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Classic Rock Discussion thread, including Catfish's Top 20 Lists.
berdie:
Disclaimer: I think Perry's voice is phenomenal.
If I think about the early Journey days...although they were musically gifted, I can't recall a single number that they did. Post Perry...very played music and lots of $$ made by the artists. I know I'm not a musician, but there should be some meeting of the minds that produces pop and entices to listen to the more "artistic" pieces. I hate to sound mercenary, but pop and radio music produces $$. At most of the concerts I've gone to, the audiences want to hear the "favorites" not a jam session.
Journey sure isn't the only band that under went a metamorphosis from rock to pop. Think Fleetwood Mac, Chicago, Doobies. It kept them relevant in a very competitive industry. The only band that I can think of that went theother direction is the Beatles who started pop and went in a different direction. But if you have a big enough following...you can do what you want.
I got a chuckle out of the "casino" band reference because it's so darn true. I had the opportunity to see Journey several years ago. But I said to myself..."berdie...why would you pay $150 to see what is essentially a cover band?"
catfish1957:
Great observations @berdie. Styx was another in that host of bands that you mentioned. Hwever, they didn't pull it off near as well as say Fleetwood Mac. What was special about them, was their artisitc turn to Tusk after Rumors. They stayed true to their aim of mixing it up to great success.
One of the reasons I chose Departure this time for this review, was to make the point that this was the particular album that Journey perfectly thread the needle with their product that highlighted their pop transition, while still keeping their purist fans happy.
catfish1957:
Classic Rock Album of the Day- The Who- The Who Sell Out- (1967) *** 1/2
This Fascinating and semi-ground breaking LP that exemplifies and parallels the Beatle Mania Mod transition to psychadaelia. This particular album is genius in that somewhat serves as a concept album of illustrating how music radio, even in the mid 1960's had infliltrated the music industry so badly, that Pete used the theme not only in art album, but how he beautifully manipulated the song transitions in a manner of AM radio at the time. Ingenious, and just another example of how perfectly attuned Pete Townsend was with what would and not work on vinyl. No this is not the greatness you would see in this band in another few years. Think about it, the next 3 (4) efforts include Tommy, (Light House), Who's Next, and Quadrophenia. The period of the Who from 1969- 1973, was so prolific, that the many outtakes that didn;t make the cut, are now classics.
Style wise, even though this may be their transitional album, the break from Mod was not as abrupt as with Sgt. Pepper/Magical Mystery Tour. But that isn't a bad thing. I am very thankful that their career path didn't mimic the Beatles, as soon they will be among the greats of hard rock. The Beatles toyed a tad toward that direction, but Townsend obviously had to see the success of Sabbath and Purple, and realized that adding an edge to the sound would give them the best of both worlds. And in the world of Rock bands born in the early 1960's, The Who pulled off the transition, better than anyone else. Of course it's always been a mystery to me, that as out of this world i creativity that Townsend was, why he got writer's block in the mid 1970's. Good albums of course, but he never was able to recreate that level of consisitency of late '60's, early '70's. Maybe Moon's death? Who knows. Still, I would be amiss, if I did mention that this LP does have some un-evenness to it, keeping it from 4 star or higher status. But it doesn't matter, the upcoming stuff will be stuff of legends.
Another part of the Who persona that I love, is this is a band, no matter how talented ( Think about it.... Townsend, Moon, Entwistle) never took theirselves so seriously, that they infused enough humor, satire, and tom foollery to not only keep the product great, it added an air of humanity that the fans could relate. Versus the Beatles, who had gotten so large, that it created an aura of prenteniousness and over analysis. While pencil necked crtics were trying to elevate Lennon and McCartney to prophet status, bands like The Who kept ball rolling and folks rocking well into the '70's and beyond.
And last what is endearing and kind of sad about this album is the ending of The Who as Mods. Their next effort Tommy is so different that it is unrecogniable against "Sell Out" The cocoon to Butterfly move is rock history. Yes, there are some signs the end is near, but the fact that the Who totally abandoned the genre, pretty much shows that Townsen was always hell bent on evolving. Which kind of hurt the band by the late 1970's. Pete Townsend feared any critical comments about stagnation. In the overall standing of the greatness of the Who, I think it hurt them.
Fun Fact: Does the U.K. love their native band? Today's album was the worst U.K. charting LP in the band's history. No.13. 10 of their 12 studio LP's charted into their Top 10.
