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Gravity Kills is an industrial band erupting on the heels of post grunge 90s. Nine Inch Nails turned the Alternative music head towards Industrial sounds via German avant garde Einstürzende Neubauten and Kraftwerk. These bands influenced another huge movement in popular music during the 80's by inspiring the intensely engineered sound of Depeche Mode. "The Downward Spiral" was everywhere and labels were signing up anything remotely similar in the off chance of capitalizing on Nine Inch Nails' incredible success. And that's how Gravity Kills signed a record deal.
Don't get me wrong, I like the band. I bought their first record when it came out and I bought the single plus the remix album. I quite like a lot of their stuff. But there's no denying it... Gravity Kills are not the trend setting industrial band they aspire to be. They are definitely the product of a musical trend. I picked up "Perversion" full price at the Tower Records WOW store in Las Vegas and I regret that. Not because the record is bad... It's just not worth full price.
On the heels of their self-titled debut, "Perversion" sounds more like a batch of b-sides or rejected material. There are really only two songs that stand out; "Alive" and "One". Neither one of them are chart topping hits, but they're comparable to rest of the self-titled album to make them worth hearing. The remainder of the record suffers from all of the ingredients that make Gravity Kills the mediocre industrial band they are... Generic lyrics with over-exaggerated self importance... When the best track on the album features lyrics like, "Let me be the one to clear your eyes - I am the one to tear down your disguise" you know you're in trouble. Cliche's abound.
I want to give this record better praise and I want to say Gravity Kills really knocked this one out of the park, but I just don't hear it. I don't listen to this record and groove out. In fact, I never put it on and just let it play. I've tried to a couple of times and I get bored. I have the songs I like and they're cool so I'll stick with them. Otherwise, I'll enjoy their older material and unless I hear some seriously good news, I'll avoid the new stuff. My final words: TAKE A PASS AND DOWNLOAD INDIVIDUAL TRACKS.
GRAVITY KILLS - PERVERSION
01. Falling
02. If
03. Crashing
04. Drown
05. Alive
06. Wanted
07. Always
08. One
09. Disintigrate
10. Belief (To Rust)
I've never actually seen this film. Just picked up the soundtrack because Depeche Mode had a track on it. The only place you can find the original version of the song. It was at a record store in St. Gallen, Switzerland and I found it used for something like 7 CHF. So I bought it. I'm not sure you could call the song an actual Depeche Mode track. It sounds more like a solo effort by Martin L. Gore. There's a lot of big names on this record and most of them you wouldn't expect to see together. Yet somehow this record comes together in a harmonious fashion. You expect it to sound like a big messed up pot of gumbo; instead it sounds and tastes delicious. Graeme Revell composed the score for the film and some of his more prominent pieces feature as segues throughout the album. I've heard some of his stuff on other scores and although I think he does a pretty good job, I also think he's predictable. There's nothing really outstanding about his material. It's a little offbeat, but still sounds similar to other work he's done.
The first band track is 'Sax And Violins' by the Talking Heads. I really like this track. It has a mellow, almost reggae sound to it until the chorus. Then they hit you with the full synth barrage. Excellent addition and opening number for the record. 'Summer Kisses, Winter Tears' is a cross between a lounge number and something you'd hear in a honky tonk bar about 3am. Julee Cruise's voice features nicely on this number. She croons like a female version of Chris Issak. Very similar sound. Neneh Cherry's 'Move With Me (Dub)', sounds like a stripped down version of the original tune, but it follows the previous song and maintains a haunting tempo. The next couple tracks move into a different style entirely. It's more hillbilly rock n' roll. Especially the Lou Reed number. Both of them are ok, but not my favorite tracks.
Can's 'Last Night Sleep' creeps back in and pulls you back into the midnight romp of the album. It makes you feel like a black hole is opening up all around you. Listen to the track in the dark at high volume. R.E.M.'s contribution keeps the sound in a dark place. while Elvis Costello's 'Days' takes a meandering punch at moving the record to the next phase. Nick Cave's track is hard to listen to. I've never been a huge fan of his and the narrative track, '(I'll Love You) Till The End Of The World' reinforces my disinterest. There's these awkward country'ish songs and then there's the trance rhythm songs that drag you down into a deep dark place. The Patti and Fred Smith track pitch you headlong back down that rabbit hole and then the Depeche Mode track comes in like salvation on high shining down from a Sunday cloud. Brush drums and electric guitar... A different and new sound for Depeche Mode.
