THE ICEMAN COMETH JERRY BUTLER

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I first took interest in Jerry Butler when favoured hip-hop producer J Dilla sampled “Just Because I Really Love You” in the track “U-Love” for his album Donuts. It’s one of the strongest tracks in a 31 track vibe fest, and its due predominantly to J Dilla’s ability to mix Butler’s passionate delivery with a mellow beat, keeping the vocals at the forefront. The Ice Man Cometh, Jerry Butler’s 11th album and definitive work, is an immediate reference to Jerry Butler’s on stage persona. Able to keep cool during the most strained emotive situations, Butler was able to define the Iceman.

In all honesty, there’s nothing profound about The Iceman Cometh. This is standard Soul, except without the high energy that soul god James Brown defined; the calling at the crowd, the funky jigging. Butler trades all the above for a smoother sound with a bigger emphasis on dated themes of love. But you’re not listening to The Iceman Cometh for its profoundness. You’re listening to it for its transcendent vocal delivery and because Jerry Butler is such a cool mother****er. Also because it’s a short record you can blow through in half an hour. So if you’re ignoring the lyrics - good.

Do give The Iceman Cometh a curious listen. If you’re looking to get into Soul, you’ve already checked James Brown and Al Green out. Check Jerry Butler out next. It’s essential listening for the genre.

Originally Posted by Fruitonica (Post 650049) Orange? http://www.robbierocks.ch/LP%20cover...rojected...jpg Anteater hooked me up with this, some nice funky prog.

Originally Posted by Roygbiv (Post 650640) oh man! i forgot about that CKY album. i'm on it (its on queue)

Originally Posted by Antonio (Post 650990) yea, it's pretty good, if i say so myself

Originally Posted by Roygbiv (Post 651041) it's pretty good, for sure, but infiltrate, destroy, rebuild is their best one by far.

Originally Posted by Roygbiv (Post 651049) no problem. i can share it if you want.

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Lounge and Downtempo acts should be difficult to review. They’re clearly meant to be enjoyed during certain circumstances, like New Age and Barry White. When It Falls revels in this conundrum. As an album meant for specific scenarios - meditation, background music - it does its job perfectly, but when judged in general worthiness, it often flatlines.

Though it can be quite transcendent when it doesn’t. “Look Up,” easily the most impressive song in the collection, comes eight tracks too late and is never replicated in any way, shape, or form. Which is too bad, because two or three tracks like it could have carried the entire weight of the album. Instead the track is surrounded by softly song pop that’s heartbreakingly derivative.

But it’s pointless to talk about When It Falls when I’ve already stated that it’s intended for specific scenarios, most of them categorized under sexual encounters. Let it spin if you have a dinner date at your place and you’re hoping to get lucky.



5.7

VIOLET

DISTORTION THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

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You bet The Magnetic Fields joined the revival of the shoegaze/noise scene initially predominant in the last two decades. Between 2008 and 2009, the Crystal Stilts, Vivian Girls, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, M83 and The Magnetic Fields released albums with sprawling melodies and malleable guitars, but none were approached as a mere gimmick more than The Magnetic Field’s Distortion.

Evidence is all over their discography. Their first big, big, big gimmick was releasing a three disk compilation titled 69 Love Songs, followed by I, an album where each track title started with the letter I. And now we have Distortion - each track smothered by amplified guitars and feedback. Actually, I wouldn’t use the word smothered, because that would imply that The Magnetic Fields succeeded in capturing the power of the music they were inspired by. The noise-pop fundamentals are present but, excluding the two opening numbers, you can’t help but get the feeling that if you stripped the songs of their “noise” they’d be just as efficient. The noisy soundscapes are not essential. It also doesn’t help that the songs are very forgettable, leaving you with very little even after a few listens.

No Magnetic Fields gimmick will ever be as prolific as 69 Love Songs, but the acceptance of this fact shouldn’t lower our expectations of their following efforts. They are an incredibly talented band with some fantastic ideas. What they don’t need is time (4 years between I and Distortion), but to be inspired as they were 10 years ago.



7.5

Originally Posted by Roygbiv (Post 651420) INDIGO WHEN IT FALLS ZERO 7 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...coverfront.jpg Lounge and Downtempo acts should be difficult to review. They’re clearly meant to be enjoyed during certain circumstances, like New Age and Barry White. When It Falls revels in this conundrum. As an album meant for specific scenarios - meditation, background music - it does its job perfectly, but when judged in general worthiness, it often flatlines. Though it can be quite transcendent when it doesn’t. “Look Up,” easily the most impressive song in the collection, comes eight tracks too late and is never replicated in any way, shape, or form. Which is too bad, because two or three tracks like it could have carried the entire weight of the album. Instead the track is surrounded by softly song pop that’s heartbreakingly derivative. But it’s pointless to talk about When It Falls when I’ve already stated that it’s intended for specific scenarios, most of them categorized under sexual encounters. Let it spin if you have a dinner date at your place and you’re hoping to get lucky. 5.7

Originally Posted by Roygbiv (Post 651420) WHEN IT FALLS ZERO 7 5.7

Originally Posted by Piss Me Off (Post 652819) The Magnetic Fields are gooood man, Beach Boys melodies with (probably pointless but i like it anyway) distortion thrown in the mix. Too Drunk to Dream (looove the lyrics) and Three-way are early favourites.

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Here’s my relationship with Talking Heads: I’ve never been satisfied with anything less than the polyrythmic, quasi-progressive, general-funkyness of Remain in Light. Fear of Music comes close, but it’s much, much closer to More Songs About Buildings and Food and, well, the record I should be reviewing. But then I realized that Remain in Light was its own deal, a record so far-out even for a band already warped and twisted that having it exist in this world is privilege enough and that asking for anything like it is a battle I’ve already lost. So I try to like everything else by them, and I often do. This isn’t one of those times.

The universe is a harsh mistress. 77 is indeed a great debut album that showcases great muscicianship and general quirkiness that defines Talking Heads and David Byrne even today; but we’ve come to the point in history where nobody starts with 77 as their first Talking Heads album. Thus we’ve come to the point where to like 77 one has to disregard the fact that its successors are much stronger albums, including its aforementioned immediate successor More Songs About Buildings and Food. Everything succeeding 77 is catchier, smarter and funkier, but that doesn’t mean that 77 does not have tracks that succeed others in their library in terms of quality. Here are the obvious choices: “Uh Oh, Love Comes to Town,” “Who Is It?” and “Psycho Killer.”

Honestly, 77 is a meh record only because everything afterward - records you’ve listened to before 77 - are just better, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t listen to it. Don’t skip it if you’ve enjoyed everything else by the band so far, but only if.

PSYCHO KILLER



7.4

Originally Posted by Roygbiv (Post 653396) RED 77 TALKING HEADS Honestly, 77 is a meh record only because everything afterward - records you’ve listened to before 77 - are just better, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t listen to it. Don’t skip it if you’ve enjoyed everything else by the band so far, but only if. 7.4