Husker Du "The Living End"

 

Husker Du "The Living End" 8/10

This live set was originally released in 1994, 6 years after the breakup of Husker Du.  The first takeaway is how powerful this record sounds.  Husker Du's studio efforts are famously mired in terrible production.  Seriously, if your band gets signed to a label and they send Spot to produce it, you should just wipe your ass with the contract and move on to greener pastures.  The songs are so fantastic that they survive the bad mixing and terrible production, but the utter lack of low frequencies on the bass guitar, and the tin can sound of the drums make the rhythm section sound like amateurs on the studio releases.  Further complicating things, the first live Husker Du album was recorded live at First Avenue for about $300.  They should have asked for $295 back, as someone in the crowd with a tape recorder probably did a better job of capturing the set.

But, we aren't here to talk about the problems with the releases of the Husker Du catalog, we are here to discuss this fantastic sounding, career spanning, live set.  These live tracks are selections from the final Husker Du tour.  At this point, they had become an underground phenomenon, one of the first college rock radio bands to sign to a major label.  Still a cult band, their audience had nonetheless grown as relentless touring and frantic album releases had gradually built their listeners.

I like the final Husker Du studio album "Warehouse: Songs and Stories," but this set is WAY heavy on "Warehouse" tracks, while glossing over more celebrated releases, and ALMOST ignoring their sprawling and groundbreaking double album "Zen Arcade."  That is really my only complaint here; the balance of the catalog is a bit off, and a little bit too partial to the newest album of the time to the detriment of some great songs from other important releases.

Anyways, on to the ferocious rock n roll of Bob, Grant, and Greg.  

1) "New Day Rising"

The Huskers frequently opened their sets with this barn burner.  A study both in the frantic drumming of Grant Hart harkening back to their days as a lightening-fast hardcore band, as well as lyrical minimalism, as the only lines in the song are the title itself.  This ferocious opener for this set is also the opening track on their celebrated album of the same name.

2) "Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill"

This is Grant Hart's power ballad about an alcoholic that he knew.  Think Heaven Hill bourbon, not a place called Heaven Hill.  Grant belts out a story about a woman who is living in an apartment surrounded by empty bottles, dirty clothes, boxes, and a worn out welcome mat.  Greg Norton's brilliant bassline carries the melody of this song

3) "Standing in the Rain"

We get a stark departure from the more frantic punk openers to Bob Mould's more longing "Standing In the Rain."  This is one of those late period Husker tracks that oozes with pop catchiness, while still maintaining a rough edge.  The buzz saw guitar tone that was one of Bob's signatures just cuts through here.  The bass guitar brilliantly glues the drums and the razor edged lead.  Grant's backing vocals add a great melody to Bob's lead

4) "Back From Somewhere"

We get a poppier track here from Grant.  He really loved to write those big pre-chorus parts to pull us all into an anthemic sing-along.  A story chiding a lover from a disappearance to a sudden reappearance.  Even though this is also a late period Husker track, it has the markings of Grant Hart's heart on your sleeve style.

5) "Ice Cold Ice"

One of the heaviest tracks from "Warehouse: Songs and Stories" we get this great call and response between Bob and Grant.  Bob's songs always felt more bitter than Grants.  This one is frantic, heavy, bitter, and, well, cold.  This is the 3rd song in a row from the final Husker album, so it does meld well as a part of this collection.  It ends with a nice, almost metal, blast beat.

6) "Everytime"

This is the first non-album track, but still a part of the "Warehouse" sessions, as it was the B side to "Could You Be the One" (the A side being the song that the Huskers played on Joan Rivers' short lived late show).  This one is a rare writing credit for bassist Greg Norton.  It feels like a track that looks back towards Husker Du's more punk beginnings.

7) "Friend, You've Got to Fall"

This song starts by borrowing a little riff from none other than the Yardbirds.  Taking the lead from "Over Under Sideways Down" and planting it on its face, it gets a nice punk rock makeover.  Husker Du were never afraid to wear their influences on their sleeve, be it Donovan, the Suicide Comandos, The Yardbirds, etc.  

8) "She Floated Away"

Yet another one from the Warehouse collection.  Grant Hart wrote this one borrowing a classic melody reminiscent of Celtic folk.  It plays out like a class Irish drinking song/cautionary tale about a woman that will break your heart.

9 "From the Gut"

So, after a long trip into the final Husker Du release, they turn it around and get us this nugget from their first studio album.  Classic SST punk song, where the point is to get the message and the feeling through as quickly as possible.  Husker Du were masters of playing as fast as they could, and trying to get the song stuck in your head before you realize it is over.  The marching drum line of the verse will get your head nodding along, and foot tapping.

