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Ministry: Every Day Is Halloween: Greatest Tricks

October 13, 2010 /


RIYL: Drowning puppies

Al Jourgensen is a liar, an asshole, and a washed-up, no-talent hack.

He’s a liar because even though he said he was breaking up Ministry in 2008, after the release of The Last Sucker and the covers compilation Cover Up, here he is with a “new” album. He’s an asshole because the said “new” album is nothing more than a hastily thrown together hodgepodge of lazy covers and re-recorded versions of Ministry songs. And he’s a washed-up, no-talent hack because it all sounds like shit, the obvious work of a lazy pig who hates his fans, throwing together a collection of compost just for a quick paycheck.

The covers on Every Day Is Halloween: Greatest Tricks are atrocious. While the covers on Cover Up took elements of the originals and incorporated them into an industrial sound, here Al just grabs some classic rock tunes (and Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab”), throws some distorted guitars over them, cranks the drum machine to 11 and calls it a day. The cover of “Strangehold” sounds like the cover of “Iron Man” that sounds like the cover of “Paint It Black” that sounds like a pile of dogshit. He even manages to ruin “Thunderstruck,” which is pretty damn impressive if you think about it.

Even worse are the re-recorded tracks. New versions of “N.W.O.” “Stigmata,” “Every Day Is Halloween” and the other unfortunate Ministry classics that are assassinated here either sound too similar to the old versions, or radically different in all the wrong ways. What’s most noticeable on all of them is that Al can no longer sing, scream, howl or growl with any kind of intensity. Either that or he just doesn’t give a shit about Ministry anymore. And I’m right there with him. (Cleopatra Records 2010)

Ministry MySpace Page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Industrial, Rock

Robbie Williams: In & Out of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits 1990-2010

October 13, 2010 /


RIYL: George Michael, Madonna, Take That

Your philosophical question of the day: if a label releases a two-disc, 39-song collection of songs (three discs and 56 songs if you get the deluxe edition) from an artist who never cracked the Top 40 and only appeared in the Hot 100 twice, is it an act of hubris, or charity?

The answer is, in fact, an act of contractual obligation. In & Out of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits fulfills the gargantuan £80 million contract Robbie Williams signed with EMI in 2002, chronicling every song released as a single in his native England. Here’s an staggering statistic: only four of these songs failed to crack the UK Top 10, and only one of them missed the Top 40. That’s damned impressive no matter how you slice it, but every artist has a few hits that were successful in spite of themselves, only to show their cracks with the benefit of hindsight. How have Williams’ songs held up?

Surprisingly well, it turns out, though in a curious move, the album is sequenced in reverse chronological order. That’s an original move, to be sure, but not necessarily the best one for these songs; nearly every single from Williams’ first three albums was a classic, from the stadium-rattling “Let Me Entertain You” to the monster sing-along ballad “Angels” to the slinky “Kids,” a duet with fellow UK chart dominatrix Kylie Minogue. Leading with those songs would have been the smarter play, because while the front half of Disc I includes gems like “Bodies” and the hilarious white-boy funker “Rudebox,” the back half contains “Sin Sin Sin,” “Advertising Space” and Williams’ cover of “Mr. Bojangles” (!), which nearly derails the proceedings before they’ve had a chance to get off the ground. Overall, though, In & Out of Consciousness packs considerable bang for the buck, and will serve as an excellent introduction for Anglo-minded Yanks wondering what the fuss is all about. (Astralwerks 2010)

Robbie Williams MySpace
Click to buy In & Out of Consciousness from Amazon

Artists, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop

Jackson Browne: Going Home

October 8, 2010 /


RIYL: The Eagles, Bonnie Raitt, David Lindley

In 1994, Jackson Browne released I’m Alive, a strong collection of songs that was a return to personal songwriting after years of political. In conjunction with that release, the Disney Channel, when they still offered programming that would appeal to adults, presented this documentary, “Jackson Browne: Going Home.” The 90-minute production captures the artist performing live with his great band from the ’90s, as well as footage of Browne, mostly at his home, sharing stories about his life, his career and the process he goes through making music. Interspersed with the concert and backstage footage are rare photos and filmed performances that span his career up to that point.

The live concert production is tight and immaculately produced. Like many of his Laurel Canyon 1970s singer-songwriter comrades, there is an attention to detail when Brown performs that makes you appreciate the professionalism of the artist. No note is out of place; what has been recorded on the record is duplicated perfectly in concert. However, Browne is also one of those artists who knows how to connect with his audience, making each concert unique. So, whether singing live in front of 20,000 or in a sterile TV studio for a small number of fans, it never feels like he’s going through the motions.

