CD Reviews
by Tommy
Burton
Click here for explanation of grades. Click here for archives.
Jan
2002 - Jun 2002
David Bowie Heathen
(ISO/Columbia)
There's a sticker on the front cover of Bowie's new album
that reads, "Classic Bowie circa 2002." In many
ways, it's absolutely right. I don't like saying
"return to roots." What were Bowie's roots
anyway? The man established his career by being the
greatest musical chameleon. When many of his cohorts fell
from favor during the 90s, Bowie managed to stay cool by
embracing modern rhythms and Trent Reznor. Bowie has
always been cool. So, this new record is him being lazy
and sitting back? No way. This is the most challenging
thing he's released since 1997's Earthling. "...hours..."
was lukewarm and, while it had its many subtleties, it
didn't grab you quite like Earthling. Then
there's those who will argue that Earthling
wasn't all that. So, with Bowie, there can always be an
argument. This album is no exception. While I don't
foresee the younguns rushing out to pick this up
alongside the new Britney record, old fans will be happy.
The album leaps right out at with a slow build rhythm
akin to Low. "Slow Burn" is the lead
off single, and appropriately so, as it's the most
hook-driven. The track also features some cool guitar
work from Pete Townshend. "Everyone Says 'Hi'"
has a great catchy poppy chorus that listeners can sing
along with. "I Would Be Your Slave" is moody
Bowie at his best. The whole record shines and gleams
with crispy production, beautiful arrangements, and great
songs. While I miss Reeves Gabrels' wackiness that has
adorned Bowie's recent efforts, this is an album that
will stick with you and share many delightful listens. It
doesn't sound like an old Bowie record. It sounds like a
new one, but it does sound like he's in familiar and
comfortable terrain, which is a very good thing. Grade:
B+
Brian Wilson Pet Sounds Live
(Santuary)
Do we need a live version of Pet Sounds?
Probably not. Will it make believers out the people who
have never heard the great pop masterpiece? Probably not.
Will it make legions of Brian Wilson fans very happy?
Yes. I love Brian. I'm stoked that he is touring and
looking and sounding great. His band is possibly the
finest live act out there. They faithfully recreate some
of the most difficult arrangements the pop music world
has ever known. They do the same thing for the harmonies.
While Mike Love slogs it out on the oldies market as
"The Beach Boys," Brian has put together a top
notch touring ensemble that will blow away much of the
competition. No, there are no surprises here. It's Pet
Sounds, in its entirety, as performed live in London
earlier this year. The band proves its chops, like they
did on last year's Brian Wilson live album. But it's
Brian who's the real delight here. Singing in very fine
voice and actually having fun with the audience. I swear,
he just keeps getting better and more comfortable, which
makes me so very happy. The music is tight as ever. The
harmonies are dead on. There's no real revelations,
except that one is able to hear and experience the
near-impossible task of Pet Sounds, one of the
most complex studio albums ever realized, faithfully
reproduced, note for note. And, most of all, it's just
plain fun. Is it essential? Likely not. But, this was and
is some of the greatest music ever to be written and
recorded. Longtime Brian fans will certainly want this in
their homes, and I'm sure most do. Others need to go find
the original album and study up. Grade: B
Weezer Maladroit
(Geffen)
Released almost a year to the date after the acclaimed,
return to form, untitled 2001 album (now referred to as The
Green Album), Maladroit shows Weezer a
stronger band in areas. Rivers has found a nice balance
of the pop hooks and emotional bent that helped to make Pinkerton
one of the best albums of the 90s. The band has been
touring almost non stop since the beginning of 2001, and
it shows. They are a stronger unit. But it's still all
about the music and there's a heap of good stuff here.
Weezer rips through 13 tracks of their hardest rock. It's
full of riffs and vintage lead guitar. Rivers used to
favor more simple lead lines, here he lets loose and even
shreds a little. And the tone is almost like a vintage
Eddie Van Halen sound. Yes, the guitars are still
distorted and are capable of reaching out and grabbing
you. This whole album just rocks out, though. You can
turn it up. The band is tight and on top of each tune.
The debut (Blue Album) and the Green Album
were Ric Ocasek-produced similar-themed albums. Pinkerton
was a statement, produced by the band. While Maladroit
is also Weezer produced, it's much tighter sounding and
the songs are a little less gut wrenching, which to me
proves that Rivers may be finding that balance of making
hook-heavy bitchin' records of amazing depth. They
haven't made a bad album yet, and I'm sure that this one
will be one of this year's most remembered. Rock and roll
is alive and well thanks to Weezer. Grade: A
Van Morrison Down The Road
(Universal)
Let's face it, Van Morrison has been on cruise control
for his past several albums. While the man still has that
voice, his recent material has just been empty and even a
bit boring. While I'll give him his genre affairs like
the Skiffle Sessions and You Win Again,
I was a bit skeptical coming into Down The Road.
