Oh, My God... Could it Be??? It IS!!!
Flavors, Volume IX is Here!
Greetings... It's been a while since I've done this, but it's not like I've forgotten how to talk about music that I like to listen to... SO, with that said... let's get on with it, already...
+*+*+
A Perfect Circle - "Thirteenth Step" (2003, Virgin)
Finally... I've only been waiting for three and a half years, now... well, with singer Maynard James Keenan's other commitments (such as, oh, being the lead singer of that one other band... oh, what is their name, again?), I guess I can forgive them... Anyhow, after a couple lineup changes (bassist Paz Lenchantin leaving to join ex-Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan's new project, Zwan (a.k.a. "Smashing Pumpkins v. 2.0... but not as good") and guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen jumping ship to join up with Queens of the Stone Age), APC picked up ex-Marilyn Manson bassist Jeordi "Twiggy Ramirez" White and ex-Smashing Pumpkin guitarist James Iha to round out the new lineup... and didn't skip a beat in the process. Unlike Mer de Noms, Keenan takes a much more active role in Thirteenth Step, including the role of executive producer.
Not unlike its predecessor, Thirteenth Step is another one of those "throw it in and let it go" kid of CDs that is best when listened to from start to finish. Also, like TooL albums, there are several layers of emotions going on in the music. The opening song, "The Package," is a prime example, moving from "soft and sweet" to loud and angry... back to soft at the end...
I have always been a fan of how A Perfect Circle could take me on a roller coaster both with their music and within their music. This album is a little quieter than Mer de Noms, but that's certainly not a problem, or anything like that. In fact, it's another example of their singularity in the rock world.
A Perfect Circle
*+*+*
Soundtrack from the motion picture "Underworld" (2003, Lakeshore Records)
About three weeks before the movie Underworld came out, I was browsing through Target (pronounced "tar-JAY"), I saw the soundtrack sitting there for a whopping $9.99. I picked it up and flipped it over. Upon seeing who was on it, dropped it into my little basket-thingie. Produced by Nine Inch Nails' Danny Lohner (a.k.a. "Renholder"), the soundtrack features bands such as The Damning Well (ex-Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland, Filter's Richard Patrick, APC's Josh Freese and Lohner), Puscifer (Lohner and Maynard James Keenan), former Helmet frontman Page Hamilton, David Bowie (with Maynard), Dillinger Escape Plan, the quiet version of trustcompany's "Hover" that was formerly only available as a bonus MP3 on their CD (with music by ex-APC's Paz Lenchantin - "Earth to Paz... Earth to Paz... What the hell were you thinking leaving APC for ZWAN???"), as well as a cool, heavier remix of APC's latest single, "Weak and Powerless." Also featured is a remix of "Judith" that was previously only available on a couple different APC import CDs (although this version has the "Thank your god" line instead of the original). Anyhow, if you're into the darker side of things, see the movie, buy the soundtrack, enjoy.
Enter the Underworld
*+*+*
Frank Zappa - "Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention" (1985, Rykodisc)
Another one of those albums that I discovered at my brother's place back in the '80s. It takes its title after the infamous Parent's Music Resource Center (PMRC), which managed to get a Senate committee to hold hearings regarding what they referred to then as "porn rock," in which Zappa among many, many other musicians testified in the defense of free speech. One of the results were those little "voluntary" parental advisory stickers that adorn so many of today's CDs that contain (what some people view as) "questionable lyrics." Another result was the release of edited versions of CDs. I am one of the people that think that the edited versions are the ones that should be stickered and not the (possibly) offensive versions... something along the lines of "The copy of this CD that you are purchasing is not the author's original intended version. Changes have been made to protect your ears from words and ideas that you encounter everyday, everywhere else on the planet." It's worth noting that this album bears its own "warning label" of sorts: "Warning: This album contains material which a truly free society would neither fear nor repress."
Many of these songs were composed by and performed pretty much solely by Zappa on the Synclavier (a sequencing/sampling device), but there are other shining examples of classic Zappa/Mothers ensemble lyrical and musical genius.