Another segue by Revell and Jane Siberry's 'Calling All Angels' starts. Having basically created a name for herself by creating the saddest most heartfelt tunes in alternative films throughout the 90s, Siberry's contribution once again pulls your heartstrings. T-Bone Burnett's song is the one track I really feel doesn't belong on this record. It is, however, better than some of the other cuts. It's a rockin' number and certainly worth checking out. The Daniel Lanois song is another meandering country tidbit. I didn't enjoy it at all. Finally, U2 round the record out with there record selling contribution. Overall, this record is surprisingly good. It maintains a tempo and a feel. It's worth listening to and worth buying. Even if you're only after one of the many one-off tracks appearing here. My final words: THE UNDISCOVERED GEM OF SOUNDTRACKS.
UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD - MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK
01. Graeme Revell - Opening Titles
02. Talking Heads - Sax And Violins
03. Julee Cruise - Summer Kisses, Winter Tears
04. Neneh Cherry - Move With Me (Dub)
05. Crime & The City Solution - The Adversary
06. Lou Reed - What's Good
07. Can - Last Night Sleep
08. R.E.M. - Fretless
09. Elvis Costello - Days
10. Graeme Revell - Claire's Theme
11. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - (I'll Love You) Till The End Of The World
12. Patti Smith And Fred Smith - It Takes Time
13. Depeche Mode - Death's Door
14. Graeme Revell - Love Theme
15. Jane Siberry With K.D. Lang - Calling All Angels
16. T-Bone Burnett - Humans From Earth
17. Daniel Lanois - Sleeping In The Devil's Bed
18. U2 - Until The End Of The World
19. Graeme Revell - Finale
This is Eric's second Paisley Park release; which by itself puts him in a very select category. With most Paisley Park acts clocking in at one album, only a small group came in with multiple releases. If you consider the Madhouse albums as the forerunners to this release, he's got the distinction of actually having four.
Unlike his previous album, this one sees Eric playing more traditional jazz music as opposed to the funk fueled workouts Prince normally brings to his sound. The tunes are subdued and focus more on him carrying the melody. These tracks are not driven by the rhythm section as Prince penned jazz tends to be. There's a softer touch at work with an unmistakeable Latin fusion happening as well. It's obvious right from the start with 'Isla Mujeres'. At one point it breaks into a Salsa. 'Two Sisters' has a frantic sound to it. With the underlying rhythm moving at different speeds, you get a complex sound that can evoke a strong memory. I think of two women trying to get along. Women's relationships are always complicated. Moreso when they are family. 'Things Left Unsaid' is a piece of music that is both sad and slightly hopeful. The title creates a very specific feeling and the song doesn't fail to meet expectation. It's almost like Eric put as much emotion into this performance as he possibly could. I often wonder if this was the last track recorded for the album or if Leeds thought this would be the last record he'd release.
'Aguadilla' comes on like a freight train after 'Things Left Unsaid'. Considering the opening salvo, the tune actually has a mild tempo. This is the only Prince collaboration on the entire disc and in typical Prince fashion, there's a strong momentum through the rhythm section. The tune also focuses on other instruments more liberally than any of the other tracks. Once again, that Latin sound is present. It's followed by a cover of the Tears For Fears track, 'Woman In Chains'. This number is a fairly faithful rendition of the song and is a lovely tribute to a great song. The expressive playing almost covers up the missing vocal track.
'Times Gift' features Leeds alternating between the flute and his saxophone. The tempo increases here to an almost frantic pace. It's a bit too hectic for my taste and I'm not sure I see the meaning in the tune. Other than we're rushing through life and time is relentless. Either way, I don't quite get the message. 'Yaounde' is a haunting number sounding like it's being played in a South American jungle. There's a lot of woodwind instruments and strange percussion playing on this one. It's actually quite moving, but completely unexpected. 'Soldiers Things' brings to mind a small French cafe right after World War II. You imagine a soldier heading home, stopping for a meal. A brief glance at a beautiful woman. They continue to exchange meaningful looks, and you get the feeling this could be the greatest adventure in both of their lives. This could be true love. But it never goes beyond that. He finishes his meal, stands up, tips his hat in her direction and walks away never to see her again. 'Commuting' is another song with a frantic tempo but in this case, it's tempered by a relaxed melody and soft playing by Eric. Once again, the song title is incredibly accurate and you can picture someone driving home from a long day of work in the city. Heading home for the night in their suburban home.
