Baby Animals- self-titled

This is the debut album from the Baby Animals, which was released in 1991.

I bought the album purely for One Word. Thanks to the endless catchy hooks, inspiring lyrics and snappy breaks, this song is drunken singalong nirvana. Hopefully this snappy single also leads to an album of great substance?

Rush You and Early Warning have similar intoxicated appeal, although not quite to the same level as One Word, so you'll need to be a bit more wasted! Nonetheless, they are still a very enjoyable way to spend 4 minutes.

Painless is getting far too close to Dixie Chicks for my liking. The verses are passable, but the chorus is awfully uninspired. Break My Heart also has an awful chorus, and not just due to the depressive lyrics.

Ain't Gonna Get is a somewhat enjoyable headbanging romp, but nothing to write home about. Apart from that, the rest of the album holds no appeal for me.

Favourite Songs

One Word, Rush You, Early Warning

I diggit?

The answer to the question posed at the start is mostly a disappointing "no". Despite that, the couple of hits grant this album niche appeal for when the time is right (although I must admit that I'd go for the Sin City EP instead most of the time).

Metallica- S&M

S&M is Metallica's eighth album. It was released in 1999, two years after Reload.

And it's an intriguing concept: rock supergroup plus symphony orchestra. The possibilities are very exciting, but it is also fraught with danger. Such as whether the often simplistic Metallica songs would actually benefit from the addition of an orchestra? And whether the arrangements can seamlessly integrate an extra 81 instruments within a rock song designed for 4?

I'm not familiar with the original version of The Call Of Ktulu, so it's hard to comment on the "orchestral conversion". But judged in isolation, the leitmotif isn't especially memorable and the song drags on without much purpose to its structure. The biggest disappointment is that it never unleashes the full power of the orchestra; it's always "rock band plus strings" or "rock band plus horns", etc.

On the other hand, I really like the original version of Master Of Puppets. However, I'm not convinced that the occasional orchestral fluff really adds anything to this version. In fact, it jumps around so much that it's very hard to get into the groove of the song. Of Wolf And Man is similar in the failings of the orchestral integration. It's like they've tried to find gaps in which to squeeze an orchestra, and the result is just background noise more than anything else. The Thing That Should Not Be is also just too busy and often the orchestral parts lack any coherence with the underlying rock song.

The recording quality of the quieter sections shows very good character, subtlety and balance. Unfortunately the louder sections can get quite messy (in particular, a muddy sound in the upper-bass frequencies) and the hi-hat is harsh and overbearing on several songs. However, I don't envy the people tasked with shoehorning a raging Metallica -  plus a full orchestra - onto a CD, so some slack must be cut.

For Fuel, it seems the band have let the orchestra loose with some of the main riffs of the song, and the result is brilliant! And in the quieter sections, the swirling instruments works a treat to build drama. So, with the extra room for the orchestra to express itself, suddenly the whole concept makes sense. Phew!

The highlight of No Leaf Clover is the great contrast provided by the gentle chorus. Throughout the song, the orchestral parts adds a grand sense of scale, which is fantastic. Devil's Dance is also a wonderful result of combining "S" with "M", however I find the song lacks any effective hooks to make it memorable. Until It Sleeps is also a great arrangement of a lacklustre rock song.

For better or worse, the original of Nothing Else Matters is quite a crude and lumpy rock-ballad. I personally enjoy it for what it is, but there is definitely scope for a more sophisticated approach. But you won't find that here, unfortunately it's just a case of orchestral fluff in background adding nothing worthwhile to the song. Similarly, the S&M version of Enter Sandman also doesn't interest to me at all, perhaps because the original version's appeal is built around its... ahem purity as mindless, headbanging fun. That timeless riff is obscured (perhaps being unrecognisable if you weren't familiar with the original song) and the overall impression is of diluted rather than enhanced.

The instrumental preamble of For Whom The Bell Tolls is brilliant. The rest of the song features wonderful integration of band and orchestra, although I find it lacking in hooks. It's a similar story for -Human. To finish this review with some highlights, Wherever I May Roam, Outlaw Torn and Sad But True hit the nail on the head and deliver everything I'd hoped for when a great rock band is combined with a symphony orchestra.