Side 1-
--------
Armenia City in the Sky- Rare out of band collaboration of Speedy Keen with Townsend. Keen was a Thunderclap Newman member (hows that for a trivia question blast from the past). Obviously this is Townsend's first foray into out in out pscyadaelia. To me, decent but feels a little to forced to be taken serious in the genre. More experimental than from the chops. 4
Heinz Baked Beans- Satrical Ditty, that was interesting, at least in that time and reference. 12
Mary Anne and the Shaky Hand- Kind of a buzzard off tuned early like 1960's number that almost seems to diss the earlier styles- 7
Odorono- Some of the last bastions of the Who mod era. Same metering, choral harmonies. 8
Tattoo- Light balladry that has to be included. Not the best of their catalog in that regard- 10
Our Love Was- I consider this their last shout out to Beatlemania. Nicely melodically done, and some what I would call some innovative guitar at the time. Psyh guitar work at the end was a nice touch. 6
I Can See For Miles- The by far, greatest tune on the LP. This is the slap that gives listeners what they can expect the next 5 years. Townsend's brain jarring guitar, and fablous percussion by the Loon? Classic chaotic Who at its best. 1
Side 2-
----------
Can't Reach You- I see a lot of the melodic base in this one being incorporated in Tommy. Nice choral Bolero like progressions screams '60's, but done so nicely that you can stealthly see the musical progression off that time tied mark. 3
Medac- Pointless filler gibberish 13
Relax- Multi-phasic tune, that hits all the buttons. Enough melodic psychadealia to keep it crisp, but not too much in dating it. Sleeper status for this LP 2
Silas Stingy- This level of story telling is kind of a precurssor to some of Tommy's lesser fodder. No thanks. 11
Sunrise- Mediocre Townsend ballad- 9
Rael- Even with this Cowsill's vibe, very innovative like airy song doesn't sound much like a Who effort. Anyone else notice "The Sparks" Tommy redux? 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjcp42Q0Xgg
catfish1957:
Classic Rock Album of the Day- Pearl Jam- Ten (1991) ***
Pearl Jam is a text book example of the sudden fame, them flame out story. Early Pearl Jam was one of the progenitors of Seattle's Grunge scene with Nirvana. Rounding out the Seattle pioneers included Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. But it was these first two that helped define what Grunge was, what it stood for, and how it was to progress.
Nirvana flamed out for the reasons of excess, including of course most sadly, Kurt Kobain's suicide. Pearl Jam faded for drastically different reasons. Their debut was very very good, as they took a more rocking edged sound to Alternative. And I repeat this is a good album in any era, and how huge was it? Try 13X platinum. And from there to today, and yes they are still recording, the descent from grace has been a slow downward ride. Here are sales of their 12 studio albums in chronological order.... 13XP, 7XP, 5XP, 1XP, 1XP, Gold, Gold, Gold, Gold, Gold, Nothing, Nothing, So what happened? I have a few theories including first and most of all, that front man Eddie Vedder is extremely difficult to work with. In fact when you read the credits for the album he is listed as vocals and "additional art". How pretentious is that? I also think this may be something like "The Boston" syndrome, where a band ultimately shoots it's wad on a debut, and never finds those creative juices ever again. And 3rd, by 2000, Grunge was dying under its own weight of silly imitiators. That seems to happen with any new fad of musical genre.
With all the negative, I still want to state that this album is def. worth a listen though. And IMO as far as content, the best Grunge album ever made. But sampling subsequent LP's I found that the band was either rehashing old licks, or trying new stuff that came off as parody. Thus, why I am shocked that they are still recording.
The focal points of the band are of course, is Vedder who sucks the spotlight like a Dyson on 'roids. I also think highly of their guitaritst Mike McCready. Though not flashy, his ability to fill the expanse , gives PJ a unique sound that sound markedly often not Grungey. Even if abstract failure, I do have to give props to the band by keeping 3/4 members intact during their 30 year career. In true Spinal Tap fashion, only the drummers have been changed (All still alive though)
Fun Fact: Pearl Jam served as Neil Young's back up band in Young's 1995 album "Mirror Ball"
Track No.
