partner, Milosz (David LaDuca), Denis (Steve Callahan) decides that saving the lives of animals and educating people on their care is his way into a meaningful second act. You know how the saying goes, if you don't want to be upstaged in a movie, stay away from children and dogs? Despite the superb job by Steve and David, the pups are "Abrupt Decision's" scene stealers. But beware. Even with the cute pooches running amuck, this is a very emotionally striking movie.

In the new economy, where men like Denis can find their lives upended and discover that your expertise vaporized after 50 (along with a funny montage of a degenerating series of interviews - featuring me), there are many among us who will relate to the impact of "Abrupt Decision's" story. As Denis struggles to find the right decisions in matters of utmost importance, you may put down the doggy treats and reach for the hankies. I'll certainly say that the film is a must-see for pet-lovers, but it also carries an intimate, personal life story.

My Amazon Reviews: Tom Morello, The Nightwatchman "World Wide Rebel Songs"

2012-01-29T21:21:00.000-08:00

Tom Morello Turns up The Heat
4 Out of 5 Stars

In his guise as The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello's first two albums were low key visceral affairs, heir apparent to Joe Strummer and Pete Seger protest folkies. Sometime in the last couple of years, he realized that his powerful guitar playing was not antithetical two his new music, and he began work on a new set of songs. Events of 2010 put even more urgency into his writing; Morello was one of the first musicians to take a stand with Wisconsin's Union Members when that state's Governor tried to crush the Wisconsin Unions. It's the place he debuted, on a snowy, cold Wisconsin street, "Union Town."

If you think political rock is a passe genre, then "World Wide Rebel Songs" will probably make you mad. Yet, in a world where tightly controlled radio-playlists won't play anything that rocks the corporate boat, Morello is coming on swinging. "Politics, apocalypse, start to look the same/The price of my redemption will mean the end of living" he barks (with Ben Harper on "Save The Hammer for The Man"), as if the world of conservative politics and rightwing religion were all too happy to get to the same end result. The pun is all but unavoidable in that Morello is raging against the machine on almost every track. "Speak and Make Lightning," he calls out. This time, with his guitar and a full band attack, "World Wide Rebel Songs" lift Morello to his best solo CD and a fighting fit of an album.

January Sucked. Back to Zero, Again.

2012-01-29T12:12:00.000-08:00

As per my post on January 9th, I was offered a job that I thought might finally turn my situation from 2011 around. Unfortunately, things have been miserable since. I'd started the new job as an administrative assistant at a 5 Doctor medical clinic. It was a hectic and fast paced, stressful environment, and I thought I was doing OK. I was supposed to be learning the tasks of a pregnant female staffer before she left for maternity leave. She promptly had her baby boy three weeks early and well before I fully had the routines down. At the end of the 13^th day, I was informed I was not picking up the procedures of the office and was asked to resign. I have to admit, the stress of the place was literally giving me panic attacks. So here we are again, The end of January and I am right back in the same place I was a year ago this time.

The computer class I'd been taking since October is over now, and I did awful in it. I just could not absorb the amount of advanced technical information that was being thrown at me, and ultimately will probably not be able to use anything the course had to offer. Had I been better informed, I would have angled for a more beginners oriented course, but this is the class the grant landed me in. I will put in more effort at picking up the specifics here at home (I have until May to use the test certification scripts to see if I pass or not), but my guess is I won’t be able to master it.

What I really must thank everyone here for, and the brightest point of an otherwise wretched month, was the wonderful outpouring of help concerning Sophie Cat, covering over a third of the bills. She will still need her weekly shots - and as you can see by the picture of her shaved tummy, a trip to the vet warrants me serious "I'm going to poop on your pillow, you know that, don't you?" looks. The vet gave me a little trick; as soon as I get her home, Sophie gets a fresh can of cat food. Works like a charm. The first time I got her home, she made a bee-line to the space behind the sofa. But as soon as she heard the can-pop, she was right by her food dish.

My book selling annual trip to MAL was profitable enough that I was able to pay off the remainder of the bill soon after. Plus an extra special howdy to Cliff Clockner - we finally met! Another good thing about MAL? My table was next to these guys.

