"The Future Embrace" by Billy Corgan - A Review

This album is almost impossible for me to review impartially. I've been a Smashing Pumpkins fan since high school and their music has, generally speaking, been the soundtrack to my life. "The Future Embrace" is the first "solo" album from Billy Corgan, the main songwriter, and voice behind the Smashing Pumpkins. If you're going in expecting to hear Siamese Dream II, you will be greatly disappointed. Mr. Corgan has created a "vibe" album that holds up much better as individual pieces than a whole. He's created a tribute album to all the bands that he himself is a fan of without covering one song of any particular band, (minus the Bee Gees cover of "To Love Somebody" with Robert Smith of the Cure on backing vocals. It's barely recognizable in the hands or Corgan). This record is an ode to Joy Division, The Cure, Depeche Mode, and pretty much any other "shoegazer" band you can think of. Many people have said that this record doesn't have any guitar in it (one of the major guitar magazines turned down an interview with him after hearing it as a matter of fact), but this really is a misinformed opinion. If you truly listen, this has some of his most interesting work as a guitarist in years. Not from the standpoint of how many notes he can fit in a solo, rather what kind of sounds he's coaxing from it and where it takes the song. At any rate, this is a record that works at some points and doesn't at others. What works: Many of the up tempo and mid-tempo numbers are among some of the best songs he's written, Mina Loy and thecameraeye among them. What doesn't work is when he slows the tempo down, an example being the plodding "I'm Ready" and "Now (And Then)". This is one of those records that has some good songs, but a couple of real clunkers and opinion will be divided among the Corgan faithful which are which. Among the not so faithful, or the casual fan, this album won't do much for them. The most polarizing figure in music only continues to divide the believers and the non-believers with a head scratching debut. 3

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!

Coldplay - X&Y - A Review...

This is one of those records that I'm having a hard time getting a handle on. I've heard it up to here about how this is the supposed record that's going to save the record industry from it's current slide, it will make Coldplay the biggest band in the world, etc... If judging it from that point of view, it's probably a dismal failure. Now, don't get me wrong here, it's not exactly a bad record, but this is not the record that will catapult Coldplay past such bands as U2 and Radiohead, their obvious influences and peers. None of the songs are particularly great or fantastic, but after saying that, there's really not a lot of filler either. It's a bit like a few years ago when Soul Asylum released "Let Your Dim Light Shine". They were being counted on to really deliver "the record" that would hurl them into the stratosphere after "Grave Dancers Union". While being an alright album, it couldn't live up to the hype placed on it. This is the same situation. Rolling Stone magazine gave the album three stars. Upon reading the review initially, I thought maybe they were being a little unfair and judging the record against inflated expectations. After hearing the album a few times for myself, I completely agree with their assesment that this is "the sound of a band trying not to deflate". I remember a couple years ago while listening to their last release "A Rush of Blood to the Head", there was a point about half way through a listen where I said to myself, "God this is a gorgeous album". No such feeling on X&Y. The whole thing seems to just float on by and at the end you're saying "hmmm, well that was ok I guess". Nothing grabs you like on their last record such as "Clocks" for example. The current single "Speed of Sound" was a safe choice that already seems likes it's passed. The standout tracks are "Square One" which starts the album off nicely, and "X&Y". While the record is not a bad album by any means, it's also nothing that anyone needs to add to their collection as essential. 3

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!

Yes, they're old, we get it already...

The Rolling Stones announced their latest tour recently and along with it came the slew of age jokes from many folks. My thought on this is that as long as they can give people a quality show, why not? If I could afford it, I would certainly go see them. It's a bit of a puzzle to me that they're supposed to pack it in but not a B.B. King or Buddy Guy, etc... Why is it that the Stones get picked on about this? I guess maybe it's due to the stones legend that's still out there, fast living, drinking, drugs, etc... As long as someone pays to see them I say they should turn the amps up and let it rip.

Becks touring again...

Here's the initial couple of tour dates for the "White Boy" in support of his excellent release "Guero".

July 2005
11 - Santa Cruz, CA - Civic Auditorium
14 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Queen Elizabeth Theatre
19 - Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl
21 - Costa Mesa, CA - Pacific Amphitheatre
22, 23 - Universal City, CA - Gibson Amphitheatre (Universal)

He'll also be opening a couple dates for the Stones on their latest outing.