My Amazon Reviews: Arcade Fire "Reflektor"

Arcade Fire Loosen Up
3 Out Of 5 Stars

Arcade Fire find themselves stirring up emotions and dance floor beats on their double CD, "Reflektor." As the most famous band of their beloved Indie scene, they have to contend with being the little band that could, as in could win a Grammy for Album of The Year ("The Suburbs"). Their answer? To invoke Orpheus and the failed love to Eurydice (she's the image of the cover art), bring in Haitian musicians to lay down some serious grooves, let David Bowie sing back up (the title track) and make what feels like their least densely produced album of their career. If anything, it frequently reminds me of how Talking Heads sounded when they used "Speaking In Tongues" to open up their overall sound.

"If there is no music in Heaven, then what's it for?" bemoans Win Butler on "Here Comes the Night Time" (the first part, the second opens disc two as a dirge), and he's here to celebrate. That means giving "Reflektor" over to James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem to make the grooves pop. Granted, this isn't Saturday Night Fever, but the percussion and bass drive better than half the album. Eurydice and Orpheus tangle again on twin songs "Awful Sound" and "It's Not Over" to again invoke their tragic love before moving onto other topics. Like "Porno." Not as bad as the title implies, it's a slower tune that contemplates the simplistic ways that men misinterpret love, like "little boys with their porno." Yes, Arcade Fire may be loosening up, but that doesn't mean their lyrics have gone soft.

Which is what makes "Reflektor" a pretty good album. Arcade Fire are still finding ways to get their sound to new places without losing their identity. If I have any gripes, it's that the expansive grooves seem to often come at the expense of over-lenghty songs (some judicious editing - like the 5 minutes of drivel at the end of "Supersymmetry" - could have made this a single disc), and the album packaging comes with lyric sheets that tore as soon as they got caught on the CD's. But that's hardly a fault to Arcade Fire. I'd gladly take a two CD set of music this ambitious than a single disc of poorly thought through laptop pop. So go ahead, dance to a song about dying (the New Order-ish "Afterlife") till "we work it out."

     

My Amazon Reviews: Barenaked Ladies "Gordon"

Go go, Gordon
4 Out Of 5 Stars

When the American debut of Barenaked Ladies crossed my desk many years ago, I was not sure quite what to make of them. They were certainly crucially adept, as each song sounded musically delightful. They had a whimsical sense of humor that would pop-up baldly on many of the songs. They were vocally versatile, with multiple lead singers who could also harmonize nicely. I thought "Gordon" was one of the best debut albums I'd heard in years, much the equal of 10cc or the likes of Nick Lowe, two other artists who weren't afraid if mixing serious playing with goofy jokes.

I also wondered if American audiences would ever catch on. The humor was often blatant, like "Grade Nine," which poked fun at elementary school nerdom, right down to the Rush guitar licks. Or one of their eventual concert staples, "If I Had A Million Dollars," which was both a decent song and a poke at consumerism that ends in a punch line (and included a bacon joke. After all Barenaked ladies are Canadian). But amidst the comedic moments were some serious, thought provoking songwriting. "The Flag" with Ed Robertson and Steve Page is a serious look at the "complicated people leading complicated lives," as a relationship falls to surrender, or the lovely pair together in the jazzy "I Love You."

Either side of the Barenaked Ladies' equation worked. If you were willing to allow the sense of humor not get in the way of the musicianship and the ace singing and writing of Ed Robertson and Steve Page, "Gordon" is a rewarding album. They also got better real fast, and as "One Week" eventually proved, they had the stuff of stardom.

     

My Amazon Reviews: The Nylons "Play On"

Play on, Sing on.
4 Out Of 5 Stars

The Nylons released "Play On" in 2002, but it didn't see an American release for quite some time. Like so many of their excellent albums, they blend pop and R'n'B into seamless harmonies with the accompaniment of a few rhythm machines and little else. They've been at this game since the mid-80's, and are one of the rare a Capella bands to even score a hit single. So they don't do much to alter the fun. "Play On" will please their long time fans and maybe lure a few newbies.

Claude Morrison is the sole original member (I had the joy of interviewing him in 1997 for the "Run For Cover" album), and long time member Garth Mosbaugh is coming into his own as a writer. Among the terrific covers are three of his originals, including the title song. But they really excel at turning contemporary songs and oldies into Nylons songs. Paul Simon and The Police get a regal working over, with Simon's "Late In The Evening" capturing the song's intent maybe better than Paul himself did. They roll Roberta Flack's chestnut "Feel Like Making Love" into a finger snapping tribute...and then sing "Good Enough" to nothing but the sounds of popping fingers.

