The Toasters- In Retrospect

The Toasters were formed in 1981, and have released almost as many compilations as they have actual albums! This one was released in 2003.

East Side Beat kicks things off with a nice gritty modern version of the the classic rude boy story. All the Toasters trademarks are present, but I'll get to that later.

Since the band has such a tightly defined style, any variety must be found in subtle variations. So Talk is Cheap's point of difference is that the organ is driving the groove instead of the guitar. Also, the lyrics are nicely poignant, a rarity for a ska song.

Weekend in L.A. features a great horn line. I also dig the the chord progression and the sharp breaks in the solos. Its similarities with New York Fever run much deeper than both have an American city in their title! Musically, they are also very similar, which makes New York Fever is another hit for me.

At first, the horn line in Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down seems to be taking the cheesiness too far. But it actually works well alongside the anarchy-inducing chorus. The lyrics are again a highlight- this time its important life lessons, delivered with the tongue firmly in cheek.

Moving away from their upbeat ska formula, Thrill Me Up's 80s jive-reggae style does not appeal to me at all. Nor does Shebeen, History Book Version or Mona.

Thankfully, Dub 56 brings us back to the successful recipe of bouncy rock-ska. Similar is Underground Town, with a great depiction of all walks of life squeezed together on a train. Just because they are similar to many other Toasters songs, does not dampen their appeal for me at all. In my opinion, they're all great fun.

2-Tone Army isn't a successful execution of this style, though. The chorus is a major letdown, and somehow feels tacked on. On the other hand, the horn line is fantastic. Conversely, The Recimination is sub-par in many aspects but features a great chorus (reminding me of early Area 7).

Havana brings about great change of pace, which works a treat. Also, the double entendres are very funny. This is a great example of James Bond ska. Meanwhile, Dog Eat Dog's reggae opening is brilliant.

Ska Killers has a really tough sounding intro. While the rest of the song is good, I wish the horn line and the verses followed through with a bit more aggression.

Pirate Radio is an awful dogs breakfast attempt at a pop song, like a Madness tribute gone wrong.

Hard Band For Dead is a great execution of the traditional ska style. Simple, catchy, fun. It shows where the bands influences lie, and- despite the reduced tempo- it has the same feelgood quality in spades.

A quick note on the recording quality- being a compilation, it varies a bit through the album. In general, it's a bit saccharine, but it never really puts a foot wrong.

I'm Running Right Through the World has a few good points worth mentioning: the lyrics, the chord progressions (especially in the bridge), the backing horn lines and the chorus... hang on, that's most of the song! And all the "usual" Toasters characteristics somehow shine even brighter in this song. It turns out I've saved the best for last, because this compilation CD does. This song is my favourite Toasters song, which makes it one of my all-time favourite songs, ska or otherwise. The ultimate feelgood pick-me-up.

To sum up, the Toasters are a 3rd wave ska machine! Some may say it's quite cookie-cutter (especially the verses), but I don't think this matters. Every horn line is a classic. The groove is rock solid and infectious. The guitar and keyboard perfectly complement each other. When it's executed this well, the small amount of variety present is enough to make each song highly enjoyable. (Yet, a live Toasters show somehow manages to be even better than this.)

Favourite songs

East Side Beat, Talk is Cheap, Weekend in L.A., Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down, Dub 56, Dog Eat Dog, Hard Band For Dead, New York Fever, I'm Running Right Through the World

Worthwhile?

Absolutely. Having just finished listening to it, right now I'm pretty much bouncing off the walls in whimsical joy!

 

The Vincent Black Shadow- Fears in the Water

This is the 2006 debut album from the band. Before they even play the first note, the fact that a) the lead singer sounds like Gwen Stefani and b) the band is named after a badass vintage motorcycle has them in my good books already!

But if I may start with a whinge, the audio quality has... ahem... some flaws. Everything below about 200 Hz (kick-drum and bass guitar) is a mess, and everything below about 100 Hz is just plain missing. Then at the top end, it sounds quite harsh, like a badly compressed mp3. The bass guitar is often very quiet, and the resulting hole makes the overall sound of the band really thin. On the plus side, the vocals sound brilliant. The chorusing is straight from the book of early No Doubt, and it works a treat. Also, there are many instruments added to the rock band throughout the album (strings, trumpet, organ, etc) and are integrated with nice balance.

