Label: Reprise Released: October 31, 2006 Often when a band takes steps to broaden their appeal outside of their core audience, they flounder. This is particularly true if the band strongly rooted in personal appeal and emotional energy. They can fall into the traps of over-production and self-importance and the result is usually an uncomfortable, lackluster effort. After the success… Read more »
Label: Hear Music Released: June 5, 2007 Paul McCartney’s solo career has been erratic to say the least. His first solo effort shows us both that he’s a great pop songwriter and that he’s willing to stretch out and take chances at times. Sometimes those chances worked, but often they were too slick for their own good. From the mid-70s… Read more »
Label: Sire (re-issued on Captain Oi!) Released: 1977 The Saints first popped up outside of their native Australia in 1976, somewhere between the demise of the pre-punk era of the New York Dolls, MC5 and Stooges and the punk explosion that would occur the following year. Their now classic “(I’m) Stranded” b/w “No Time” self-released single made it to Britain… Read more »
Label: Sire Released: October 15, 1990 Ride’s Nowhere is an album you can learn a lot about from the cover. Like the wave depicted, it may seem like a small ripple, but there is an underlying force behind it that can’t be measured on the surface. This is an album of contrasts between walls of jangley guitar, droning vocals and… Read more »
Label: Retro Grave Music Released: June 15, 2007 (stream is available at mp3.com now) Retro Grave is Trouble drummer Jeff Oly Olsen’s side-project. The five song EP, which should be followed by a full-length release sometime next year, is entirely written and performed by Olsen. Working alone may have some benefits, but likely more drawbacks. This isn’t a big departure… Read more »
Label: Hellcat Records Released: April 25, 2006 I know why Tim Armstong’s label signed Time Again: They love Rancid. The trouble is, I’m not a big fan of Rancid, so why would I want to listen to band with Rancid stamped all over them? Well, for one thing, I saw them live and their performance was inspired. For another thing,… Read more »
Label: Beyond Records Released: May 15, 2001 With very few exceptions, reunion albums are not essential listening. The best we can hope for is a solid album that at least isn’t an embarrassment. In 2001, the Go-Gos released their first studio album in 17 years. Considering such a long layoff and that their first go round was short and inconsistent… Read more »
Label: Capitol Released: April 20, 1970 For his first proper solo effort, Paul McCartney chooses to curtail the elaborate arrangements he had indulged in with the Beatles in favor of a more grounded album full of country, folk, blues, boogie and soul. To expect a solo album to meet the standard set by the Beatles (and particularly their finale, Abbey… Read more »
Label: Epic Released: May 22, 2007 You’d think that 16 years of half-hearted recordings would destroy Ozzy’s career. If that isn’t enough, surely the overexposure from his asinine reality show would do it. No? How about one of the worst covers albums ever recorded? Somehow Ozzy seems to survive all of this, like a heavy metal Rasputin. I think “Not… Read more »
Label: Tee Pee Records Released: February 6, 2007 The problem with Emerson, Lake and Palmer is that they don’t put enough rock in progressive rock. Don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of ELP, but they do tend to lean a bit too far to the classical side. Over 30 years after ELP’s peak, Titan comes along to correct… Read more »