There was also a house concert featuring my old friend James Lee Stanely, along with Cliff Eberhardt. They are out promoting their collaborative tribute to The Doors, called "All Wood and Doors." (With surviving members of The Doors contributing.) It was my first time hearing Cliff live, and he's pretty easy on the eyes. James' voice is high and smooth, Cliff's is gruff and bluesy. As a duo, they harmonize beautifully. Having known James Lee since the mid 80's, it's always a pleasure to see him live.

My Amazon Reviews: Foster The People "Torches"

2012-01-28T14:29:00.000-08:00

Foster the Hooks
3 Out Of 5 Stars

The debut by Foster The People rides mainly ion the skills of lead singer/songwriter Mark Foster, who has found the way to homogenize the sound of indie and dance for his "Torches." He's got a knack for ear-worm choruses, already made unavoidable by the all-summer-long pervasiveness of "Pumped Up Kicks," and "Don't Stop." The music has an effervescence to it, which is interesting if you consider that "Kicks" is a song about a shooting spree.

That is what makes "Torches" both promising, interesting and frustrating. Mark sings in a Bee Gees helium voice, which keeps the music buzzy and floaty. There isn't much by way of depth, but there's loads of tart candy to be had. The opening of "Helana Beat" had me thinking Donna Summer and popped up on my I-Pod's random play. There's no way to deny it, "Foster The People" are a solid pop band that is currently rolling in some hipster cred. The question is going to be if they can lift themselves to the pop creativity of, say, Adam Levine/Maroon 5 or if "Pumped Up Kicks" is this year's MGMT and "Kids."

My Amazon Reviews: Barenaked Ladies "Hits From Yesterday and The Day Before"

2012-01-27T22:37:00.000-08:00

Barenaked Reissue
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Ten years after their first "Greatest Hits" CD, Barenaked Ladies release another one. The difference is minimal; the 14 songs here replicate nice of the original's track list, which contained 19 songs. Only four songs are new to the line-up, and only one, the TV Theme to "Big Bang Theory" is previously unreleased. That leaves an awful lot of material to quibble over, and the fact that "Maybe You Should Drive" is totally ignored as an album and their earliest hit, "Be My Yoko Ono" is left off are serious miscalculations. The packaging is also barenaked. No liner notes, album listings, significant art, nada. Just a folding paper-sleeve with a torn-up collage of album artwork, track listing and writer/publisher credits. Pretty skimpy.

That said, BNL have always been masterful popcrafters. Their melodic chops, tight harmonies and whimsical sense of humor always made them stand out, even if "One Week" became such an annoying presence on the radio that you wanted to slap 'em. Both Steven Page or Ed Robertson could have carried any band as singular songwriters, together they turned out clever song after clever song without falling into the trap of self-parody. The pop conventions would reference other genres (the backwards guitar in "Pinch Me," the pseudo rap of "One Week") while maintaining the band's identity. There are few bands in the past couple of decades to blend their influences so ingeniously, at their best, frankly, BNL rivaled 10cc or XTC. Maybe a bit less whimsical than XTC or as arty as 10cc, Barenaked Ladies managed to create a run of singles that most pop bands would sell their passports for. "Hits From Yesterday & The Day Before" pretty much shortchanges the group, but BNL still is a worthy listen.

My Amazon Reviews: Crhis Isaak "Beyond The Sun"

2012-01-22T13:54:00.000-08:00

I'll Follow The Sun
3 Out Of 5 Stars

Early in Chris Isaak's career, there was a common critical dig that Chris was a slavish Elvis impersonator with a jones for Roy Orbison heartache. His videos for "Dancin'" and "Blue Hotel" did little to dispel that notion, despite that his second album had already shown Chris to be an astoundingly good singer and rapidly coming into his own as a songwriter. "Wicked Game," which out-Orbisoned Roy finally pushed the comparisons aside and made Chris a star. But he never shed that love of the Sun Sound, which followed his albums as he delivered them over the last three decades.