On to the songs. Metro perfectly introduces the style of pop-goth rock. Like if No Doubt traded their horn section and sunny California setting for a dark cathederal with organ! Highlights of Metro are the moody pre-chorus and the catchy pop chorus. Great stuff.

Control is another superb balance of light-hearted pop fun with emotive goth styling. The keyboards and fake strings work very well, and I really dig the lyrics. Valentine also uses a similar recipe to great effect. It is intensely powerful for the chorus- the band cranked up to 11, the singer furiously wailing and the strings adding even more epic-ness. Another favourite section of mine is the second half of the bridge.

Pop music needs more harpsichords! That's my conclusion after hearing Bullet on the Tracks. Its faster pace keeps things varied across the album, and the song is constantly dripping in great pop hooks.

The band seem to like their ballads in a 6/8 tempo, which is fine by me. Don't Go Soft is a solid effort, with a nice use of strings. Ghost Train Out is a bit more evocative for me, thanks to the music setting the vivid scene of a moonlit landscape (similar to Howling Bells). This song also shows the wonderful range and power of the lead singer, and engaging lyrics for the verses.

Things get a bit crazy for The House of Tasteful Men. It's a bit oddball, and quite immature- I like it! Appropriately, the lyrics of the verses don't make any sense, and they are complemented nicely by the whimsical chorus verses. Musically, it jumps all over the place and occasionally the transitions between sections are a bit clumsy, but I don't care, it's great fun.

Surgery's highlight is the great headbanging chorus. I find the verses are a bit strange, but they do stop the album from getting stale, so I guess it works. Fears in the Water has a similar hint of "mad genius" and, again, the headbanging chorus is fantastic.

Dream is another that works because of the contrast it provides on the album. That's not to say it isn't a good song in its own right- the lyrics are great and the chorus is wonderfully addictive. My favourite moment is the build-up to the ending: starting with a howlingly intense bridge, followed by an acoustic version of the catchy chorus, then finally the epic final chorus at full noise.

Just before the end of the album, the band pull a trumpet out of their hat for This Road is Going Nowhere. And it works a treat, adding another great dimension to their sound. To top it off, the stop-start verses contrast perfectly with the addictive bouncy chorus.

To wrap things up, Letters to No-one is another frenetic energy-fest. Which makes for pop brilliance, similar to House of Tasteful Men. It feels more like a breakneck twisting journey than a structured song. For example, where's the chorus? I dunno, but nor do I care!

Favourite songs

Metro, Control, Bullet on the Tracks, Valentine, The House of Tasteful Men, Ghost Train Out, Fears in the Water, Dream, This Road is Going Nowhere, Letters to No-one

Worthwhile?

Recording quality issues aside, this is a fantastic album. I really dig the style, and they pull off the pop/goth balance perfectly.

Howling Bells- Self Titled

This is the debut album for Howling Bells, released in 2006... or perhaps it is actually Waikiki's second album, since the band is largely the same, aside from an image change...

And said image change was worked a treat. Gone is the contrived pop blandness of Waikiki, replaced with a wonderfully moody musical tapestry.

The Bell Hit does a fine job as opening song. The verses do jump around a bit erratically, however the chorus is a fine pop offering. Similarly, The Night Is Young has some great moments, but it jumps all over the place, again interrupting the groove.

Velvet Girl steps up the game in regarded to verses. Their sparseness and haunting mood introduces a wonderful new element. All topped off with another nice catchy pop chorus. Blessed Night also follows this recipe to good effect.

The art of writing a catchy pop song was not lost in the transition from Waikiki to Howling Bells. Low Happening features a great riff, brilliant lyrics and could well have been written for Waikiki. Thankfully, though, the newfound character gives this song a new dimension. While the chorus doesn't really stand out in the song, I do appreciate how they used an unusual style for it.

To mention the recording quality, the character of the album is built on the wonderfully simple sound of the vocals, keyboard and guitar. It's not a big rock sound, but nor is it meant to be. Great work.

The exception, however, is Wishing Stone, which is drowning in too many effects and chaotic background voices. On a brighter note, I really enjoy the lyrics of the chorus.