Was it gonna be another record of Van going through the
motions? Was he still capable of conjuring up that great
feeling of an artist on top of his craft? Yes, and no.
While we may never get another Moondance or Astral
Weeks (I wouldn't expect that from him anyway), Down
The Road shows Van in familiar territory. He still
writes great songs, and while these may not have the
caliber of those glory days, they work. And he hasn't
sung like this in a while. His voice is filled with that
old familiar passion as opposed to the bitter growl
that's dominated his past few LPs. Down The Road
is a laid back album, full of subtle nuances. Uncover
them, and find many rewards. It's tasteful and tuneful
blues. He's stripped away some of the anger that he's
been known to exhibit, and these songs sound natural and
easy. Even the one cover of "Georgia On My
Mind" just slides right into the rest of the album.
Many veteran artists are turning some fine albums these
days, and I'm happy to report that Van Morrison is too.
While it won't win any new fans, it will certainly please
the old ones. Grade: B+
Elvis Costello When
I Was Cruel (Island)
He's back. No, really... he's back. "But I thought
he released something just this past year?" you are
probably asking. Well, he did. He released some
recordings with an opera singer. It was really great, but
When I Was Cruel is a Rock album. It's the kind
of stuff that made us fall in love with him way back
when. Some of us have even forgotten that he knew how to
write these great pop/rock tunes. This album proves that
Elvis is still king. His recent reissues from Rhino must
have rekindled some old flames because this sounds like
the Elvis of yore. Flowing melodies, sardonic lyrics,
trashy electronic piano (courtesy of Steve Nieve). It's
all here. And it's damn catchy to boot. While his recent
outings have had their many rewards, it's great to see an
artist like Elvis get back to the basics. Above and
beyond, Elvis Costello is, and always has been, a
fantastic writer. The opening track, "45," will
lure you in. Each subsequent track explores different
rhythms and sounds. It's all about the songs, though, and
that's what remains in focus throughout the record. And
the great thing is, it really rocks in some places. Take
a listen to "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll
Revolution)." I'm sure this is an album that's gonna
stick with you for a while and will surely be one of the
most remembered of the year. And alongside earlier Elvis
classics, it fits very nicely. Grade: A-
Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
(Nonesuch)
It's about time. This album was supposed to come out last
year, but Reprise seemed to demote the band back to the
minors. It would be fitting if it went on to be one the
most acclaimed releases of the year, just to prove that
record companies don't know shit about music. Wilco is a
great band and deserves to be heard. This album is no
exception. Jeff Tweedy must have been the more
experimental element to Uncle Tupelo as Jay Farrar's solo
album from last year remained on familiar alt-country
ground. Jeff must be the pop side, as Wilco began
branching out from that with Summer Teeth. Those
expecting those good old acoustics and harmonies, be
forewarned: They're not here. What is here is some fine
pop/rock with a bent on studio feedback and effects. On
top of that, there are still some great tunes. It's a
clean sound and perhaps a bit laid back in sections. Some
may even call it "weird" with its moody reverb
and sound effects. It's most definitely a studio record.
Plus, there are some wonderful melodies. "Jesus,
etc." is a prime example of this. The track even
throws in some familiar pedal steel and fiddle to boot.
It's a crying shame that album was put on indefinite hold
status as its release proves that there's some great
music left in Wilco, and one hopes that they continue to
grow and make some more of this fine music. Grade: A-
Willie Nelson The
Great Divide (Lost Highway, 2002)
Willie Nelson has never been been known to play by the
rules, and yet he somehow manages to remain cool. On the
same token, however, sometimes he puts his music into the
hands of producers that are very MOR. A few years ago, he
worked with the great Daniel Lanois and produced a work
of extreme beauty and depth (1997's Teatro). The
reason it had so much to offer was because Lanois simply
recorded Willie, his guitar, and simple arrangements.
Last year's children's album (Rainbow Connection)
was very simplistic and had its moments. This is big time
Willie here. Rock producer Matt Serletic mans this effort
to mixed results. Willie is great (let's face it, the man
is one America's finest singers). The songs are good. The
production is full and sonically on the money. So, what's
the problem? In listening to The Great Divide,
one wishes that Matt had just stuck a mic up to Willie
and let him sing these songs. Instead, we get rock guitar
and driving arrangements. The two simply do not mix.