Favourite songs

Fuel, No Leaf Clover, For Whom The Bell Tolls, Wherever I May Roam, Sad But True

I diggit?

During the first few songs, I was thinking this was a stinker of an album. But once it finds its feet, this is wonderfully immense experience.

Richard Cheese- Tuxicity

Tuxicity is Richard Cheese's second album. It was released in 2002, two years after Lounge Against The Machine.

She Hates Me is vintage Richard Cheese: a gently, catchy jazz song, with the novelty of a profanity-laden chorus!

On the other hand, Fell In Love With A Girl lacks the grubby language, but more than makes up for it with the catchy music. As does Hate To Say I Told You So.

Similarly, the originals of Hot For Teacher and More Human Than Human doesn't give them much material to work with. But the frenetic energy injected into this cover makes them great songs in their own right.

Down With The Sickness is brilliant. Starting with a great soft opening, it gently builds up in line with the increasing depravity of the lyrics. Which all leads to a grand, and hilariously over-the-top, ending.

It's not really a song, but I do enjoy the joke of getting the band to...ahem... Shut Up. Similarly, the gag at the end of Crazy is comedy gold.

If I may get a little philosophical, this album had me considering the nature of parody albums. Whereas a Frank Bennett album (also lounge covers of pop hits) would have me considering intellectual aspects such as the arrangements and creativity in the adaption, for Richard Cheese I immediately go looking for the LOLs (i.e. gentle crooning laced with as much profanity as possible!). The timing of the comedy is executed very well here, with most of the covers being much shorter than the original versions, to avoid the joke getting stale by the end of the song. Midway through listening to Shut Up and Crazy I was thinking that they weren't as strong as the other songs, and perhaps Mr Cheese recognised this since these songs are essentially used as the build-up to the joke at the end. 

Favourite songs

Fell In Love With A Girl, Down With The Sickness, Hot For Teacher, More Human Than Human

Worthwhile?

Absolutely.

Jackson Jackson- Tools For Survival

Tools For Survival is Jackson Jackson's second album. It was released in 2008, one year after The Fire Is On The Bird.

Although I tried not to, comparisons with its predecessor are unavoidable. And unfavourable. Where The Fire Is On The Bird had enormous variety, this album focusses on a narrower range of electronic-rock styles. Since I lack much experience with electronic music, I'm probably missing a lot of the context that this album is built upon. So unfortunately this album is at a handicap right from the outset.

Love Man is a nice trancey prog-rock effort to kick things off. I don't find it particularly memorable, but it works well as an opener. Hope For The Future is very similar.

The contrast of humble and emotive lyrics with ridiculously hektic electronica works a treat for The Devil In Me. It's a neat party trick, but unfortunately it grows old as the song drags out a bit.

All Alone has a brilliantly catchy groove for the chorus. Again the verses are contrasting, which works well and flows very nicely. The highlight for me is the lyrics, which have incredibly vivid imagery. I also really like that there is no clear narrative, just a journey through a collection of images loosely around a theme.

Looking So Hard For Love is nice, light-hearted fun. And Take Me Back works well both on its own as a humbling ballad, and to inject some variety into the album.

Somehow, the pre-chorus of Til The Heavens Fall is my favourite moment of the album. It's such a simple set of short phrases, yet it works brilliant as a lead-in, and builds perfectly with the song. Overall, the song is very similar to Eliza. In other words, it's the perfect build-up from humble beginnings to an epically grand finish. Brilliant.

Tools For Survival uses the same recipe with a bit of aimless wandering at the start. Once it gets into its stride, though, it is headbanging prog-rock brilliance.

Favourite songs

All Alone, Til The Heavens Fall, Tools For Survival

Worthwhile?

It's difficult to consider this album on its own merits without being influenced by the long shadow of its brilliant predecessor. To use a cooking analogy, it is a fine recipe that Jackson Jackson has used for both albums, and you wouldn't turn down a delicious cake just because you've eaten one of the same type before. Therefore, this is also a great album.

