MUSIC
MUSIC
Album Reviews Reviews by B. Love, John B. Moore, & Lee Valentine Smith
The Dean’s List THE CLASH – Sound System (Legacy/Epic) A fitting tribute to one of the greatest bands in rock ‘n’ roll’s history JM: Like manna from heaven, the gods at Legacy have parted the clouds and offered a bonanza of music from one of the world’s greatest bands ever to plug in guitars and rail against injustice. In the form of 11 CDs and a DVD, a majority of the band’s music is finally collected in one place. This collection houses the band’s five pivotal studio albums in their original format, newly re-mastered by the remaining band members. It starts with their 1977 self-titled debut, which, with amazing songs like “White Riot,” “London’s Burning” and “Janie Jones,” should’ve merited the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame all by its damn self. Their sophomore album, Give ‘Em Enough Rope, didn’t have nearly the impact of that first record. But 1979’s London Calling cemented their reputation as the best thing going in rock music at the time, showing off snatches of reggae, funk, jazz, ska and rockabilly. The three-LP set Sandinista continued the band’s expansion into new sounds, most notably world music and rap. Though still beloved by diehard fans, it wasn’t as widely embraced by the record-buying public. The last great Clash album was 1982’s Combat Rock. Though “Rock the Casbah” is the best-known track, songs like “Know Your Rights” and “Ghetto Defiant” hold up better now, 30-plus years later. The Sound System collection, thankfully, does not include the band’s much-maligned sixth studio album Cut the Crap, which was recorded after Mick Jones left the group. Along with those five seminal albums, this stellar box set also includes three CDs of demos, non-album singles, rarities and B-sides. The set also comes with a DVD of hard-to-find footage by Don Letts and Julien Temple. Among the material included here are original promo videos and live sets, though the quality varies greatly. The boom box packaging that houses all of this was designed by Clash bassist Paul Simonon, and comes with badges, dog tags, stickers, a Clash poster, an owner’s manual, reprints of the band’s original Armagideon Times fanzine, and a new edition curated/ designed by Simonon. All in all, it’s simply sublime! O’BROTHER – Disillusion (Triple Crown) Strecthing creative boundaries BL: Though the band was born and bred on the Atlanta music scene, performing with most of its current lineup intact since frontman Tanner Merritt joined in 2008, O’Brother has never enjoyed the hipster “buzz band” status bestowed on groups like the Black Lips and Deerhunter. Perhaps that explains why
O’Brother’s sound– a mixture of metal, prog and psychedelic rock– seems so unique to Georgia. Without the burden of expectation, they were allowed to evolve at their own pace, and in their own way. Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull and Robert McDowell produced the band’s stunning 2011 debut, Garden Window. Mike Sapone (who mixed their breakthrough) takes the helm for their sophomore album, which broadens their sonic palette via artful experimentation. Thankfully, stretching their creative boundaries does nothing to dull the edges of their potent 3-guitar attack. Frontman Tanner Merritt seems particularly intent on exploring his range here: On the hallucinogenic opening track, “Come Into The Divide,” the vocals veer from Jeff Buckleystyle falsetto melodies to whisper/moaned mantras in a lower register. The end result sounds like an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, each of them tempting you to enter an otherworldly dimension from which you may or may not be able to depart. Not all the tracks here are quite so esoteric: “Parasitical” is a throbbing rocker that wouldn’t sound out of place on an Alice In Chains album, while “Context” could be the perfect soundtrack to the climactic scene of a Jerry Bruckheimer action epic. But O’Brother is at its most interesting when it spreads its compositional wings and takes dynamic flight, as it does on “Oblivion,” “Absence” and the title track, which range in length from 6:43 to over 9 minutes. They may not be one of Atlanta’s buzziest bands. But Disillusion proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that O’Brother is well on its way to being one of Georgia’s best. HUGH LAURIE – Didn’t It Rain (Warner Bros) New Orleans blues/ragtime stomp in the House LVS: Albums by television personalities have long been a vanity sub-genre of the record industr y, u s u a l l y relegated to the novelty section and later optioned for snickering “Golden Throats” compilations. But in the case of actor/musician Hugh Laurie, the novelty tag isn’t quite applicable. Naturally, the reason it’ll get any attention in today’s market is due to his long-running role as wisecracking Dr. Gregory House on the excellent House. But, with his second recording in recent years, the naysaying snickers have vanished and the music can stand on its own merits. 2011’s excellent Let Them Talk was a
great introduction to his style– a brusque hybrid of bar-rattling New Orleans stomp, with nods to raucous ragtime ditties. Didn’t It Rain, which was produced by Joe Henry, finds Laurie navigating the same territory, but delving deeper into the blues groove of a more somber Dr. John and the mysteries of the Mississippi Delta. Tracks such as “Wild Honey” and Alan Price’s “Changes” easily blend with the inspiring gospel feel of the title track and the remorse of the bluesy “Send Me to the ‘Lectric Chair.” The album is rounded out by standards like “One For My Baby” and “St. Louis Blues,” and presented with the bluster of old time barrelhouse piano and an impressive roster of guests. Guests like Tom Jones and Allen Toussaint are featured, and the whole party atmosphere is gelled by the witty musical repartee of Laurie’s band of pals, The Copper Bottom Band. Looking forward to his show at the Buckhead Theatre.