10) "Target"

Another track in a row from "Everything Falls Apart," and the same idea.  a short and sweet punk number.  Meant to get the mosh pits fired up.  A sort of political call to action that starts and stops before you know what just hit you.  

11) "It's Not Funny Anymore"

The lone track from the "Metal Circus" EP.  This was one of the first looks into Husker Du slowing things down a bit and bringing a little introspection into their writing.  Grant Hart still lets out some big screams, but the song does feel a little bit like Grant is hurt and maybe choking back some tears.

12) "Hardly Getting Over It"

So, here is our first peak in this set into just how prolific of a writer Bob Mould was becoming.  This song was originally an acoustic ballad on their major label debut, "Candy Apple Grey."  This electric makeover on this rendition doesn't sacrifice any of the tenderness of the song.  This is maybe one of the most heartbreaking songs in Bob Mould's long and storied career both as a front man of Husker Du and Sugar, as well as a solo artist.  You just feel the pain in this song.  Just a heart wrenching song about the inevitability of aging and death.

13) "Terms of Psychic Warfare"

A great Grant Hart track, as we find our way back to the seminal "New Day Rising" album.  Once again, Greg Norton's bass playing, full of hammer ons and pull offs makes up the driver for the melody.  For the quietest member of the band both sonically and publicly, he sure knew how to drive a song when it was necessary.  

14) "Powerline"

Another song from the "New Day Rising" record, and once again the soft bass guitar part finds the melody as Bob Mould's fuzzy guitar takes the backseat.  A song that always felt like it limped into the end of the NDR record finds itself center stage here, in its full glory.  This one is certainly a study in how good Husker Du's songs were, and how much more palatable their work would have been with a better producer.  

15) "Books About UFOs"

 Another narrative song by Grant Hart.  This time he seems to be singing about a much more happy go-lucky woman than in "Heaven Hill."  I can picture this quirky friend of his sitting around reading eclectic books, obsessing over oddities and conjecture.

16) "Divide and Conquer"

So, after 15 tracks in the curated set, we finally get a song from the "Flip Your Wig" LP.  It feels kind of strange that such an important album in the Husker Du catalog is so overlooked here.  This song is near and dear to my heart, because I read somewhere that Bob Mould wrote it backstage somewhere close to my home, in Newport Kentucky.  A great punk sing along anthem, with a bouncy guitar line punching through the whole song.  

17) "Keep Hanging On"

Another nugget from "Flip Your Wig."  Feedback laden with some great bass work.  Frantic vocals from Grant Hart.  Sometimes it is hard to tell if the stress in his voice is meant to be there, of if it is due to the physical stress of hammering away on the drums while singing lead.  Somehow, his voice still always comes out more melodic than Bob Mould's vocals.  When Grant Hart fires on all 4 cylinders like this one, he somehow balances punk cred, melody, a nod to power pop, and a vocal performance that begs to be sang along to.

18) "Celebrated Summer"

This song feels so autobiographical.  The introspective Bob Mould singing about memories from more wistful summers of his youth.  This would probably rank within my top 5 favorite Husker Du songs.  It is hard and fast, while simultaneously being sensitive.  On this live take, the drama of switch from punk anthem to acoustic ballad is a little lost, but just as the song feels like it is about to fall apart, it pops right back in.  It's hard to say if the "Celebrated Summer" is being looked at cynically, or with rose tinted glasses.  

19) "Now That You Know Me"

Here we catch a Grant Hart song that didn't show up until his first solo release following the breakup of Husker Du.  It is cool to hear a Husker Du version of it.  It definitely feels like a throwback to the more hardcore halcyon days of the band, while having a bit of the pop polish that began with their later records.

20) "Ain't No Water in the Well"

Another "new" song that Bob Mould wrote on this tour.  In retrospect, Bob Mould describes the song as "just okay" and I concur.  It feels a little phoned in as the rifts were growing in the band, and the rivalry between the chief songwriters went from friendly to bitter.  Wisely scrapped before Bob Mould released his fantastic solo debut, "Workbook."

21) "What's Going On"

How did we get 20 tracks in before ANYTHING from the fantastic "Zen Arcade" album gets its due?  "What's Going On" probably wouldn't be the "Zen" song I would add to the set, but it is a fun dual vocal performance between Grant and Bob, screaming about teen angst.  

22) "Data Control"

From the first live album to the last.  This song was from Husker Du's debut album, the live set "Land Speed Record."  As LSR is borderline unlistenable as it is a production nightmare, it is nice to hear this song a little bit more in the way that the audience actually experienced it.  This was the longest song in the LSR set, as some of the songs barely cracked a minute in length.

