Drowning Pool "Desensitized" 2004***

This is another CD I bought at a sale for €0,99 without having listened to it before. All I knew about Drowning Pool was that they're an American nu metal band. I'll admit the album cover drew my attention. There's no lack of sexploitation album covers in metal, but this one was either stupider than most, or a successful joke. I, at least, thought it was funny: from the pentagrams of her bikini top to the softball bat she's holding (what do you think it symbolizes?) everything about the cover model is over the top. Maybe it's an inside joke or pun - new singer Jason Jones' and cover star Jesse Jane's names are quite similar-sounding, I don't think it's a coincidence. Otherwise why use a notorious pornstar, when any pretty model would have done the trick? On the other hand, maybe they were re-assuring their audience that, despite of suddenly losing their original lead singer to a heart attack at the age of 30, they weren't about to deliver something dark and depressive. Or maybe it was a covert message to their predominately young male fans: we know what you like, and we're about to give it to you.

And they do, provided the fans wanted big fat riffs and growling vocals. Opener "Think" has a typically aggressive vocal alternating low menacing growls and throaty shouts. Like many of the songs here, the lyrics are once dark and life-affirming. Singer Jason Jones has said that all his songs are about struggling and about finding the strength to overcome adversity, channeling his experience of being homeless and living on the streets. Next track "Step Up" features a monster riff and catchy chorus. Sounding like a cross between Metallica and Soundgarden, it was a natural choice for lead single, and its inclusion in The Punisher movie gave the album a big commercial push. "Numb","Cast Me Aside", and "Hate" are more typical of the nu metal genre, noisy and with a throat shredding vocal. I myself am more partial to the songs coming closer to hard rock/grunge territory: Jones can do more than just scream and growl, and he proves adept in handling more melodic material, especially in tracks like "This Life" and semi ballad "Love and War". These, along with "Bringing Me Down" and "Forget" invite comparisons ith Alice In Chain and Pearl Jam, while "Killin' Me" reminds me of Rage Againt The Machine, especially in the cool guitar intro. The guitarist is probably the unsung hero of the band, laying lots of nimble solos (e.g. in "This Life", "Bringing Me Down", "Forget" ), his style and use of effects once again similar to RATM' Tom Morello. On the whole this is an above average album in the nu metal genre, but despite heavy coverage for lead single "Step Up" it mustn't have been too successful because the band ditched singer Jason Jones, replacing him first with former SOiL singer Ryan McCombs, and then with Jasen Moreno. The cover art, too, would from now on go for dark and ominous; no more humorous/naughty album covers featuring pornstars. Which I believe makes this, along with Blink-182's Enema of the State, the only rock album featuring an active pornstar on the front cover. That is a small claim on posterity.

**** for Step Up, This Life, Killin' Me

*** for Think, Nothingness, Bringing Me Down, Love And War, Forget, 

** for Numb, Cast Me Aside, Hate

Skeletal Family "Burning Oil/ Futile Combat" 1995 (comp)***/****

Yesterday, a patient visited my practice (have I mentioned I'm a dentist? I think it never came up before) wearing a Skeletal Family T-shirt. I did not comment on it, but I made a mental note to check my collection and get their CD out for a spin. I remember that last time I heard them I wasn't too impressed. I like goth bands to be either atmospheric like Cocteau Twins, or heavy like Sisters Of Mercy. To the best of my recollection these were neither, but it's been more than a decade since I've listened to them so it's time for a re-appraisal.

Skeletal Family took their name from a David Bowie song. They formed in December 1982 in Keighley, a town in West Yorkshire, a county which gave birth to an inordinate amount of goth bands, including The Sisters Of Mercy, March Violets, Mission, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry etc. Less than two years later, they proceeded to release their debut on Red Rhino Records.

Burning Oil (1984)***

...is the band's debut LP, following the release of the "Trees" and "The Night" singles. These are included in the 2001 CD reissue of Burning Oil, but not here. Opener "So Sure" made me reconsider my initial assessment: it's a great mid-tempo melody ala Cure with jangly guitars and propulsive drumming. Singer Anne Marie Hurst sounds a bit like a Siouxsie Sioux imitator, but who can blame her? Siouxsie is just awesome! "Ritual" sports great tribal drumming, but the vocal is not as good as before: too many sneers, shouts and yelps - and less singing. "Burning Oil" is another pretty new wave melody, provided one doesn't mind the singer's constant yelping, which is apparently her signature style. "The Wind Blows" starts off slow and builds in intensity before dying down, while "And I" is a slow gloomy number reminiscent of Christian Death. "11:15" used to open the LP's second side. It's a cool rocker exhibiting all of  the band's virtues: dramatic vocals, tribal drumming and sweeping guitars that remind me of The Edge during U2's early new wave period. The same traits are evident on "Waiting Here" and "Someone New", although these are more melodic and better realized - I think I also hear a garage/paisley underground influence here. This is followed by a rockin' cover of Alice Cooper's "Black Juju", while the (original) LP closes with the slow and murky "Woman And Child". In general, the band's playing is commendable, but the compositions are rather ordinary Goth, typical of the era. Somewhat uncommonly, the great opener is immediately followed by a few weaker tracks, while the stronger songs are saved for side 2 - this hurts the flow of the album and may have been the reason for my initially underwhelmed reaction.

 

Futile Combat (1985)****

But that's only the first half of the story: next year they'd be back with an arguably more mature offering: Futile Combat opens with a more dynamic and assured sound compared to their debut: "Hands On The Clock" has the frantic pace and swirling guitars of classic Siouxsie & The Banshees, while Anne Marie Hurst sounds more confident and less reliant on the mannerisms evident previously. "Move" surprises us with some cool saxophone courtesy of then-Waterboy Anthony Thistlewaite. "This Time" is dark and dramatic - similar to the slower tracks on Burning Oil, but easier on the ears, with nice psychedelic guitar. "Don't Be Denied" is a great rocker with Morricone-esque backing vocals and guitar. "Far And Near", "Streetlight", and the galloping "No Chance" are more Siouxsie-like post-punk. On the other hand, "What Happened" is an almost improperly upbeat Ska-like number. "She Cries Alone" and "Promised Land" are the two lead singles; once more the strongest -and most commercial- songs are tucked away towards the end of the LP. On the whole, there's a notable improvement here: the guitars are more prominent, vocal mannerisms reined, saxes and synths add more nuance. Too bad then that singer Hurst and drummer Martin Henderson chose this time to leave. The replacements didn't fare very well, and the group soon disbanded although they were revived several times in the next century, with different members. I'm including a clip of a recent line-up featuring original singer Hurt at the end of this post.

This CD compilation contains both aforementioned albums, but falls short of being the ultimate SF compendium because it omits some important single and EP tracks. It should please, delight even, fans of the 80's Alternative/Goth scene, while it might sound a bit outdated to others. Furthermore, both albums have been recently reissued on vinyl. Futile Combat especially, which the superior of the two and sports a beautiful cover to boot, would make for a great addition to any record collection.

**** for So Sure,11:15, Waiting Here, Someone New, Black Ju Ju, Hands On The Clock, Move, Don't Be Denied, Streetlight, She Cries Alone, What Happened, Promised Land

*** for Ritual, Burning Oil, The Wind Blows, This Time, Far And Near, No Chance

** for And I, Woman And Child

BBM (Bruce-Baker-Moore) "Around the Next Dream" 1994***

My first thought upon hearing of the formation of BBM was, I guess, the same as everybody else's: that it was an attempt to revive the glory days of Cream, the 60's power trio formed by Bruce, Baker and Clapton, and that Clapton's unavailability due to his successful solo career drove the other two to search for a suitable substitute - and who better than Gary Moore, who had recently abandoned metal and reinvented himself as an electric blues guitarist following in Clapton's footsteps? In truth, it had apparently started life during sessions for a new solo Gary Moore album with Jack Bruce initially engaged as a co-writer. As time progressed, it became more and more a Cream-type album containing a number of songs that fitted Bruce's voice better than Moore's. At that point, Bruce mentioned Baker as a possible drummer. The three of them (Bruce, Baker and Moore) had recently played together really well at an all-star concert marking Bruce's 50th anniversary, but Bruce and Baker had a notoriously bad working relationship in the past. In the end the sessions went smoothly, with the erstwhile Cream members only intermittently displaying a kind of sibling rivalry rather than true enmity. So, rather than being a Cream reunion with Moore substituting Clapton, this is more of a Gary Moore & guests affair. Of course, such illustrious musicians could never be demoted to Moore's backing band so it had to be an egalitarian band thing. IMO equal billing is fair to Bruce -especially since he's handling most of the vocals- but Baker's contribution seems to be rather slight: he has only one shared writing credit and, while his drumming is spot-on, he often seems to be going through the motions. That becomes more evident in the straight "electric blues" numbers: there's nothing wrong with "Can’t Fool the Blues", "High Cost of Loving" and "I Wonder Why (Are You So Mean to Me?)" - but they could have come out of any Gary Moore solo album of the 90's or 00's. Opener "Waiting in the Wings" is a "White Room" soundalike, and "City Of Gold" another, bluesier, Cream-like number. They're probably sequenced first to appease those who came hoping for a Cream reunion and to reassure listeners that yes, Moore can ably substitute Clapton if he so wishes. Both feature Bruce on lead vocal, while the aforementioned pure blues numbers featured Moore. "Where in the World" is the album's lead single, which is strange because it's the only song not featuring Baker but a session drummer - so it's BM instead of BBM. An excellent ballad nevertheless, featuring both singers, with lyrical guitar playing instead of the more bombastic on other songs here. "Glory Days" is another highlight, a perfect mix of prog and hard rock. Even Baker's playing is as adventurous as it used to be. The momentum continues into "Why Does Love (Have to Go Wrong?)", a 9 minute prog-rocker that brings the best out of everyone: beautiful vocal from Bruce, amazing drumming, fantastic guitar. An absolutely killer track! Compared to that, "Naked Flame" has a paint-by-numbers feel: just a typical Gary Moore ballad - beautiful, but he's done it before again and again. At least closer "Wrong Side of Town" (another ballad written by Moore) has a retro sensibility reminiscent of the great jazz songbooks, and a suitably fragile vocal by Bruce. The album cover is a striking image of the battered and wrinkled Baker in a black overcoat and angel wings, smoking a cigarette. I quite like it, even if the smoking angel idea isn't that original, having been used before by the likes of Van Halen and Black Sabbath. Around the Next Dream did decently commercially, even if it didn't match the success of Moore's previous releases. But the chemistry wasn't there, and the band soon disintegrated. Moore went from playing Clapton to playing Peter Green on next year's Blues For Greeny, while Bruce and Baker went back into making low-key jazz records. In the end this is an underrated album, perhaps burdened by the inevitable Cream comparisons - as if any classic rockers could match their 60's heyday, 25 years later! Clapton, Baker and Bruce finally reunited for a last concert released on DVD and CD in 2005 - if they hadn't, this CD would make for a fine postscript to the Cream story. Only a postscript, mind you. Decent, but not standing up to comparison with the canonical Cream LPs.

**** for Waiting in the Wings, City of Gold, Where in the World, Glory Days, Why Does Love (Have to Go Wrong?)

*** for Can’t Fool the Blues, High Cost of Loving, Naked Flame, I Wonder Why (Are You So Mean to Me?), Wrong Side of Town

Liesbeth List "...Zingt Theodorakis" 1967****

I've been living in The Netherlands for almost 12 years now, but I happened to be in Greece visiting family when news came of the death of famous composer Mikis Theodorakis. It has understandably caused a big sensation, as Theodorakis probably is the single most important figure ever in Greek music, a classically trained composer who chose to embrace folk music and write songs for the common people. His most famous piece of music internationally may be the theme for the 1964 acclaimed film Zorba The Greek, but it pales in comparison to some of his other work. These days, Greek TV and radio are filled with his music and incredible life tales. Tales ranging from his rubbing shoulders with the greatest stars of international arts and politics to imprisonment in the hands of fascist dictators. Not much I can add to all that, except to present one of his lesser known albums: the Dutch-language 1967 LP Liesbeth List zingt Theodorakis.

At the time, List was a promising young singer/actress known for her renditions of French chanson. Her record company tried to dissuade her from performing depressing and supposedly uncommercial material such as this, but to her credit she insisted. The decision proved correct, earning the singer her first platinum record. More importantly, it helped rally European support for the composer who was languishing in a Greek prison cell for his resistance against the colonels' junta. Side A of Liesbeth List Zingt Theodorakis consists of The Ballad of Mauthausen, a poem cycle by Iakovos Cambanellis inspired by his own experience as an inmate in the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. Opener "Hooglied (Song Of Songs)" tells the story of a Greek prisoner searching the camp for his Jewish beloved. It is introduced with Spanish guitar and subtle symphonic backing, until List's clear, resonant, and emotive voice kicks in around 1'30'' in. She sounds less like French chansonieres and more like Marlen Dietrich, or more accurately like the original (one year prior) Greek interpreter of the song, Maria Farantouri. This is more evident on the heroically paced second song "Antonis". The third and fourth songs "De vluchteling (The escapee)" and "Als je terug zult komen (When The War Ends)" are more lyrical and List's vocal delivery here is also sweeter. Side A then closes with a reprise of basic theme. It's probably worth noting that List spent the first years of her life as a prisoner: when the Japanese occupied the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) during World War II, baby Liesbeth and her mother were placed in a concentration camp. Her mother, who was forced to serve the soldiers' sexual needs as a so-called "comfort girl", suffered from depression as a result of that treatment, and committed suicide shortly after liberation, leaving her to be raised by an uncaring stepmother. Theodorakis himself was also no stranger to harrowing experiences: having chosen the losing side in the Greek civil war, he was sent to the Makronissos camp for "re-education" of communists, a process that routinely involved torture and, in Theodorakis' case, getting buried alive twice. The victim of a different civil war is the subject of another song here: "Klaaglied (It was on an august morning)", a.k.a. "The Laughing Boy" was written for Irish Republican hero Michael Collins, even though in Greece it came to be identified with murdered pacifist and Leftist MP Grigoris Lambrakis. It is a lyrical and emotional piece, an elegy in terms of content but not particularly melancholic musically. The next two ("Mijn kleine bootje (I have no mother to break her heart)" and "De klokken van de hel (The bells of hell)" are a couple of typically slow ballads, followed by a very theatrical piece (once again I'm reminded of Dietrich or Lotte Lenya) called "De Leiders Van Het Land (I remember in september)". I should probably add here that the whole of Side B is part of a song cycle composed for the theatrical performance of The Hostage, a play by Brendan Behan that revolves around the Irish struggle for independence. For its first appearance on vinyl, Theodorakis sang the vocal himself. Later it was also recorded by Maria Farantouri, and that's the definitive Greek version. Unlike Mauthausen though, List's version of The Hostage predated the one by Farantouri. The record closes with the upbeat and playful "Als je trouwen wilt met mij (I will give you a golden ball)". The orchestration throughout the album is excellent, featuring mostly acoustic guitar, piano and mandolins. Theodorakis' background in classical and film music is evident in the frequent but judicious use of the strings and woodwind instruments - even though he didn't personally oversee the musical arrangement here, this is quite similar to the original Greek one. A beautiful work in every respect, ...Zingt Theodorakis was a deservedly big success, which List followed with a record of Jacques Brel interpretations, before finding even bigger success with her duets with co-patriot Ramses Shaffy. Greek speakers may find the pairing of Theodorakis' music and Dutch singing strange, but once they get past it they're bound to enjoy it and even feel a little pride for the world-wide influence of Greek song. Others who are unfamiliar with Greek music but like French chanson, North European schlager or lyrical orchetrated music in general should also check this out. The album has been re-released on CD but original vinyl copies are also easy enough to find on discogs and other online platforms.

***** for Hooglied (Asma Asmaton), Antonis (O Andonis), Klaaglied (It was on an august morning AKA The Laughing Boy)

**** for De vluchteling (O Drapetis), Hooglied (Herhaling), Het was de achttiende dag van november (On the eighteenth day of november), Mijn kleine bootje (I have no mother to break her heart), De klokken van de hel (The bells of hell), Afscheid (Open the door softly), Als je trouwen wilt met mij (I will give you a golden ball)

*** for Als je terug zult komen (Otan Teliossi O Polemos), De leiders van het land (I remember in september)

Bloc Party "A Weekend in the City" 2007***

I remember listening to Bloc Party's debut Silent Alarm when at first it came out (2005?). At the time I found its combination of post-punk and subtle beats to suit my taste, but it was too similar to other bands of the period which I happened to like better: The Killers, Interpol, Franz Ferdinand etc. Nothing stood out enough for me to warrant repeated listening since my house is choke-full of CD's old and new. I recently got their 2nd album as part of a batch of cheap used CD's from the 90's and 00's. First listen on the car stereo prompted a similar response: pleasant listening while driving but sort of bland compositions and pleasant but nondescript vocals merging the urgency and angst of Joy Division with electronic beats. Some occasional guitar outbreaks bring it close to Muse territory - which is not a bad thing, per se. When I decided to research its making and to listen more attentively for the sake of this blog, I got more hip to the nuances. Interestingly, I had forgotten that Bloc Party's singer was a black guy. Of course what else could he be with a name like Kele Okereke, but I had forgotten it because he doesn't sound particularly black to me. In a world where white singers go to ridiculous lengths to sound black, he doesn't seem to give a damn, just singing the way it comes to him. Not that he shies away from racial matters: e.g. "Where Is Home?" centers on racial violence and the demonization of black and immigrant youths by the media. The subject matter in general is surprisingly heavy for a mainstream album: the mundanity of big city life, alienation, clubbing, drugs, sexuality and entertainment culture, mass media, and -in the case of my favorite here "Hunting for Witches"- the post-9/11 regime of fear and control. It's one of the rockier tracks, with bouncy rhythms, catchy riffs and prominent guitars. Lead single "The Prayer" is more of a departure, featuring more electronic elements and layers of hummed backing vocals. In general, there is a tendency to experiment with instrumentation and song textures - a bit like a half-hearted Kid A, but only intermittently successful: "Where Is Home?", "Song for Clay" and "Uniform" fall into the trap of adding disparate elements in the spirit of experimentation, ending up sacrificing the hooks without sounding especially bold. "On", "Kreuzberg" and "SRXT" are atmospheric and rather subdued, while "Waiting for the 7.18", "Sunday" and 3rd single "I Still Remember" have a more commercial, Coldplay-like, quality. Techno/dance single "Flux" was not originally part of the package but is included in later reissues such as mine. It  sounds a bit out of place here IMO but then I'm not one to complain for free bonus material, am I?

**** for Hunting for Witches, The Prayer, Uniform, I Still Remember

*** for Song for Clay (Disappear Here), Waiting for the 7.18, On, Kreuzberg, Flux, Sunday

** for Where Is Home?, SRXT