A Ballad For The Bleeding Hearts is a brilliantly bare song. All I can say is that it's spine-tinglingly beautiful, and the bridge is a particular highlight.

The first verse of Setting Sun is pretty unimpressive. But then the chorus comes along, and all is forgiven! The following verses reveal it's all part of the plan, and it makes for a really interesting song.

Into The Woods really appeals to me, as far as the music goes. But I find the male vocals to be somehow spineless and annoying.

Just as The Bell Hit perfectly sets the scene as the first track, I'm Not Afraid is a great choice for finishing up the album. At the end of the journey, this gentle song leaves a lasting impression of serenity.

Favourite songs

Velvet Girl, Low Happening, A Ballad For The Bleeding Hearts, Setting Sun, I'm Not Afraid

Worthwhile?

Absolutely. The lead vocals have always been raw, honest and with great range. In this album, this voice has found a fitting home, amongst the moody mangrove scene set by the accompanying instruments.

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra- Dvorak Compilation

This CD was released in 2004, although the notes suggest that it was recorded in 1989. It features the New World Symphony and the American Suite, both written by Anotnin Dvorak in the mid-1890s.

My uncultured taste in orchestral music is pretty much limited to the fire and brimstone style of war music. Cue Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries and Dvorak's New World Symphony.

The Adagio movement features a pretty mean key "riff", but I find the rest of it to be forgettable orchestral fluff (at least in CD form). But the Allegro movement is brilliant- exploding with the power of a thousand suns. I also find the quieter parts between choruses more engaging, although perhaps this is simply due to anticipation for the next hit of that epic (orchestrally-headbanging) riff!

(Yes, this is probably one of the worst ever classical music reviews...)

Favourite songs

New World Symphony- Adagio

The Slackers- Better Late Than Never

This is The Slackers' debut album, released in 1996 (the band formed in 1991, hence the album's title). Actually, to be precise, this review is of the 2002 remastering.

I wonder, if there were no such thing as "ska", would Work Song be classified as jazz? Well, it would in my book. In fact, it would sit alongside the jazz classics thanks to its wonderful groove and great horn line for the chorus.

Speaking of the groove, I'm such a fan of it that I'd probably like almost any Slackers song by default. Case in point is Runaway, which isn't particularly memorable, but their style makes it an enjoyable listen nonetheless.

The third song on the album is a brilliant Jamaican influenced rhythm'n'blues. Most of a song is husky and understated tale, which will have you tapping your toe without realising it. Then it suddenly bursts into an infectious "party mode", which is also a treat. And the lyrics- the classic tale of man and woman making eyes at each other in a dimly lit bar. It's such a cool song... so why oh why did the band have to tarnish it with the awful title Pedophilia?!

The sinister James Bond / Al Capone ska tradition is brilliantly executed for Two Face. The story of betrayal is perfectly delivered by the husky mobster vocals. And the horn line is brilliant. In fact, everything about this song is brilliant!

Just to quickly mention the recording quality- I haven't heard the original version of this album, but the remastered version is hardly a polished production. However, the raw sound does bring a unique character to the sound, in particular the dark "quacking" sound of the  horns. And I do like the crackling vinyl effect, which fits in nicely with the album's character.

Cuban Cigar is just a quirky interlude, in my opinion. You Don't Know and Tonight are both traditional ska songs, and quite similar. Yet the former doesn't work for me, but I dig Tonight as cheesy fun. What's the difference? I have no idea!

The next song, Sarah, is the reason I bought this album. It reminds me of The Nurse somehow, and both are brilliant songs. The wonderful piano/horn melody will get stuck in your head for days, and I really dig the stumbling semi-chaotic groove. The lyrics are wonderfully obtuse yet illustrative; on one hand, there's:
Mother said "You turned my food to poison",
To my father on a cold thanksgiving day.
Holidays leave me with empty noise,
And so I turned my head and walked away 

...which I have absolutely no idea what it is meant to mean, yet I think it is wonderfully descriptive! On the other hand,
I guess I thought that we could live forever
In this state of such imaginary grace.
You could find your diamonds in my arms, dear.
And I could find a reason in your face. 

...perfectly sums up being lovesick in a futile situation, and clutching at straws to try to make it work. I'd better stop myself before I quote the lyrics of the whole song! Because it one of my all-time favourite poems.