23) "In a Free Land"

Another one from the early days, this was Husker Du's second single.  It foreshadowed the things to come once they slowed down a bit and started writing about real life experiences, versus angry hardcore anthems. The call and response vocal trades between Grant and Bob are fantastic. 

24) "Sheena is a Punk Rocker"

A Ramones cover.  The Huskers do a pretty decent job at it, but a Ramones cover does feel a little bit safe.  Maybe it was because their audience was starting to grow beyond the underground crowd a bit and they were trying to introduce new fans to the music they loved, but it just feels like maybe too obvious of a choice.  I think I like their sort of cheeky cover of the Mary Tyler Moore theme song a bit more than this, but a live rendition of their fantastic send up of the Byrds' "8 Miles High" would have been a better fit for me.

Overall this is a fantastic live set.  A lot of animosity was boiling amongst the Husker Du members during this tour, Grant Hart's drug problem and misdiagnosis of HIV were tearing the band apart.  Despite the band being comprised of only 3 members, the egos of chief songwriters Bob Mould and Grant Hart were getting too big to share a single stage.  But this set at least gives listeners a glimpse into the power trio that they truly were live.

The Living End shows the carefully crafted stage presence and larger than life sound that Husker Du were capable of doing.  This live set also shows the potential of how great the songs really sound with proper production.  Many of these songs sound so much more powerful on this live set than on the album from which they were drawn.

Love and Rockets "Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven"

 
Love and Rockets "Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven" 7/10

Today's deep dive is into the psychadelic-pop world of Love and Rockets' debut album.  The particular pressing I am using for my study here is a the 2014, Super Vinyl 200 gram repress on blue wax.  Some people find colored vinyl to be of an inferior quality to black vinyl, and while there are probably shades of grey differences, I would be hard pressed to pick them up.  I do prefer black vinyl releases, but often these reissues are only going to come in colors.  I should probably consider myself lucky; this record is a very limited press.  One of 1500.  And, it probably sounds better than an OP, as this was faithfully remastered by audiophile label, Quality Record Pressings.

If you are unfamiliar with Love and Rockets, here is the rub.  They are from the British wave of post-punk.  Their dark, gloomy, psych pop is akin to their peers in The Cure, The Church, Echo and the Bunnymen, etc.  But, that isn't the beginning and the end of their story.

Love and Rockets were formed in the ashes of goth rock godfathers, Bauhaus.  Yes, THAT Bauhaus, the legendary band full of Bowie-isms, theatrics, black clothes, smeared eyeliner, Bela Lugosi, etc.  While Bauhaus were in the midst of a split, drummer Kevin Haskins and Daniel Ash invited their roadie Glenn Campling to join them in a side project on bass.  What resulted was the weird, experimental, sometimes dance hall stomping Tones on Tail.  Tones on Tail released a few singles, a few EPs, an LP, did a small tour and called it quits.

Following the end of Tones on Tail, there was a renewed interest in Bauhaus.  In their post-mortem period, their cult following only grew as goth rock was becoming a bigger and bigger scene.  Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins entertained the idea of a reunion, inviting Bauhaus bassist David J and singer Peter Murphy back into the fray.  Rehearsals were scheduled, but Peter Murphy was a no-show.  Daniel Ash was confident at this point as a vocalist, as was David J.  So, as history would have it, they decided to carry on as a new project, the power trio, Love and Rockets.

Love and Rockets is not a strict departure from Bauhaus, but it is certainly its own entity, much as was Tones on Tail.  There is a much greater focus on melody and pop sensibility, while maintaining the experimental ideas and nature of the later Bauhaus records.  In this debut, we hear Love and Rockets use dreamlike sonic landscapes,  while still relying on a dark aesthetic.  Fun fact for goth trivia night; Daniel Ash's look was the inspiration for Brandon Lee's in "The Crow."

Here is our track by track take on this debut:

1) "If There's a Heaven Above"

This song is an exercise in layering parts.  A simple 3 chord melody is layered with acoustic guitars, an electric lead, and a light synth part.  Kevin Haskin's usually understated drumming takes and even bigger backseat.  It's hard to tell if they are using a drum machine here, or if his drums have been run through so many compressors that it just sounds synthetic.  Daniel Ash takes a page from John Lennon with his vocals, making a sort of imperfect double track of is lead.  It always makes for an interesting harmony effect.  As an opener, it sets the scene for what Love and Rockets is about, but wouldn't rank in the top 20 of their best tracks.

2) "A Private Future"

This is the first glimpse of one of the hats that Love and Rockets wears so well.  We get a soft acoustic ballad.  Daniel Ash can finger pick his way into just about any hook on an acoustic 6 string or 12 string and make it sound absolutely serene.  This song is one of the more straightforward demonstrations of this, and he would go on to even bigger guitar work, but this song sets the tone.

