My Amazon Reviews: The Dictators "Manifest Destiny / Bloodbrothers"

Dictators Forever
3 Out Of 5 Stars

Producers Sandy Pearlman and Murray Krugman saw the nascent Blue Oyster Cult sound in The Dictators' voice and made "Manifest Destiny" parallel the early BOC discs. Thick, sludgy guitars, vocals back in the mix and heavy on the reverb. As a result, I really can't give this 5 stars due to the muddy production, but at the same time, this was the album that made me a Dictators fan for life! Why the Dic's haven't been put on the pantheon they deserve is beyond me, but with songs like "Science Gone Too Far" and their blistering cover of The Stooges' "Search And Destroy," they proved they could blast as well as their CBGB contemporaries of the period. And they were not without a sense of humor; just check out the opening lines of "Hey Boys" or Handsome Dick's monologue on "Disease." "Manifest Destiny" is a brilliant artifact of an era in American Music. They followed it up with their masterpiece, "Bloodbrothers," and Sony has been kind enough to leave "Go Girl Crazy!" in print. My advice is get 'em all now and that includes the recent "DFFD" because it still smokes the competition.

Then there's "Bloodbrothers": The Dictators make sure you know exactly what you're in for as soon as the music starts..."Faster And Louder!" This was the most forward of the Dic's three original albums and the closest they came to a mainstream sound. That being if you could call anything The Dictators did "mainstream." Their's was a take no prisoners attitude, with everything about "Bloodbrothers" being so sorely missing in music at the time of its release. In 1978, Punk was just beginning to come into its own and the whole CBGB's crowd was setting their sights on world domination.

That may have been to The Dictators' detriment. In a period when bands were deliberately trying to sound more garagey and nihilistic, Handsome Dick Manitoba and the boys were rocking polished and hard, more like Blue Oyster Cult than the Dead Boys. Despite being "Faster And Louder," this band was not trying to break punk rock's land speed records. A classic case of zigging when they should have zagged. No matter. There were no other bands with this much panache, humor and ballsy fun coming out of NYC, and "Bloodbrothers" spends its nine songs without letting up on the throttle once. If you aren't out of breath by the end of The 'Tators' rip snorting cover of "Slow Death," then you'd better start the record over and start paying attention.

As others have noted, there are "breaks" between the segues on "Bloodbrothers" that someone should have picked up during the mastering process. You can get "Manifest Destiny" as an Auto-rip from Amazon. but not "Bloodbrothers." BB you can get from I-Tunes.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Green Day "Dos!"

Dosey Dos
3 Out Of 5 Stars

After listening to all three of Green Day's trilogy of Uno Dos and Tre, I'm beginning to recall why artists will record 30 to 40 songs and then whittle them down to the best dozen. Dos is a good album with a fair amount of filler, balanced by some experimental sidelines. They still maintain a snotty attitude and can deliver hooks like mad, just as you can tell from "F-Time" and "Wow That's Load" attest. Although once again, the sing along of "F-Time" is marred by the juvenile quality of the song.

What's good is "Nightlife," featuring a rap from one Lady Cobra (who gets a song named after here for her efforts) and the melancholy "Amy." Or more specifically, Amy Winehouse, whose trial leaves Billie Joe Armstrong to lament "will you be my friend?" It's a telling story (like "Macy's Day Parade" from "Warning") made all the more ironic by Armstrong's trip to rehab. There's still plenty of frantic energy involved, but like I stated previously, what feels like an inordinate number of lesser quality songs. "Tre" suffers from the same fate. "Uno" is the clear winner, but you can pick songs from the samples and make your own best of.

     

My Amazon Reviews: REO Speedwagon "The Essential 3.0 REO Speedwagon"

Oreo Speedcookies!
3 Out Of 5 Stars

REO Speedwagon was one of those American Bands that could have only happened in the 70's. A midwestern-boogie band with a hot live show, they built their rep in the heartland and got a record deal based on their rabid - if not widespread - following. Their first few albums were bland, unexceptional affairs, most notable for the mundanity of their songs and sound. Then, like so many acts from the "Frampton Comes Alive" era, their double live album expanded their audience outside their heartland base. Which also menat that the next album was make-it-or-break-it.

