A Mediocre Attempt At My Album Reviews

clooney1973 · 06-22-2009, 11:20 AM

zeppy111 · 06-22-2009, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Abominable Homan

I've been wanting to get that Edge of Sanity album. Very nice review, I'll look into it.

Cool. Glad it could be of help.

Quote:

Originally Posted by clooney1973

How insightful of you.

zeppy111 · 06-23-2009, 10:35 PM

Got two that I did randomly before this thread, just gonna throw them here. Here is the first.

Underbelly - For A Cynical Science (2007)

Genre: Nu-Metal

Intro:

Underbelly are a popular South African nu-metal band who come from Witbank, a town just outside Pretoria.

The band consists of:
Etienne Olivier – Vocals
Hendrik Nel – Drums
Riaan Bothma – Guitars
Louw Visagie – Guitars
Paul du Plessis - Bass

"For A Cynical Science" is the band's first full-length album, which finally made it succesfully in the country after they began back in 2001.

Review:

The album begins with a minute long intro which picks up some pace towards the end and kicks us into the direction of the album. The album is broken up into three seperate divisions, with the first 3 songs having these feel of lack-lusterness and no real bite to the music. Once we fall across "Clear," the album heads in a new direction where the pace picks up and the overall sound becomes cleaner. This trot of 5 tracks is a real pleasure to listen to as they all sound very different as opposed to the rest of the album and the quality of the music and lyrics is spot on. The last two tracks increase the pace more and are the two heaviest tracks on the album, with the latter being almost 8.5 mins of pure heavy delight to listen to.

Overall a slow and boring start which leads into a well configurated middle stretch which is the highlight of the album before ending with a pair of heavy tracks which showcase the skills of the musicians perfectly. The lyrics of the album is what gives this album the edge as they are very well written and seem to flow well with the music.

8.6/10

Underbelly-Fall

zeppy111 · 06-23-2009, 10:35 PM

Goldfish-Caught In The Loop (2005)

Genre: Electronica

Track listing:

"The Real Deal" - 4:49
"Times May Change You" - 4:30
"Love and Hate" - 4:02
"Mbira Beat" - 5:02
"All Night" - 3:45
"Eqyptology" - 4:48
"Wait a Minute" - 5:23
"Four Forty Five Blues" - 4:35
"Last Tango in Paradise" - 4:00
"Dream" - 4:16
"Obey" - 3:32
"Highflautin'" - 5:10
"From Zanzibar with Love" - 4:25
"The Real Deal (Radio Edit)" - 3:29
"All Night (Radio Edit)" - 3:16

Intro:
Goldfish are a popular electronica and dance group hailing from Cape Town, South Africa, consisting of Dominic Peters and David Poole. They create dance music containing elements of jazz and African music, combining live instruments like double bass, saxophones, keyboards, flute, and vocals with samplers, effects and synths. I first heard goldfish playing live on a Sunday afternoon concert down in Stellenbosch, South Africa and have been hooked ever since.

Review:
Those days when you just want to sit back and relax after coming back from work but don't know how to un-wind, Goldfish is the perfect solution for it. You throw the cd on, chill and get ready to go out later that night to the club. To your pleasant suprise when you reach the club, you hear goldfish booming over the speakers and everyone jamming the night away to their music. The diversity and range of goldfish is what makes them arguably the most interesting and loved band in South Africa and soon to be the rest of the world. A few select songs I chose to write a bit more about:

1. The Real Deal: The first song off the cd sets the tone for the rest of the album by incorporting the very catchy African influences to the beats. The song is more mellow compared to the rest of the album but it really intices you to carry on listening. The highlight to the song is the African vocals that are used and the imagery created...

5. All Night: This track compliments the one mentioned about due to its up-tempo beat and the vibe it gives off. There is not much else to say about this song other than it will get the party off to a good start(or atleast a few people tapping their feet)

7. Wait A Minute: A track that makes my top 3 off this album, not because of the quality of the music but rather the sense of interaction between the listener and the band. it begins with a man talking over what seems to be a speaker phone or PA before busting into the song. This song is the complete package and is always exciting to listen to personally, 63 plays later.

9.1/10 WATCH OUT FOR THE FISH, THEY WILL GET YOU TOO!

Goldfish-The Real Deal

zeppy111 · 06-26-2009, 12:19 PM

Frank Zappa – Hot Rats (1969)

Genre: Jazz-Fusion

Intro:

Frank Zappa was an absolute hero and if you need an introduction, I can do no justice to such a man, so go read it for yourself.