3) "Dog End of a Day Gone By"

Here is where things start to really cook.  We get a riff reminiscent of late Bauhaus, but it quickly takes a left turn.  Kevin Haskins hits us with his frantic drumming. "Dog End" is British slang for a cigarette butt.   This song creates a picture of a a busy and exhausting city scape full of boisterous drunks, obnoxious street preachers, newspaper boys, unrequited love, disappointment, and a sigh of relief.  You can feel the exhaustion of the song, picturing a lonely man stubbing out a cigarette as he blows his last puff of smoke before retiring for the evening.  Love and Rockets are masters of making psychedelic pop full of piss and vinegar.   Whereas many of their contemporaries used the medium to express melancholy, Love and Rockets used it to express anger.  Beautiful anger.  This song is worth turning the hi-fi up a few notches to enjoy.

4) "The Game"

This song definitely has the feel of and trappings of the dreaded filler track.  Kind of a boring droning bass line takes the driver's seat.  It has a sort of creepy feel like danger lurking around the corner, but Daniel Ash has made much better songs that would serve as a facsimile for a horror film soundtrack.  The song isn't handwringingly bad, but a B side from the sessions or a cover might have served the record better.

5) "Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven"

Here is where we get goth-adelic again.  A funky bassline playing in the pocket of industrial sounding drums, with a flowing, minimalistic guitar part.  Even though Daniel Ash's style sounds nothing like that of David Gilmore or Keith Richards, he plays from the same school.  He isn't usually flashy, but can be, but is always playing in service of the song.  If he has a big sweeping lead, it is a part of the bigger picture of the song, versus an exercise in virtuosity.  What we get here is a sweeping lead part that fits that narrative.  The lyrics feel like they are written to freak out a kid who just smoked his first joint or just felt that first hit of acid kick in.  The song certainly pops out of the speakers in 3 dimensions.

6) "Haunted When the Minutes Drag"

This is another one of those songs that is like slapping the object of your frustration with silk.  Absolutely beautiful build up, and once again Daniel Ash really shows his chops on an acoustic guitar.  David J finally shows off some of his chops as a bass player, and as a harmony vocalist.  Daniel goes and carries on from the post-breakup blues.  Describing his inability to get his former lover off of his mind. As the song builds and builds, it finally becomes an ultimatum about how Daniel has been wronged.    This is for when you feel NOTHING!  

7) "Saudade"

This is the first in a series of Love and Rockets instrumentals.  Just about every LaR  album has one of these mood pieces.  The cynical listener may find it as an easy out to fill a few minutes of an album side, but almost all of them are serenely beautiful exercises in creating textures.  

So, "Seventh Dream" isn't my favorite album by Love and Rockets, but it is a solid listen.  It sets the stage for what would go on to be a 15 year career, only really interrupted by the Bauhaus reunion.  And, a Bauhaus reunion is really just the guys from Love and Rockets with Peter Murphy on vocals, so it wasn't the toughest job to pull off (though Daniel Ash and Peter Murphy seem to get along about as well as ice cubes in a hot fryer).  

Following the breakup of Bauhaus once again in the late 2000s, Love and Rockets did a few one-off shows at a few big ticket festivals.  The music was shelved until Kevin Haskins and Daniel Ash once again reunited to form retrospective group, Poptone, playing songs from all of their incarnations.  Peter Murphy invited David J along to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bauhaus and play some shows in 2019.  Bauhaus announced another reunion and slew of shows in 2020, which were all of course cancelled due to the global pandemic.  But, it looks like, the music of Bauhaus, Tones on Tail, and Love and Rockets will never die, and still inspires people young and old today.  "Seventh Dream" is a great launch pad for what would go on to be one of the most influential bands in post-punk music.

Soundgarden "Superunknown"

Soundgarden "Superunknown" 10\10

For my second review, I have decided to dive into one of the best selling albums of the 1990s.  This album was a monster when it was unleashed.  Soundgarden moved from a cult favorite of the alternative metal and Seattle scene into the rock n roll stratosphere.  This album spawned radio hit, after radio hit, forcing the FM band to conform to THEIR sound, instead of the other way around.  Big songs such as "Spoonman" and "Black Hole Sun" are still in heavy rotation on just about every rock station throughout the US.

