Following the gargantuan reissue project by the Beatles, Pink Floyd will similarly release digitally remastered versions of all of their 14 studio albums, both individually and in a complete box set. The beastly reissue will also include numerous rarities and a good amount of Floyd-related artwork, a necessary component to a true sensory Floyd experience. It will all be available on September 26.
In an interview with Reuters, Nick Mason, former Floyd drummer, described how the band wanted to package these reissues now because of the uncertainty of physical record sales.
“There is a slight sense that we are coming to the end of the period where people will buy the physical record with all the packaging and the information and so on,” Mason said. “I think it’s really important to try and have a last go at that, because if we do end up just downloading everything from now on it would be a shame if there wasn’t on record all that good artwork and the things that went with it.”
Most intriguingly, Mason said that most band tensions are no more, and all members (except unfortunately for Rick Wright who died in 2008) were involved in the reissue project. Mason also said that he would be at 02 Arena for Waters’ London stop on his “The Wall” tour tonight. I find this interesting because of last summer’s news that former Floyd lead guitarist and singer David Gilmour would join Waters on stage for a rare live performance of “Comfortably Numb,” a song that only sounds right when Gilmour’s mystical croon graces its lyric. Is tonight the scheduled surprise reunion and will Nick Mason play drums, forming a one-song non-charitable reunion to the likes of a tour? Stay tuned!
Zach Condon (pictured above) has revealed that his folk/pop band Beirut, that combines western music composition with Eastern European folk influences, will release a new album this summer, their first in four years. Beirut takes on the form of indie-psychedelic folk in most of their compositions. They are an awesome example of the creativity of modern music that saturates the underground. Check out “Santa Fe,” a new song that proves my comments.
The accordion riff provides a Balkan backdrop to Condon’s folk-opera voice. The inclusion of two trumpets carries the song into the broad indie zone, but it conquers the trite connotations that can come with that title. It instead portrays new creative levels.
Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi first started the Rome project five years ago with a musical dream. Let’s create an ode to the soundtrack of spaghetti westerns, a la “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.” It was an ambitious goal, but one that fit comfortably into the parameters of both Luppi, an Italian composer, and Danger Mouse, a modern music producer and drummer. Add in the vocals talents of Jack White and Norah Jones and you get a melodic combination that effortlessly mixes classical music with an eclectic taste of electronic/folk/rock. The resulting album will be released in a week, but it currently is streaming on Rolling Stone’s website (http://www1.rollingstone.com/hearitnow/player/dangermouse-rome.html) and I definitely suggest taking a peak at this sneak preview.
Each track on the album deserves special attention because of the compelling intricacies and complexities they provide, so my track-by-track review follows all 15 songs, as the clear concept album creates a tale of intriguing sound. Yes, spaghetti western is considered to be a derogatory term, but this album destroys the hackneyed movie connection, and instead explores the creative music that lined its sun-splattered back drops. Rome crushes pop constructions and demonstrates modern respect for classical music. It is a work of sheer creativity, a western waltz, and certainly the best album of the year thus far.
“Theme of Rome”
The first track is an instrumental with ties to Pink Floyd’s work on “Welcome to the Machine,” with the single-struck chords and “The Great Gig in the Sky,” with the vocal chant. It sounds like a combination of these two mixed with the subtle element of a western. This introduction presents the album’s artsy and ambitious attempt well, almost creating a sun rise image, darkness slowly giving way to light.
“The Rose with a Broken Neck”
The beginning screams Danger Mouse, electronic, studio sounds that embrace listeners. Jack White stars as the male vocal part. The music is a little overpowering, somewhat incongruous with the vocals. It almost sounds like a unorganized bad dream, premised by a frightening lullaby provided by the backing keys. It works, though. There is beauty to its organization. The melody is infectious. As Okocim describes it, “it sounds like a video game, or rather a waltz.” And this is so true. It is a waltz in time signature and feel
And oh the classic western connection of the motif of “lonely” and repeating verse:
Lonely I see
Lonely I need
Lonely I feel
And lonely I bleed
Lonely I trust
And lonely I must
Be the rose with the broken neck
“Morning Fog”
The keys dominate the early album. This interlude is dreamy, because of the keys, and its 40 seconds drift the listener into the following song.
“Season’s Trees”
Here comes more of a traditional folk song with strings and Norah Jones’ sultry voice, sensual, inviting and candid. It moves well. I do love her voice. It is folk/pop and pretty conventional. The strings layer nicely, but are almost unnecessary. The song does not fit into the album’s key-heavy western pattern well. It is a blip of blasé and despite the ending doesn’t do it for me.
“Her Hollow Ways (Interlude)”
And then we are back to the beautiful combination of Luppi and Danger Mouse. This is a perfect example of their flawless combination, an example of how classical can mix seamlessly with modern musical conventions (electronic). The composer meets the independent production that is Danger Mouse. A welcomed interlude. And the choir just moves the album, like a movie.
