I’m in the midst of preparing my Rush “Fly By Night” review.
It’s in pure stream-of-consciousness notes mode. That’s not a process I
normally uphold, but within the first moments of Fly By Night, I knew that kind
of attention would be required. So, I have two pages of notes on the album.
They total to about 1200 words, which I’d probably reduce to 600-800 and then
expand to 800-1000. I know what score I’d give the album, and I’m already
pretty happy with my write-up process thus far.
However, I’m feeling very ambivalent about the process of
reviews. And, in some small way, it’s because of Tony Scott. Very long read after the jump, but I'd very much appreciate your readership.
Is it strange that I am finding Wish You Were Here to be
Pink Floyd’s most depressing disc? I mean, it’s far less depressing than The
Final Cut, but that is largely because The Final Cut is mostly unlistenable.
But Wish You Were Here evokes sadness different from that of the following
Waters-focused albums. While a juvenile form of the cynicism that envelops
Animals and the first disc of The Wall slithers into the album, it is bookended
by mournful odes; while still personal, they are a more shared experience,
based upon the mental degradation of former Floyd frontman Syd Barrett. While
the album is largely dedicated to his memory, it lives beyond it, and intimate
knowledge of the band’s history should not be necessary to enjoy the simple
elegance of the album.
The dynamics of Pink Floyd are on pure display here. The
music shifts from gorgeous to spacey to aggressive to rollicking time and time
again, and no song is longer or shorter than it probably should be. These
aren’t playlist songs, though; “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” a gorgeous ballad
with multiple shifts, is split into two fifteen minute parts, and even the
shortest song, the cynical “Have A Cigar,” is over five minutes long. Still,
there’s a dramatic shift between Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here; Dark
Side of the Moon carried far more jazz in its roots, while Wish You Were Here
is a more rock-focused album.
While the lyrics and songwriting credits shift largely from
guitarist David Gilmour to bassist Roger Waters, Wish You Were Here is home to
most of Gilmour’s best guitar work. While Dark Side of the Moon has already
come and gone, and though “Comfortably Numb” looms on the horizon, none of his
work places quite as much emphasis on beauty as Wish You Were Here. Both “Shine
On You Crazy Diamond” and “Wish You Were Here” carry long sections where
Gilmour’s guitar is given first chair, and it is the most melodic and sustained
in his career. His acoustic guitar playing receives a limelight almost
throughout, the only exception being “Have A Cigar,” perhaps the most open and
brazen torching of the music industry Pink Floyd has ever put out, with
rollicking guitar lines throughout.
Sadly, the musical anarchy of these critiques is facile in
comparison to Dark Side of the Moon’s “Money,” and both “Welcome to the
Machine” and “Have A Cigar” simply feel out of place between the more personal
dedications of the bookends. Waters isn’t a master of this cynicism yet, and
the digs at the industry almost feel token. They are definitely musically
interesting, though; “Welcome to the Machine,” in particular, has a lot of
great acoustic guitar work, the sort that The Wall uses on “Is There Anybody
Out There?” to great effect. And keyboardist/synthesizer wizard Richard Wright
goes into hysterics throughout, proving his efficacy to the band with “Machine”
and “Diamond” time and time again. But “Machine” and “Have A Cigar” are too
broad and impersonal to be more than musically interesting; “Machine” would
have fit better on Meddle or Side Two of The Wall, while “Have A Cigar” is the
sort of boogie that could have divided “Goodbye Blue Skies” and “Empty Spaces”
moderately well.
The larger narrative of Wish You Were Here is confused; the
critiques of the music industry simply feel out of place next to the beautiful
ballads bookending the album, and a longer middle section might have made the
album feel a little more complete. The critiques seem to echo a sort of regret
or envy for the type of music Barrett would have liked to keep making, a
sensation that Pink Floyd had “sold out.” However, this bitterness is still too
distant to truly be affecting; on Wish You Were Here, all one needs to follow
is the mourning this group of friends feels towards the loss of the one who
brought them all together. Or simply play audience to a group of extremely
talented musicians playing the most simplistic and beautiful soundscapes they’ve
accomplished thus far.
