Stand Up... (or sit down?)...

Maybe I'm biased. Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut and not even review the latest effort by the Dave Matthews Band. Maybe hearing that they hired a producer that works with 50 Cent and Eminem made me sick to my stomach and causes me not to give the record a fair shake. Maybe my love of "Under the Table and Dreaming" and "Crash" have clouded my ability to give this latest "effort" a fair trial if you will. I can say all that but it doesn't change the fact that I was greatly disappointed by their latest release "Stand Up". Dave Matthews is now officially coasting. I saw some hint of this with their last release "Everyday", other than the title track, every song was utterly forgettable, ("Space Between", in my opinion, is the worst song they've ever recorded). This usually happens with great bands, that a "stinker" will come out every now and then. Add this record to that pile. I've listened to it multiple times, multiple ways, (standing on my head even) and the result is the same. Bored and disinterested. It starts out promising enough with Dreamgirl, a song that has a bit of a "Graceland" (Paul Simon) feel to it with the backing vocals, but the record takes a nosedive from there and never recovers. "Old Dirt Hill" has a corny feel with such deep lyrics as "Bring that beat back to me again", ughhh. "Stand Up" repeats the line, well, "stand up" so many times by the fiftieth time you're ready to "stand up" and turn the CD player off. "American Baby" is a forgettable hit that I don't care if I ever hear again. The whole thing feels so breezy that it's boring and I don't recommend this album to anyone outside of a diehard DMB fan and even they might be put to sleep by it. One more thing, in the music industries ever continuing plan to completely alienate every fan of music, they've attached a digital rights management license to the CD making them useless if you want to play them on an IPOD. Brilliant move. Now I don't completely blame Dave Matthews for this, I'm sure the record label is as much to blame but this is how Dave Matthews fans are rewarded? One of the most loyal (excluding me) groups of fans in any entertainment arena? Come to think of it, it's probably a blessing in disguise. The less people are able to share this the better.1

1 = Don't purchase in the $1.00 bin at your used record store. Avoid like a plague.
2 = Only if you're desperate for new music. You need it like a hole in the head.
3 = An okay buy, probably just download the tracks you want from I-Tunes.
4 = Buy new the next time you're out and about. A fully satisfying record.
5 = Masterpiece, run and buy today!

" Devils & Dust" by Bruce Springsteen - A Review...

Well, it's no "Ghost of Tom Joad". That can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on which version of "The Boss" you prefer. Upon paging through various reviews of Bruce Springsteens new album "Devils & Dust", I got the impression that this was a mostly acoustic affair recalling his album "The Ghost of Tom Joad", one of my favorite records he's made. After picking up a copy for myself I saw this was (mostly) an incorrect assumption. I had even heard the dreaded phrase "spoken word" associated with it. So it was with some trepidation that I approached the listening of this album. After a few listens I can say it's pretty typical Springsteen themes, lyrics, and music with the BIG exception being the terrible production job by Brendan O'Brien. This music would have been much better served by Bruce sitting in the studio with an acoustic guitar and harmonica belting it out. The proof of this is found on the DVD side of the new DUALDISC format the record was released in. Bruce with his beat up Gibson acoustic playing with great emotion and soul, something sorely lacking on the album. This is a tremendously more enjoyable experience than listening to the overproduced tracks on the CD side and you wish the album would've been recorded this way. Some of the songs are ok, just stripped of any feeling by the lame overproduction. It sounds as if some of the instruments (drums especially) came right from Pro Tools and have no depth at all. Every song has to have a stupid synthesizer backing track to it it seems. Lame is the word to describe it.
Instead of picking up this record, I would suggest people see Bruce on his upcoming solo tour, that's if you can afford the seventy five dollar "common man" price he's asking for tickets. 2

1 = Don't purchase in the $1.00 bin at your used record store. Avoid like a plague.
2 = Only if you're desperate for new music. You need it like a hole in the head.
3 = An okay buy, probably just download the tracks you want from I-Tunes.
4 = Buy new the next time you're out and about. A fully satisfying record.
5 = Masterpiece, run and buy today!

"Cold Roses" - Ryan Adams - A Review...

“I want as many pieces of art to get out to as many people as will have them,” he said. “It’s not about how many people. It’s about how many songs.” -Ryan Adams

Before writing this review, I have to be honest with you. I am a large Ryan Adams fan. Huge. 6'5" and two hundred and ninety pounds worth. I've pretty much loved everything he's ever done from his classis debut "Heartbreaker" to last years "Love is Hell" EP's. I hear many critics speak of how he could really benefit from a producer to whittle down his musical output and help him focus on a shorter album, (all his releases are usually marathons to sit through in the best possible sense). I can understand this criticism, but as a diehard fan I hope he never takes anyone up on this advice. Mr. Adams puts out a lot of music to be sure (this year he's releasing three full length records), but most of it is quality, very little filler. His new release "Cold Roses" continues this trend. "Cold Roses" is a two disc set that was recorded in New York with Ryans new backing band "The Cardinals" consisting of guitarists J.P. Bowersock, pedal steel player Cindy Cashdollar (formerly of Asleep at The Wheel), drummer Brad Pemberton, and bassist Catherine Popper. Cold Roses finds Ryan Adams returning to the sound of his first two records "Heartbreaker" and "Gold" and he really sounds excited to be making this type of music again. It's a welcome return for the listener as well. Mr. Adams strength has always been in his alt-country roots, more like the Jayhawks than say, Wilco. This album is the most listenable he's ever made with such strong melodies and great musicians backing him. You can also hear the lack of overproduction that was the one criticism I had of his album "Gold". None of these songs have been stripped of their character. At times, his voice sounds so tender as if at the verge of cracking, and only adds to the atmosphere of the record. It's as if the songs were recorded on the second or third take at times. While not quite as "live" as last years "Rock & Roll" sounded, it retains that spark. The standout tracks are difficult to pick. It's seriously that good of an album. "Let It Ride" is a great traditional country song with it's theme of a down on his luck rambler/gambler and perfect with it's obligatory pedal steel work, "Mockingbird" sounds epic at times and ebbs and flows as an epic should, "Easy Plateau" is a breezy little tune with great guitar work. There's a great mix of soft acoustic numbers, some rockers, some old fashioned country and generally something for everyone. This is easily the most mature record Ryan Adams has recorded to this point, and I for one can't wait to see what the other two releases hold in store this year. If they're even half as good as this record is, music fans should rejoice. This is his second masterpiece in my opinion, (the other being "Heartbreaker"). 5

