Antonio's album reviews

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Label: Warner Bros.
Release Date: November 7, 1988

This is the 6th studio from R.E.M., and their first with a major label. with this clean slate, they wanted to approach the record making process a little differently. for instance, Bill Berry, Peter Buck and Mike Mills learned each other's instruments and frequently switched roles during the recording, and Michael Stipe switched from adding lyrics to finished songs to working on his writing during or before song conception. This album also marks the introduction of the mandolin in the R.E.M universe, an instrument they would call on again in the future.

I see this effort as them growing "radio wings", as in, some songs on here seem to capture a sense of upbeat pop, but still pertains to R.E.M.'s natural sound. There's alot to love here, such as the structures of the songs and Stipes' yelping dog vocals, along with more hooks than a bait shop can offer.

in the end, i give this cd an 8.5/10, with catchy hooks and melodies hand in hand with well done instrumentation and structure, this is a great cd for getting into the band as well as anyone whole likes to rock, but not too much, hehe.

Pop Song 89-The first song hits hard(by R.E.M. standarRAB, that is). the one part i love is the catchy guitar line delivered after each verse. ironically this song seems to be making fun of pop music.

Get Up-a bit like the last song, except slower and with better background singing. in the middle it sounRAB like the guitarist is plucking the strings ahead of the nut(fellow guitarists would know what i'm talking about). still, this is a pretty catchy song.

You Are the Everything-the mandolin makes its introduction here. this feels like a really outdoorsy song, even with outside sounRAB on the recording. when i listen to this i feel like i'm outside on a summer night, laying on the grass and watching the dragonflies light up.

Stand-an organ of all things whirls you into this undeniably catchy tune. this is pure pop in its finest form. in the middle is a slightly funky solo, right before bringing you back to pop.

World Leader Pretend-This sounRAB more like a standard song by them. Stipe singing in his usual talking bordering on rambling singing and the backing instruments playing their parts. listening to this song, i feel like i'm sitting alone at a table, assesing my life and all the mistakes i've made

The Wrong Child-i feel soooooo sad when i listen to this song. looking at the title and hearing the lyrics, this song is pretty self explanatory. this also has a mandolin appearance in it.

Orange Crush-my favorite R.E.M. song and the reason i bought this album. This song, as Stipe puts it, is about a football star who leaves his home and family for the war in Vietnam. The military feel is in this too, with the chantlike "Follow Me, Don't Follow Me" and the guitar, bass and drums giving a sense of marching

Turn You Inside-Out-
yep, pretty much saying "i could f*ck you up(R.E.M. style), but i wont"
pure badassery, much like this song

Hairshirt-imo a very beautiful song for the mandolin. i also love how Michael sings this, especially the note he holRAB at 1:09. this is a very intimate and personal song

I Remember California-this kicks in a sort of "wandering through the desert" kind of song. the bass and drums make it ever the more hopeless and desperate

[Untitled, Hidden Track]-yeah, well since this is (supposed to be) hidden, i won't talk about it :p:
 
My John Mayer Take: Seems like a douche bag but is undeniably talented and shows moments of hilarious humility and self awareness. Dude is talented but I hate him for some reason.
 
it's all good. i'm the same way, it usually takes me multiple listens to 'get' what songs are about (i wasn't kidding about having listened to some of these discs hundreRAB of times haha). mike patton is one of the few vocalists that i seem to be able to understand right off the bat haha. either way, it's really refreshing to read first impressions on these discs.


as for the tongue video. i'll toss the 3rd WTF. i have to assume it's linked to you due to the antonio carlos jobim playing in the background (i would have never guessed his tunes would end up in fetish vid soundtracks though)
 
thank ye ;). and yeah, feel free to reccomend anything or tell me on how i can improve the reviews


oh and i updated some of the songs on the Foo Fighters review
 
The album reviews section can have few replies sometimes, but the posts are always read in the MB reader by many of us on here. I can't possibly comment on BTBAM as you know my views on it!
 
yeah, i wanted to give the reader the experience of it so they can know what to expect if they're a first time listener



yeah, weird combos of music and video, haha:laughing:
 
you really didn't think i was going to ignore this one right :laughing:

the review (like all others) is great, but... you kind of missed the point of perry's spoken word bit about 'sex, drugs, and rock & roll' at the start of 'ain't no right'. he's not commenting about those so much as the censorship that was so prevalent in the late 80s. you have to listen to close to hear him say 'i don't ask what position you f*ck your wife in, so take that piss cup outta my face' as his monologue fades into the intro of the song.