In 1978, that meant tightening up the sound, pushing (in and out and back in again) singer Kevin Cronin to the forefront, making guitarist Gary Richrath tighten up the solos, and writing a batch of songs that was more than bar-band-boogie jams. "You Can Tune a Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish" did all of that and gave the rock world one of the worst titular puns, plus REO's first major hit single with "Time for Me To Fly" and a rock radio staple with "Roll With The Changes." The album "Nine Lives" stayed the course with two songs on this set, and then came the blast.

"Hi Infidelity" became the group's high water mark in both sales and performance, putting REO into the leagues of Journey and Styx. Their first number one album, two top ten power ballads (including "Keep On Loving You" at number one) and platinum several times over, 6 of this album's 10 songs are on this set. One of them is the oddly girl-group sounding, "In Your Letter." "Good Trouble" slipped a bit; no singles, but three songs in this set, including concert fave "Keep The Fire Burning." However, one album later and "Wheels Are Turning" put the wheels back on the wagon. "Can't Fight This Feeling" went to number one and a million wedding receptions, while "I Do'Wanna Know" is probably my fave REO rocker (and makes an appearance on the bonus disc).

That was about it, as the ensuing albums began the diminishing returns, albeit with good songs and the power ballads like "In My Dreams." The good extras include a few odd-album cuts like "Just for You" and "Here With Me" from compilations and "Where You're Going" from the soundtrack to The Goonies movie. Now, as a three CD set, this is about all the REO you'll probably ever need. You get all the glory days singles and some of the better tunes from the waning days. But you're also hit with the realization that REO wasn't a very good band until "You Get What You Play For Live," which means you have to wallow through eleven 'meh' cuts on disc one before the good stuff kicks in.

Be that as it may, for your 80's nostalgia money, this is the REO set to get. If even this is too much, you can get "The Hits" or "The Ballads" collections (or even just "Hi Infidelity") for what you need.

   

My Amazon Reviews: Bruce Springsteen "Wrecking Ball"

Get yourself a song to sing
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Bruce Springsteen is one cross Boss. He sees the country going to hell, he feels the pain of his best friend's death, and he's got a few things he wants to get off his chest. Suits me fine. After the tepid "Working on a Dream" and "Magic," Springsteen gets a belly full of fire and breathes it out on "Wrecking Ball." Every song here is the Bruce we've missed when he sang stuff like "Queen of The Supermarket" or "Girls in Their Summer Clothes." This is Springsteen of "Born In The USA" and "The Rising," the mature, fighting fit man who isn't afraid to speak his mind.

That's obvious from the first song, "We Take Care Of Our Own." If Bruce picked up anything from "The Seger Sessions," it was that a protest song can be as unambiguous as it is forceful. Tightwired between rah-rah patriotism and WTF happened to us ferocity, Bruce tears into a nation "between the shotgun shacks and the superdome," where "the Calvary never came" before neatly tying it to the chorus of "Wherever this Flag is flown, we take care of our own." That old sap Ronnie Reagan could have mistook it for a campaign anthem like he did "Born in The USA." No-one, though, will confuse the vulture capitalists of "Death to My Hometown" with jingoism. It's all but an anthem for the occupy crowd (complete with guest shots from Tom Morello on featured songs).

As for his Big Man, "Land of Hope and Dreams" says it all. If you can't pull it from the heartfelt tribute written on the CD's inner booklet, then let the rising organ and gospel wails will. Like the acoustic tribute "Terry's Song" (the hidden track on "Magic"), it captures the essence of a lifelong friendship in the way I think a lot of Clarence Clemmons' fans would have been hoping for. "Wrecking Ball" is the Springsteen we thought may have gone missing. Yet, like the titular object for which this disc is named, he is crashing through or expectations once again.

