Music – Page 9 – Zonker.net

September 22, 2016

“Document” by R.E.M. (No. 19)

For Document R.E.M. picked up a much harder edge than previous albums. Sure, Life’s Rich Pageant dabbled a bit with more aggressive guitar, but Document has a much harsher sound throughout. And it sounds so, so good.

Document practically kicks you in the face with the opening track, “Finest Worksong.” A whip-crack snare and then Peter Buck is off to the races with an almost metal guitar intro that sets the rhythm.

There’s more than a little The Who influence here. And Michael Stipe’s voice, once again, is crisp and clear at the forefront. This is, by the way, true to its title. If “Finest Worksong” doesn’t motivate you to get shit done, seek medical care.

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September 21, 2016

“Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” by The Cure (No. 20)

"Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me " album cover by The Cure

Most of The Cure‘s albums are outstanding, but Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me is simply magical. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me shows The Cure delivering perfect, joyful pop right alongside languid and extended jams that don’t give a damn about radio play.

I have to be honest, I was a bit put off by Robert Smith’s voice at first. Almost despite myself, I loved some of the singles off this album, but I initially found his delivery just a little off-putting. It eventually grew on me, but that’s a story for later.

Even so, I couldn’t deny the strength of the singles from Kiss Me.

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September 20, 2016

“Queen Elvis” by Robyn Hitchcock ‘n’ The Egyptians (No. 21)

Album cover: "Queen Elvis" by Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians

Watching “alternative” bands like The Cure, R.E.M., and U2 punch through to mainstream success, I had high hopes that Robyn Hitchcock would break through with Queen Elvis.

Released in March 1989, Hitchcock was opening for R.E.M. on the Green tour. Queen Elvis, by Robyn Hitchcock ‘n the Egyptians, was on a major label and they were putting money into videos for MTV. It seemed to me that the rest of the world would surely notice what they’d been missing so far.

By rights, Queen Elvis should have garnered more attention than it did. Musically, it’s phenomenal, and it’s one of Hitchcock’s most accessible (read: there are no songs about “furry green atom bowls,” or men with lightbulb heads) albums.

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September 19, 2016

“The Wall” by Pink Floyd (No. 22)

The Who‘s Tommy pioneered the “rock opera.” Pink Floyd perfected it with The Wall.

Like Tommy, The Wall is a sprawling two-album work. Running more than 80 minutes, The Wall covers a lot of musical ground – ballads, pseudo-opera, rock, and even dabbles in disco. The Wall is Pink Floyd’s, or at least Roger Waters’, magnum opus.

Since The Wall came out when I was nine years old, it’s hard to remember a world before it existed. It’s just always been part of the classic rock canon, right? Even though it was ever-present on the radio, at least snippets of it, it wasn’t until I was well into high school that I got a copy of the full album. And then I listened to The Wall over and over again.

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September 18, 2016

“The Joshua Tree” by U2 (No. 23)

It’s a little daunting to try to find something original to say about an album like The Joshua Tree. Released in 1987, The Joshua Tree sold something like 25 million copies, While it’s no Rumors or Thriller, The Joshua Tree has been rather thoroughly reviewed many times over.

I was aware of U2 before The Joshua Tree, but I couldn’t say that I was a major fan of the band. But when The Joshua Tree came out in ’87, it really couldn’t be ignored. It was all over the radio, MTV, and appealed to kids my age as well as aging boomers trying to keep up with current music. (Boomers who were probably younger than I am today, I might add. Sigh.)

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September 17, 2016

“The Game” by Queen (No. 24)

Queen‘s The Game will probably be best remembered for two things, “Another One Bites the Dust,” and the first album from the band that featured the use of a synthesizer. I remember it best because my family had the album on 8-Track and I played it incessantly.

I’m not sure when we got a copy of The Game or whether it was my mother or father who brought it into the house. But I loved “Another One Bites the Dust” from the radio, and absorbed the entire album once I could play it at will. The “nice” thing about 8-Tracks compared to records was that they would play forever until you hit “stop.” My parents might not have viewed this as a feature.

It was also a musical clue that I didn’t quite understand at the time. On the cover of the tape it had a one-liner about this being Queen’s first use of a synthesizer. I spent a lot of time trying to puzzle out the importance of this, but given that the band had used some of the very limited real estate on the cover to proclaim (or disclaim) this, it must have been important.

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September 16, 2016

“The End of Silence” by Rollins Band (No. 25)

Album cover: "The End of Silence" by the Rollins Band

The End of Silence is the kind of music that would make construction crews call about noise violations. If Spinal Tap turns it up to 11, then the Rollins Band takes it to 13. It’s an abattoir for eardrums. What I’m saying, kids, is this is a loud one and in no way subtle.

Weight shows the Rollins Band as accessible as they get. The End of Silence is every bit as well-produced as Weight, but there are no compromises to a wide audience. You’re in, or you’re out. I’m in.

The End of Silence was my introduction to Henry Rollins and the Rollins Band. I might have run into Black Flag at some point before, but I don’t specifically remember when. I first caught up with the Rollins Band with the video for “Low Self Opinion.”

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September 15, 2016

“American IV: The Man Comes Around” by Johnny Cash (No. 26)

Music trivia time! What album includes songs written by Trent Reznor, Paul Simon, Tex Ritter, Sting, Hank Williams, and Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore? If you guessed American IV: The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash, go to the front of the class.

American IV was released in 2002, and was the last album released in Cash’s lifetime. (Though not the last album with new material from Cash.) It’s a real collaborative effort, with appearances by Fiona Apple, Nick Cave, Billy Preston, Don Henly, and others.

Looking through my list of albums, I find Cash is a bit of an anomaly. Almost all of the bands/artists here are performing their own material. Sure, there are covers here and there, but for the most part it’s the singer/songwriter model. (Jacqueline du Pré is the other obvious exception.)

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September 14, 2016

“Exile in Guyville” by Liz Phair (No. 27)

I wish I’d been cool enough to say that I picked up Exile in Guyville the minute it came out, or that I’d been into Liz Phair in the Girly-Sound days before Exile was even finished. Sadly, I am not that cool.

My first memory of Exile was from around 1997, when I had a girlfriend who had a copy and referenced some of the songs. The relationship didn’t last long, but it’s nearly 20 years later and I’m still a big fan of Phair. Not a bad outcome, really.

Exile is so indie and lo-fi it almost hurts. It’s less accessible than Whip-Smart, but more daring and entertaining. Continue reading ““Exile in Guyville” by Liz Phair (No. 27)”

September 13, 2016

“The Wind” by Warren Zevon (No. 28)

Being a rock critic sounds like a really nice, cushy, and fun job for the most part. Who wouldn’t want to review music for a living? But, imagine being the critic who has to review Warren Zevon‘s swan song, The Wind, knowing that Zevon is terminally ill? What if it sucks? Nobody wants to be the one to write that review. Luckily, Zevon’s final studio album is a tour de force that is a fitting last word in an impressive career.

I’ve already written quite a bit about Zevon, so I won’t recap all of that here. Suffice it to say that I’m a fan of his work, if not obsessively so, and when The Wind was released I was eager to hear it but also a bit nervous that it might not live up to expectations. Or that it’d be maudlin. Continue reading ““The Wind” by Warren Zevon (No. 28)”