--------------
1. Once- Starts with a Phil Collins like intro, that then rocks more like a 1970's / Grunge Blended effort. Maybe this morphed effort helped differentiate themselves from Nirvanna, who took a more punk slanted approach. Good intro to the band, and even better to come. 6
2. Evenflow- The crown jewel of the PJ catalog. This is a top 5 staple of any Grunge fan, and deservedly so. So well metered, delivered. and I really enjoy the sublimjnal like blues like guitar undertows that includes an almost Hendrix/SRV like style. 1
3. Alive- What an excellent followup to Evenflow. Comes across as kind of a grunge ballad, but is much more heavier. And despite disturbing content (incest) has that perfect level of hook, musicanship, and grunginess to make it a hit. More McCready ax work helps too. 2
4. Why Go- You'd kind of swear that this was an '80's hair band number. Before grunge, I have an idea that this was what most of the Grunge group was jamming to at the time. As far as an add to the album? Meidocre. 8
5. Black- Somewhat of a semi-sleeper. Nothing hooked in this, but the most heartfelt aspects of the album. Nothing particuarly outstanding, but hearing the entire band at half speed was an interesting approach that I liked 5
6. Jeremy- What is it with the darkness of early 1990's music? NIN, Metallica, et. al. I don't remember things being that dank and depressing back then, but a lot of the music sure was. It was still an good way for Vedder and company to get their message across. Which the left took and bended the narrative from suicide to school shootings. Wasn't the first or last time our left wing enemies have jaded the message for their own benefit. 3
7. Oceans- Didn't say the album was perfect. Honestly, this is awful 11
8. Porch- Another effort out of Grunge-isphere. Outside some good guitar licks, nothing really much to report here. 7
9. Garden- CD seems to be tailing off into drivelous Vedder ramblings. No content, No direction, Nope. 10
10. Deep- Latter CD surprise. Interesting phrasing, bash-a-minute instrumentals, off-key leaning that sounds more like a touch of industrial infused mash. Song has a real improv feel to almost jam mode, that comes across strongly. 4
11. Release- Eastern Morrison like feel sang in a Vedder mono-tome. This is really like a Van Halen album. 2 or 3 great songs, surrounded by filler. 9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-cRKgcTFfI
catfish1957:
Classic Rock Album of the Day- Fleetwood Mac- Mirage (1982) *** 1/2
By 1982, the era of Fleetwood Mac's dominance and stranglehold on the radio had ended. The 3 previous behemoths had yielded 22M in sales, why today's album only 2M. It could be speculated that Fleetwood Mac by design was a popular choice in the era in the disco age, but my theory on the drop off was the public's response to Tusk in '80. I loved it, and thought it was some of the bands greatest work, though it was highly steeped in experimental stuff, self reflection, and likely the most compartmentialized album in their career. Listening to it, there was no doubt whether this was a McVie, a Buckingham, or a Nicks song. There was that level of personalization, that significantly permetated the work.
IMO, at face value Mirage is almost as good, but not quite as the previous 3. There are some great songs, but the level of consistency is maybe just slightly off. Most markedly, it seem Lindsey Buckingham relinquished a slight amount of artistic control. Which is understandable that as much as I loved Tusk, the general album public didn't.
For a try at content contrast sake, this is a pretty typical album in Fleetwood Mac terms. The mix of artists is more equitable to say versus Tusk or Rumours. Which is not a plus for me. I have dissected Rumors and Tusk in a lot of detail in previous reviews, and as big as FM was, I don't think too much emphasis on the individual pluses and minuses adds much. I do think C McVie's contributions were less impactful (one exception though) than in the past LP's, but that is just my take. Plus, the almost pedistrian nature of M.Fleetwood/J. McVie's parts in this LP are so understated, you almost forget that they are there.
Fun Fact: Last No. 1 LP for the band on the U.S. charts.
Side 1-
------------
Love in Store- Chris McVie's one sterling contribution to the LP, and honestly the very best on the LP. Beautiful pop song, that so magnificantly blends Buckinghan, McVie's and Nicks voice into a sultry mix of pop music gold. Fantastic 1
Can't Go Back- Big drop off, and not one of Buckingham's least appealling pop songs. 10
That's Alright- C&W attempt by Nicks/band that falls far short. It does have that appealing tone, but Country is not in their repitorie. 12
Book of Love- Wow, I swore this song was on Tusk. I have a FM playlist, and it seems to just augment perfectly. Again, this is a rare add from Buckingham of a carryover from the Tusk style and effort, with slow rolling beats and incredible lyrical and instrumental fills. Wish there had been a few more on this album. On previous reviews, I have lamented how under appreciated, and under-rated Lindsey Buckingham was on guitar. This one is a good example of that prowess. 2
Gypsy- The biggest hit on the LP, and still not even in one of Stevie Nick's best 5 songs in Fleetwood Mac. I am still torn, jaded, and mesmerized by her sexy voice. And yes, that works for me in her ranking standing on the album- 3
Only Over You- The fact the same lady wrote and led Love in Store and this one on the same album is an utter mystery. I sure it was from the heart, but it just didn't connect for me. 9
Side 2-
--------------
Empire State- Very pop infused that sounds nothing like the band normally offers. That broadway/Abba-ish vibe is okay, and kind of mid-point in song excellence. I think I gave it a few extra points for pulling off the experimental aspects of this. Especially say that failed effort around Country. 6
Straight Back- Nicks filler. A rarity- 8
Hold Me- Anothter of the hits from the LP. Nicely haromizations between the 3 main singers. And a masterful hook line that taps the toes. 4
Oh Diane- Ohh geez.. A foray into a 50's play. Nope. 11
Eyes of the World- Classical/pop infusion that does a nice job of adding that aspect of music to the equation. 5
Wish You Were Here- Album closes with typical C. McVie standard. Chris didn't make many really bad songs, and this one while not in her upper tiers, it still isn't too bad. 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omuHVXepAhU
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