   

My Amazon Reviews: Black Keys "El Camino"

The Finest in Garage Glitter and Grit 

4 Out Of 5 Stars

As The Black Keys have steadily ascended to the garage stomp throne since vacated by The White Stripes, the best thing about their climb has been the increasing coolness of their albums. "Brothers" pulled everything into a tight, thudding packages, and with "El Camino," the duo - again with the help of Danger Mouse - bring everything down to a basic fuzz-guitar pounding. At the same time, everything is in its perfect place, from the raging buzz-saw solos ("Gold On The Ceiling") to the Hives-y raunch of "Stop Stop," this is an album that refines itself to the core.

It also means those who loved the disjointed and unfocused loopiness that the early albums contained will be crying Sell-Out all over the place. The simple truth is, The Black Keys have learned their craft down the a level of cool that most bands never reach. They even know and wink at it; search for the Colbert Report Sell-Out Sell-Off between The Black Keys and vampire Weekend and you'll see what Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach think of their commercial success. It's only roc
k and roll, and they're going to have a good time with it. "She wants milk and honey/She wants filthy money" cries Auerbach in "Money Maker." It's still all about cars and girls. And volume. And for now, The Black Keys' "El Camino" is the best place to find it.

   

My Amazon Reviews: Red Hot Chili Peppers "I'm With You"

Tick-tock, I want to rock you like the 80s 
3 Out Of 5 Stars

The Red Hot Chili Peppers make a transition between guitarists and what sounds like a transitional album. "I'm With You" carves out pop turf with new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer providing sturdy support and more than a few interesting riffs. And once again, Rick Rubin brings his less-is-more production philosophy to the Peppers, which is a good thing for a band that works more on instinct than technology.

That instinct serves them well here. The fuzz-bomb that opens "Monarchy of Roses" lets you know that you've got the m-fing Red Hot Chili Peppers back in your player, man, before things turn conventional and the meaty chorus sinks in. If the lead single's title of "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" didn't make you think about "Dani California," the bass/drum shuffle sure will. Plus, there's a great tribute song for writer Brendan Mullen that revisits the acoustic-building-to-wall-of-sound that was "Under The Bridge." "Brendan's Death Song" may not be the revelation that "Under The Bridge" was, but then again, "Blood Sugar Sex Magic" is still the best thing the Peppers have ever done.

What "I'm With You" boils down to is RHCP's constancy. Once they hit a secondary peak with "Californication," they've been pretty much fishing in the same barrel ever since. "Stadium Arcadium" scored some bonus points for its audaciousness, while "I'm With You" sounds what I imagine "Stadium" (even with the switch in guitarists) would have sounded like had the Peppers held themselves to a single disc release. Don't expect anything radical, just know that you're still getting a quality album.

    

My Amazon Reviews: Flaming Lips "Hit To Death in The Future Head"

Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick
3 Out Of 5 Stars

Landing somewhere in the middle of The Flaming Lips' catalog is "Hit To Death In The Future Head," which has long felt like a transitional album in their continual chameleon-like career. The shift seems to be in a move away from the acidic psychedelia into psychedelic Beach Boys. Kinda like goodbye Sonic Youth, hello Beatles' White Album. This most easily found as the lazy roll of "The Sun" or the peppier, undeniably catchy "Gingerale Afternoon." Wayne Coyne is also exploring the possibilities of his singing voice; this is the first Lips CD where his singing really shines all they way through.

It may be also worth noting that "Hit" was the last Lips album to feature guitarist Jonathan Donahue and drummer Nathan Roberts were aboard. Donahue contributes plenty of guitar freakouts, like on "Frogs" and "The Magician Versus The Headache," along with all the whacked out sounds mixed into the CD's half-hour "bonus" track of cacophony. (Shades of 1997's Zaireeka, anyone?) There are plenty of epic moments to be found here, but the follow-up album was the powerful "Transmissions From The Satellite Heart," the Lips' artistic and commercial breakthrough. As such, "Hit" is a cool listen, but not the place to start of you want to discover why Flaming Lips can be such a magic band.