The abundance of music in the documentary seems far too much for only an hour and a half, but it all fits and everything sounds fantastic. The song selections must represent Browne’s set list in the early ’90s; mixed in with ’70s classics like “These Days,” “The Pretender” and “Before the Deluge,” are standouts from his late ’80s period like “In the Shape of a Heart,” “World In Motion” and “Sky Blue and Black.”  There are also some excellent deep cuts, like “Farther On” and “Birds of St. Marks.”

Many of Browne’s famous friends show up. David Lindley, Bonnie Raitt, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Don Henley, Jennifer Warnes and the rest of the Eagles all make appearances, with Lindley, Crosby, Nash and Warnes performing live with Browne and his band.

It’s hard to believe that “Going Home” was shot in 1994. Aside from some graying hair and additional wrinkles here and there, Browne doesn’t appear to have aged at all in all of these years.  Moreover, his voice continues to sound as youthful as ever. A nifty video montage of “Doctor My Eyes” edits together performances that range from early in his career to the ’94 show.  So often with these type of DVD releases, only hardcore fans will buy them. However, this is one release that stands on its own as a quality film whether you’ve been following Jackson Browne for years or just heard of him yesterday. (Eagle Records 2010)

CD Reviews, Music DVDs, Pop, Rock

Weezer: Hurley

October 8, 2010 /


RIYL: The Killers, Jimmy Eat World, Tegan & Sara

Casual fans of Weezer, the ones who only really know their pop hits, should love Hurley. The new album, their first since parting ways with Geffen and signing with indie label Epitaph, is a strong collection of pop rock/punk songs that will make the grayest autumn days ahead seem much sunnier. Everything about Hurley feels as big and burly as the photo of “Lost” actor Jorge Garcia (a.k.a. “Hurley”) on the front cover.

Throughout the album, Rivers Cuomo sings with the angst and melancholy of a singer half his age. But there is a lightness to his performances that makes you think that getting free from the corporate record company bog has given the band and Cuomo a new lease on life. “Memories” is a driving, nostalgic look back at that bygone era of… the ’90s. “Unspoken” begins with pretty, acoustic harmonies. Is this Weezer unplugged? Fear not, as the song shifts into gear by the end, kicking some serious ass. “Where’s My Sex” starts off as almost a joke, as Cuomo changed the letters of “socks” to “sex” in the lyrics. As the song nears its completion, the band suddenly becomes Green Day, switching time signatures and segueing into a completely different tune, a la “Jesus of Suburbia.”

The strongest selection on Hurley is “Hang On,” a beautiful work of ’70s-style pop/glam rock. Listen to it, you’ll hear shades of Sweet and Cheap Trick flowing freely with Weezer’s impeccable harmonies and hand claps. This one has radio written radio hit all over it. I hope so because this one would sound great coming out of teenage cars across America.

Each song on Hurley flows right into the next one making this a great listening experience. At ten songs (four bonus tracks are also available on a Deluxe edition) it’s also one of the quickest listens, too. Maybe the songs aren’t as complex as some of Weezer’s previous efforts, but this is certainly one of their most accessible and therefore fun albums. (Epitaph 2010)

Weezer MySpace page

Alternative, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

The Orb featuring David Gilmour: Metallic Spheres

October 8, 2010 /

RIYL: The KLF, Pink Floyd, LSD

When the Orb first broke through into somewhat mainstream appeal with their 1991 epic The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld, some critics immediately drew comparisons between the ambient house outfit and classic prog rock of the 1970s. Both featured sprawling audio soundscapes, both included tracks that dipped well over 10 minutes in length, and both sounded amazing while under the influence of psychedelics. So while it’s kind of surprising that David Gilmour of Pink Floyd fame is working with the ambient-house legends, its even more surprising is that it took this long.

The story behind Metallic Spheres is a bit odd. Originally it was going to be a single track collaboration between occasional Orb collaborator Martin “Youth” Glover and Gilmour, but after Orb mastermind Alex Paterson got a hold of the tapes, he decided to turn it into an entire album instead. Its not exactly the most organic or natural way of recording an album, but it’s hard to argue with the results; Metallic Spheres is bloody brilliant, the best album to feature the Orb’s name in well over a decade. Unlike many of the recent releases under the Orb name, Metallic Spheres finds Paterson returning to what he (used to) do best; longform ambient tracks. There are only two “songs” on Metallic Spheres; “Metallic Side” and “Sphere Side” and on the CD version there’s barely a noticeable break in between the two. It’s all one big sonic journey that’s nearly impossible to describe since it goes just about everywhere imaginable. Some portions feature nothing but barely-noticeable beats and layers upon layers of Gilmour’s instantly recognizable guitar work, while some segments turn the record into a dub album, with funky beats and playful synths. It all peaks in an orgy of sliding guitars and vintage synths that sounds like the magical Moog baby of Pink Floyd’s Animals and Vangelis’ soundtrack to “Blade Runner.” It’s all very epic and very awesome. (Columbia 2010)

Ambient, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Dub, Electronica, New Age, Progressive, Psychedelic

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