It's on "Beyond The Sun" that Chris pays homage to his old 45's. A chance comment by Sam Phillips that he was a fan of Chris' musical style and sincerity made Chris decide to gather his band, bone up on those classic Sun Studio 45's and make a trip to Memphis to record them on their home turf. I went for the double disc edition as a long-time fan and, while not disappointing, feel a bit awkward at rating the set higher than 3 stars. If you're going to dig into classics from Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, or Jerry Lee Lewis, you have to wonder if Chris wanted to claim them for himself or just make a record of tributes? "I Can't Help Falling In Love" (Presley) is such a stunning recreation that you could easily fool friends into thinking it's the King himself. Johnny Cash isn't quite the same, but Chris takes "Ring of Fire" and does little to change the song from the sound of its original single.

Lesser known material fares better. Songs like "Dixie Fried" (Carl Perkins) or "So Long I'm Gone" (Warren Smith) help to balance the familiarity factor. Chris also chips in an original titled "Lovely Loretta," a cool bit of Memphis swing. Michelle Branch shows off her chops with a duet on "My Happiness" (Presley), a highlight on the set. All across "Beyond The Sun," Isaac delivers convincing performances and shows his reverence for the material. It's thoroughly enjoyable, just don't expect transcendence.

My Amazon DVD Reviews: "The Devil's Double"

2012-01-20T16:42:00.000-08:00

Dance With The Devil
3 Out Of 5 Stars

Uday Saddam Hussein was the sadistic son of Saddam Hussein, and of Saddam's two sons, the craziest. Uday decides that, like his father, he needs a body double to protect himself from those who'd like to kill him. Soldier and former classmate of Uday, Latif Yahia, is picked for the job. When Latif initially declines, it is made more than clear that the offer is not a request. It's a life or death choice.

Based in the true story of Latif, "The Devil's Double" is a tale of what unchecked wealth, greed and sexual avarice can happen when the safety mechanisms are taken away. Uday had a taste for fast cars and young women, and he discarded them equally when he tired of them. Latif finds that even those close to Uday are wary and cautious of Saddam's son's appetites and savage behavior. The longer Latif remains ensnared by a man who announces at one point, "God doesn't give me anything, I take what I want," the more he falls into desperation. Which means that if Uday wants to watch videos of the men he's tortured and killed (graphically included in the film), he will and everyone around him will uneasily tolerate it. Latif knows he could be part of the next random cruelty...and likely will, eventually.

The most amazing thing about "The Devil's Double," aside from the bizarreness of the true story, is Dominic Cooper who plays Latif and Uday. Latif is troubled and fighting the person he's been forced to become, Uday is a raging id without conscious. Cooper digs into both roles with so much verve that it's tough to discern he is really playing both roles. Cooper heads up an international cast that includes Philip Quast in a surprisingly sympathetic portrayal of Saddam (and Saddam's double) and French actress Ludivine Sagnier as Sarrab, a troubled woman also caught between Uday and Latif. It's powerful and disturbing movie, and not easily forgotten.

My Amazon Reviews: Slaid Cleaves "Live At The Horseshoe Lounge"

2012-01-12T17:52:00.000-08:00

Meet Us at The Horseshoe Lounge
4 Out Of 5 Stars

I've composed several Amazon reviews for Slaid Cleaves' assortment of albums, even laying a couple of five star excellent ratings on his work. But this album exposes the way I discovered him originally; in an intimate setting surrounded by fans as the man told stories and laid down some incredible songs. I've seen Slaid both with band and as a solo performer, and he never fails to leave an impression. Here, he's in a hometown crowd with guests and associates playing along.

You'll hear tales of characters that inspired songs, jokes about his travels, but most importantly, that honey of a voice giving form to the people Slaid sings and writes about. He can go from goofy and fun ("Drinking Days") to broken relationships ("Broke Down") to folk-storyteller ("Breakfast In Hell") without missing a beat or sounding inauthentic. And like all good folkies, he has an arsenal of political protest tunes. The best of them ("Hard To Believe," originally on the perfectly done "Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away") or the fallen soldier's family in "Green Mountains and Me," pierce instead of punch.

Slaid is one of the best of the Austin Americana crowd. He's built a reputation as a must see artist over a couple decades of touring and recording. "Live At The Horseshoe Lounge" is not only the live compilation fans have long waited for, it's the perfect introduction to an artist making must hear music.