The lyrics are also the highlight of Prophet, not just telling the story but also creating a strong sense of character for the first-person narrative. And this is backed up by a typically brilliant Slackers groove, of course.

Treating us to some great variety, Our Day Will Come is great "sleepy" rocksteady. And Contemplation is batshit crazy (yes, that's the technical term!). Love it! 7 & 7 hits the nail on the head as a Skatalites tribute.

A Certain Girl is great cheeky fun. The band perfectly ham it up to emphasise the tease of the lyrics. It is a standout cover of this incredibly adaptable song (The Slackers' version, this, this, this, this, this, this, this and this original. Yikes!)

Favourite songs

Work Song, Pedophilia, Two Face, Tonight, Sarah, Prophet, Our Day Will Come, 7 & 7, A Certain Girl

Worthwhile?

When it comes to vintage-sounding ska with a heavy rocksteady groove, I'm easily won over. So even the "mediocre" songs are enjoyable for me. But the band regularly manage to pull something special out of their hat, and the result is brilliant.

Tiger Army- Music From Regions Beyond

This is Tiger Army's fourth album. It was released in 2007, to furious howls of "sellout" from many of the bands' previous fans. 

Prelude: Signal Return and Hotprowl form a rousing phsychobilly opening. Although it is kinda false advertising for the rest of the album, it sure gets the blood pumping.

Afterworld and Spring Forward retain the action-packed psychobilly musical, overlaying it with soft and poetic lyrics. I reckon the contrast works a treat, like a rockabilly version of decemberunderground. Ghosts of Memory follows the same recipe, with some stunning poetic lyrics. For example:
Faded purfume in a room
Once a sanctuary, now simply a tomb

Forever Fades Away moves more into emo ballad territory (or perhaps "pop goth-punk ballad" if you find the term "emo" insulting...) I really dig it- highlights include the opening riff with hi-hat accompaniment and the perfect pop/headbanging chorus. The rockabilly purists can get stuffed, I'm a big fan of this "AFI with a coiffure" sound. In my book, it makes for the perfect power ballad.

That's not to say there's anything wrong with the bands' traditional sound, as shown by LunaTone. Nothing says I can't like both aspects of the band! LunaTone execute the style very well, although I find that Pain has cheesy lyrics and an awful ringing sound, I think from the cymbals.

While I'm moaning about recording quality, the drum sound throughout the album is quite smeared. Although maybe this is for the best, so that it doesn't sound too "slick" and commercial. The guitar sound is appropriate for the job, and I always love the sound of a double bass.

As the Cold Rain Falls is, objectively, a solid song. However it doesn't speak to me, somehow feeling like the lyrics are disconnected from the music. On the plus side, the chorus is pop/emo brilliance.

Hechizo de Amor is simply beautiful. The Spanish style of both the vocals and the music creates a stunning oddball of a song.

Finally, the icing on the cake is Where the Moss Slowly Grows. As always, the lyrics are brilliant, as is the gentle mood created by the background voices.
Embrace- this joy, this pain
Don't miss this chance, it will not come again.
You mean more than you may ever know.
Don't linger- where the moss slowly grows.

 

Or, as I believe the kids would say... YOLO.

 

Favourite songs

Afterworld, Forever Fades Away, Ghosts of Memory, LunaTone, Hechizo de Amor, Spring Forward, Where the Moss Slowly Grows

Worthwhile?

I must admit I was initially sceptical when reviewing this album, because when listening to it on the train a few times recently, it kinda washed over me without making an impact. But making to the effort to properly concentrate on it has revealed a brilliant album.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy- Live

This album was recorded in 2003, just after their fifth studio album.

The concept, however, is fatally flawed, because no CD can reproduce the amazing experience that is a Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (BBVD) live concert.

... however it gives it a pretty good shot, starting out with the perfect introduction: "Ladies and gentlemen, the baddest band on any stand: Big.... Bad..... Voodooooooooo.... DADDYYYYYY!!!".