The Band consists of:
• Frank Zappa – electric guitar, percussion, octave bass
• Ian Underwood – organ, clarinet, flute, piano, saxophone
• Max Bennett – bass on all tracks except "Peaches en Regalia"
• Captain Beefheart – vocals on "Willie the Pimp"
• John Guerin – drums on "Willie the Pimp", "Little Umbrellas" and "It Must Be a Camel"
• Don "Sugarcane" Harris – violin on "Willie the Pimp" and "The Gumbo Variations"
• Paul Humphrey – drums on "Son of Mr. Green Genes" and "The Gumbo Variations"
• Shuggie Otis – bass on "Peaches en Regalia"
• Jean-Luc Ponty – violin on "It Must Be a Camel"
• Ron Selico – drums on "Peaches en Regalia"
• Lowell George - guitar (uncredited)
• Harvey Shantz – Snorks
Zappa and Underwood were the two major contributors to the album.
“Hot Rats” is Zappa’s second solo album.

Review:

As we have come to suspect in the previous Zappa albums, brilliance, but this time showcased in a longer, jazzier, solo-filled and vocally barren album. (Except for Beefhearts little piece)

The album begins, not with a song but as you pick up the cover when you think to yourself, “What is this man doing?” A clear visualization of the unknown, that is to follow.

The album begins with one of the more well-known tracks of Zappa’s, “Peaches en Regalia,” which is a lovely song to begin with and gives off that feeling of un-sureness if you listening to rock or jazz. The saxophone pieces in the track are top class. A short intro to the new Zappa it could be said.

“Willie the Pimp,” is the song to follow and unexpectedly we come across a very bluesy track, a very unique track on the album too. Zappa is on top form with his guitar with many extended bursts of brilliance. This is the only song on the album that contains any vocals, which is quite unique. The vocals come from not Zappa, but Captain Beefheart at the beginning of the song and add a nice dimension to the track which no other track could achieve on this album. The overall rhythm to the song is quite-catchy which could come as a surprise for an almost 10 minute long track.

“Son of Mr Green Genes,” is a re-make of a previous Zappa tune so the song could sound rather familiar to those had owned “Uncle Meat.” Another very jazzy tune for the album, that is not so say that the guitar work was compromised. It gets of to a rather slow start with the first 4 minutes of it being the worst part to the album before the guitar and piano solos start to kick-in after 6 or so minutes and we have a very interesting song again. If only the first four minutes were this good.

“Little Umbrellas,” is another one of those songs that define the jazz-fusion, much like the first track. The track almost acts as a soothing bridge from the re-worked ‘Mr Green’ to the 17 minute long epic….

“The Gumbo Variations,” is definitely the highlight of the album, not lacking in stature, playing time or musicianship this is definitely where the talents of Zappa and Mr Underwood are showcased. Zappa is a mad man during the major guitar solo and Underwood provides us with a mind-numbing saxophone solo too, which really turns this album from a very good one, to a grand one.

“It Must Be A Camel,” is a fine way to end the album and showcases Underwood performing on the keyboard very nicely, although after the previous song it comes as quite an anti-climax. A very weird rhythm throughout the song, which you don’t quite know what to think of. So give the whole damn thing another listen!

9.3/10

Frank Zappa – Willie The Pimp

Bulldog · 06-26-2009, 04:30 PM

Very good review there. One of my favourite Zappa albums as well (Overnite Sensation and Jazz From Hell challenging it for the top spot). I've never had a problem with the opening 4 minutes of Son Of Mr Green Genes myself (it's one of my very favourite piecess of music as a whole), but it's those differences in opinion that make review threads like this more interesting.

Great thread as well. I should check on this more often.

zeppy111 · 07-01-2009, 11:31 AM

Youssou N’Dour – The Guide (1994)

Genre: Mbalax (look down for more info)

Intro:

Youssou N’Dour is arguably one of, if not, the greatest musician to come out of Africa. Born in Senegal in 1959, he has been an active musician since the early 70’s with various bands and is most well-known for being a vocalist and Percussionist.

“The Guide,” is his 7th studio album.

Review:

Firstly, the genre above says ‘Mbalax,’ which is basically the traditional sound of Senegal and surrounding areas. The genre consists of influences from our modern western music like rock, jazz, soul…. This combines with the ‘Sabar,’ which is the traditional drum rhythms, which you will hear gives the album such flavor.

An album that is truly African, would naturally produce African music, through and through, and that is what you receive in this box. Recorded in Senegal, made in Senegal, born in Senegal… Most would think after hearing those words that the music would be suspect, but this is arguably one of the best albums to EVER come out of Africa.