One of the challenges of talking about an album like this is really finding something interesting, new, or insightful to say about it.  If you are a rock n roll fan and are over the age of 35, you almost certainly have a copy of this album on one format or another.  I do have an OP of it on CD, but The 20th Anniversary edition on LP is my go-to.  If you can't find this press, they did another run of the same remaster a few years ago, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the band.  This album is going to sound great on whatever format you choose.  It was expertly produced by Michael Beinhorn and the band at the world famous Electric Ladyland Studio.

When this album was released, there was a giant, gaping void in rock n roll music.  Kurt Cobain had just committed suicide, and the rock world was turned on its head, as it felt like a ship without a captain.  Kurt had been designated as a sort of spokesperson for a jaded generation (a job he never seemed to really want), and was the face of the burgeoning Seattle scene.  Much has been said and written about whether or not there was an actual "grunge" sound, or if there was just a plethora of talent that happened to be focused in the Pacific Northwest.  I generally favor the latter explanation, as none of the big Seattle bands really sounded much alike.

Soundgarden had been building up to this moment.  Their first few releases on the infamous Seattle Sub Pop record label hinted at what was to come.  Songs on their early releases have the heavier riffs, with a bit of punk energy, and a tinge of trippiness to them as well.  While the first few albums are a solid listen, it wasn't until bass player Ben Sheppard joined the band that they seemed to find their real sound.

Ben Sheppard's tenure with Soundgarden started with their crunchy, riff-laden "Badmotorfinger."  An album that rode on the wave of major label contracts as other contemporaries from the north west moved up to the big leagues.  There is a significant change in tone between "Badmotorfinger" and "Louder than Love."  Better arrangements, more mature songwriting, better lyrics, and a more serious attitude.  That record began a great 3 record run for Soundgarden, one that only came to a close as the band itself broke up.

Anyways, lets give the record a spin, and write about this great collection of songs.

1) "Let Me Drown"

This song does start with a pretty standard grunge rock groove.  It is a pretty straight forward rock song for a band known for odd time signatures, bizarre tunings, and cryptic lyrics.  Matt Cameron's drumming abosolutely carries the excitement of the song,  his frantic beats just glue the whole song together.  Chris Cornell's double tracked vocals really showcase his range as he harmonizes with himself, and lets out a few banshee squeals for good measure.

2) "My Wave"

Here we get a glimpse into what makes Soundgarden so unique.  A big riff that would find a space on either a Black Sabbath or Dick Dale record.  A song with a 6\8 time signature, but remains insanely catchy.  The whole band crunches the riff together for emphasis.  And it is all in service to a song essentially telling a negative force to piss off.  Ben Sheppard does some amazing bass work with a wah pedal too just for texture.  Backwards and forwards guitar leads interspersed to create atmosphere. If you aren't singing along and pumping your first along by the end of this track, check your pulse.

3) "Fell on Black Days"

Track 3 brings in one of the big themes of this album; depression and loneliness.  Another odd rhythm pattern on the guitar work, with a mellow lead vocal.  This song will just feel you with Chris Cornell's existential dread.  Chris Cornell was characteristically private about his life in interviews, preferring to let the music speak for him.  The middle eight of the song features one of the most desperate "coos" of any vocal in any rock song. 

4) "Mailman" 

Mailman harkens back to earlier Soundgarden records.  This song would have comfortably fit onto "Badmotorfinger" (perhaps it was written durring those sessions).  Absent some of the effects and gloss of the other songs on this LP, this is another straightforward rocker.  Once again drummer Matt Cameron seems to do most of the heavy lifting on this one.  

5) "Superunknown"

Title tracks are always dicey.  This one isn't an abject failure, but it certainly isn't as exciting as the rest of the album.  It feels almost like a theme song for the concept of the album, versus a piece with something to really say.  Title tracks, or even songs named after the band, in my opinion, should really be a centerpiece of the record.  Not necessarily a single caliber song, but one that can help drive the album.  This song is kind of forgettable, which is a shame.  

6) "Head Down"

This is the first of 2 compositions entirely by bass player "Ben Sheppard."  This song is a creative reprieve.  Big lead guitars matching heavily capoed acoustic guitars.  The ethereal sound creates a dream-like atmosphere for the song.  It is a pychadelic fever dream worthy of attention.  The acoustic guitars somehow sound just as heavy as the distorted lead.

7) "Black Hole Sun"

If you are reading this blog, my guess is that you have heard this song about a million times too.  Its staying power is its eeriness and timelessness.  The lyrics are a word soup, which stand to create more of an atmosphere than deliver a story or message.  The trippy guitar parts and stream of consciousness lyrics seem to make this song simultaneously about the deepest thoughts in the recesses of your mind and nothing at all at the same time.