It seems to me this CD was almost an afterthought. To this point, Prince had been incredibly involved in Eric's solo work. And he stayed involved in most Paisley projects as well. The lack of input and participation by Prince makes me think this was thrown together from music Eric was working on outside of Paisley Park and Prince used it to fill an open slot. But who can say for sure. I think this might have actually been the last release by that label. Shortly after buying it, Paisley Park was no more. :-(. Still, not a bad way to go out. The record is adventurous and generally fits the blend of the forward thinking label. My final words: JAZZ-ER-IFIC!
ERIC LEEDS - THINGS LEFT UNSAID
01. Isla Mujeres
02. Two Sisters
03. Things Left Unsaid
04. Aguadilla
05. Woman In Chains
06. Times Gift
07. Yaounde
08. Soldiers Things
09. Commuting
I stumbled on this CD by accident. About the same time Robin S released "Show Me Love", Robyn released a single by the same name. So you had two female singers, both with the same title single and the same name with different spelling. To make a long story short, I bought this record thinking it was the other one. Although both artists use electronic music as the medium for their songs, the approach is vastly different. Robin S' producers relied on a new sound they'd created and basically wrote the same song over and over. To some extent you get that same feeling with 'Robyn Is Here'.
This record does have a couple stand out tunes. And they were the obvious choices for singles. Her label didn't miss a beat on this point. The two charting singles in the US were "Do You Know (What It Takes)" and "Show Me Love". They both reflect the album in the sense they feature some smart production work and enjoyable music. There's more enjoyable pop here than on most records. The arrangements are tight, interesting and slick. Robyn has a quality voice and for a Swedish national, she delivers an English performance flawlessly. You wouldn't think English wasn't her native tongue.
Despite the excellent production work, the record loses momentum in two areas... First, lyrically the songs aren't incredibly diverse or deep. They were typical pop fluff for the time. Second, Robyn has a legitimate voice, but it's never challenged or showcased. There's nothing really setting her off other than the proficiency of her English. She employs all of the standard
diva tricks singers use but it gets washed out in the end. There's enough fair stuff here to keep you going, but nothing to push you over the top.
So listening to this record again in order to review it, I've enjoyed myself so it can't be all that bad. I just wish it stood out more. That there was something here that popped out at you. All in all, it's a great freshman effort and from what I've been reading online and hearing from others, she's come back with even stronger material. I guess she's a force to be reckoned with. :-)
My final words: A PLEASANT MISTAKE
ROBYN - ROBYN IS HERE
01. Bumpy Ride
02. In My Heart
03. You've Got That Somethin'
04. Do You Know (What It Takes)
05. The Last Time
06. Show Me Love
07. Just Another Girlfriend
08. Don't Want You Back
09. Do You Really Want Me (Show Respect)
10. How
11. Here We Go
12. Robyn Is Here
13. I Wish (A Cappella)
14. Do You Really Want Me (Show Respect) (Remix)
Once again it seems I am on the forefront of music by reviewing a totally new CD as it is released! For those of you who read the blog, you know I'm working through my collection rather than just reviewing new material, but this little gem has had my attention for the past week or so and I decided it was time I shared it with you.
In many ways, this CD is what fans of the duo have been waiting for. Over various incarnations of their website, Wendy & Lisa have allowed fans to hear some of the scoring work and other tidbits of music they've done. But only in the most limited fashion. Streaming media files you could only listen to on the site or record illegally to have a copy you could burn. You could easily find gems among the many snippets they posted, but one day, you'd log in and the site would change or a piece was gone. Take "Rosalyn" for example... I've had various edits of the track for over ten years now. To finally have a nice quality recording of this track I can listen to is absolutely wonderful! Same thing with "Perfect Stranger". I've had two edits of this track, but neither can equal the intensity of this version. I remember the first time I heard this song... I remember thinking, "Ok, now Lisa & Wendy have crossed over into lesbian rock..." Which wasn't a bad thing. But it seemed trendy at the time. Regardless of that impression, this song is aggressive with so many elements of classic rock 'n' roll you can't help but jump up and dance. Or you can do what I did when I got my CD the other day... You can dump it in your truck, roll down the windows and put it on repeat just to rock out the neighbors. You just can't beat the look of horror on an old woman's face when you roll up next to her in your big truck and she hears, "Give it up, I'm coming for ya!" blaring out the speakers. Oh yeah, pure terror.
The majority of the other tracks represent pieces of music the two have done over the years. The digital download includes a PDF book explaining where the songs came from and why they never saw the light of day. It's fascinating to read about the music and get some impressions from the duo on their stuff.