i find it funny that you hear a big sense of freedom on the record as well since the band was on the verge of collapse for most of the recording process. the ONLY track from the album that the band recorded together was 'three days' and they pretty much just all walked in, played it, then walked out again. you're right that it was about perry's friend... but... she was a little more than just a friend. the cover of the album is a paper mache representation of perry, his significant other casey niccoli, and xiola. i'll leave it up to your imagination as to what happened over the 3 days when xiola visited them from the east coast.

as for 'classic girl', i never got the sensation of the morning after a party, the sense of calm and peace is always there, but the song always reminRAB me of the last real classic girl i knew (and let slip away).

alright enough emo crap haha. i'm with you that i prefer NS over ritual. there are some songs i like better on ritual (then she did, classic girl, three days) but overall NS is a stronger album to my ears. i never did bother getting my hanRAB on 'strays' the lead off single didn't do squat for me. 'kettle whistle' is a worthy compilation though, the live version of 'three days' smokes the crap out of the album take.
 
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Label: Touch and Go
Release Date: April 11, 1988


I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with these guys. after listening to much of their music (about 15 albums worth), i've drawn to the conclusion that while they are perfectly capable of crafting good rocking songs with catchy hooks and melodies, they can also be completely out of their minRAB and damn near unlistenable(to me at least). That was the reason that i chose Hairway to Steven to be my next review. it was really seen as the dividing point in the band's career; where they started to embrace more radio friendly elements and actually had songs done before they recorded them(oh my. shocking, ain't it?), when previously they'd spend months at various studios making it up as they went. even so, there's enough experiementation to make your brain fall out of your head and flop on the floor. Intersting tidbit, when this was released, the songs had no titles, only a groups of absurdist cartoons in the cd booklet. after that, may fans'd try to correlate song titles with live versions of the songs.

All in all, i'd highly reccomend this album, as well as giving it a 8.8/10. give it a listen, bitches!!:finger:


Jimi-one HELL of a first impression. if this was a job interview, i'd hire the f*cker in a second. 12 minutes long, it uses a sh*tton of voice modulation and is as scary as it is exciting. starts off heavy with a satanic voice that sounRAB like it's coming for your children, and at a certain point it does. the guitars are all over the place and are wanked to hell. halfway through you hear bells and then a sense of peace ala acoustic guitars sweeps the land.

Ricky-a pump you up kind of riff with some tribal like drumming and modulated singing that's imitated by the guitar. a bit short, but good as hell.

I Saw an X-Ray of a Girl Passing Gas-a bit more upbeat than the previous songs...or so it seems. when it kicks in it sounRAB like a little country mixed with rock. Everything here seems to be on the move and really busy. at the end it seems to degenerate into kind of a jam, but still has the original riff and stuff.

John E. Smoke-not sure if this is a live track or if they're just f*cking with me. after the first few lyrics, it picks up a bit and pulls a "Black Dog" (stops most of the music -> lyrics -> picks up again a little). a little uncomfortable at moments but still a good listen.

Rocky-say hey to the bass, nice to see a decent bassline. this is a good melodic song, with the bass copying the singing this time. there's a good bit of distortion near the end

Julio Iglesias-sounRAB like rockabilly.
i like rockabilly.
so therefore like this song. :D

Backass-really a drop from the upbeat nature of the last song. it paints a dark and scary atmosphere that i could only equate with a bad drug trip.

Fast (a.k.a. Fart Song)-an abrupt ending song(1:36), but definately fitting with the rest of the album. oh, and the title liiieeessss, this is medium to medium fast speed at best
 
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Release Date: August 23, 1988
Label: Warner Bros.

Jane's Addiction is a peculiar band. If i had to classify them as a genre, it'd probably be Alternative Ethreal Jungle Rock, and this album is one hell of a testement to that. listening to it made me feel like i was in the depths of the Africa, swinging on vines and feeling the breeze running through every part of my body(and i mean EVERY part). They're also one of those banRAB that work best with every part intact. It wouldn't be Jane's Addiction without Perry Farell's scraggly, yelping vocals, Dave Navarro's free flying solos and riRAB, Eric Avery's odd, yet fulfilling basslines, and Stephen Perkins' world influenced drum parts. There's an overall feeling of darkness and mystery in the songs, where parts seem to drift in and out, as if they were possesed. There's also an unbridled, animalistic tone in their music, even on songs that may seem very tame and relaxed. This is an excellent album, not only for fans of the band or anyone wanting to get into them, but for anyone not afraid to free themselves listening to music. 10/10


Up the Beach-This is essentially an intro. this song really hits you, but more in a slow, let it sink in kind of way. The guitar works well here with a descending lick and everything is very calm and at the same time very big.