8) "Spoonman"

"Spoonman" feels like a song that was successfully written with the intent of becoming a single.  Sure enough, this was the lead-off single from "Superunknown."  Featuring a classic dropped-D tuned hook, and a sing-along verse-chorus-verse, this song became a signature song for Soundgarden.  Weird enough to appease the true believers, but easily digestable enough for the general public.  It was also a vehicle for Seattle street performer, Artis the Spoonman.  Every city has an Artis; the talented guy who lives outside the bubble.  He apparently plaid a set of spoons outside of a market in downtown Seattle.  Soundgarden invited him to record a spoon solo in their song, and the rest is rock n roll history

9) "Limo Wreck"

After a high charged rock n roll affair, we get the more mellow "Limo Wreck."  This one feels like another throwback to a little Sabbath worship.  The lead riff sounds straight out of Tony Iommi's bag of tricks.  The rhythm section plays in the pocket, never really taking off.  

10) "The Day I Tried to Live"

This song *could* serve as the statement piece of the album, had the album not been so chocked full of hits.  As a person who has suffered from clinical depression throughout my life, this song is just about the closest thing lyrically to what it feels like to go through a crippling bout of melancholy.  The lyrics describe what it is like to finally scrape yourself out of bed and to try to do something, anything, just to snap out of the funk.  The cruel joke is, it just makes you feel worse.  Lines like "The day I tried to live, I wallowed in the blood and mud with all the other pigs" and "I woke the same as any other day you know, I should have stayed in bed."  Just heartbreaking, especially in hindsight with the loss of Chris Cornell to suicide.  The guitar work is so atmospheric, and Matt Cameron and Ben Sheppard never played the rhythm tighter than on this song.  Honestly, this song is Soundgarden's overlooked masterpiece.

11) "Kickstand"

This is a fun little punk number.  It breaks up the seriousness and dread of the record.  A call back to their days as a bar band in Seattle.  It is a pretty straight forward number, but it has a big catchy chorus.

12) "Fresh Tendrils"

Flowing guitars bring us into this slow groove track.  Another song that feels more like a driver for the the rest of the album than a standalone piece.  There isn't really anything that would fall directly into the category of "filler" tracks on this album, but this one finds itself dangerously close.  One of the caveats to the CD era of music (I am listening on LP, but this album is certainly a product of the CD era) was the extended length of the discs.  LPs can hold about 45 minutes of music total.  A CD can hold 79 minutes.  There was a sort of push for a while to use all of that extra space.  Often times, it wasn't necessary.  "Fresh Tendrils" probably would have found its way onto the cutting room floor had it not been for a label and producer trying to get about an hour of music onto a disc.  Not a skippable song, but not really memorable.

13) "4th of July"

Despite the title, this song is not about the USA's birthday.  It is about an acid trip.  The sludgy guitars feel like a nod to fellow Seattle upstarts, The Melvins.   You get just an insanely big, downtuned, slow burn riff.  It feels like that onerous moment on a few doses of acid, where you can feel a trip maybe falling off of the track.  This song lives in that space where you or your psycadelic guru have to pull you back before you delve into a really bad trip.

14) "Half"

Another big dream-state number.  The second of Ben Sheppard's compositions on the record.  This time he takes the microphone too.  He seems to be doing his best interpretation of Chris Cornell, singing through a few vocal filters, to create a helium-heavy sound.  The instruments feel like a kaleidoscope of oddities.  This number is very experimental, and almost Syd Barrett-like, without ever becoming to self-indulgent.

15) "Like Suicide"

Chris Cornell was always a great story teller.  This song is a narrative, describing the moments as a woman decides to end her life.  The song feels like pure tragedy, and you can just feel the desperation soak through.  Even more tragic now knowing that Chris Cornell took his own life.  The song is almost morbid now, as it feels like it serves as Chris writing his own eulogy.  The slow drums and bass part pull you in, and this song never lets go.  It is the perfect closer for such a dark affair.

*16) "She Like Surprises*

This song gets an asterisk because it isn't *really* the album closer.  This is another leftover indulgence of the CD era.  The bonus track.  Sometimes bonus tracks work.  Sometimes they are really good songs.  This song is pretty catchy.  But, it just sticks out like a sore thumb, and doesn't fit the flow of the record.  Sometimes tacking on a bunch of bonus stuff at the end cuts into the magic of the flow of the album, and that is what this song does.  That being said, it is a solid, if not a little bit forgettable B side.  I would have rather paid a few bucks more for this record to have this song left to its own devices as a bonus 7" than to have it lazily slopped onto the back of this album.  Plus, as it does force side 4 of the album to run very, very close to the label, it is rife with innergroove distortion.  