Lotek- International Rudeboy

This is the 2010 debut album from Lotek.

I was drunk when I bought this album... both alcoholically, and high on the buzz at the end of a great gig. It was the first time I'd heard of Lotek, and out of the blue this band delivered an infectious set of bouncy dancehall goodness. So I duly purchased their album.

Rebel Hifi kicks things off with a very nice groove, but the over-the-top dubstep flourishes aren't to my taste.

Don't Want No is similarly very heavy dub, although the ridiculous bass-quakes are hilarious. It was about this point I started wondering what on earth was going on with this album! I was expecting the feelgood dancehall style from the gig, but this was turning out to be more like Skrillex...

Dub Makes Fools Of Us All is more like it. Bouncy, danceable rocksteady; life is good. But then it descends into sparse dub, which I found very disappointing.  (warning: rant incoming!) For me, the appeal of dub is the endless repetition, while slowly making subtle changes. A slow-burn journey, but when you look back you realise how far you've come. But dubstep trades this evolution for instantaneous flashes of effects, and it's not my cup of tea.

Dreader Than Dub also is exactly what I was hoping for, and thankfully it holds that style throughout the song. (although I do find it very similar to the groove of The Herd's We Can't Hear You on The Sun Never Sets).

And let's end the review here, because I have nothing nice to say about the remainder of the album...

Favourite songs

Dreader Than Dub

Worthwhile?

Well it has a niche place in my collection for when some ridiculously over-the-top dubstep is needed. But in the end, the answer is no.

Eskimo Joe- Black Fingernails Red Wine

Eskimo Joe's third studio album is Black Fingernails Red Wine. It was released in 2006, two years after A Song Is A City.

The opening semi-instrumental, Comfort You, sets a great mood and high standard of nicely layered instrumentals for the album, in a similar manner as the opening track on Placebo's Sleeping With Ghosts. The occasional lyrics are more like a tag-line from a club remix, lacking of any real meaning. But that doesn't matter at all in this context, so it's a great introduction to the album.

Unfortunately, New York does have "proper" lyrics, but they feel emotionally distant and bring nothing to the experience. Which is a real shame, because musically the song is very good. The backing ebbs and flows very nicely, and it is intricate yet subtle. If only the narrative was up to the same standard. How Does It Feel and This Is Pressure suffer the same fate. Beating Like A Drum goes one worse- the lyrics are not just uninspiring, but actually painfully simplistic. Like U2 at their worst (eg Elevation), it is terribly literal lowest-common denominator music, which is an offence to an intelligent audience.

I won't go into specifics on how I find Breaking Up, Setting Sun and Reprise to be devoid of any redeeming features whatsoever. In general though, I somehow find the band's mood and art-rock intentions to be similar to Howling Bells. Yet the Howling Bells builds on the beautiful landscapes with a strong emotional appeal. Eskimo Joe... does not.

The title track, Black Fingernails Red Wine, is a fantastic quirky headbanging disco-rock number. In this case the lyrics are vivid and nicely obscure and vivid lyrics. I've got no idea what message they are trying to convey, but that never matters!

Similarly, Sarah is a great oddball pop song. Using a very similar recipe to Garbage's Bleed Like Me album, it has also perfected the art of snappy wall-of-noise explosions. The chorus is a treat, and somehow the drumming particularly stands out. Like Garbage at their best, it is pop-rock perfection. If I can continue the shameless name-dropping, there also seems to be a bit of Roy Orbison in the mix (e.g. Pretty Woman).

Finally, the chorus of Suicide Girl provides interesting between the bouncy music and the sombre lyrics. However, the rest of the song limps along, waiting for the next chorus to resuscitate it.

Favourite songs

Black Fingernails Red Wine, Sarah

Worthwhile?

Back in 2006, I found this album to be a moody and edgy masterpiece with enchantingly obscure lyrics. Sadly, time has not been kind to it at all. The pop hits are still enjoyable, but otherwise it is somehow lacklustre these days.

Meat Loaf- Bat Out Of Hell II

Bat Out Of Hell II is Meat Loaf's sixth album. It was released in 1993, sixteen years after the original Bat Out Of Hell album.