This album also contains three of my all-time favorite Zappa tunes - "Alien Orifice," the original version of "What's New in Baltimore?" (featuring one of the coolest electric sitar parts ever, courtesy of then-member Steve Vai) and "Yo Cats," which chronicles the lengths that some musicians have to go through to get a gig... Well, you'll just have to listen to it for yourself (also worthy of mention is one of the earliest uses of the term "ho," years before the rap world would catch on). Also appearing on this album is the song "Porn Wars," which sort of chronicles the whole Senate hearings, at least where Zappa was concerned, and features snippets of dialogue from then US Senators Danforth, Hollings, Trible, Hawkins, Exon, Gorton, and Gore (who proclaims his admiration of Zappa), as well as his wife, Tipper (who was head of the PMRC at the time).
Maybe not his best overall piece of work (compared to classics like Broadway the Hard Way, Apostrophe, Overnight Sensation, Sheik Yerbouti, or Joe's Garage), but if you are, or ever have been a Frank Zappa fan, this is an album to listen to... many, many times...
Zappa.com
*+*+*
Pantera - "Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits!" (2003, Elektra/Rhino)
Pantera has been out of the metal limelight for a few years, now, thanks to a bunch of nü-metal cloned-out-by-the-thousands bands... and also to the fact that their last couple albums (101 Proof Live and Reinventing the Steel) were a bit less than desireable (maybe due to the fact that singer Phil Anselmo has his finger in about twenty different side projects, perhaps taking a little something from his concentration on the band that got him here in the first place)... but this latest offering, albeit a greatest hits offerring, has made me a happy boy, again. Although it's missing some of their best music (such as Far Beyond Driven's "Throes of Rejection" (featuring possibly the baddest-ass guitar solo of all metaldom), it does cover their catalog quite well, as well as providing some previously unreleased material (like a cover of the Nuge's "Cat Scratch Fever") My friend Jarrod and I always thought that Pantera would do a totally righteous cover of Hendrix's "Crosstown Traffic..." Maybe in the future?
But the highlight is not the aduio CD, but the accompanying DVD, which features all twelve of Pantera's commercially-released videos (including two live videos from their insanely awesome performance at the Moscow Peace Festival)... I never knew there was even a video for "Drag the Waters," thanks no doubt to the fact that at that time, Mtv had totally scrapped any kind of rock music from their airplay, in favor of P. Doody and other really shitty acts like that.
Another nice feature of this compilation is the price. I got this in a totally mega-overpriced music store in a mall for $12.99... with a DVD...
Pantera
*+*+*
Chris Whitley - "Rocket House" (2001, ATO)
Okay... I'm trying to think of something to say about Chris Whitley that I haven't said already. He's a genius... an incredible poet... an icon of eclecticism... a guitar guru (known for his many non-standard guitar tunings and an "inability" to play a song the same way twice). Rocket House is yet another fine example of Whitley in the electric universe (he tends to flop back and forth between electric and acoustic albums). This album was also released on Dave Matthews fledgling label, ATO Records and features Matthews along with Bruce Hornsby and DJ Logic among others...
I've been a major Chris Whitley fan since back in the days when Mtv actually played videos and they showed "Big Sky Country" from his debut CD, Living With the Law, one late night in '91. I bought the import version of Dirt Floor back in late '97, which contained some bonus tracks, one of which featured his then very young daughter, Trixie (who has been living in Belgium since she was about seven years old), on background vocals. I always thought it was kind of "cute" more than anything... Well, apparently Trixie did a lot of growing in the years that have followed... I was listening to Rocket House and the song "Chain" comes on, with an ethereal female backing vocal... I was sort of wondering who it was, because it was a really nice voice (and I have been searching for probably ten years trying to find a wicked female vocalist to work with, so every time I hear an unrecognizable voice, I like to know who it is)... bang... it's Trixie... Well, without taking up too much more space on the subject, I will be eagerly awaiting her musical debut (if not hopefully working on it, myself)...
Anyway, Chris Whitley's music is some of the coolest music ever to grace my ears. I turned my friends Duncan, Mike, and Steve on to him way back in '91 and they have been hooked ever since, as well... My hopes are that maybe I can turn some of you on to him, too. It's not for everyone (in other words, all you wanksters that think that Limp Bizkit is "killer tuneage, dude" should probably move along, and take your red Yankees hats with you), but if you enjoy the eclectic, this guy might be your next cup of tea.
Chris' Website
*+*+*
Warren Zevon - "The Wind" (2003, Artemis)
The world lost a really cool fellow when Warren Zevon passed away September 6th after a battle with mesothelioma. Before he passed away, he had a chance to record The Wind. Many of his friends came to help him with the recording, like Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, John Waite, Billy Bob Thornton, Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmidt, and Ry Cooder to name a few...
I have to say... this album is pretty bittersweet and spooky... He covers Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door..." and it's creepy... Other songs like "Numb as a Statue," "Please Stay," and "Keep Me in Your Heart..." creepy (the latter being the last song on the CD and... well... extremely sad and stuff...
I don't want to make it sound like this album is hard to listen to... because it's not... it's just when you realize that Zevon created this album as his "farewell" to us all, it's just sad, y'know?
Warren Zevon was a really cool, genuine man, and a great musician. He will be missed by many, many people...
Warren's Website
*+*+*
Depswa - "Two Angels and a Dream" (2003, Interscope)
I really don't know how to describe Depswa... Take one part deftones (maybe even two parts), one part Chevelle, one part Systematic, one part nonpoint, one part Korn - mix it all together in a bowl with some egg and butter and you get Depswa. Two Angels and a Dream is a very impressive entry into the rock market of 2003. Singer Jeremy Penick flat out has a great voice... I'm talking fantastic. Superb guitar playing, and the rhythm section certainly should not be overlooked, either. The songwriting is some of the best I've seen since A Perfect Circle's top-notch composing.
Basically, if you're looking for something heavy that won't make your ears bleed from the abrasiveness, pick up a copy of Two Angels and a Dream.
Depswa
*+*+*
Dave Matthews - "Some Devil" (2003, RCA)
I make no bones about the fact that I DO NOT like the Dave Matthews Band. I think the violin player (Boyd Tinsley) totally ruins songs, the saxophone player is weak, and the rest of the "band" doesn't do much for me, either. But I have always dug Dave Matthews when he works with a guitarist by the name of Tim Reynolds. Usually, it involves just the two of them in acoustic performances (such as "Live at Luther College," where Matthews and Reynolds do DMB songs the justice they deserve, performing them in their purest forms). Some Devil brings Matthews and Reynolds together in a "band-oriented" scheme, along with special guest Trey Anastasio (formerly of Phish, another band I totally could not ever enjoy one second of music from).
I'm not going to say I was "pleasantly surprised" with how good this album turned out to be, or anything like that, because quite frankly, I knew it would be a good album. Dave Matthews is a great songwriter, and when you combine him with the guitar-mastery of Tim Reynolds, you get a great product.
Also included in this CD is a second limited-edition CD featuring Mattews with Reynolds live at various places around the US performing five acoustic songs... It's almost worth it just for that.
Yes, all the little Dave Matthews Band groupies (I'm sorry I don't have a better term for you guys, but "parrotheads" was already taken) will undoubtedly love this album, too, and many of them will even probably think it is a Dave Matthews Band CD (everywhere it's popped up online I have seen lists it as such, even), but this is a chance for Dave to grab ahold of a new audience... like, people like me, who can't stand the Dave Matthews Band stuff, but realize or will realize that he is a great songwriter and a very accomplished musician...
Dave's Website
*+*+*
David Gilmour - "About Face" (1984, Columbia)
When I would play cuts from this album on my old radio show, inevitably people would call the station and ask me to play some of that "new Pink Floyd." When I would inform them that it was actually "old David Gilmour," they would usually always reply the same way... "Oh..." No folks, you weren't stupid, or anything like that... just a little out of touch.
I would go stay at my brother's when he was an undergrad at OSU all the time. He would go do his college stuff and I would stay in his room and listen to records... This record became one of my faves of my freshman year of high school... I taped a copy of it and played it so much, the tape broke (either that, or I used a cheap-assed tape).
This, his second solo album, features a fine list of "guest stars," if you will, with the likes of (one of the best bassists in the world) Pino Palladino, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Winwood, Jon Lord, and Roy Harper.
With this release, Gilmour proved he was every bit the songwirter as his by then ex-Pink Floyd bandmate, Roger Waters. About Face paved the way for the 1987 "return" of Pink Floyd with A Momentary Lapse of Reason and helped to solidify David Gilmour as one of the premiere musicians of the rock world.
Pink Floyd (I don't know if this is really an official site... but it worked for me...)
*+*+*
Todd Rundgren - "...and His Friends" (2002, Purple Pyramid)
Everyone on the planet has heard music from Todd Rundgren... maybe they just don't realize they have. For example, every Friday, some silly radio station plays "Bang the Drum All Day" at 5:00 to welcome the weekend... He was responsible for much of the music heard in "Dumb and Dumber." He scored chart hits with songs like "Can We Still Be Friends?" and "Hello, It's Me." ...and His Friends features Rundgren covering his own music, not unlike the bossa nova remake album With a Twist... This time around, the versions are very faithful to the originals... with the help of some of his friends (as the title implies) like Vivian Campbell, Edgar Winter, (a remarkably restrained) Dweezil Zappa, Gary Hoey, Steve Lukather, Tony Levin, "Skunk" Baxter, Ritchie Kotzen, Steve Stevens, Bruce Kulick, and Derek Sherinian.
There's a few people that I think got left out of the "friends" list that would have made this a possible masterpiece... Prince (who has said, "If there was no Todd Rundgren, there would be no Prince..." That's heavy talk from the little, freaky man) would have made an excellent addition. I also think that Hall & Oates should have shown up on there, somewhere. After all, they got their start with Rundgren's help. I'd say they owe him a favor or twelve. Finally, considering all the "guitar hero" people on the CD, I also would have liked to have seen Eddie Van Halen contribute something... I mean Hell, it's not like he's busy, or anything... Anyway, Todd pulls off another tricky album with a finesse that only Todd can...
Todd's Crazy-assed Webpage
Well, there you have it... I'm sorry about the huge delay... Thins have been a bit hectic in recent months... but now, I have almost three full Flavors columns in waiting... so that shouldn't be a problem, any longer... See you next time.
All rights reserved, 2003 - Anthony Phillips/Xtatic Media
No portion of this may be reprinted without permission from Xtatic Media.
Flavors, Volume IX is Here!
Greetings... It's been a while since I've done this, but it's not like I've forgotten how to talk about music that I like to listen to... SO, with that said... let's get on with it, already...
+*+*+
A Perfect Circle - "Thirteenth Step" (2003, Virgin)
Finally... I've only been waiting for three and a half years, now... well, with singer Maynard James Keenan's other commitments (such as, oh, being the lead singer of that one other band... oh, what is their name, again?), I guess I can forgive them... Anyhow, after a couple lineup changes (bassist Paz Lenchantin leaving to join ex-Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan's new project, Zwan (a.k.a. "Smashing Pumpkins v. 2.0... but not as good") and guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen jumping ship to join up with Queens of the Stone Age), APC picked up ex-Marilyn Manson bassist Jeordi "Twiggy Ramirez" White and ex-Smashing Pumpkin guitarist James Iha to round out the new lineup... and didn't skip a beat in the process. Unlike Mer de Noms, Keenan takes a much more active role in Thirteenth Step, including the role of executive producer.
Not unlike its predecessor, Thirteenth Step is another one of those "throw it in and let it go" kid of CDs that is best when listened to from start to finish. Also, like TooL albums, there are several layers of emotions going on in the music. The opening song, "The Package," is a prime example, moving from "soft and sweet" to loud and angry... back to soft at the end...
I have always been a fan of how A Perfect Circle could take me on a roller coaster both with their music and within their music. This album is a little quieter than Mer de Noms, but that's certainly not a problem, or anything like that. In fact, it's another example of their singularity in the rock world.
A Perfect Circle
*+*+*
Soundtrack from the motion picture "Underworld" (2003, Lakeshore Records)
About three weeks before the movie Underworld came out, I was browsing through Target (pronounced "tar-JAY"), I saw the soundtrack sitting there for a whopping $9.99. I picked it up and flipped it over. Upon seeing who was on it, dropped it into my little basket-thingie. Produced by Nine Inch Nails' Danny Lohner (a.k.a. "Renholder"), the soundtrack features bands such as The Damning Well (ex-Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland, Filter's Richard Patrick, APC's Josh Freese and Lohner), Puscifer (Lohner and Maynard James Keenan), former Helmet frontman Page Hamilton, David Bowie (with Maynard), Dillinger Escape Plan, the quiet version of trustcompany's "Hover" that was formerly only available as a bonus MP3 on their CD (with music by ex-APC's Paz Lenchantin - "Earth to Paz... Earth to Paz... What the hell were you thinking leaving APC for ZWAN???"), as well as a cool, heavier remix of APC's latest single, "Weak and Powerless." Also featured is a remix of "Judith" that was previously only available on a couple different APC import CDs (although this version has the "Thank your god" line instead of the original). Anyhow, if you're into the darker side of things, see the movie, buy the soundtrack, enjoy.
Enter the Underworld
*+*+*
Frank Zappa - "Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention" (1985, Rykodisc)
Another one of those albums that I discovered at my brother's place back in the '80s. It takes its title after the infamous Parent's Music Resource Center (PMRC), which managed to get a Senate committee to hold hearings regarding what they referred to then as "porn rock," in which Zappa among many, many other musicians testified in the defense of free speech. One of the results were those little "voluntary" parental advisory stickers that adorn so many of today's CDs that contain (what some people view as) "questionable lyrics." Another result was the release of edited versions of CDs. I am one of the people that think that the edited versions are the ones that should be stickered and not the (possibly) offensive versions... something along the lines of "The copy of this CD that you are purchasing is not the author's original intended version. Changes have been made to protect your ears from words and ideas that you encounter everyday, everywhere else on the planet." It's worth noting that this album bears its own "warning label" of sorts: "Warning: This album contains material which a truly free society would neither fear nor repress."
Many of these songs were composed by and performed pretty much solely by Zappa on the Synclavier (a sequencing/sampling device), but there are other shining examples of classic Zappa/Mothers ensemble lyrical and musical genius.
This album also contains three of my all-time favorite Zappa tunes - "Alien Orifice," the original version of "What's New in Baltimore?" (featuring one of the coolest electric sitar parts ever, courtesy of then-member Steve Vai) and "Yo Cats," which chronicles the lengths that some musicians have to go through to get a gig... Well, you'll just have to listen to it for yourself (also worthy of mention is one of the earliest uses of the term "ho," years before the rap world would catch on). Also appearing on this album is the song "Porn Wars," which sort of chronicles the whole Senate hearings, at least where Zappa was concerned, and features snippets of dialogue from then US Senators Danforth, Hollings, Trible, Hawkins, Exon, Gorton, and Gore (who proclaims his admiration of Zappa), as well as his wife, Tipper (who was head of the PMRC at the time).
Maybe not his best overall piece of work (compared to classics like Broadway the Hard Way, Apostrophe, Overnight Sensation, Sheik Yerbouti, or Joe's Garage), but if you are, or ever have been a Frank Zappa fan, this is an album to listen to... many, many times...
Zappa.com
*+*+*
Pantera - "Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits!" (2003, Elektra/Rhino)
Pantera has been out of the metal limelight for a few years, now, thanks to a bunch of nü-metal cloned-out-by-the-thousands bands... and also to the fact that their last couple albums (101 Proof Live and Reinventing the Steel) were a bit less than desireable (maybe due to the fact that singer Phil Anselmo has his finger in about twenty different side projects, perhaps taking a little something from his concentration on the band that got him here in the first place)... but this latest offering, albeit a greatest hits offerring, has made me a happy boy, again. Although it's missing some of their best music (such as Far Beyond Driven's "Throes of Rejection" (featuring possibly the baddest-ass guitar solo of all metaldom), it does cover their catalog quite well, as well as providing some previously unreleased material (like a cover of the Nuge's "Cat Scratch Fever") My friend Jarrod and I always thought that Pantera would do a totally righteous cover of Hendrix's "Crosstown Traffic..." Maybe in the future?
But the highlight is not the aduio CD, but the accompanying DVD, which features all twelve of Pantera's commercially-released videos (including two live videos from their insanely awesome performance at the Moscow Peace Festival)... I never knew there was even a video for "Drag the Waters," thanks no doubt to the fact that at that time, Mtv had totally scrapped any kind of rock music from their airplay, in favor of P. Doody and other really shitty acts like that.