My Amazon Reviews: The Bangles "Sweetheart Of The Sun"

2012-01-10T21:49:00.000-08:00

Back with a Bang
4 Out Of 5 Stars

A surprisingly spry and energetic comeback, The Bangles' "Sweetheart Of The Sun" picks up right where their jangle-pop classics from the 80's left off. For a band that could have easily spent the rest of their performing lives playing "Walk Like An Egyptian" at state fairs, this album snaps with creativity while still showcasing their tight harmonies, chiming guitars and classic-pop sensibilities. There's even a rocking cover of Todd Rundgren and Nazz's "Open My Eyes."

That might be due to producer Matthew Sweet as producer. He's done a pair of cover albums with Susanna Hoffs, and he treats the band with care and a light touch. The Bangles are now a trio (bassist Michael Steele has retired) but the vocals are still recognizable. They strut their stuff right away with the opening "Anabelle Lee," a single so catchy and retro that it could have been an "All Over The Place" outtake. You can pick Susanna Hoffs' raspy voice right out of the mix, as sisters Vicki Peterson and Debbie Peterson blend in perfectly. Then they kick the gears up a notch with the peppery "Ball and Chain," reminding folks that Vicki was a darn good lead guitarist. Of course there's a wannabe "Eternal Flame," this time it's "One of Two."

What's really cool about "Sweethearts Of The Sun" is that it sounds like natural progression. As the mid-20's guy that bought "All Over The Place" and "Different Light" and still loves them both, this album sounds like something I'd have been expecting from the band three decades on. One member lesser, a little rougher along the edges and singing like (and about) adult women. Sweet was sympathetic enough to frame this all in an album that plays remarkably better than I think anyone would have expected. After all, anyone remember the dismal "Doll Revolution" from 2003? This time, I think you'll hang on to this Bangles Reunion for a longer time. One of 2011's more pleasant surprises.

My Amazon Reviews: Queen "Hot Space"

2012-01-08T21:14:00.000-08:00

Hot Space Is Pretty Cool After All
4 Out Of 5 Stars

After being adamant about being a rock band with "No Synthesizers," Queen picked up the Prophet on The Game. When that album launched two of their biggest hits, it seemed like the band would become unstoppable. "No Synthesizers" was once a point of pride for Queen. But you know what they say goeth before the fall?

The result of that fall is "Hot Space." While it most certainly can't be considered a Hot Mess for trying to be a clone of any prior Queen album, the songs are so off expectation that I remember wondering at the time of its release if it was meant to be a Freddie Mercury solo album. The hallmarks of Queen (and the other band members) are notably absent from "Hot Space," including the fact that rock steady drummer Roger Taylor is barely on the album at all, replaced by machines.

"Hot Space" took Queen's glorious arena rock and ditched for a predominance of blue-eyed soul. Mercury, as usual, shines, and that is especially true on "Cool Cat," easily the most soulful falsetto he ever put to record. This is also the album with one of Queen's classic singles, the David Bowie duet "Under Pressure." In fact, it is such a perfect song that it underscores how mediocre the bulk of the material on "Hot Space" is.

The best of the rest after "Under Pressure" includes Taylor's "Calling All Girls" and the deep funk of "Body Language." While "Body Language" was an obvious attempt to capitalize on the mammoth success of "Another One Bites The Dust," the slippery synthed-out bassline was - like the best of Queen's experiments - completely unlike anything the band had tried before. It's one of my favorite Queen moments, even if many fans deride it. Dave Grohl and The Foo Fighters liked it so much that they made a parody video of it to announce the FF 2011-12 tour.

The final highlight is "Life Is Real." Written in the aftermath of John Lennon's assassination, it is an affecting ballad that sound natural (something the keyboard driven first half of the album doesn't). Had this been the first single instead of "Pressure," "Hot Space" might have been remembered a bit more fondly than as just the Queen album that derailed the band. The band atoned for this nicely with The Works, but they never really regained their US audience afterwards. The bonus disc underscores the material's strengths, with live versions of "Staying Power" and "Calling All Girls" besting their studio versions, and bringing the album's rating up by a full star.