Soundgarden would go on after this release to become one of the biggest bands in rock n roll.  Years of touring, and a great, more commercially viable sound found them in their follow up, "Down on the Upside."  Pressures from the industry ultimately broke the band up for 15 years.  Matt Cameron would go on to play drums for fellow Seattleites Pearl Jam (a familiar affair as he was the drummer of Pearl Jam/Soundgarden supergoup Temple of the Dog) Chris Cornell would go on to front Audioslave with members of Rage Against the Machine, and bassist and guitarist Kim Thayil would do session work and find themselves in various projects.

"Superunknown" would go on to sell 9 million copies.  That ranks it as one of the best selling rock records of all time.  Its influence is undeniable, and the songs and production sound just as fresh today they did in the Summer of 1994 when it came out.  

30 Seconds to Mars "30 Seconds to Mars"

 
30 Seconds to Mars "30 Seconds to Mars" 9/10

Alright, here is my inaugural review!  I spent a lot of time deliberating; should I review a classic?  Should I go obscure?  Should I go to a favorite band or genre?  Well, here we get none of that, and all of it at the same time.  I don't think anyone would accuse me of being a big fan of 30 Seconds to Mars.  There was a BIG drop off, in my opinion, from the debut record, to the follow up, and it just degenerated after that.  It is a classic case of a band maybe buying too much into their own hype, as well as wayward producers polishing an outfit to make it more radio friendly.

That is NOT the case with this record.  Man, this record is rife with big production, but completely in service to the songs.  You can hear all of the post-production textures all over every part of every instrument, but it somehow does not become overbearing.  Sometimes production techniques of a particular era can make an album sound dated; in others they just meld perfectly with the zeitgeist of the songs and album.  This album is that latter.

Following a successful acting career (one that continues) Jared Leto went into the studio with his brother Shannon.  30 Seconds to Mars is essentially the two of them writing, playing, and overdubbing together.  Jared does the bulk of the legwork with this one; playing guitar, bass, synth, and vocals, with Shannon doing percussion.  While actor-turned-rockstar is almost always a cautionary tale, this is one where it is not only convincing, but pays off in dividends.

30 Seconds to Mars creates and atmosphere with this album; one that hits that gas from the get go and never lets up.  Blending space rock, prog, heavy metal, punk, emo, this is a kitchen sink record that wears its influences on its sleeve without ever feeling like a retread.  Anyways, on to the tracks!

1) "Capricorn (A Brand New Name)
This is a great intro track to any album.  It sets the tone for what you are about to get.  Big guitars, tight drums, ethereal synths, multi-track vocal harmonies.  You hear the masterful layers of effects laden guitars, synths, and deep bass tracks.  Spacey lyrics that summon the listener to join for the psychonaut journey this record beckons.

2) "Edge of the Earth"
More textures come on.  Jared comes out singing like he is calling us from the rings of Saturn.  And then when we get to the prechorus we get brought back to Earth.  Only to be slungshot back into space.  This song feels like all of the indulgences of a Tool song, without the pretense.  They are going to throw acoustic guitars at you, drum machines, 3-4 guitar dubs, all without getting too busy and over complicated.  Asking us to look into the new future; this song feels so certain about absolute uncertainty.  

3) "Fallen"
This is such a deceptive song.  It starts out feeling like cannon fodder space rock.  Simple lyrics, simple parts.  Almost throw away.  But then the pre-chorus kicks in.  It gets *too* quiet.  You know a bomb is about to come.  Sure enough, the chorus just explodes.  It quickly turns into a psychedelic anthem, going from mid tempo to big, heavy, downtuned guitar.  The chorus gets turned on its head for effect, but no matter how many stop-starts this song pulls out, the effect is never lost.  "Fallen" just feels larger than life.

4) "Oblivion"
This starts with a delayed staccato guitar part reminiscent of The Cure's early 80s period.  The guitar keeps up through the song.  But it just builds and builds.  the versus keeps adding more and more kids into the pool, until the chorus finally blows up.  It doesn't sound like The Pixies at all, but definitely feels like a call back to their loud-quiet-loud songwriting dynamic.  It is always fascinating when a band can draw from a style like that and reapply it elsewhere.

5) "Buddha for Mary"
Well, buddha starts off with what sounds like a space ship taking off, followed by an onerous bassline, and voices run through an old vocoder.  This song is everything that is cool about space rock.  Wonky, twisting, turning, dramatic, weird, and trippy.  This song will pull you back from your voyage to Mars to listen to a punk rock tail about a cautionary lady named "Mary."  She will make you obsess over her just before she breaks you. She is that beautiful and cryptic woman you meet when you are in your early 20s.  It is impossible to tell if this song is a cautionary tale, or a license to just go for it and see where it takes you.  This song is pretty much everything that 30 Seconds to Mars gets right.