Another nice feature of this compilation is the price. I got this in a totally mega-overpriced music store in a mall for $12.99... with a DVD...
Pantera
*+*+*
Chris Whitley - "Rocket House" (2001, ATO)
Okay... I'm trying to think of something to say about Chris Whitley that I haven't said already. He's a genius... an incredible poet... an icon of eclecticism... a guitar guru (known for his many non-standard guitar tunings and an "inability" to play a song the same way twice). Rocket House is yet another fine example of Whitley in the electric universe (he tends to flop back and forth between electric and acoustic albums). This album was also released on Dave Matthews fledgling label, ATO Records and features Matthews along with Bruce Hornsby and DJ Logic among others...
I've been a major Chris Whitley fan since back in the days when Mtv actually played videos and they showed "Big Sky Country" from his debut CD, Living With the Law, one late night in '91. I bought the import version of Dirt Floor back in late '97, which contained some bonus tracks, one of which featured his then very young daughter, Trixie (who has been living in Belgium since she was about seven years old), on background vocals. I always thought it was kind of "cute" more than anything... Well, apparently Trixie did a lot of growing in the years that have followed... I was listening to Rocket House and the song "Chain" comes on, with an ethereal female backing vocal... I was sort of wondering who it was, because it was a really nice voice (and I have been searching for probably ten years trying to find a wicked female vocalist to work with, so every time I hear an unrecognizable voice, I like to know who it is)... bang... it's Trixie... Well, without taking up too much more space on the subject, I will be eagerly awaiting her musical debut (if not hopefully working on it, myself)...
Anyway, Chris Whitley's music is some of the coolest music ever to grace my ears. I turned my friends Duncan, Mike, and Steve on to him way back in '91 and they have been hooked ever since, as well... My hopes are that maybe I can turn some of you on to him, too. It's not for everyone (in other words, all you wanksters that think that Limp Bizkit is "killer tuneage, dude" should probably move along, and take your red Yankees hats with you), but if you enjoy the eclectic, this guy might be your next cup of tea.
Chris' Website
*+*+*
Warren Zevon - "The Wind" (2003, Artemis)
The world lost a really cool fellow when Warren Zevon passed away September 6th after a battle with mesothelioma. Before he passed away, he had a chance to record The Wind. Many of his friends came to help him with the recording, like Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, John Waite, Billy Bob Thornton, Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmidt, and Ry Cooder to name a few...
I have to say... this album is pretty bittersweet and spooky... He covers Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door..." and it's creepy... Other songs like "Numb as a Statue," "Please Stay," and "Keep Me in Your Heart..." creepy (the latter being the last song on the CD and... well... extremely sad and stuff...
I don't want to make it sound like this album is hard to listen to... because it's not... it's just when you realize that Zevon created this album as his "farewell" to us all, it's just sad, y'know?
Warren Zevon was a really cool, genuine man, and a great musician. He will be missed by many, many people...
Warren's Website
*+*+*
Depswa - "Two Angels and a Dream" (2003, Interscope)
I really don't know how to describe Depswa... Take one part deftones (maybe even two parts), one part Chevelle, one part Systematic, one part nonpoint, one part Korn - mix it all together in a bowl with some egg and butter and you get Depswa. Two Angels and a Dream is a very impressive entry into the rock market of 2003. Singer Jeremy Penick flat out has a great voice... I'm talking fantastic. Superb guitar playing, and the rhythm section certainly should not be overlooked, either. The songwriting is some of the best I've seen since A Perfect Circle's top-notch composing.
Basically, if you're looking for something heavy that won't make your ears bleed from the abrasiveness, pick up a copy of Two Angels and a Dream.
Depswa
*+*+*
Dave Matthews - "Some Devil" (2003, RCA)
I make no bones about the fact that I DO NOT like the Dave Matthews Band. I think the violin player (Boyd Tinsley) totally ruins songs, the saxophone player is weak, and the rest of the "band" doesn't do much for me, either. But I have always dug Dave Matthews when he works with a guitarist by the name of Tim Reynolds. Usually, it involves just the two of them in acoustic performances (such as "Live at Luther College," where Matthews and Reynolds do DMB songs the justice they deserve, performing them in their purest forms). Some Devil brings Matthews and Reynolds together in a "band-oriented" scheme, along with special guest Trey Anastasio (formerly of Phish, another band I totally could not ever enjoy one second of music from).