Political Photoshop Fun. A REAL Horror Movie

2012-01-05T22:00:00.001-08:00

My Amazon Reviews: Fountains Of Wayne "Traffic And Weather"

2012-01-04T18:32:00.000-08:00

More Songs about Cars and Girls. And Meteorology
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Fountains of Wayne's Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger are big fans of flipping the big box of Pop Conventions and seeing what tumbles out, and with "Traffic And Weather," they go for those two big standards of pop-tunery, Cars and Girls. You'll find a prominent vehicle or woman in every one of these songs but one (and it happens to be the album's worst), often to great, humorous affect. Be it Seth and Beth is the punchy opener "Someone To Love" or the set of displaced goofballs playing a game of town-to-town hopscotch on "New Routine," it's all about the people and the motion.

If you're willing to extend the metaphor a bit and allow yourself to change "cars" for any form of transport, then the theme still applies. The wistful final song "Seatbacks and Traytables" is about the traveling musician losing track of where he is as the road wears on. While we're at it, there's the weather of the album's title. Just about every song here has some kind of storming moment, like the bucketing rain in "Hotel Majestic" or the country-pop of "Fire in The Canyon's" the rain on the plains. It's the title song itself that works absolutely the best, as the News Anchor finally caves in to his desire for his Co-Anchor and makes his move to a slinky funk track.

However, this is the first FoW album I've bothered skipping tacks on. "Michael and Heather At The Baggage Claim" is too forced of a song to hold up to repeated listening. It sounds like a throwaway from a band that has never done one before. Then there's the "Planet Of Weed." If you're writing a song that sounds like a couple of freshman stoners wrote if after partying too hard, there's a good chance you should leave it off your album. But there it sits, stinking up the CD like week old bong water. It sounds even worse when you compare it to the brilliant "New Routine" that comes right after, which opens with a rhyme of diner to Carl Reiner. Or the line in "I-95" about the fading radio station that now sounds like "a kick-drum filled with static."

That's why I'm willing to forgive "Traffic and Weather" its lone super-dud. Even more so because lazy-radio corporation bean counters couldn't risk giving "Stacy's Mom" the worthy chart follow-up of the title song or "Someone To Love." Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger waited another four years to let out the excellent "Sky Full Of Holes," which pulled back a bit but is just as delightful, and has their most emotional song ever on it, "Cemetery Guns." As an FoW fan, I recommend both.

My Amazon Reviews: Patrick Stump "Soul Punk"

2012-01-04T00:10:00.000-08:00

Oh, Nostalgia, I Don't Need You Anymore
3 Out Of 5 Stars

Patrick Stump takes a walk from Fall Out Boy for his debut solo CD, and strolls into the time machine that lives on in Stump's collection of Prince and Michael Jackson albums. Or maybe Duran Duran's turn with Justin Timberlake. Either way, he's created a wickedly catchy collection of synthy-soul pop that is as self-assured as it is NOT Fall Out Boy.

It's obvious from the first track, "Explode," that Stump wants to distance himself from the pop-punk that made him rich in FOB. From there, it's one man show-time, with Stump doing the writing, playing and production for the entire album, minus a bonus track of "This City" featuring Lupe Fiasco. (Which happens to be the CD's best song.) Stump is also really open on the disc, with a blatant admission of a drinking problem on "Run Dry" and a great adultery song, "The I in Lie." After all, how many singers would gleefully shout their guilt in a chorus that boasts "I'm a Cheat, cheat, cheat!"

The mess of the modern world isn't left aside either, as "Soul Punk" has its surprisingly political moments. The funky "Dance Miserable" exhorts that you push yourself through the litany of ailments like climate change, unemployment, foreclosures, etc. Or the Timberlake ape of "Greed," with the catchy refrain of "turn your white collars up." Stump reveals himself to be a really smart pop-crafter on "Soul Punk," proving he can make his own kind of music apart from Pete Wentz. However, it is Wentz's presence that pulls the disc down a star; Stump's self-production makes the album sound at times claustrophobic and falls victim to the loudness wars. I bit of band chemistry might have helped to loosen things up a bit. Even so, better than half the songs are good for repeat listens, making "Soul Punk" a better than average solo project.