4/5
HIGHLIGHTS: “Shine
On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)”, “Wish You Were Here”, “Shine On You Crazy
Diamond (Parts VI-IX)”
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES:
“Welcome to the Machine,” “Have A Cigar”
CATALOG CHOICE: The
Wall (Note: For those looking to
understand what kind of musical mind Barrett was, check out Piper At The Gates
of Dawn)
It’s obviously worth
noting that I come into these Rush reviews with a slightly predetermined
mindset. In any review of the band Rush’s music, I will do my best to displace
my previous distaste for the band, but I will repeatedly make it clear that, in
the past, Rush has most certainly notbeen
my thing, and I am here to
challenge that idea and try to enjoy a band millions around the world revere.
Rush’s Moving Pictures is probably their most accessible record.
With multiple classic rock staples, its place is cemented throughout the annals
of rock history. However, I find it hard to recommend Moving Pictures, which is
ultimately a collection of songs rather than a concept album, to anyone who has
heard these songs extensively through classic rock radio.
Yes, “Tom Sawyer” is a brilliant piece of music on a fresh
listen; who could deny that? Its trance-like synth and guitar is just about perfect, and it's one of the most unified songs the band's ever had. It's one of few times a song was clearly written around a series of drum lines Neil Peart had created, and it's wildly successful, though it's worth noting how much of a team player bass player Geddy Lee manages to be here as well. The vocals on the track are still as mediocre or
frustrating as most Rush songs (your mileage will always vary in regards to the caterwauling of Geddy Lee) but they don't really detract from the quality. To those who
would deny the awesomeness of the famous drum fills on the studio version of the song,
I salute you for entering a realm of Rush denialism that eclipses my own.
But parts of “Tom Sawyer”, “YYZ”, and “Limelight” fail to
impress after years of exposure. They’re high-energy, they’re well-crafted, and they certainly stand out more successfully than some of Rush’s
other songs. But the big punches in "Tom Sawyer" and "YYZ" are moments of intense technical skill rather
than beauty or humanity, and so the “songs” serve as vehicles for moments of a
good show. Meanwhile, "Limelight" has always seemed like a song that belonged to another band, and on multiple listens of the album, I simply lost focus during the song.
Alex Lifeson’s guitar contributions are rarely
exciting throughout Moving Pictures, and every Lee vocal bounces between
tolerable and distracting. This, of course, leaves Rush with their most famous
attributes; Lee’s bass-playing and Neil Peart’s drumming, both regarded
as world-class players. Outside of “YYZ,” Lee does not receive center stage
often, and yet he continues to play as though he’s the only man on stage.
Basslines on “Limelight” and “The Camera Eye” force through unnecessarily,
leading to a handful of jumbled moments. These are quality basslines, but they’re often played at inopportune
times. Peart is much guiltier of this problem, playing ludicrous drum parts on “Red
Barchetta,” “Limelight,” and “Vital Signs” that distract far more than they
add. I’ll say once again that I believe Rush is an extremely talented trio of
players that have a tendency to compete with each other for the listener’s
focus rather than write a cohesive song.
As for the non-radio tracks, there’s enough to like that a
fan of the band’s style might adore Moving Pictures, but those that aren’t
crazy about Rush’s style won’t find much to love in the other songs. “Red
Barchetta” remains a casualty, as Lifeson’s best guitar riff is overshadowed by
Peart’s excessive drum lines. “The Camera Eye” is actually a very enjoyable
collection of different sections, but many of the riffs found in the 11 minutes
never really evolve into anything that earns the run-time. “Witch Hunt” and “Vital
Signs” are fine songs that simply fail to differentiate themselves from the
pack.
3/5
HIGHLIGHTS: “Tom
Sawyer,” “YYZ,” “Limelight”
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES:
“Red Barchetta,” “The Camera Eye”
NEXT STOP: Yes, “The
Yes Album”
AFTER THAT: Muse, “Black
Holes and Revelations”
Next stop in regards to Rush: Their 1975 album Fly By Night.
I’ve gone through
Moving Pictures once now, and I’m still working on that review. In the meantime,
enjoy this video-laden post that shows my current consciousness of the music
industry, which is probably a bit limited.
Is it just me, or did things get weird while I was out?
I exited in early March, just as fun., Gotye, and Carly Rae
Jepsen were rising to superstardom, the former and latter of which have
released follow-ups that haven’t captured the public imagination with quite the
same verve (though “Some Nights,” easily my favorite song from a shockingly
good album, is apparently gaining traction at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100.) As
far as all their songs go, I’m a pretty big fan and want to hear more, though
Jepsen’s “Good Life” is pretty dull.