I'm not going to say I was "pleasantly surprised" with how good this album turned out to be, or anything like that, because quite frankly, I knew it would be a good album. Dave Matthews is a great songwriter, and when you combine him with the guitar-mastery of Tim Reynolds, you get a great product.
Also included in this CD is a second limited-edition CD featuring Mattews with Reynolds live at various places around the US performing five acoustic songs... It's almost worth it just for that.
Yes, all the little Dave Matthews Band groupies (I'm sorry I don't have a better term for you guys, but "parrotheads" was already taken) will undoubtedly love this album, too, and many of them will even probably think it is a Dave Matthews Band CD (everywhere it's popped up online I have seen lists it as such, even), but this is a chance for Dave to grab ahold of a new audience... like, people like me, who can't stand the Dave Matthews Band stuff, but realize or will realize that he is a great songwriter and a very accomplished musician...
Dave's Website
*+*+*
David Gilmour - "About Face" (1984, Columbia)
When I would play cuts from this album on my old radio show, inevitably people would call the station and ask me to play some of that "new Pink Floyd." When I would inform them that it was actually "old David Gilmour," they would usually always reply the same way... "Oh..." No folks, you weren't stupid, or anything like that... just a little out of touch.
I would go stay at my brother's when he was an undergrad at OSU all the time. He would go do his college stuff and I would stay in his room and listen to records... This record became one of my faves of my freshman year of high school... I taped a copy of it and played it so much, the tape broke (either that, or I used a cheap-assed tape).
This, his second solo album, features a fine list of "guest stars," if you will, with the likes of (one of the best bassists in the world) Pino Palladino, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Winwood, Jon Lord, and Roy Harper.
With this release, Gilmour proved he was every bit the songwirter as his by then ex-Pink Floyd bandmate, Roger Waters. About Face paved the way for the 1987 "return" of Pink Floyd with A Momentary Lapse of Reason and helped to solidify David Gilmour as one of the premiere musicians of the rock world.
Pink Floyd (I don't know if this is really an official site... but it worked for me...)
*+*+*
Todd Rundgren - "...and His Friends" (2002, Purple Pyramid)
Everyone on the planet has heard music from Todd Rundgren... maybe they just don't realize they have. For example, every Friday, some silly radio station plays "Bang the Drum All Day" at 5:00 to welcome the weekend... He was responsible for much of the music heard in "Dumb and Dumber." He scored chart hits with songs like "Can We Still Be Friends?" and "Hello, It's Me." ...and His Friends features Rundgren covering his own music, not unlike the bossa nova remake album With a Twist... This time around, the versions are very faithful to the originals... with the help of some of his friends (as the title implies) like Vivian Campbell, Edgar Winter, (a remarkably restrained) Dweezil Zappa, Gary Hoey, Steve Lukather, Tony Levin, "Skunk" Baxter, Ritchie Kotzen, Steve Stevens, Bruce Kulick, and Derek Sherinian.
There's a few people that I think got left out of the "friends" list that would have made this a possible masterpiece... Prince (who has said, "If there was no Todd Rundgren, there would be no Prince..." That's heavy talk from the little, freaky man) would have made an excellent addition. I also think that Hall & Oates should have shown up on there, somewhere. After all, they got their start with Rundgren's help. I'd say they owe him a favor or twelve. Finally, considering all the "guitar hero" people on the CD, I also would have liked to have seen Eddie Van Halen contribute something... I mean Hell, it's not like he's busy, or anything... Anyway, Todd pulls off another tricky album with a finesse that only Todd can...
Todd's Crazy-assed Webpage
Well, there you have it... I'm sorry about the huge delay... Thins have been a bit hectic in recent months... but now, I have almost three full Flavors columns in waiting... so that shouldn't be a problem, any longer... See you next time.
All rights reserved, 2003 - Anthony Phillips/Xtatic Media
No portion of this may be reprinted without permission from Xtatic Media.
posted by TONY at 10/11/2003 06:00:00 PM
<< Home