The opening track, The Boogie Bumper, then sets the scene quite well (albeit let down by some out-of-tune horns). Jumpin' Jack then kicks it up a gear with the timeless combination of jungle drums, swirling horns, a pulsing bassline and a bouncing piano. It is all tied together with frenetic energy, and the result is a bundle of fun. Kings of Swing is similarly fantastic, showing that BBVD have got high-energy swing down to a fine art.

The latin groove of I Wanna Be Just Like You (aka Jungle Book Theme) adds a nicely variety, and is complemented by a great horn line. Unfortunately, by the end it feels like it's flogging a dead horse, as the chorus is repeated over and over.

Also featuring an interesting beat is You Know You Wrong, a great piano-led tune. I do enjoy the song in its own right, but it also serves a far greater purpose. And, for me, the horn glissando is references to the ending throughout the song are a wonderful tease. That tease being how the ending leads into...

Big Time Operator. Wow. This is probably my favourite BBVD song. The crazy, bouncing party energy and the story of a seriously classy dude is a guaranteed hit. It feels like the band are egging each other on in tongue-in-cheek competition, yet at the same time they are working together to create wonderful music. For example, the piano bashing away in the background feels like part of the song, yet if you listen closely he's basically going off tap soloing throughout the song, yet it fits perfectly. A minor quibble is that on the CD, the song seems to drag out. But watching the DVD it all just feels oh so right.

Minnie the Moocher is a bit overdone and cheesy, but it's still great fun.

Oh Yeah is vintage BBVD pop neo-swing. Brilliant. You and Me & the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight is more of the same, however I find it doesn't hit the heights of Oh Yeah (except for the wonderful bridge).

While I Like It and Please Baby are not really standout songs in my book, they work well to inject some variety into precedings.

And after we're back from this breather, Mr Pinstripe Suit appears to knock our socks off! The is another featuring huge energy, brilliant horns lines and an engaging story. Also, it makes for a great pop song, thanks to the catchy singalong chorus.

Simple Songs is a nice vaudeville tune. So Long Farewell Goodbye also is well executed, if not really my cup of tea. However it is completely undermined by not being the last song on the CD. This honour goes to Always Gonna Get Ya, unfortunately either my attention span is too short or the CD is flogging a dead horse by this stage!

Despite all my raving, as I said before, the CD doesn't do the band justice. Which is why the included DVD is another level of enjoyment. Any time I'm moaning about some minor detail above for the CD version, would have been just part of a wonderful experience while watching the DVD. This especially applies to my criticisms that some of the songs drag out on the CD. There is no sense of this whatsoever when you watch the live concert, every second of it is a treat.

Other benefits of the DVD are the on-stage antics of the band. They're barely ever standing still- instead they strut, prowl and bounce around stage as appropriate. The "naked" piano is also poetry in motion, as is the soloists heckling each other, trading 4s, etc. This isn't a concert- the band are having a  party on stage, and we're lucky enough to be invited to watch!

The sound quality is nicely crisp and the instruments are very well balanced. A minor gripe is that the horn section lacks top-end sparkle, but on the other hand, the clarity of the percussion is brilliant. It's an impressive effort, especially considering that it's a live recording.

Favourite songs

Jumpin' Jack, You Know You Wrong, Big Time Operator, Minnie the Moocher, Oh Yeah, Kings of Swing, Mr Pinstripe Suit, Simple Songs

Worthwhile?

A classic of the neo-swing genre.

PS the CD is great, but you MUST watch the DVD, people!!

Firebird- Buildin' a Hot Rod

This is the debut album from the Australian rockabilly/psychobilly band, which was released in 2006.

Have a guess what the topics discussed in the lyrics of this album are. Hot-rod cars and women? Spot on! Let's start with the hot-rod songs.

All three are pretty similar, so the devil is in the detail. For some reason, Fire Up the Motor sounds like a poor cousin of Stray Cats Built for Speed, so I don't really dig it. Hot Rod Woman (killing two birds with one stone!) doesn't have much of a interesting story to the lyrics, however the chorus is wonderfully catchy.

This leads me to develop a theory about rockabilly songs, if I may. The style has been successfully used so many times over the years, and it is sort of accepted that the verses are just "background fill" while the vocals tell the story. Therefore, to stand apart from the millions of other rockabilly songs, one requires an engaging story to the lyrics and a memorable chorus. Buildin' a Hot Rod features both of these ingredients, and is my pick of the three songs.