“Roman Blue”
Basic chords. The song is in three, moving away from the normal pop convention of the 4/4 beat. It then immediately takes on this lull. This is my favorite instrumental. It is an instrumental masterpiece. The strings work is beautiful. It is powerful. But, one can still hear the Danger Mouse influence with the bass and small, lightly stroked keys. The wailing voice is such a Floyd thing, but its painful connotation ends the song on this awe-striking somber note. It sings western.
“Two Against One”
This song was released a while ago and is one of Jack White’s tracks. The acoustic guitar is rapid paced. White’s voice is smooth and is placed over a plucking guitar in a minor key. Then, a bridge collapses into this surf-like electric guitar solo that smells like burning sand. The end features a harpsichord that rings twice, just enough to end the song a freaky note.
“The Gambling Priest”
Surf guitar mixed with moaning voices and unconventional percussion. What the heck? This is like surf-psychedelia. The drum beat is exceptional. This is like Brian Wilson meets gothic folk meets Danger Mouse in a comfortable studio. The movie continues. This would be the part prefacing a big fight. Something evil is happening underneath the song and I want to know what it is.
“The World (Interlude)”
A grand piece. The vocals are heavenly, placed skillfully over a tiny keyboard riff.
“Black”
Track 10 came quickly. We begin with Danger Mouse’s most amazing riff since “The High Road” with Broken Bells. The keys are perfect. It sets this magical scene placed beautifully over an acoustic rhythm. This one fits much better into the movie that is Rome. The song works exceptionally well. Norah Jones’ voice is anagogical and smoky. It is more theatrical than “Two Against One,” but the lyric smothers the quick acoustic rhythm in a similar manner. I also am such a sucker for the classical portion with silhouette strings. The song moves like a post-death scene and it takes the title of best song on the album.
“The Matador Has Fallen”
A slight change of pace. This is more uplifting. It is a worthy follow us to “Black,” a similar song.
“Morning Fog”
The drumming on this album should be recognized. The album moves at an unpredictable pace, but the drums never falter. They are always crisp and acute to sound. Morning fog, suitably with its name, is dreary. The electronic keys are somewhat plangent, but their strength is welcome. The instrumental is carried by the chorus, that sings with strength, and the last reverberating chord is a melodic vibration.
“Problem Queen”
Welcome back Norah Jones. The keys lift and drop like a roller coaster. They are the backing for the song that cooks with Jones’ voice.
“Her Hollow Ways”
The Her Hollow Ways interlude was the wondrous combination of both Danger Mouse and Luppi. The actual song takes on a lot of its partners qualities. The classical portion is my favorite part of the song, obviously taking most of the interludes melodic structure. The actual song is an expansion of the interlude, a triumphant, but sobering song where the hero reflects. Imagine yourself staring out at a desert expanse, blustery orange sand and a fading amber setting sun.
“The World”
The World follows up from its own interlude. This sounds more western, and the combination of voices are powerful, sounding off this credits rolling finale of a perfect spaghetti western film. The end of the song presents the perfect climax and the album ends with keys fading out in the abyss.
SPIN has done a service to avid music listeners and has concocted a list of 30 excellent instrumental songs. The list is a short compilation of solid instrumental music (post-1950) and is a wonderful place to start for instrumental virgins. Accompanying the list is a music player that features several of the songs mentioned. It didn’t take much scrolling before I found my favorite instrumental piece, “Interstellar Overdrive, Part 1 and 2″ by Pink Floyd. I enjoy part one better, partly because of its mind-alerting riff.
Here is how SPIN describes this 1967 hit:
“The British art rockers’ semi-improvisational track melted brains, including that of original leader Syd Barrett. The ur-psychedelic instrumental, from the Floyd’s only album with Barrett (The Piper at the Gates of Dawn), clocks in at just under ten minutes.”
This release fell at an interesting time for The Pink Floyd. Barrett was already suffering, and he would leave one year later because of suspicions of mental illness and increasing drug use. This instrumental masterpiece is a pre-progressive psychedelic trip of massive proportions.
John Walker, founding member of the Walker Brothers, died Saturday (May 7) of Liver Cancer. He was 67.
After forming the band with singer Scott Engel and Gary Leeds, Walker and his mates went to London at Leeds’ request to explore the market there. The pop group was quickly picked up as The Walker Brothers (Engel and Leeds would become best known by the last name Walker), and they immediately gained success, relying a lot on the baritone of Engel.
The band’s biggest hit came with the release of “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine,” a song originally released by Frankie Valli. They released the song in 1966 and it shot up to the top of the UK Singles Chart.
The flawless harmonies created by Scott and John were, and still are, somewhat irresistible. The musical aptitude is striking, especially at the young age of the band. The band broke up after the 60s, but lived on through solo careers until the inevitable reunion tour. It’s sad to hear about John Walker’s death. The Walker Brothers are down to two.
The famous judging duo that made up two thirds of the American Idol panel for several years is back, but with a different singing show. The power duo that became synonymous with obvious sexual tension and humorous play fighting will attempt to draw viewers into “The X Factor,” Simon Cowell‘s new British import, open to all singers older than 12. The show will debut in the Fall.
