Month: September 2008 (Page 3 of 11)

Billy Idol: The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself (Deluxe Edition)

September 24, 2008 / R. David Smola

The formula for this review is simple: two stars were awarded for the compilation of songs included in this deluxe version, and one star for the video compilation. In this age of 17 greatest hits packages for any artist who put out two records, you just don’t need to purchase every single one that is out there. Billy has received the greatest-hits treatment several times including 1985’s remix album Vital Idol and the very strong Greatest Hits from 2001. All 14 tracks off of that compilation are represented on this release. That leaves four additional songs, including two new ones recorded specifically for this super-duper deluxe, very best of. “World Coming Down” from Devil’s Playground has a Green Day pop punk feel and is a strong track. “John Wayne,” a new song, is a good one. It starts with an atmospheric and busy bass line until it builds to a rocking chorus. The production is full but not crowded and the melody has traces of a slowed-down “White Wedding” in it. Idol sounds inspired when he stretches his voice in sections. This is the best song he has produced in a long time; then again, he hasn’t been the most productive artist recently, with only three releases of new material in the last 18 years (1990’s Charmed Life, 1993’s disastrous Cyberpunk and 2005’s decent Devil’s Playground). “New Future Weapon,” the other new track, is average at best, adding nothing to the Idol legacy. The other tracks, the ones you know, that mix punk attitude, new wave, pop and elements of hard rock, speak for themselves and have been etched in our collective pop culture recall. You probably don’t need to hear “Mony Mony” ever, ever again except when that obnoxious DJ implores everyone to get on the dance floor at that fabulous (white?) wedding you find yourself at (when is he going to play “Celebration”?). The videos are a trip through neon, big ’80s hair and all the Billy Idol sneering you can possibly stand. They were innovative at the time but appear to be a bit dated now. They are worth a look and a chuckle or two. If you have no Billy Idol, this is a fine purchase. If you are a freak for videos in an age where you can only find the stuff on VH-1 classic, then this is for you. If you have a previous collection, download “John Wayne” and “World Coming Down” and call it a day. (Capitol)

Billy Idol MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews

Michael Schenker Group: In the Midst of Beauty

September 23, 2008 / R. David Smola

In the Midst of Beauty should be a better record. Michael Schenker stocks his band with solid pros, including Toto drummer Simon Phillips, current Deep Purple and former Rainbow keyboardist Don Airey, and former Whitesnake bassist Neil Murray. That is an impressive lineup considering they are supporting one of the most iconic six-stringers in the genre. As part of the UFO, Schenker produced some of the most memorable licks in classic rock history through his contributions to Lights Out, Force It, and Obsession. The weak link on the record and one from which the album can’t recover is the vocals of Gary Barden, back again with MSG. His vocals sound like what the Cult’s Ian Astbury will be able to deliver when his voice blows out. Barden’s range is limited and he just doesn’t have any pop. Sure, it is fun to hear Schenker blast into one of his 7,000 solos on this record, but the pace of the material is set to coast. Nothing takes off and rips like the best Michael Schenker stuff does. There is no edge or motor, and Phillips sounds bored simply keeping time to these light metal grooves. Most of the record is listenable except for the dreadful balladry of “Summerdays,” which further exposes the limitations of Barden’s voice. With the excellent talent around him, Schenker wastes the opportunity to return to form. It’s not bad – it just isn’t Schenker good. (Inakustik)

Michael Schenker My Space page

CD Reviews, External Music

Ween: The Friends EP

September 22, 2008 / R. David Smola

A lot of critics embraced La Cucaracha as a return to form for Ween. That same enthusiasm was not shared by this writer. That album sounded as if Dean and Gene were just trying too damn hard to be the lampooning geniuses that their fans expect them to be. It didn’t work. This EP, which features a re-mix of the title track (a different version appears on Cucaracha) is a brilliant return to form and hits the Pet Shop Boys mark that the first version missed. You can just see the disco ball and roller skates as this one pumps delicious synthesizer and drum machine beats through the speakers. The dance floor silliness continues through “I Got to Put The Hammer Down,” a cute little ditty about a drug dealer. They capture a fun reggae vibe on “King Billy,” which is the exact opposite of the irritating “The Fruit Man.” “Billy” features a synthesized keyboard lead that sounds like half bug zapper and half fart machine. “Slow Down Boy” is a merger of the arty pop of 10cc and the sentiment of J.D. Souther. This is the kind of fun and fucked-up innovation we have come to expect from Ween. It’s a great return to form, even if it for less than 20 minutes. (Chocodog)

Ween My Space page

CD Reviews, External Music

Steal This Song: Medeski, Martin & Wood, “Free Go Lily”

September 20, 2008 / David Medsker

It’s embarrassing to admit this as the senior editor and supposed leader of Bullz-Eye’s music section, but this is the first song by Medeski, Martin and Wood that I have ever heard. You’d think that I would have accidentally heard one by now – and who knows, maybe I have – but once you take a position like this, and the publicist emails start coming in, it’s very easy to lose track of what you should be listening to, as opposed to what you are listening to. Heck, I still haven’t listened to Supergrass’ new album, and I love Supergrass. Right now, I have to focus on the new Jack’s Mannequin to get a review ready for next week, and man, am I disappointed with it so far. So sterile, and way too whiny. But that’s another story for another day.

So a rep asks if we’d post a new track from Medeski, Martin and Wood, and I say “Hell yes,” because it’s about time I heard something from them. They were lumped in with the HORDE tribe early in their career, and since I don’t listen to many (ahem, any) of those bands, I just tended to avoid them. This song, “Free Go Lily,” though, is pretty fun, like something Vince Guaraldi would come up with while jamming with some friends and a case of scotch. The band’s new album, Radiolarians I, hits shelves September 30. I, for one, am looking forward to hearing more.

Medeski, Martin & Wood – Free Go Lily

Downloads, External Music, Jazz, Rock, Songs

The Wanteds: Failure Looks So Good

September 19, 2008 / Jeff Giles

Emo has become so pervasive (and so mall-friendly) that it’s developed a bad rap over the last five years or so, but anyone who weathered the bored detachment and smirking irony of the ‘90s could tell you that a little impassioned screaming isn’t such a bad thing once in a while. The best of the emo bands understand what Springsteen always has: Even if rock & roll can’t really save your life, sometimes it really feels like it can, and that’s enough to get you through a few dark nights of the soul. Tommy Harrington, frontman for Portland’s Wanteds, gets it, and even if he isn’t the greatest singer in the world – or whichever city block he happens to be standing on at any given moment – and his songwriting isn’t always up to par, he’s got the blood-curdling intensity thing down pat, and that – along with the band’s penchant for playing loud, live, and just long enough to keep from wearing out its welcome – rescues Failure Looks So Good from the Vans rock ash heap. Harrington says the record makes him feel the way he did when he heard Appetite for Destruction and Nevermind, which is a hell of a lot more than it’ll do for you, but you can’t fault him for his chutzpah, and he’s got the right idea. Lord only knows what he’ll write about if Harrington ever finds what he’s looking for, but in the meantime, this is a record well worth turning up. (Ultra Mookie 2008)

The Wanteds MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock