Music Review - Paul McCartney - Standing Stone

I still can't bring myself to waste an hour listening to this again... I just remember it as one big mess. I was being overly polite in my review, an early one at that, and I didn't want to slam Sir Paul too badly. Now I don't care.

"Standing Stone", Paul McCartney's second large-scale classical work, is a symphonic poem of epic proportions based on a Celtic legend written by McCartney himself. McCartney freely admits that he cannot read or write music and has never had any schooling in the "rules" of classical music. In order to give form to this piece, he decided to create his Celtic story of the origins of mankind and the mystery of human existence upon which to drape this symphonic work. For those wanting to read this legend, be assured that it is included in what is perhaps the thickest set of liner notes I have ever seen with a compact disc, including the composers thoughts on the piece as well as a brief history of the first performance and a few sketches Paul made while writing his poem. To get the music in his head into musical notation, he played or sang each part into a computer which would recognize the note and then create the written musical notation. And the result? As a long-time Beatles fan, I really wanted to fall in love with this piece. However, the lack of a strong central theme in a piece this long (over 74 minutes) and the hodge-podge of influences and styles ranging from Holst to Ives to gypsy themes to minimalism left a lot to be desired. The huddled masses, however, feel otherwise as this piece has been #1 on the Classical charts all winter. I am not trying to say that the piece is completely devoid of substance. Much the opposite, as trademark McCartney melodies are skillfully woven into the fabric at many key points. The more I listen to the piece, the more nuances I uncover, and the more I like it.

The symphonic poem opens with a dissonant crash of randomness, a primitive rainstorm signifying the creation of form out of chaos. One doesn't have to wait long to hear the first of many beautiful melodies, this one played by a solo horn portraying the beginning of life. Continually layered over the piece is a full chorus, though except for a short section near the end, this chorus provides mood and texture but does not sing words. Overall, the first third of the piece is energetic and exciting as it depicts fire and the beginning of life. The tempo is mostly upbeat and it is easy to hear McCartney being excited about the creation of a new orchestral piece, bringing his Celtic legend to life. The second third drags along with only a few good melodies and a double helping of still, near-silent expanses, almost as if the composer was unsure of how to bridge the gap between the beginning of his story and his clearly perceived conclusion. However, the final section is back in mood with the first, portraying a rustic celebration and dance complete with peasant tunes and jigs, filled with an abundance of memorable melodies that could only have written by Paul McCartney. Overall, an impressive and massive (albeit inconsistent) undertaking for someone who has never studied composition and a worthwhile addition to the musical library of any Beatles fan.

This article first appeared in WhatzUp, March 1998.

Music Review - Wolf Hoffmann - Classical

Many of us have heard it, some heavy metal band tromping through a classical piece like Ride of the Valkyries or Hall of the Mountain King with about as much finesse as a drunken elephant at a pottery fair. Then along comes Wolf Hoffmann, guitarist of the former 80s metal band Accept, with an entire CD of popular classical pieces arranged for electric guitar. Disaster in the making? From the very first spin of this CD, I have to admit that I was impressed, not only with his technical skill but with his obvious understanding and respect of this music as well. Instead of attempting to play the pieces exactly as written, Hoffmann has arranged each piece into a new creation, keeping the melody intact but often rearranging the underlying chords and/or feel of the piece. In fact, the album could have been called "Variations on a Theme By..." For instance, in Hoffmann's capable hands, Beethoven's Fur Elise becomes a smoky blues number complete with Hammond B3. Habanera from Bizet's Carmen Suite No. 2 (just one of three Bizet pieces covered) is filled with a number of scorching melodic guitar solos backed by the impulsive Bizet melody. And yes, he does a version of Hall of the Mountain King, though not without some initial reservation. Hoffmann's concept of this metal standard is to take it into an R&B mode, more rock than metal with Grieg's theme dueling with a sizzling rock guitar. Other pieces include Pomp & Circumstance, Arabian Dance from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, and an abridged version of Smetana's The Moldau. Again, I must state how impressed I was with how tastefully these pieces were arranged and carried out. The guitar playing is immaculately clean, many times more like a classical guitar in style but on an electric. Distortion is used judiciously to color, not to cover up flawed technique. In addition to electric guitar, Hoffmann adds bass, piano, drums, and orchestral percussion, in various combinations. By rearranging these pieces instead of just doing "cover" versions, Hoffmann has made one of the best bridges between "serious classical" and "popular" music that I've heard in years. Adventurous classical music fans and guitarists would do well to add this to their collection!

Get this CD directly from the artist at www.wolfhoffmann.com.

This article first appeared in WhatzUp, April 2000.

Music Review - Duo For Classical Accordions - Crabb & Draugsvoll

Like most people, I spent the formative years of my life associating accordions with the cult formerly known as the Lawrence Welk Show (I still wake up at night screaming, images of dancing bubbles ricocheting through my head). It was not until I heard the tasty, melodic strains of accordion skillfully blended into the music of They Might Be Giants that I changed my tune (yes, that was intentional and yes, I am deeply, deeply ashamed). Now, as a proud owner of a Scandalli piano accordion, I join the ranks of thousands of people whose musty accordions sit horribly underplayed in some remote corner of their abode. This is all to say that when I saw the CD "Duos for Classical Accordions" sitting all alone on the music store rack, the guilt of my near-abandoned Scandalli was too great and I was powerless to resist.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started up the disc. The two major pieces on the CD are Stravinsky's "Petrushka" (the 1947 version), and Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition", popular for spawning not only an ELP album but for providing music for the bluest little has-beens in the land, "The Smurfs". The versions on this CD were arranged by the two "classically trained" accordionists James Crabb and Geir Draugsvoll (should be household names any day now). The Mussorgsky piece being an old favorite (it was the third classical album I every owned), I skipped the disc to the opening "Promenade" theme and sat back to subject my ears to the horrible sound of strangled geese. Though sounding a bit "reedy" at times, the music was far from horrible. Actually, it sounded more like an organ duo than anything else. The music is so true to the original and the playing so precise that about five minutes into the piece, I had forgotten that I was listening to accordions and instead was enjoying the music. Though not as familiar with the Stravinsky piece, it too seemed to lack any of the horrible corniness that I hoped would be present on this album. Stravinsky's angular, boxy melodies actually seem ready-made for the transition to accordion, as though they had been waiting since 1947 for this moment. Though perhaps not for everyone, the strong of heart and ear will find that "Dues for Classical Accordions" presents a new twist of these familiar and popular works.

EMI Classics Debut : Duos for Classical Accordions James Crabb and Geir Draugsvoll

This review first appeared in WhatzUp, May 1998.

Music Review - Scott Johnson - Rock Paper Scissors

Now here's something really tasty! I just found out that Mr. Johnson released a third CD of compositions in 2010 and promptly added it to my Wishlist. Good, unique, melodic stuff here, kids! Can I borrow you an air compressor?

New York guitarist/composer Scott Johnson has long been interesting in breaking down the barrier between "serious" (classical) and "popular" (rock) music. His latest release, Rock Paper Scissors, is a successful melding of these two musical forms, a difficult feat that few have been able to accomplish. The title piece is a modern take on chamber music. Using pianos, synthesizers, a cello, an electric guitar, and a violin, Johnson creates an intriguing five movement piece that captures elements of rock, jazz, and classical music. The result is often beautiful and hypnotic, sometimes chaotic and annoying, but never boring. Unlike some music I've heard where they seem to be fighting each other, the guitar and synthesizer join seamlessly with the traditional stringed instruments. This is most likely due to Johnson's traditional composition technique and his Stravinsky-esque sense of form which enables his to give the piece a good tonal balance.

The best part of this CD is the piece Convertible Debts. As in his first album, John Somebody, Johnson has based this work on the natural melodies and cadences (not to mention the awkward pauses and stutterings) of human conversation. To get the sound of natural, unguarded speech, he recorded friends as they called up someone to ask a favor. Johnson then selected portions of this conversation that he found interesting and manipulated them digitally into a melodic and rhythmic musical foundation. Upon this he added piano, guitar, cello, and violin, integrating them perfectly with the human voice. The first movement of this piece captures the awkward moment when the speaker must first bring up the subject of asking for a favor. In the third movement, a young Asian female asks to "borrow you an air compressor", a broken, angular line that Johnson turns into a haunting and ethereal passage. The final movement is formed around someone making sure that a check he is about to deposit won't bounce because "well, if it bounces I'll get billed." Though not for the diehard Mozart or Hootie fan, those interested in experiencing some music that is truly alternative would do well to listen to this latest work by Scott Johnson.

This review first appeared in WhatzUp, August 1998.

Music Review - Christopher Rouse - Passion Wheels

I first became aware of Baltimore-born composer Christopher Rouse when the Fort Wayne Philharmonic played one of his pieces a few years back… and why shouldn't they? In addition to being one of the noisiest American composers around, his approachable neo-classical-modern style has led to his pieces being some of the most often played of any living composer. By taking melodic and structural elements from the Classical period and mixing in the expressive, demanding, and shocking changes of the Modern era, Rouse manages to create music that is accessible yet discomforting, crushing the common notion among the inexperienced that classical music is a soothing sedative.

Passion Wheels is a collection of four Rouse compositions that were premiered between 1976 and 1990. Known for his raucous use of percussion, the disc opens and closes with two short pieces for small percussion ensemble, Ku-Ka-Ilimoku and Ogoun Badagris, respectively. Inspired by Hawaiian tribal dances, Ku-Ka-Ilimoku is an athletic war dance full of pounding poly-rhythms. The violent Ogoun Badagris is named for a bloodthirsty Haitan god, brutally depicting a human sacrifice ceremony.

The title track, Rotae Passionis, is a chamber piece for flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, and cello whose three movements tell the last days of Christ, often in horrific terms. The first movement, depicting Christ's human doubts and fears, is essentially an anguished concerto for clarinet, bravely and remarkably played by Allen Kay. The vicious second movement is an agonizing tour of the fourteen stations of the cross, often torturing the musician as much as the listener with sadistic technical demands. After the whirlwind passes, the third movement is a welcome respite, depicting Christ's slumber into death with fragmented yet tender music.

Saving the best for last is my personal favorite, Concerto per Corde, a tribute to Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. Originally a string quartet, Rouse reworked the piece into an intensely personal composition. With a chillingly bare string sound that owes much to Bernard Herrmann's score for Psycho, the piece begins with unsettling and morbid passages played by strings pushed to the edge. The connected second movement screeches past in a fury of expressed rage guaranteed to quicken your pulse with agitated rhythms that conjure up nightmarish visions of Bartok. The final movement begins in eerie, cold desolation, frighteningly pale with tension. Over the course of ten minutes, the music slowly warms and the tension subsides, ending with a placid, Disney-esque melody as if the composer has slowly come to grips with his demons.

Refreshingly original while remaining amicable, the music of Christopher Rouse is the cleansing yet shocking coffee enema needed to jolt classical music listeners out of their doldrums.

This review first appeared in WhatzUp, February 2002.

Musici Review - Vivaldi - The Meeting

Yet another album I need to dust off. I recall this one as being pretty whacked, especially for Vivaldi.

Baroque music with drum solos. Who can ask for anything more? To most, Baroque music (Bach, Handel, Vivaldi), is somewhat stuffy, unemotional music that chugs steadily along until it (gratefully) ends. Lorenzo Arruga, originator of this project, knows that when this early music was written, much of it was improvised and dynamic, concepts that were not easily conveyed in the limited musical notation that was then in its infancy. Inspired by a story which involved Vivaldi, some friends, an enthusiastic neophyte percussionist, and musical improvisation, Arruga enlisted ex-Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo to join a small group of friends to capture the improvisational spirit of the original baroque performances. For this adventure, Arruga chose passages from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" and the operas "Ottone in Villa" and "Orlando Furioso", exploring the improvisational possibilities in these pieces with a great sense of imagination, while remaining true to the intent of Vivaldi. The result is a fresh way to look at the music of this genre. Though one might expect the drumming to stick out like a penguin at Headwaters Park, Lombardo's playing is always appropriate, ranging from tastefully restrained to full out drum soloing. "La tempesta D'estate" is a joyous romp between oboe and flute with a steady, excited flurry of even-tempo drum beats in the background. Later, organs, harpsichords, and vocals are thrown into the mix, adding to the aural experience. At times, the music is almost jazz-like in it's free style, openly capturing the carefree mood of the participants and the music they are playing while elsewhere the music is true to the original notation, more subdued but with unexpected flourishes. While this disc could easily have become a mere novelty recording, the enthusiasm, creativity, and professionalism of all involved have produced instead a work of great beauty and strength, one that is sure to spend many hours in my own CD player.

This review first appeared in WhatzUp, June 1999.

Music Review - Lorin Maazel - Works for Violin, Flute, & Violoncello

This is some good stuff, Maynerd!

All "classical" music was composed by guys who have been dead for over a hundred years, right? Wrong-o, Jimbo! The three pieces of Works for Violin, Flute, & Violoncello were all written in the last five years. They must be that awful a-tonal stuff that sounds like a traffic accident, right? Wrong again, Phenergan! While this music isn't exactly for frail old ladies, it is a far cry from the harsh sounds one normally associates with "new" classical music. Composed by internationally revered conducted Lorin Maazel, the three pieces on this disc are all one movement program pieces written in sections, complete with liner notes by the composer that help illuminate the meaning of the music without forcing the listener into one strict interpretation.

The first piece is "Music for Violoncello [cello] and Orchestra". Dark, foreboding, and absolutely nightmarish, this piece owes a lot to Bartok and his "night music", with the frightening sounds of some great, unseen evil lurking just outside the reach of the camp fire. The listener is taken on a Geigeresque joy-ride through "the vulgarities, horrors, and capriciousness of 'real life'" that is both scathing and exhilarating. "Music for Flute and Orchestra" (with the flute played by James Galway) is a little more joyous with a tranquil, flowing, and beautifully mysterious solo flute song that hold the entire piece together (that is, before it is brought crashing to the ground in heart-wrenching reality by the orchestra). "Music for Violin and Orchestra" finds Maazel showcasing his own talents on the violin as this small, passionate violin tries unsuccessfully to bring down the massive orchestral monster, only to end up bruised and changed by the battle.

Thematically, you won't find a lot of optimism on these pieces as Maazel seems to write exclusively on the futility of life. For all it's darkness, though, his experience as a master conductor shines through in the expansive tone colors. Unorthodox instruments such as the harpsichord, tuned bongos, Indian rain tube, and accordion all add their unique sounds to these unorthodox pieces. While you won't find catchy melodies, you will find real angst, sorrow and pathos in these nightmare visions, and perhaps you'll find a favorite composer.

This article first appeared in WhatzUp, March 1999.

Classic Album Review - The Choir - Free Flying Soul

The Choir has just released another album, The Loudest Sound Ever Heard so I figure it’s appropriate that the next “Classic Album Review” is of the only Choir album on the list, Free Flying Soul. Those aware of this band are probably scratching their heads as to why my top Choir pick wouldn’t be one of their other albums, and with good reason. Over the course of their career this band has released a surprising number of very solid albums (Chase the Kangaroo, Oh How the Mighty Have Fallen and Circle Slide are all tens) but this album has captured my heart.

After years and years of touring and writing and recording the band was in top form. Coming off their Kissers and Killers album there’s still quite a bit of grit in these songs, which me likey! This aggression is couched in solid songwriting, interesting arrangements and killer melodies. There’s also an animal theme with song titles of “Salamander”, “Sled Dog”, “The Chicken” and others. Considered a dark album, Free Flying Soul is full of inspired and vivid poetry. The eerie, quiet “Polar Boy” is a stark personal revelation of need with lines such as “He’s got his purple nose / Pressed against your icy window / Perhaps you will allow / Polar boy in so he can warm himself / By your fire.” “Away With the Swine” is a rocker that sits easily alongside Kissers and Killers songs… gotta love those fuzzy guitars and that fuzzy bass!

“The Ocean” is a song I’ve skipped for so long I had forgotten it was on here. Listening to it again for he first time in years, well, it’s not bad but it doesn’t seem to fit the album. I don’t think I’ve been missing anything so I’ll continue to skip it. And besides, it’s followed by “If You’re Listening”, another simply amazing song of confession. Once again the song is album more air than it is notes, aching in its delivery. My wife says the song is ruined by the bass but I think the bass makes the song, a sub-octave fuzzed out tone that is almost a subliminal rumbling. The lyrics on this song are simply superb, scathingly honest in their willingness to accept the hurt our sin causes those around us. “If you’re listening to me now / I wouldn’t blame you anyhow for running me / Out of town.” Excellent guitar work on this one as well.

“Slow Spin” is, by every account, an odd yet brief song with spoken sections but it just works, kind of a quick sketch that knows not to overstay its welcome. “Leprechaun” continues the whimsy, capturing the image of a happy walk across the lawn with a big Chandler-written loping rhythm. “Yellow-Haired Monkeys” continue to provide a light breath after the previous heavy album, leading to “Butterfly”, an absolutely gorgeous song about wanting to inspire one’s children to take wing and fly. “You are precious more than I could express / Melody and word are poor at best / You are a gift to me / A treasure from Heaven / You were created to fly / To decorate the blue sky…” I’ve got to stop or else I could end up giving the entire song up as an example. Add to this Tim’s excellent bass line, sometimes slippery, sometimes groaning and Derri’s shimmering guitar tone and you’ve got a winner. Listening again I’m astounded that as the song progresses it just gets better and better. The album ends fittingly dark with “The Warbler,” a haunting midnight song if there ever was one- the song just sounds like pre-dawn after a sleepless of tears and fears. Despite the tone and feel Steve can’t help but to offer up hope in the lyrics “Never mind that drum dirge you hear droning” but instead celebrate despite your circumstances.

It’s difficult to believe that Free Flying Soul was written in 1996, 14 years ago. I didn’t get the album when it came about because I was in my musical abstinence period and thus I missed the chance to see The Choir play in Fort Wayne. BAH! But when the album finally made its way into my head it was exactly what my soul needed - a reality-smudged celebration of faith and family.

Classic Album Review - Self - Subliminal Plastic Motives

It was a very rough time in my life. I was a year or two into a new marriage that wasn’t going well and there seemed be very little exciting or colorful in my life. One day I was headed over to my grandfather’s to do some woodworking and happened to have the radio on the hot new alternative station. Instead of hearing the usual pabulum a song caught me ear, I mean REALLY caught me ear to the point that I realized that it had been a long time since I had purchased any CDs and even longer since music had made me excited. That song was “Cannon” by Self. I later learned that Matt Mahaffey, the brain behind the one-man band, disses this song because of its simplicity, saying that any number of bands from his hometown of Boston could have written it but I disagree. The song is an explosion of energy, starting with quietly strummed guitars in the verse before feedback and distortion in the chorus disrupt the carefully laid plans. However the thing that sets the song apart, and which I think makes it uniquely Self, is the bridge, a quirky, jumpy, detuned passage that segues into a watery kazoo-like version of the bridge. It was completely different than anything else I had heard on that station and fortunately they either said the name of the song and band or else I was excited enough to call the station upon my arrival.

Of course my local record store didn’t have this in stock (and since this was 1995 I think I just started using e-mail… Amazon.com or instant downloads were a long ways away) so I had to order it and wait. You kids these days and your instant gratification… When it arrived I was delightfully not disappointed to own a one-hit wonder. In fact, most of the album was even better than “Cannon!” Subliminal Plastic Motives was a superb mish-mash of power-pop, metal, prog, alternative, funk, and hip-hop. Hip-hop? I would have never guessed that I would be listening to anything even remotely hip-hoppish but there I was, listening and loving it. As a disclaimer may I add that I’ve yet to moved by anything else in that genre, though my love of funky rock predates this album and continues to thrive.

Back to the review, eh? Each song is intelligently written, often with tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and a sly wink at rhythm. The “progressive” aspect is a playful use of non-traditional meter that adds greater interest, at least to my ears. Heavy guitars abound as do layers of vocal harmonies, betraying Self’s love of the band Queen. Jellyfish and 10cc are also worshipped. Truly a studio-rat album, there are layers underneath each lovingly crafted layer. I suppose I could write about each song but that would be boring. Listening to the album with my magic headphones I’m impressed again at the fuzzed out bass, sudden and unorthodox instrument choices (walls of guitars give way to pianos and strings), and how Mahaffey manages to stuff so much into each song while retaining clarity and vitality.

Matt Mahaffey’s follow-up album was much more hip-hop, less progressive and less ingenius, meaning that it didn’t do as much for me but it’s still a fairly good album. He also made songs each of the Shrek movies and an album recorded completely with toy instruments (including the awesome earwig Trunk Fulla Amps in which the edited version is much more enjoyable than the explicit naughty-word version. Then he did an album with the guy from God Lives Underwater (to be reviewed later) and has otherwise not put out CDs for me to buy. SHAME!

Classic Album Review - Phil Keaggy - Find Me In These Fields (1990)

Time for another Classic Album review! There are only nine of these “perfect 11” albums left and since two of these are Phil Keaggy albums, I thought I’d chip one off the list.

My first experience with Phil Keaggy was when my ol’ pal Roger Shuman gave me Keaggy’s Sunday’s Child album. Being a Beatles aficionado it was right up my alley. In my “why, yes, I AM a dork” music database I have that album rated as a 10. Great stuff there, especially for the new Christian, letting me know that there was good Christian music with heartfelt, honest, non-cheesy lyrics out there and not everything was Carman and Degarmo & Key. However it was the follow up, Find Me In These Fields, that really spoke to me. Freed from the confines of having to sound like a 60s album Keaggy let loose with a string of amazing songs, ranging from rockers to soft confessionals. This album was produced by Lynn Nichols and had much of the same “all-star” supporting musicians as Sunday’s Child and their cohesiveness shows. This album is another shining example of the importance of matching the right producer with the artist, someone who knows how to push them in just the right way to get them to reach beyond their usual abilities. Keaggy, while an amazing guitarist and songwriter, needs such a producer. His self-produced albums run the range from bland to very good but his albums where he is produced by someone else are often outstanding.

Listening to the album again I can’t put my finger on exactly why the album is so good. The songs are all solid and amazingly performed with various nods to The Beatles and other influences but nothing so overwhelming as the previous album. I think the main thing that resonated with me were the lyrics in that they are very affirming and comforting, just what I needed at the time. For a new believer who had plenty of hang-ups and garbage and hurts these words were like balm for my soul, echoing my longing to be free from the past. “This Side of Heaven” is a prime example of how Keaggy managed to wrap this longing into a timeless and upbeat song, throwing in some very intoxicating vocal harmonies amid lyrics such as “Why settle for less here at the wrong time? / There are better worlds yet to come.” And when the chorus arrives? Sheer bliss! This song was followed by the vulnerable “Find Me In These Fields”, a gorgeous song featuring acoustic guitars and a cello. The times this song ministered to my aching, lonely heart are legion. Likewise “Calling You” is another song of yearning, feeding kindling to my newly ignited soul to dig deeper for more of God in my life.

With a nice combination of fiery rockers and earnest ballads but lyrics that seemed tailored for my life, Find Me In These Fields was just what I needed. The entire album exudes a confident maturity, both in the music and the lyrics, that is a rare find. Twenty-plus years later I can still put this album on and enjoy every song. What more can you ask?

Classic Album Review - Galactic Cowboys - Space In Your Face (1993)

When Galactic Cowboys came onto the scene they were touted as the heavier cousins of King’s X. As I was a huge King’s X fan at the time I immediately latched onto them. It took me a while to get into their debut album because it truly was much heavier than anything I’d been listening to and to this day I still find this album sonically sludgy. Their second album, Space In Your Face, cleaned up this sludge and gave the whole mess a nice polish. It retained the heaviness, much to the chagrin of my roommate at the time who couldn’t understand how I could switch from this mass of metal to Keith Green.

This second and finale Cowboys album to be produced by Sam Taylor, the same guy who produced the first four King’s X albums, spent over a year in my CD player. Say what you want about this guy, he can bring out the best in musicians. After this album they, like King’s X, dropped their producer and much of the progressive element from their sound and went more power pop. Good stuff but not the greatness of Space In Your Face.

So what’s so great about this album? I was hoping you would ask.

The title track introduces the album, 1:38 of twisting molten metal that effortlessly and playfully mangles the meter before jumping into a jazzy mid-section sure to puzzle all die-hard metalheads. Then comes “You Make Me Smile” with more non-conformity to 4/4 time signatures and an extremely aggressive speed-metal-like riff. But when the song gets to the chorus it’s all four-part vocal harmony candy. It’s also the first exhibition of their melodic prowess… this stuff is stick-in-your-head-for-weeks catchy! And not just in the vocals… the bass and guitars each lay down lines that refuse to leave your head. “I Do What I Do” is another vocal masterpiece, this time contrasting even stickier, sweeter vocal harmonies against an edgy, spooky verse. And let’s not forget the vocally intricate lead up to the chorus…. WOW! Pick a part and sing alone, will ya? And then, like in “Smile” there’s the lengthy instrumental passage at the end full of crazy chicanery. “Circles In The Fields” is a smiling poke at the then oft-reported incident of crop circles, complete with jack hammer sound effects and call/answer vocals. “If I Were A Killer” takes unique aim at abortion and abortionists. “Blind” is packed with gorgeous vocal harmonies so rich and lush that you want to eat them, contrasting softer passages with heavy crushing guitars. But ya know, I don’t think the harmonies stop once. Lyrically the song is a modern version of “I once was blind but now I see,” one of many Christian themes that run through the album.

Typical of CDs at the time, the band hid a couple of tracks. I’d read that their label only wanted nine songs and they had eleven so these were tucked away, one after ten tracks of silence and one in the negative space before track 32. It is to this final track, “Still Life of Peace,” to which I now draw your attention. Simply put, this song is astounding! It’s like nothing else I’ve ever heard and I love it, which means that most everyone else probably hates it and likes that it’s easy to skip. But where else can you hear a sitar and tabula battle against a cello? NOWHERE! Yes, sitar and tabula open the song while the boys do their vocal magic in the verse and then the song smashes into a prog-metal romp with six tons of low end. A brief instrumental passage occurs after verse two where the cello and the sitar lay down melodic solos and the song takes a brief divergence into ¾ territory before returning to the metal riff, this time with the cello joining in. They jump back and forth between ¾ land and the metal riff, sometimes only for half a measure just to keep you on your toes, and then introduce a speed metal riff into the mix. The cellos are front and center for verse three, sliding and gutsy in a manner that is not befitting a proper orchestral member.

I should mention that while I use the terms "progressive" and "prog" that's not really the focus. Yeah, the flip the beat around and have longer songs and somewhat complicated song structures, but they're no more progressive than early Metallica albums. That is, the songs and melodies are the focus and the technical flourishes are extras thrown in at no extra charge.

Music Review - Alice Cooper - Alice Cooper Goes To Hell

Hoffometer: 9

Alice Cooper Goes To Hell was the sequel to the very popular first solo album by Alice Cooper-the man as opposed to Alice Cooper-the band. Of course when I picked this album up in the early 80s it was out of order and I didn’t consider its chronological importance. For that end I’ll only say that this was an attempt to repeat the success of Welcome To My Nightmare, intentionally using the same musicians and stylistic variety.

And you know what? It works just as well as a sequel as a standalone.
The title track is a mid-tempo rocker with plenty of instrumental passages to be used as a playground when played live, giving Alice a chance to slay some costumed beast of the week. The masterful part is that these bits add to, instead of distract from, the overall flow of the song. Alice has always stated that despite the controversy that surrounded him he always portrayed clear cut morality. The song is a Greek Chorus of sorts that condemns Alice for his actions (“Making us doubt our parent’s authority” and “You’d even feed a diabetic a candy cane”), serving as a story prelude to the rest of the album. “You Gotta Dance” is light, even including flutes. Pay no attention to the disco beat (or that Alice completely rehashed the theme of this song in “Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever” on his Welcome to My Nightmare 2 album. It’s the weakest song on the album but the torture only lasts 2:45. The devil himself sings about himself in “I’m The Coolest”, a slow simmer of a song with jazzy drums (compare the style to “Some Folks” from the original Nightmare.) “Didn’t We Meet” is the first killer song, at least for the teenage me whose heart was packed with emotions needing an outlet. Part love song, part hard rock song, I’m still not sure what the song is about but when Cooper sings “Didn’t we meet / In the night in my sleep / Somewhere?” with such earnest yearning, well, how could my tender self not indulge? Just as Nightmare had “Only Women Bleed” so did this album need a ballad for radio. What we get is “I Never Cry,” a song which is vastly superior to “Women” with such lines as “I may be lonely / But I’m never alone” and “Just a heartache that got caught in my eye.” When the chorus brightens from the soft acoustic guitar into vibes and rich vocals it’s pure sugar. Yes, a bit syrupy hey, it’s good syrup (pure sugar, no corn syrup).

“Give The Kid A Break” finds Alice singing from hell in the first person with “Don’t know why I’m down here / Must be something I said / Or some small imperfection / In my soul or in my head.” The music is 50s influenced classic rock with lots of piano and fairly nice at that. Eventually he is answered by the devil himself and the two have a humorous conversation before Alice is abandoned by the Greek Chorus, again a trick used in Nightmare 2 (“I Gotta Get Outta Here”). “Guilty” is an auto-biographical hard rocker (nearly metal) with a very catchy chorus. And it’s an honest assessment of his standing before God, which is more than most people give. “Wake Me Gently” begins with a pretty passage played on Spanish guitar, blossoming into another gushy ballad that hit hard with the teenage me. Now that he’s in Hell Alice looks back on a life of lost opportunities and regret (“This dreams a novel / That I don’t dare complete / No happy endings read / I think the heroes dead.”) When the strings sweep in for a dramatic instrumental passage, well, it’s pure emotional manipulation but done so amazingly well you won’t stand a chance. “Wish You Were Here” breaks up the dream with heavy guitar set to a rompy/disco beat and the kind of chorus destined to remain in your head for a good long while, ending with some solid guitar solos. “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” is the classic bar song with Alice singing to a piano before everyone jumps into the pool for a big weepy singalong that heads to the finale, “Going Home,” a song which breaks my heart even now. Here Alice bares his lost soul, absolutely nailing the innate longing we all have that somewhere there is a better place. The song itself is big and dramatic with flutes and strings and timpani and horns, gushing all over itself with a killer melody that never goes over the line into camp. The lyrics capture the state of the fleeting nature of fame in that even at the height of his career he wonders “How many said / “I wonder what happened to Alice?” / How many shrugged or laughed? / How many cried?” Instead of fame and fortune he wants to be off the road, “To my own room / To all the mess / To all the dirty laundry / It looks so good, I don’t care / I’m just so glad to be back / Home sweet home.”