Don't get me wrong: Willie Nelson is an institution and
this is a fine album, but with all the music that's going
on here, I just wish that they had left all the toys at
home. Highlights include the title track, "Time
After Time" (that's right, the Cyndi Lauper tune),
and "Last Stand In Open Country" (with Kid
Rock). The special guests here include Lee Ann Womack,
Sheryl Crow, Brian McKnight, and Bonnie Raitt. Rob Thomas
is one of the many songwriters represented here as well.
Thanks, Willie, for the sense of adventure, but call
Daniel up for the next record. Grade: B-
Sheryl Crow C'Mon C'mon
(A&M, 2002)
Sheryl Crow goes to the sunny and swank 70s. She even
pulls in longtime Lenny Kravitz collaborator Craig Ross
to add some legitimacy to this bouncy collection of
tunes. "Soak Up The Sun" is damn catchy. I'm
sure that we won't be able to escape it from the radios
this summer. Overall, though, this is record you can lie
out on at the beach with and it won't get on your nerves.
Is that a bad thing? Probably not, but at the same time,
is it a classic that will endure for years? I believe the
answer would be "no." Sheryl has a knack for
writing some sweet songs, but they all quickly fade into
the background and I'm not inclined to return to them
again and again. This is one those records you put in you
CD player in the car and promptly begin skipping around
from track to track. It's clean and effectively boring
and sterile. Sheryl is capable of writing some decent
tunes, and she does so here, but they never just quite
sink their teeth in. Grade: C
The White Stripes White
Blood Cells (V2, 2002)
It's all about the guitars. Big, loud, nasty ones. This
album jumps right out of your stereo and grabs you by the
collar. The sound just surrounds you. There's a big buzz
on this one, and from the sound of this record, we can
expect great things from this brother and sister duo.
Jack and Meg White run through a set of songs that may be
described as minimalistic, raw rock. The never conform to
any particular style. Take away the loud guitars and you
may have a pop tune, a country song, or just plain old
blues. Jack exhibits all the makings of a great
songwriter in that he absorbs all music, twists it, and
spits it back with his own stamp. I can honestly say that
this will be in my top ten for 2002. The record is just
that good. Grade: A
Phantom Planet The Guest
(Sony, 2002)
This band will certainly gain notice from fans of the
movie Rushmore, as its drummer (and one of its
primary songwriters) is Jason Swartzman, who played Max
Fischer in the film. But for those expecting the
melancholy tone of Rushmore's soundtrack, turn
away. Now, for those that like a great pop record filled
with humongous hooks, this one will surely please. The
opening track (and single) "California" will
draw you in and the rest of the album through
"Something Is Wrong" will live up to the
promise. Like all good pop music, this is tight and
crisp. The band also landed Mitchell Froom to produce and
he keeps the band clean, but judging by the live bonus
tracks (sold in a limited edition of the album), the band
was already pretty tight. Good harmonies and
hooks-a-plenty The Guest makes for great
soundtrack to this summer. Grade: B
The Mnemonic Devices Sparkling
Objective Correlatives (Love and
Letters, 2002)
Our own Rusty Spell. He gets a PhD and then makes a
record of extreme beauty and trite pop. "Music
Box" is just what it says and anybody would kill for
a melody like this. It's simply perfect. Rusty's lyrics
teeter between the banal and brilliant. I think he likes
them that way. References to "a world of
wonder" in the song "Teddy Ruxpin" may
leave some asking if its genius or just stupid. But Brian
Wilson always walked that line and it was good enough for
him. Simplistic, yet perfect. But somehow, instead of
making this perfect record, Rusty insists on paying
tribute to hip dance music and modern talk show talk.
"Hubba Hubba" is the prime example of this with
its references to passing STD tests and the wonder of
having a girlfriend with nice breasts (Don't think it's
sexist, the female in the duet gets to pay tribute to her
man's unit). Again, I ask, "Is it just stupid or
simply brilliant?" It might not be so hard to walk
that line if Rusty went a single direction or pulled a
Herbie Hancock and just led a double life; one as a
modern radio hipster and the other as pure pop tunesmith.
Perhaps they go hand in hand for Rusty. This album
contains some wonderful moments and every single enduring
second is just as engaging as the previous. The return of
various female singers also helps for variety. With the
absolutely stunning "Everything About Me"
closing the record, you can't help but think that Rusty
is one of the most engaging songwriters around. And like
all good songwriters, he leaves us wondering whether or
not he meant to do that. Grade: B+
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