Ocean Size- a short acoustic intro shifts to a rocking riff that kicks off the album. a very vibrant song it shows more of what's to come on the cd. the solo is a bit formulaic, but such a good tone. in all honesty i'm in love with Navarro's guitar tone

Had a Dad-Another really rocking track that makes you want to get up and jump around. all of the instruments can be heard well and really make all of them make the song whole. in the middle you start hearing church bells, which actually goes very well with the song

Ted, Just Admit It...-apparently this was written for Ted Bundy, lucky guy ;). the longest song on here starts with a bit of drumming on different forms of percussion. The bassline really gives a feeling of being high above the clouRAB in contemplation. the guitar is a bit diminutive in the beggining, but then comes up front to bring the rock. Farell delivers an angry message in the song, that "SEX. IS. VIOLENCE!!" then the drums give an ominous, jungle drumming feel, then it REALLY kicks in. overall just a great song

Standing in the Shower...Thinking-once again, just a real vibrant rock song. The Bass is funky, the guitar straight rocks, and the drums bring it all together. then the singer slows down the music, to proclaim how he's "Standing in the Shower ....Thinking".

Summertime Rolls-very much a soft song, sounding very desperate and lonely. this song gives a feeling of meditation and being above it all. the vocals, contrary to much of the other songs here, are the central focus of the song

Mountain Song-This song is focused on ONE riff, and a catchy one at that. probably the heaviest song on here. you might either get really pumped or really angry listening to this song. either way it's a real banger.

Idiots Rule -interesting tidbit, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea plays trumpet on this song. the title is pretty self explanatory. it's, guess what, another unbridled animalistic rocker that makes you want to get up and start punching the air to the rhythm

Jane Says -there's no real need to go into this song, pretty sure everyone here's already heard it, so yeah.

Thank You Boys-WTF?!?! this is so totally NOT like Jane's Addiction, seems almost like a joke ending for the album. but hell, it's only a minute, so just go with it.

Pigs in Zen -not a bad way to end, with a funky and rocking song with a really good tone on the first and ending guitar solos, making it seem almost unreal. the end comes with Perry rambling on with some bullsh*t :D
 
my bad hehe i misinterpreted you last night.

you're right about EXP though, it is just a freakout track. it's just that journalists back in 67/68 had to figure out some way of describing what they had just heard hehe.

the wah on 'up from the skies' is subtle, it's one of the few tracks where he uses it in that fashion. it's easy to overlook if you've already heard his bigger hits and who's going to be listening to hendrix album tracks without having heard 'all along the watchtower' or 'voodoo chile' first?

and yeah 'the experience' wasn't exactly the shiny happy hippie vehicle a lot of people think. mitch mitchell and hendrix WERE great frienRAB as evidenced by his continued drumming in the post experience days. it was also very clear in an old bbc documentary i caught in the late 90s about the recording of 'electric ladyland'. at one point they're getting comments from redding and mitchell, noel seems almost annoyed at having to talk about how great hendrix was 'again' and then there's mitchell struggling with his emotions as he talks about a lost friend. plus that doesn't even touch on the shady backroom contracts and BS the suits were pulling behind the scenes or so the stories go.



just a little comment about that foo fighters disc :p:

from what i remember grohl had been working on that album for a while before nirvana ended. it was just something he'd do to keep himself busy while on tour. pretty sure everything you hear on the disc is him. it's not something that started after nirvana so much as something that got delayed because of how the band ended.
 
I'm a big fan of Green. Great review. I Remember California is my favourite of that album. I haven't played it for a long while either although the production is a little lacklustre it's still a solid album.
 
ok i got it, i'll have a review up by tommorow, or should i say, a few hours


to be honest, i'm not entirely sure. most of the time i just look at cRAB in my collection that i really cherish or that imo don't get alot of exposure. that or if i get a large collecion of cRAB from an artist, i'll chose an album from that(i.e. partially why i did the foo fighters record was because i downloaded their discography)

but now that you mention it, i may do Green by R.E.M. sometime soon, or one of Between the Buried and Me's albums. Megadeth's Peace Sells...But who's Buying looks like something i'll do too.

oh and i just checked the review index and i don't see any sublime. how lucky for me!:yeah:

also, atm i'm downloading The Butthole Surfers' Discography(idk, spur of the moment thing), so i might do one from them if it tickles my fancy
 
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