Epic is such an over-used word these days. But this album is features some truly epic music, and I'd Do Anything For Love is an excellent example. It is also intensely passionate, yet wonderfully cheesy at the same time. The song structure is magnificent and features so many wonderful elements, such as the chorus "ahhs" and the use of piano. The icing on the case is the incredibly powerful female vocals.

The recording quality is sometimes quite 1980s sounding, despite the album being released in 1995. But it does a great job of bringing together the multitude of voices to create span the intensity range from a soft whisper to the Big Bang, so I rate it highly.

Life Is A Lemon And I Want My Money Back is dominated by a hypnotic groove, which feels like it could go on forever. Also, I quite enjoy the silly lyrics of the bridge (eg "What about X?", "It's defective").

The opening of Rock And Roll Dreams Come True is soooo 80s. Yet it builds on this soft-focus opening to create a wonderfully layered masterpiece. Again, the backing vocals and piano works a treat. And again, the lyrics are both wonderfully cheesy and passionate:
I treasure your love, I never want to lose it
You've been through the fires of hell
And I know you've got the ashes to prove it

Not to mention, the wonderful notion that the religion of rock'n'roll can solve any problem in the world:
Once upon a time was a back beat
Once upon a time all the chords came to life
And the angels had guitars even before they had wings
If you hold onto a chorus you can get through the night

...I could go on all day raving about the poetry, imagery and truisms of this song, suffice to say it's an all-time favourite for me.

On the other hand, It Just Won't Quit is a bit of a letdown. The chorus is super catchy, but otherwise I find it drags on aimlessly. The ballads of Good Girls Go To Heaven and Lost Boys And Golden Girls are also nothing to write home about.

Out Of The Frying Pan is a return to the typical Meat Loaf brilliance. It is dripping with vivid and powerful phrases, including my favourite "the sun is just a ball of desire". The key ingredient though, is the endless build-up throughout the song. Meat Loaf is a master of the pre-chorus and manages to capture this wonderful anticipation throughout an entire 8-minute song Everything Louder Than Everything Else also works this to perfection.

Favourite songs

I'd Do Anything For Love, Life Is A Lemon And I Want My Money Back, Rock And Roll Dreams Come True, Out Of The Frying Pan, Everything Louder Than Everything Else

Worthwhile?

Very much. What a legendary album.

Blondie- Greatest Hits

Blondie's Greatest Hits mostly features songs from their heyday of 1977-1982. I've never been a fan of the band, but have enjoyed the odd single from time to time. So at some stage, I ended up buying this Greatest Hits album.

Kicking off with Dreaming, I just can't get past the terribly literal and twee lyrics, which are drowning in over-production (hmm... an attempt to mask fundamentally bland songwriting perhaps?!). The chorus is better than the rest of the song, but that's not saying much...

Call Me is Blondie at their best: irresistible pop perfection. The key ingredients are a fantastic groove and catchy, singalong chorus. A timeless choice for late-night drunken karaoke.

Many people would consider Heart of Glass in the same league as Call Me, but somehow it fails to appeal for me. The novelty of the chipmonk lyrics has long since worn off, exposing an otherwise pretty bland song.

One Way Or Another injects some variety to the vocals, with a snarly (*cough* non-autotuned, for a change...) vocal style. Unfortunately, it doesn't sit well with the song's bouncy groove, so the result ends up feeling contrived. While I'm moaning, the band should have left Caribbean music well alone! The Tide Is High is cringingly plastic and over-produced, and Island Of Lost Souls is also terrible.

Also, the vocals of X Offender don't suit the music, in fact each section of music doesn't even suit the next. What a trainwreck!

The oddball funk-hiphop hit Rapture has always been a favourite of mine. In particular, the very strange narrative (men from Mars eating bars and then cars??) during the rapping. Speaking of funk, The Hardest Part funk injects some great variety into proceedings. In fact, it's a fantastic pop-funk song in its own right. My favourite elements are the nice build-up with the pre-chorus, and the bouncing groove in general.