Rest of the Class
TRANSPLANTS– In A Warzone (Epitaph) Punk-rock supergroup disappoints with third outing JM: It took seven years for the Transplants– the side project for Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, Blink 182’s Travis Barker and Rob Aston on vocals– to follow up their last album. The result is… well, not exactly worth the wait. Yes, there are some good, even great songs on this record (specifically “Back to You” and “Come Around”). But, for every solid track, there’s a mediocre one following it up that makes you wonder if they were just looking to fill up space on the album. In A Warzone is a departure of sorts, with less of a hip-hop and drum ‘n’ bass vibe (“Something’s Different” being among the few exceptions). Without the x factor that made the Transplants so appealing in the beginning– punks embracing their love for hip-hop– the band seems like just another group of inked-up guys playing punk-rock. Seeing as how Armstrong’s main band does that style better than most, why not just save your money for the next Rancid record? (C-) RUN THE JEWELS – Self-Titled (Fool’s Gold) Two hip-hop titans formalize their partnership BL: Jaime Meline (a.k.a. r a p p e r / producer El-P) and Michael Render (a.k.a. r a p p e r / actor Killer Mike) are like peanut butter and bananas– two great tastes that taste surprisingly great together. After collaborating on 2012 solo albums, R.A.P. Music and Cancer 4 Cure, Run The Jewels finds them officially joined as a duo. It’s an oddly intoxicating blend, with El’s metaphor-drenched wordplay complemented by Mike’s more streetwise flow. Musically, El’s beats trod an accessible
middle ground between his cacophonous inclinations and grimy boom-bap simplicity. The title track blends reggae and dubstep influences with triple-time rhymes that slice like a ninja blade. “Banana Clipper” brings Big Boi into the mix for a braggadocious slammer destined to bang in clubs and car stereos, while “Twin Hype Back” features the legendary Prince Paul guiding listeners on an oddball psychedelic rap journey. Not every aural experiment here works. But killer tracks like “36-inch Chain,” “Sea Legs,” and “Get It” still make it one of 2013’s best hip-hop albums. (B+) CARLY RITTER – Self-titled (Vanguard) Born with stardom in her genes LVS: What year is this? Carly Ritter’s delightful selftitled debut has all the best qualities of a very cool ‘70s album. You’d swear this disc was from the Ronstadt/Muldaur/Waldman school of winningly winsome California folkrock. Her folky delivery, at once accomplished and simplistic, has a yearning edge to it that propels the collection of tunes into a timeless yet evocative tales of cinematic beauty. It’s probably in her blood, since her grandfather was singing cowboy Tex Ritter and her dad was the late comic actor John Ritter (Three’s Company). Ry Cooder’s son helps out on a few tracks as well, pushing the pedigree level to even higher standards. Yet Ritter has carved out her own path between gritty country and urbane pop. The result is one of the best albums of this year so far, with standout tracks that include the incredible reality of “It Is Love,” the only song this reviewer has heard that is openly influenced by famed philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. (A-) KUT U Up – Worse Than Wolves (Aggronautix) Long-anticipated sophomore effort from indie punks doesn’t disappoint JM: After taking more than a decade to assemble new material, Kut U Up has finally released their second studio album. The time away has done wonders for the San Diego-based punk-rock band. Worse Than Wolves is frustratingly short, with only six tracks. But, as a result, there is very little fat on this one, with each song just as solid as the next. There is also a little more melody here, but the rawness that makes up the core of the band’s sound is still there. It was that rawness that originally made them stick out on the Pop Disaster Tour with Green Day and Blink 182, giving it a shot of badly-needed punk rock credibility. The band, last seen in the documentary film Riding in Vans With Boys (which chronicled that tour), never actually called it quits. In fact, they spent the last 10 years playing shows here and there. Apparently, it just took them a very, very long time to find their way back into the studio. It was well worth the wait. (B) insiteatlanta.com • September 2013 • PG 23