NO TRACK BY TRACK THIS TIME. Now I am sure, most people have heard Of Youssou before for the track “7 Seconds,” which came of this album and was his commercial standout.

The music is a concoction of Africa, from far and wide, showcasing their talents and proving to the world that they can play this game. As mentioned above, the Sabar is what really gives this album that exotic feel to it. The use of traditional instruments such as the Tama (Senegalese talking drum) also adds to the rich music. If you were expecting to be rocked by this, you may fall short, but in terms of richness, local talent, exotic sounds, native tongue, ect the album is brimming to overflow with these traits. You have to sit back and relax to the sounds and appreciate the crafting of the music and the originality.

Although the albums vocals are almost all in native tongue, the lyrics when translated in English are really beautiful and need to be read, to fully appreciate the music.

Overall, a really exotic album for the general population which is nice to throw on, sit back and relax, without sacrificing musical talent or originality.

7.9/10

Youssou N’Dour – 7 Seconds

zeppy111 · 07-05-2009, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bulldog

Very good review there. One of my favourite Zappa albums as well (Overnite Sensation and Jazz From Hell challenging it for the top spot). I've never had a problem with the opening 4 minutes of Son Of Mr Green Genes myself (it's one of my very favourite piecess of music as a whole), but it's those differences in opinion that make review threads like this more interesting.

Great thread as well. I should check on this more often.

Thanks for the comments

I will definately check out those two albums. Zappa made some amazing music, sad to say I only have about 10 of his songs.

JanX · 07-05-2009, 02:14 PM

its great

aka tha best

Bulldog · 07-10-2009, 03:24 PM

Yeah, you should definitely get some more Zappa when you can.

Never knew you were into Yossou N'Dour. I've got his Egypt album which is probably quite different from the one you reviewed there - I haven't listened to it in years, but it had a lot more elements of classical to it than Mbalax (from what I remember anyway). Good album, I'll see if I can find it again tomorrow. I'll have a look for the Guide too.

So, yeah, another great review there. Keep them coming eh.

06-23-2009, 10:35 PM	#13 (permalink)
zeppy111 16, so? Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Africa Posts: 630	Got two that I did randomly before this thread, just gonna throw them here. Here is the first. Underbelly - For A Cynical Science (2007) Genre: Nu-Metal Intro: Underbelly are a popular South African nu-metal band who come from Witbank, a town just outside Pretoria. The band consists of: Etienne Olivier – Vocals Hendrik Nel – Drums Riaan Bothma – Guitars Louw Visagie – Guitars Paul du Plessis - Bass "For A Cynical Science" is the band's first full-length album, which finally made it succesfully in the country after they began back in 2001. Review: The album begins with a minute long intro which picks up some pace towards the end and kicks us into the direction of the album. The album is broken up into three seperate divisions, with the first 3 songs having these feel of lack-lusterness and no real bite to the music. Once we fall across "Clear," the album heads in a new direction where the pace picks up and the overall sound becomes cleaner. This trot of 5 tracks is a real pleasure to listen to as they all sound very different as opposed to the rest of the album and the quality of the music and lyrics is spot on. The last two tracks increase the pace more and are the two heaviest tracks on the album, with the latter being almost 8.5 mins of pure heavy delight to listen to. Overall a slow and boring start which leads into a well configurated middle stretch which is the highlight of the album before ending with a pair of heavy tracks which showcase the skills of the musicians perfectly. The lyrics of the album is what gives this album the edge as they are very well written and seem to flow well with the music. 8.6/10 Underbelly-Fall __________________ My Blog (album of the day): http://musicfromthesouth.blogspot.com