In addition, there's very good makeovers of Kenny Loggins' "This Is It," James Taylor's "Only One" and more. The voices mix in such perfection that it's hard to pick out a standout soloist, and the same with the songs. Although if forced, I'd go for "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" and "Late In the Evening." After all these years, The Nylons have worn well. You can also now check out their jazzy "Skin Tight" from 2011.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Barenaked Ladies "Hits From Yesterday and The Day Before"

Barenaked Reissue
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Ten years after their first "Greatest Hits" CD, Barenaked Ladies release another one. The difference is minimal; the 14 songs here replicate nice of the original's track list, which contained 19 songs. Only four songs are new to the line-up, and only one, the TV Theme to "Big Bang Theory" is previously unreleased. That leaves an awful lot of material to quibble over, and the fact that "Maybe You Should Drive" is totally ignored as an album and their earliest hit, "Be My Yoko Ono" is left off are serious miscalculations. The packaging is also barenaked. No liner notes, album listings, significant art, nada. Just a folding paper-sleeve with a torn-up collage of album artwork, track listing and writer/publisher credits. Pretty skimpy.

That said, BNL have always been masterful popcrafters. Their melodic chops, tight harmonies and whimsical sense of humor always made them stand out, even if "One Week" became such an annoying presence on the radio that you wanted to slap 'em. Both Steven Page or Ed Robertson could have carried any band as singular songwriters, together they turned out clever song after clever song without falling into the trap of self-parody. The pop conventions would reference other genres (the backwards guitar in "Pinch Me," the pseudo rap of "One Week") while maintaining the band's identity. There are few bands in the past couple of decades to blend their influences so ingeniously, at their best, frankly, BNL rivaled 10cc or XTC. Maybe a bit less whimsical than XTC or as arty as 10cc, Barenaked Ladies managed to create a run of singles that most pop bands would sell their passports for. "Hits From Yesterday & The Day Before" pretty much shortchanges the group, but BNL still is a worthy listen.

   

My Amazon Reviews: Rush "2112"

...And The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth
5 Out of 5 Stars

Rush jumped a creative canyon in 1976, when they released their science-fiction epic "2112." It was pretty much the moment when drummer Neil Peart mastered his writing skills, basing the entire first side on a socialist empire taken down by a guitar slinging rebel. It was more adventurous and ambitious than anything on the band's initial three albums, and also finally put the spotlight on Rush's virtuoso musical chops. Even with the dopey dedication to 'the genius of Ayn Rand' on the cover, the first half of the album was brilliant. A perfect lure for teenagers who thought prog-rock was to arty and not loud enough.

In fact, that side one suite is so amazing that it even saves the album from dropping below a five star rating. Because like it or not, side two is mostly run-of-the-mill hard rock, down to the obligatory stoner anthem ("A Passage To Bangkok"). "Twilight Zone" fares little better. The ballad "Tears" is probably the best of the second half of the album, and Geddy Lee's lyrical contribution to the disc. The stadium ready "Something for Nothing" is exactly the kind of 'raise your fist and yell' concert pleaser, and ends the song on a high note.

"2112" is still the gateway Rush album. It took them a couple more tries to make another brilliant album ("Moving Pictures"), but this was the moment it was obvious that this trio was on to something bigger than the sum of the trio.

   

My Amazon Reviews: Bryan Adams "Icon"

Solid Quickie Compilation 
3 Out Of 5 Stars 
Bryan Adams had a spectacular run of mainstream rock hits through the 80's and 90's, including a Grammy for the mega-hit "Everything I Do, I Do it For You." He had a knack for hooky guitar rock with writing partner Jim Vallance, which resulted not only in his own stardom, but smashes for others (Tina Turner, Loverboy, etc). His three solo number ones are here, the collaborative number one ("All for Love" with Sting and Rod Stewart) is not. With a dozen songs, it's a good overview of Adam's working-man's rock.

Only one other top ten single is missing ("Heat of The Night," #6). Non-top tenners are included, "Somebody," #9, "Cuts Like a Knife," #15, "The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You," #52, and there's "Cloud 9," and a movie song "Here I Am" from the animated feature "Cimmaron," neither of which hit the top 100. So "Icon" is less a greatest hits than an attempt to cover Adams' overall range. For a budget quickie, it does a good job. If you want to pay a little more and get the full enchilada, pick up Anthology.