But since then, the artists that usually excite me have been
failing, and others have been seriously gaining. I missed R. Kelly’s new album
(though the lead single, “Share My Love,” is pretty much a permanent summerjam)
so he still has a chance to wow me, but I’ve been underwhelmed by new outings
by Usher, Kanye West (whose “Mercy” I maintain is one of the worst songs he’s
ever put together), Train, Katy Perry, and B.o.B.
And am I crazy, or do Pitbull and Nicki Minaj have two of
the best-produced pop songs of the entire summer?
I can’t get over
the beat on “Back In Time,” and I’m practically jumping for joy at the prospect
of its sequel featuring Kanye and Enrique Iglesias. And, well, as for
“Starships,” Pentatonix is to blame for sending me down a bad, bad path with
their brilliant cover of a song I already have to admit I liked.
They both
carry this bizarre dichotomy of combining modern dance production with
throwback guitar and hooks. In a weird way, they’re both very decidedly 90’s.
Speaking of the 90’s,
how did Green Day and No Doubt suddenly pull ahead of everyone else to come and
crush anything alternative can throw at them? Green Day’s releasing three
albums (!) in the next six months, and No Doubt is releasing their new album Push & Shove the same day as Green
Day’s ¡Uno! Between the two lead
singles, I find myself leaning heavily towards No Doubt, who I have never been
a huge fan of before now. That said, of the Green Day albums (three?!?) the
second is the more “garage”-focused album, so that’s probably the one for which
I’m really excited.
That’s not to say nothing’s happening in the alternative
scene. The Dirty Projector’s new album blew my socks off the first couple times
I listened to it, so expect a review of that relatively soon. Fun.’s album, Some Nights, is actually pretty darn
excellent. And that’s ignoring, of course, that Metric, The Smashing Pumpkins,
Slash, The Hives, Tenacious D, and Jack White all came out with albums I
haven’t listened to yet.
To make an awkward transition, Fiona Apple and Norah Jones
have both released new albums that are being adored, while Regina Spektor came
out with something new as well. Now seems as good a time as any to jump into a
genre with which I am highly, highly unfamiliar.
Hip-hop has been mostly dead so far this year. Cruel Summer, the G.O.O.D. Music
collaboration album, has also been delayed into September, and nothing came of
the supposed Outkast reunion that was potentially going to happen this year. I
do need to listen to Nas’s Life is Good,
though, as it’s supposedly very solid.
Frank Ocean’s R&B smash Channel Orange is perfectly pleasant, but on my first listen I
wasn’t blown away by it. I’ll be sure to try it again pretty soon, though. Again,
there’s R. Kelly and Usher to check out as well, and Justin Bieber’s voice drop
has me tempted to give him another shot with his new album. Chris Brown is
still being allowed a career for some reason, and I’ll continue to ignore him.
As far as quality vocals go, I’ve mostly been distracted by the really
excellent Pentatonix EP, which you really ought to check out.
Things are getting weird on the pop/rock scene, though
there’s still plenty of the same drivel that’s been being played for years (looking
at you, Guetta and Flo Rida.) As far as electronica goes this year, I haven’t
gotten to hear very much since Bangarang. And while there’s not a ton of albums
to be excited for, it’s been a period of surprises and, well, change. That’s
pretty darn exciting in and of itself.
I don’t remember if I’ve made it clear in my previous blogs
(if so, it was likely during my Lamb of God review) but I really, really
dislike Rush. I find them to be a group of talented players who write music to
flagrantly display their talent rather than put together something cohesive. I
believe the only thing holding most of Rush’s music together is the truly awful
vocals of Geddy Lee, a piece I regularly cannot abide.
What’s more, Rush isn’t the most talented band in the world,
so where do they get off? Sure, their major competitors in the field either do
exactly what Rush does in an effort to show off (read: most prog, after Rush)
or have broken up as of long ago (Led Zeppelin, The Who, Derek & The
Dominos,) but that does not give them permission to play the full-band
equivalent of Yngwie Malmsteen.
And yes, there are a few Rush songs I like. “YYZ,” “Tom
Sawyer,” and “The Spirit of Radio” all have their own merits, and “Limelight”
is actually just a really excellent song. And their role in the Jason Segel
comedy I Love You, Man is indelible
and hilarious. But most of the rest of what I’ve heard through the radio is
either mindless drivel or (at least partially) unlistenable.