Only "Perfect Stranger" and "Water To The Wave" have vocals. The other tracks are all instrumental but vastly different in temperament. "Time" kicks in sounding like the opening titles of a 70's TV show and then breaks down into a bass jam. Once that rhythm kicks in, the tune moves across the board in an almost suite-like trajectory. One minute, it's funky and the next it's ethereal and shimmering. In the end, it has a very simple structure building around 3 specific motifs. "Water To The Wave" sounds like it would have found a home on "Fruit At The Bottom". They write about Babyface Edmunds thinking the song was too experimental. There's some expressive playing and a disjointed feeling by the beat changeups, but it works and is easily one of my favorite tracks on the record. I find the lyrics beautifully compelling and the coda actually flows nicely into "Rosalyn". Both pieces of music would've fit nicely on Seal's first album.
"Rock Song" uses an echo on the piano to make a reverberation I think was intended to give the listener a feeling of hallucination or uncertainty. For me, the tune moves in a different direction entirely. I find myself anticipating sounds. It grounds me. It's the breakdown about 3 minutes in where I find myself enjoying the track the most. It's a simple progression, but an enjoyable one and demonstrates an ability to cause feeling through sound manipulation. "Lemon Chiffon" sounds like it would've been at home on "Eroica". It's another mellow number you just fall into a groove and flow along with it. There's no complication, just a musical bed for your body to comfortably drift off in. The sway of this tune is lazy and calm. There is a tartness to it about two and a half minutes in. The minor additions help to accentuate the track and also help in understanding where the title comes from.
It's not the huge compilation of scoring material fans have been waiting for, but it does reflect a demand for this music. What would be wonderful.... Is if Wendy & Lisa responded with a continuing series of these CDs and released more of this material over time. With the many hours of music they've recorded for "Crossing Jordan" or "Heroes", this would be the perfect venue for capitalizing on those efforts and also giving their fans what they want most. However, considering the shorter length of some of these pieces, I'd suggest making a compilation similar to Electric Six's "Sexy Trash". However they did it, releasing a series of these discs would help generate income for the new mothers and help establish stronger ties with their fans. You're only as popular as your last release. A steady diet of new material (even if it's old material just sitting around) will help them stay current with fans. I know for me, this wonderful disc is both long awaited and anticipated. When I saw it was for sale, it was a no-brainer. I bought it immediately. And once again, I find myself rededicated to Wendy & Lisa. My final words: THANKFULLY RECEIVED, GREATLY ANTICIPATED.
WENDY AND LISA - SNAPSHOTS
01. Perfect Stranger
02. Time
03. Water To The Wave
04. Rosalyn
05. Rock Song
06. Lemon Chiffon
This is Rammstein's second live release and in the grand tradition of greedy record companies, this CD has four versions you can purchase, the most complete clocks in somewhere around $100 or so. There's the single disc edition including an edited version of the Nimes concert. Then there's the DVD/CD edition which includes the full Nimes show on DVD and then the edited version of the concert. The DVD also includes live performances from other shows recorded around the same time. There's the 2 DVD/CD edition. This one includes a second DVD with behind the scenes stuff and some documentary material. The final version is the 2 DVD/2 CD. This one has the full Nimes concert on two discs and the two DVDs. Needless to say, I didn't get that one.
The concert is quite amazing, but ranking on a scale with other tours, this is one of the tamer tours. There's lots to see and lots to enjoy. The recording sounds a bit muddled and it makes me wonder if the stage monitors were working properly because the band seems just a bit off one another. But that's neither here nor there. It just sounds that way to me.
There are excellent tracks to enjoy here and it's well worth the price to hear more live material from Rammstein. They are very exciting live and the arrangements are usually entertaining.
It would be awesome if Rammstein took a page out of Depeche Mode's book and released a live DVD and CD with each tour. The concert for "Mutter" was absolutely brilliant and I want to see that show again. It was amazing. This last tour was also incredible. I'd enjoy seeing a DVD of it surface sometime soon.
For those of you who know Rammstein, you will enjoy this CD. For those who don't, it's a great way to discover them. The show covers hits from virtually every record they've released. Even with the slightly muddled performance at times, the disc is awesome and well worth the expense. My final words: BURNING HOT ROCK!
RAMMSTEIN - VÖLKERBALL
01. Intro
02. Reise, Reise
03. Links 2 3 4
04. Keine Lust
05. Feuer Frei!
06. Asche Zu Asche
07. Morgenstern
08. Mein Teil
09. Los
10. Du Riechst So Gut
11. Benzin
12. Du Hast
13. Sehnsucht
14. Amerika
15. Sonne
16. Ich Will