Rank: Essential Cooper

Music Review - School's Out - Alice Cooper (band)

This is the first of what I hope to be a series of reviews of cherished albums that I didn’t get to review professionally either because A) I found out about them too late after their release to review them, B) They were released before I started reviewing or C) insert lame joke here.

First up to bat is School’s Out by the Alice Cooper band. Unless you live in a remote corner of Idaho you’ve heard the title track many many many many times. It’s a good song but it does get a bit tired after the hundredth hearing. However it’s got lots of youthful energy and an amazing bass line. When I first heard this album I didn’t care much for it… too jazzy. Jazzy? Alice Cooper? Yes indeedy! This album, while hard rocking, also jumps all over the place stylistically. Though I’ve never been one to shy away from differing styles I just didn’t take a shine to this album for the first few years. And then I started to play the bass guitar and realized that School’s Out is a FORGOTTEN BASS MASTERWORK! I’d read that by this time in their career they were all drinking a lot and possibly doing drugs but Dennis Dunaway had to be completely sober to pull off the amazing bass parts on this album. It’s not that they’re especially tricky (though they may be) it’s that they are central to each song and astoundingly inventive.

“Luney Tune” is the track which follows the famous title track and that bass is a spongy slithering bouncy beast. The freaky song starts out spooky, then has a brief western-like interlude followed by sweeping strings before heading back to an extended instrumental outro spiked by a violin solo. What?!??! “Gutter Cats Vs. The Jets” opens with solo bass for thirty seconds, laying down an impressive rhythm before skyrocketing into the atmosphere. Listening again I’m just continually struck at the inventiveness of the bass line. The song itself is based on West Side Story and goes through a number of parts in telling its tale, becoming quite progressive in its structure. Once again you may find yourself wondering, “This is Alice Cooper, right? “Got You Under My Wheels”, right?” “Street Fight” is fifty-three seconds of fight sounds over a repeating bass figure. So as not to break the trend “Blue Turk” opens with a gritty bass line soon augmented by drums and electric keyboard and jazzy guitars. Heck, the whole song is jazzy! The subject matter is classic creepy-Cooper, a prelude to “Cold Ethyl” but I dare you to keep that chorus out of your head. Did I mention this song has a muted trumpet and un-muted saxophone, each of which get a chance to solo while the rest of the band jams around jazz-wize? I’m no expert on jazz, heck, I’m not even a dabbler in jazz, but this sounds authentic to me, making me wonder if the band was replaced by old geezers.

Side two. “My Stars” rips to life with long running arpeggios played on the piano. When did they start to play the piano!?!? I’m guessing it was their producer, Bob Ezrin. Anyway, the song completely rocks, leading the way to “Public Animal #9”. “Me and Jimmy, we ain’t never gonna con-fess / We cheated at the math test / We carved some dirty words in our desk / And now it’s time for recess.” The song itself is jazz-rock with a nice swagger but has the misfortune of ending with Cooper hoarsely shouting out the title of the song over and over, the albums only semi-weak point. It gets a bit thin is all I’m saying. A rumble of thunder introduces “Alma Mater”, a soft, sad song with lyrics of “Rain is falling down my check/ Searching for the sea.” Sniff. The song is a heartfelt longing for the “good times” of high school, even mentioning their alma matter by name. About halfway through the drums kick in and the band brings a joyous feel to the song with lyrics of “I finally grew up / They finally let me outta school” while a western guitar part evokes images of the Arizona desert. As the song ramps up to a rocking finale Alice amazingly captures the mixed feelings of the recently graduated who has no life plans. “Maybe I’ll see you around sometime, huh?” and “I hope you don’t forget me or nothin’.” Good stuff! The final track is a 4:25 instrumental packed with horns and synths and strings, plus the usual rock instruments, a true rock orchestra.

School’s Out is a classic and their third under producer Bob Ezrin. I really can’t emphasize enough the importance of a strong producer correctly matched with the band. For exhibit A I point to the first two Alice Cooper albums under Frank Zappa. I think he just put them in the studio and hit the record button. They were creative but without focus. Messy messy messy! Ezrin was brought in when they switched labels and it was a perfect match. Not only did he sharpen their musical energies with forced practice and re-writing of songs but he added his own theatrical background and creative touches, making the band into the juggernaught of the early 70s.

Rank: Essential Cooper