Rip Her To Shreds features nicely jangly instrumental. Unfortunately, the superficial and bitchy lyrics ruin it for me.

Maria was born of Blondie's late 90s reformation and, surprisingly, it works a treat. The highlight are the lyrics, which- usually for Blondie- are nicely poetic and imaginative. And they're well supported by a catchy pop tune.

For me, Atomic represents Blondie in a nutshell: a simple yet brilliantly catchy groove, vocals which are auto-tuned beyond all recognition and lyrics with no depth whatsoever.
Make it magnificent,
Toniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.
Your hair is beautiful,
Toniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight
On second thoughts, perhaps it's working on a deeper level to make some kind of profound social commentary. Or perhaps it's just Blondie...

Favourite songs

Call me, Rapture, Atomic, The Hardest Part

Worthwhile?

Not is a long-term sense. It has its moments, but at the end of the day it's just throwaway pop.
(Why am I so harsh on this band? It's probably got little to do with the songs, and more to do with the over-intellectualising and post-justification associated with the band, for example the notion of Blondie being part of the punk movement. So it's not really about the songs. Sorry.)

Sin City- self titled

If I may kick things off with a rant...
For a "typical" rock band (i.e. three guys on guitars and one on drums), there are an enormous variety of sub-genres by which they can be described. However, if the singer happens to be female, then somehow everything from No Doubt to The Divinyls to Paramore gets lumped together as "chick-rock". What's the go with that?? So, if I happen to mention the phrase chick-rock in this review, please feel free to point out my hipocracy

Anyway... on to the review. Of Sin City's 2009 debut EP.

This CD is wall-to-wall infectious rock hooks. It is also very punchy, and somehow has an 1980s feel to it (Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Idol, etc). The vocals are quite unique, even notwithstanding the whole 2nd chromosome thing. Looking at them technically, the standard is quite poor; due to a strained tone, wavering at times and often inconsistently switching between singing and yelling. But I actually prefer it this way. The technical flaws give great character and a really strong sense of raw emotion which perfectly complements the lyrics.

Therefore, God Damn, Don't Eat Your Heart Out and Sweet Lies are bouncing rock perfection.

Dating The Undead injects some variety with a blues-esque ballad, and it works a treat. The verses plod along nicely, and it winds up to a great centrepiece chorus. Again, the vocals are pretty rough-and-ready, but it actually adds to the song.

Favourite songs

God Damn, Don't Eat Your Heart Out, Dating The Undead, Sweet Lies

Worthwhile?

Absolutely. A hidden treasure.

Smashmouth- Fush Yu Mang

Fush Yu Mang is Smashmouth's highly successful debut album, which was released in 1997. On a personal note, I purchased it purely on the basis of the song Padrino.

Exploring the rest of the album unfortunately reveals it to be a bit of a stinker. In general, the lyrics fail to convey any emotional impact, and the light-hearted moments quickly wear thin. Musically, it's a better story, with many nice hooks and catchy sections. But many songs- such as Heave-Ho, The Fonz and Disconnect the Dots- are a disjointed collection of sections, lacking any overall cohesion.

And then Let's Rock and Why Can't We Be Friends are simply annoying, immature ditties. Since I quite enjoy Guttermouth, Offspring and similar inane pop-punk, I don't think it's a case of looking down my nose at an immature style. It's just that Smashmouth's attempt somehow misses the mark. 

Walkin' On The Sun is thankfully free of these vices, and a wonderfully oddball lounge-pop hit. The verses are quirky and fun, and the chorus is very catchy. Unfortunately, I've heard it too many times, which has dulled its impact.

Padrino also hits the nail on the head. It also features some great sections, such as energetic, fun verses and a snappy chorus. But the important difference is that the band has managed to craft these sections into a song which flows very nicely. Also, the humour is well supported by a wonderfully moody intro and an interesting narrative. It all makes for tongue-in-cheek fun that has lasting appeal. Great stuff.

Favourite songs

Padrino

Worthwhile?

Overall, it's a pretty lousy album. However, the brilliance of Padrino single-handedly drags it into my good books.