Coming close but no cigar is Always Rockin' 88. Musically it is fine, but the self-obsessed lyrics that put me. Also relegated to the millions of solid yet forgettable rockabilly are Lonely Hotel and Back Door Slammin'. Somehow, the slower songs (Local Honky Tonk and Cryin' I'm So Blue) don't appeal to me either, nor does the accented offbeat style of If I Ain't Got You, although I do like its bridge.

By normal standards, the recording quality is mediocre (e.g. muffled cymbals, muddy double-bass, compression sucking away all of the dynamics). Unfortunately it's pretty typical fare for rockabilly albums, though.

I really dig the slower "stoller" style of rockabilly, and Well Alright Well Ok and Vampire hit the nail on the head. Vampire is the perfect execution- a voodoo-esque tale of devillish femme, combined with a brilliant catchy chorus (especially the snappy "vam...PIRE" at the start!). It is my favourite song from the band.

Knock Knock Knockin' is simply great headbanging rock'n'roll goodness. At the other end of the spectrum, the unusual beat of Itchin' Scratchin' is a nice novelty, and makes for a nice moment when it resolves into a "normal" beat.

Overall, since the album sticks to a very well-worn and tightly specified rockabilly style, it isn't easy for an album like this to shine. So while there are many tracks I am happy to skip, those songs that do stand out are very impressive indeed

Favourite songs

Buildin' a Hot Rod, Well Alright Well Ok, Vampire, Knock Knock Knockin', Itchin' Scratchin', Hot Rod Woman

Various- Orchestral Spectacular

As per my last post, when it comes to classical music, I have no idea what I'm doing!

So we'll also skip through this one quickly, to minimise the chance of me sounding like uncultured swine. At least this compilation is a bit closer aligned to my taste for violent, bloody classical music.

If only Khatachurian were were born a few hundred years later, Sabre Dance suggests he'd be writing oi-punk songs! Unfortunately, I find the songs all fury, and lacking in interesting musical ideas.

Mussorgsky's The Great Gate of Kiev also comes close for me. The  brass intro has a wonderfully rich sound. The rest of the song, though, doesn't fire up my imagination unfortunately. It's probably more the fault of the listener than the song, but for me it would be better suited as a soundtrack to some visuals rather than a standalone song.

From the middle-eastern influence of the opening melodies to the build-up into an unstoppable juggernaught, Bolero is a timeless classic. This song contains the full spectrum of things I dig about classical music. A minor gripe with this version is that I felt the ending is not as powerful as it could be. But perhaps nothing on a CD can compare to a whole orchestra pouring every last ounce of strength into it, all live in front of you.

I wish I could rave about Tchaikovsky's Festival Overture 1849: Op 49, but unfortunately the headline melody has been flogged to death for me.

On the other hand, the riff for Ride of the Valkyries never fails to raise the hairs on the back of my neck. Meanwhile, the scene set by the rest of the orchestra perfectly sets the scene of a fearsome war for life, the universe, everything. Incredible.

Favourite songs

Bolero (Ravel), Ride of the Valkyries (Wagner)

Worthwhile?

Yes, there's some timeless songs here.

Ukrainian Symphony Orchestra- Classical Masterpieces Vol 1

Warning: terrible review ahead!

Please excuse the fumbling around, classical music is not something I listen to much. I don't really know what I'm doing here, but that has never before stopped anyone who possesses both an opinion and an internet connection!

My taste in classical music tends to lean towards the "we're going to war, get me an orchestra to fire up the troops" style, so I kinda picked the wrong compilation. Pomp and Circumstance is probably closest to this style, but I don't really rate it. While the chorus is nice and catchy, it feels awkwardly tacked on to the rest of the song.

Bach's Toccato and Fugue in D Minor just screams "mad scientist bashing away at an organ". Hell yeah! A brilliant celebration of insanity. The only thing that could possibly make it more ridiculously extroverted was if it was played by the fury of over a thousand volts arcing through the air.

So... do these songs compare well with their contemporaries? Is this recording well played and conducted? I have no idea! Like I said, a terrible review...

Favourite songs

Adagio (Albinoni), Toccato and Fugue in D Minor (Bach)

Worthwhile?

Not for me!