This summer, I intend to give them the old college try. Why?
Because people adore them, and after
three years of maintaining that Rush is my least favorite band, it’s time to
challenge the beast once again. My musical tastes have drastically changed since I held that opinion, so, who knows? Maybe
I’ll come out of all this liking them.
As a result, you can expect three Rush reviews by the end of
August. No, they will not necessarily all be in sequence, and yes, they will be
chronologically out of order. I’ve been recommended to go listen to Moving
Pictures (an album I own and once liked,) then Fly By Night (whose title track
I at least somewhat revile at the time of this writing,) and then, lastly, 2112
(whose title track I most certainly found unlistenable last time I gave it a
shot.)
I’m moving the files for Moving Pictures onto my computer
with better speakers now. Wish me luck.
OVEREXPOSED
Maroon 5
2012
A&M/Octone
Prod. by Max Martin, Noah “Mailbox” Passovoy, Shellback, et. al.
Those of you buying Overexposed to learn more about Maroon 5
as a band had best steer clear. Overexposed is clearly an Adam Levine affair,
and it’s a series of pop songs that ping-pong between their own hit, “Payphone,”
and an imitation of the pop stylings of Coldplay.
Perhaps similarly to Mylo Xyoto, you’ll occasionally wonder if there really is a band behind Adam
Levine. The first three songs do very little to justify the album as anything
other than an Adam Levine solo record, including the six-writers-pop-starlet “Payphone,”
which has never very much impressed me beyond a nice drum line on the verses.
However, the guitarist, James Valentine (who helps to write a third of the
songs on the album, though not the guitar-heavy ones) comes to life on “Lucky
Strike,” a moment that finally aims for the energy of “Moves Like Jagger” last
year. The rest of the band is hidden behind your standard synth-pop backing,
but it’s a nice reminder that there IS another member to Maroon 5.
However, album then sinks back into washed out pop
nonsense. It’s perhaps telling that I have trouble differentiating most of these songs from Rebecca Black’s “Friday.” These aren't especially good pop hooks or productions, and it's overall a very meandering affair. An effort is made to return focus to bass player Mickey Madden on “Lady
Killer” (for which Madden actually receives a writing credit) but it’s not
quite enough to make his presence notable. The only break from the monotony of
completely disposable candy before the finale is the ninth track, “Sad," which is perfectly fine but not lyrical or virtuosic enough to propel it beyond the album. The finale, “Beautiful Goodbye,” is destined to
become a moderately popular single or concert closer, but it’s still not
especially different from anything before it. There are a couple of iTunes bonus songs that fail to
impress any memories upon me, leaving the original finale as the superior place
to stop.
Credit must be given to drummer Matt Flynn for his mostly
thankless job as a drummer on what really amounts to a pop album. Flynn manages
to consistently contribute lines that are more interesting than the songs
require without ever distracting the listener from the song. Flynn’s drums on
this album are actually a strong example of the kind of more technical drumming
I like, in comparison to the stylings of Peart on Rush songs.
Spotify seems to have an exclusive performance of Al Green’s
“Let’s Stay Together” that drops all performance by members other than Levine,
Valentine, and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael. It perhaps summarizes the
entire experience that no part is truly impressive or even exciting, no matter
how pretty Levine’s voice can be, as the instrumentation never comes in to back
him up.
I booted up “Songs About Jane,” the breakthrough album with “This
Love” and “Harder to Breathe,” for the first time in years yesterday for
comparison’s sake. It opened my eyes and saddened me as I laid witness to the
fact that these are talented players when given the opportunity to actually
perform. Here, Maroon 5 is effectively reduced to Levine and session musicians.
2/5
HIGHLIGHTS: “Daylight,” “Lucky Strike”
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES: “One More Night,” “Doin’ Dirt”
CATALOG CHOICE: Songs About Jane
NEXT STOP: A Rush Of Blood To The Head, Coldplay
AFTER THAT: C’est Chic, Chic
After months off, I've returned and begun to review again. I've missed it, and so I'll begin writing again. It'll probably be more fast and furious than before, as it's summer and I have more time on my hands.
If you want to follow my game reviews, follow my account on GiantBomb.com. I'll also be writing film reviews at Screened.com, which operates on the same good-old Whiskey Media tech. I'll be accepting requests as well!