Fox is attempting to re-capture some of that “Idol” magic with the combination of these two judges. Say what you will, but Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul drew in viewers longing for their predictable antics.
Do I think viewers will tune in? Yes, to a point. The act that was Simon and Paula became hackneyed as American Idol progressed, and during seasons where the talent could not hold up the increasingly annoying judging panel, the show suffered. Initially, viewers will tune in just for another taste of Paula and Simon, but if their act drags on, the cane will have to be brought out again.
Peter Bradley Adams first caught my ears a few years ago, and he has graced them with his folky croon ever since. I am a sucker for talented singer-songwriters and PBA is a perfect example of that title. On June 14, he will release his new studio album Between Us and I strongly suggest that you check it out. I have a small treat from the new album to share with you, compliments of the man himself.
“Full Moon Song” is a great representation of Peter Bradley Adams’ music. His voice meshes perfectly with a lightly plucked acoustic guitar. He establishes kind harmonies that lead into haunting strings and keyboard that paint the background. These intricacies represent a growing maturity.
Here is one of my favorite PBA songs, “Los Angeles,” from his 2008 album Leavetaking:
Airborne Toxic Event Keep Pushing The Right Buttons
Let me premise this post by saying that recent Alternative Rock is very hit or miss with me. While I’m a big fan of the work of The Killers and Radiohead, I have trouble listening to Alt/Rock bands that have sunk into the trap of post-punk (and no the Killers are not post-punk). Airborne Toxic Event, however, is doing everything right. They maintain their label as Alt/Rock, but also delve into some creative Indie creations, and this is well represented in their second studio album All At Once, which was released on April 26.
The Airborne Toxic Event first tickled my fancy with their DeLillo-inspired “White Noise” name. I am a huge DeLillo fan and “The Airborne Toxic Event” section of “White Noise” is wonderfully symbolic and well-written. I’m an English major. This stuff excites me.
“Sometime Around Midnight” first drew me into the band. The song, which appears on the band’s first studio album, is excellently done. It, itself, is a rising crescendo and the alluring opening is excellent. You can actually hear this opening in the third track of the band’s new album. What?
Yeah, the song “Changing” features the first few notes of the song (in the video it is on the radio and turned off by band members) and this creative beginning is awesome. I love band’s that allude to past work in their newer songs (see the Beatles). “Changing,” therefore, is an apt name.
The song is carried by two guitars, rhythm and lead, that layer a fun, catch riff, until the verse begins. The verse is introduced by drums, but then travels to short chords after this neat breakdown with “I am a gentlemen.” Not convinced. At 2:37 the song features a step breakdown. Come on. That is so awesome and creative. That is some real “Changing.”
“Norwegian Wood” was released in the nascent years of psychedelic music, and, if not for a fortuitous sitar, this hit from Rubber Soul would not be psychedelic at all. It’s creation would still be interesting, but it wouldn’t be psychedelic. John Lennon was the primary writer for this piece despite the co-writing Lennon/McCartney label. He sites Bob Dylan as a big influence on the song. The verses are Dylan-esque, concentrating on an acoustic guitar driven melody and vocals that follow the rhythm. “Norwegian Wood” is about extramarital flings, and Lennon actually wrote it while on vacation with his wife. “Honey can you play me the new song.” Pretty dumb move on the part of Lennon, though he attempted to be subtle. The song’s creation is all well and good, but for the purpose of this post we must talk about the impact by George Harrison, who is the reason this song has a sitar and is psychedelic.
According to Harrison, he was inspired by Indian musicians on the scene of The Beatles‘ movie Help to start messing around with a sitar. This turned into a more substantial interest when he bought a Ravi Shankar record and purchased a cheap sitar in London. He had it with him during the recording of “Norwegian Wood,” and, you know what they say, the rest is history.
” It was lying around. I hadn’t really figured out what to do with it,” says Harrison in the Beatles Anthology. “When we were working on Norwegian Wood it just needed something, and it was quite spontaneous, from what I remember. I just picked up my sitar, found the notes and just played it. We miked it up and put it on and it just seemed to hit the spot.”
The sitar is very coordinated, and Harrison did not have the mastery to freestyle with the sitar, which would have made the song more experimental and psychedelic. But, it still maintains a hint of that psychedelic quality and that makes the song certainly worth the mention.
Following the gargantuan reissue project by the Beatles, Pink Floyd will similarly release digitally remastered versions of all of their 14 studio albums, both individually and in a complete box set. The beastly reissue will also include numerous rarities and a good amount of Floyd-related artwork, a necessary component to a true sensory Floyd experience. It will all be available on September 26.
Zach Condon (pictured above) has revealed that his folk/pop band Beirut, that combines western music composition with Eastern European folk influences, will release a new album this summer, their first in four years. Beirut takes on the form of indie-psychedelic folk in most of their compositions. They are an awesome example of the creativity of modern music that saturates the underground. Check out “Santa Fe,” a new song that proves my comments.
The Music Court 