1 = Don't purchase in the $1.00 bin at your used record store. Avoid like a plague.
2 = Only if you're desperate for new music. You need it like a hole in the head.
3 = An okay buy, probably just download the tracks you want from I-Tunes.
4 = Buy new the next time you're out and about. A fully satisfying record.
5 = Masterpiece, run and buy today!

Review from MSNBC

MSNBC Review

Official Website

ryan-adams.com

More "teeth" than I thought NIN had left... A Review...

About five years ago, Nine Inch Nails released a bloated double album called "The Fragile". That record was a two cd song cycle that was really lacking a lot in the emotion department, be it the lack of emotion the record company put behind marketing it, or the lack of emotion mastermind Trent Reznor felt in making it. This is not to say it didn't have it's moments. Songs like "La Mer" and "Into The Void" rank among the best songs he's put out, but as a whole the record could've been cut in half and no harm really done. It seemed that Trent Reznor had burned out of ideas and was starting to fly on autopilot. That's all history now. The new release "With Teeth" is a tremendous album that loses the overstuffed qualities of "The Fragile" and get NIN back on track. This album shows NIN have earned the spot they(/Trent Reznor) was awarded recently as one of the 100 Immortal artists Rolling Stone issued. The centerpiece of the album is the current single "The Hand That Feeds", quite possibly the catchiest tune NIN have recorded. Other standout tracks are "Love Is Not Enough" with it's great drum sound (something Trent Reznor has always been a master at is the "tone" of his drum sound, listen to "Eraser" from "Downward Spiral" for proof) and it's slow, slithering, apocalyptic crawl through your speakers, and "Sunspots" which could be a good choice for a second single. As a whole nothing on the album sounds out of place and everything blends nicely. This is NIN at their best, melodic industrial rock that makes you remember why you fell in love with "Pretty Hate Machine" and "The Downward Spiral". 4

1 = Don't purchase in the $1.00 bin at your used record store. Avoid like a plague.
2 = Only if you're desperate for new music. You need it like a hole in the head.
3 = An okay buy, probably just download the tracks you want from I-Tunes.
4 = Buy new the next time you're out and about. A fully satisfying record.
5 = Masterpiece, run and buy today!

Official Website



• NIN.com

Beck - Guero - A Review...

Beck has done it yet again. "Guero" is the latest in a long line of great releases by Beck. Whether listening to tracks "E-Pro" or "Scarecrow", these songs get into your head and won't leave. The best track (or my favorite if you prefer) is "Que' Onda Guero". Beck takes you for a stroll in some East LA neighborhood and you can almost smell the smells and picture the people as you pass them by. "See the vegetable man/ in the vegetable van/ with a horn that's honking like a mariachi band". While many critics have said that this is his new "Odelay", I would have to disagree with that. I hear why they say that, but I feel he's drawing from all his previous releases and creating a more mature record while not repeating himself. "E-Pro" would not sound out of place on "Midnite Vultures" for example, while "Earthquake Weather" could have been on "Mutations". This album has touches of all his trademarks, but doesn't sound like a clone of anything he's done before. One thing I really hear is how effortless he makes everything sound. While I still hold his masterpiece "Odelay" as a touchstone for Beck's music, this one has come closest to replacing it as my personal favorite. 4

1 = Don't purchase in the $1.00 bin at your used record store. Avoid like a plague.
2 = Only if you're desperate for new music. You need it like a hole in the head.
3 = An okay buy, probably just download the tracks you want from I-Tunes.
4 = Buy new the next time you're out and about. A fully satisfying record.
5 = Masterpiece, run and buy today!

Official Website



• beck.com

New Release Tuesday...

By far my favorite day of the week, it's new release Tuesday! This week brings me new records from two of my favorites, NIN and Ryan Adams. With NIN's new single "The Hand That Feeds" getting some good airplay, look for this album "With Teeth" to become the new #1 in the USA and other countries as well. Ryan Adams new record "Cold Roses" is a two cd set that recalls his previous work with Whiskeytown and his classic debut "Heartbreaker". With his new band The Cardinals, he's left the Replacements/80's inspired sound of his last release "Rock & Roll" behind and dived headfirst back into alt-country. I couldn't be any more excited. This will be the first of three records Ryan will release this year. Reviews on both of these albums to come in the future.

Official Websites



• NIN.com


• ryanadams.com