6) "Echelon"
The intro here does feel a bit dated.  It definitely borrows some drum machine programming and onerous Moog parts to European EDM of the late 90s.  This song does feel like the first chink in the armor is this disc; not quite pure filler, but a bit phoned in.  It isn't without the charm of the early 30 Seconds to Mars sound, but it sounds like it just never quite finds its footing.

7) "Welcome to the Universe"
Here we get out first guest musician.  Elijah Blue Allman, son of Cher Greg Allman and frontman of fellow LA rock outfit, Deadsy, lends himself to some guitarwork.  Elijah always plays very deep, downtuned, dark, deliberative parts.  This song is no different.  At the time this album was recorded, Deadsy's debut record "Commencement" was all the buzz.  Missteps plagued Deadsy while 30 Seconds to Mars eventually found an audience beyond stoners and post-industrial scene kids.  This song, however, showcases the unique heavier sound that was coming out of the city of angels in the early millennium.  

8) "The Mission"
The song feels like a call back a bit to early Billy Idol.  Just a big 80s drum part over a steady bass line.  Even a bit of a Duran Duran backing vocal part.  the rhythm even feels a bit like "Rio."  So I guess it is sort of a prog rock version of a Billy Idol and Duran Duran cross over?  Either way, a very interesting track full of bits and pieces to drag you to and fro.  Bonus points for the outro: a metal breakdown that finds its way into doomier and doomier territory.  

9) "End of the Beginning"
Buzzing guitars call you in to find out where this track is going to lead.  Out of nowhere, it hits full power, creating an interesting dynamic.  The song likes to pull back and forth, almost call and response, between its big riffs and its more mellow and trippy elements.  Once you get to the chorus, everything that works comes together to create a wall of sound.

10) "93 Million Miles"
This song is the fuel up stop to get you ready for the rest of the album.  The mellow start just creates a warm space to relax, and coast before you reach your final destination.  This song does feel more like a vehicle to call back to where we have been, but caution us about where we are going.  The mellow parts are still full of an existential dread, and the heavy parts harken back for a space to settle down.

11) "Year Zero"
Like any good guru or space cowboy, Jared Leto pulls it back in for you to send you off.  If you are on a bad trip, or too stoned, Uncle Jared is here to feed you.  You are going to get a razor sharp guitar riff and a chorus, reassuring you "we'll never fade away."  Big guitars and a positive, almost overly confident instructor pull you back in.  As the chorus and guitars get bigger, we get another, slightly off tempo, lead vocal in pulling us in.  

This record reminds me of everything that was exciting about heavy music in the early 2000s.  There were bands reared on 80s post-punk, goth rock, industrial, and heavy metal that weren't afraid to push their boundaries.  While 3rd generation nu-metal bands began to take the airwaves, a lot of this sound went on to unfortunately be overlooked.  Somehow with a revisit 20 or so year later, it still sounds as fresh as it did in that dashboard CD changer.

Dancing About Architecture!

 Welcome all to my album review blog!  I decided to title this blog after one of my favorite quotes about music criticism.   The quote has been attributed to many folks; Frank Zappa, David Byrne, Elvis Costello, etc.  But the quote is this: "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture."  The idea being, of course, that music cannot be evaluated by words, but by experience. 

Well, my aim is to use this platform to make writing about music actually, well, exciting.  Exciting, and wonky, and fun, and informative.  I believe that a lot of album reviews and musical criticism are dismissed as they are short on detail and rife with the author's attitude.  Not their feeling; music is *about* feeling, experience, painting your sonic landscape.

This blog will aim to tell stories about albums.  The album reviews will contain anecdotes about the band, my own experiences with the band (if and when applicable), an exploration of the studio as well at the zeitgeist of the making of the work, and a track by track review of the music.  The rationale here is to either get you to give something a first spin, or a re-listen.  Maybe even something that you, dear reader, have dismissed or looked over.  We will review classics, new releases, underground stuff, and platinum records.  Music is our culture, it is our history, and this blog will hopefully stand as a testament to music's important place in our culture.  

So, go and do a tango in front of your favorite edifice, do the foxtrot next to a downtown skyscraper, slalsa next to a bridge, and lets all celebrate dancing about architecture, and lets enjoy reading and writing about music.  I hope this blog makes you drop the needle on a new record, or spin a new CD, or stream a new song.  Or maybe it makes you just want to jump back in to something your forgot about, or explore something you didn't know existed.  No matter what, music is meant to be shared, and loved.  And for that, even if writing about music does not convey the emotion and passion of the listening experience, I hope this at least motivates you to go and give some records a listen.