06-23-2009, 10:35 PM	#14 (permalink)
zeppy111 16, so? Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Africa Posts: 630	Goldfish-Caught In The Loop (2005) Genre: Electronica Track listing: "The Real Deal" - 4:49 "Times May Change You" - 4:30 "Love and Hate" - 4:02 "Mbira Beat" - 5:02 "All Night" - 3:45 "Eqyptology" - 4:48 "Wait a Minute" - 5:23 "Four Forty Five Blues" - 4:35 "Last Tango in Paradise" - 4:00 "Dream" - 4:16 "Obey" - 3:32 "Highflautin'" - 5:10 "From Zanzibar with Love" - 4:25 "The Real Deal (Radio Edit)" - 3:29 "All Night (Radio Edit)" - 3:16 Intro: Goldfish are a popular electronica and dance group hailing from Cape Town, South Africa, consisting of Dominic Peters and David Poole. They create dance music containing elements of jazz and African music, combining live instruments like double bass, saxophones, keyboards, flute, and vocals with samplers, effects and synths. I first heard goldfish playing live on a Sunday afternoon concert down in Stellenbosch, South Africa and have been hooked ever since. Review: Those days when you just want to sit back and relax after coming back from work but don't know how to un-wind, Goldfish is the perfect solution for it. You throw the cd on, chill and get ready to go out later that night to the club. To your pleasant suprise when you reach the club, you hear goldfish booming over the speakers and everyone jamming the night away to their music. The diversity and range of goldfish is what makes them arguably the most interesting and loved band in South Africa and soon to be the rest of the world. A few select songs I chose to write a bit more about: 1. The Real Deal: The first song off the cd sets the tone for the rest of the album by incorporting the very catchy African influences to the beats. The song is more mellow compared to the rest of the album but it really intices you to carry on listening. The highlight to the song is the African vocals that are used and the imagery created... 5. All Night: This track compliments the one mentioned about due to its up-tempo beat and the vibe it gives off. There is not much else to say about this song other than it will get the party off to a good start(or atleast a few people tapping their feet) 7. Wait A Minute: A track that makes my top 3 off this album, not because of the quality of the music but rather the sense of interaction between the listener and the band. it begins with a man talking over what seems to be a speaker phone or PA before busting into the song. This song is the complete package and is always exciting to listen to personally, 63 plays later. 9.1/10 WATCH OUT FOR THE FISH, THEY WILL GET YOU TOO! Goldfish-The Real Deal __________________ My Blog (album of the day): http://musicfromthesouth.blogspot.com Last edited by zeppy111; 06-24-2009 at 07:22 AM.

06-26-2009, 12:19 PM	#15 (permalink)
zeppy111 16, so? Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Africa Posts: 630	Frank Zappa – Hot Rats (1969) Genre: Jazz-Fusion Intro: Frank Zappa was an absolute hero and if you need an introduction, I can do no justice to such a man, so go read it for yourself. The Band consists of: • Frank Zappa – electric guitar, percussion, octave bass • Ian Underwood – organ, clarinet, flute, piano, saxophone • Max Bennett – bass on all tracks except "Peaches en Regalia" • Captain Beefheart – vocals on "Willie the Pimp" • John Guerin – drums on "Willie the Pimp", "Little Umbrellas" and "It Must Be a Camel" • Don "Sugarcane" Harris – violin on "Willie the Pimp" and "The Gumbo Variations" • Paul Humphrey – drums on "Son of Mr. Green Genes" and "The Gumbo Variations" • Shuggie Otis – bass on "Peaches en Regalia" • Jean-Luc Ponty – violin on "It Must Be a Camel" • Ron Selico – drums on "Peaches en Regalia" • Lowell George - guitar (uncredited) • Harvey Shantz – Snorks Zappa and Underwood were the two major contributors to the album. “Hot Rats” is Zappa’s second solo album. Review: As we have come to suspect in the previous Zappa albums, brilliance, but this time showcased in a longer, jazzier, solo-filled and vocally barren album. (Except for Beefhearts little piece) The album begins, not with a song but as you pick up the cover when you think to yourself, “What is this man doing?” A clear visualization of the unknown, that is to follow. The album begins with one of the more well-known tracks of Zappa’s, “Peaches en Regalia,” which is a lovely song to begin with and gives off that feeling of un-sureness if you listening to rock or jazz. The saxophone pieces in the track are top class. A short intro to the new Zappa it could be said. “Willie the Pimp,” is the song to follow and unexpectedly we come across a very bluesy track, a very unique track on the album too. Zappa is on top form with his guitar with many extended bursts of brilliance. This is the only song on the album that contains any vocals, which is quite unique. The vocals come from not Zappa, but Captain Beefheart at the beginning of the song and add a nice dimension to the track which no other track could achieve on this album. The overall rhythm to the song is quite-catchy which could come as a surprise for an almost 10 minute long track. “Son of Mr Green Genes,” is a re-make of a previous Zappa tune so the song could sound rather familiar to those had owned “Uncle Meat.” Another very jazzy tune for the album, that is not so say that the guitar work was compromised. It gets of to a rather slow start with the first 4 minutes of it being the worst part to the album before the guitar and piano solos start to kick-in after 6 or so minutes and we have a very interesting song again. If only the first four minutes were this good. “Little Umbrellas,” is another one of those songs that define the jazz-fusion, much like the first track. The track almost acts as a soothing bridge from the re-worked ‘Mr Green’ to the 17 minute long epic…. “The Gumbo Variations,” is definitely the highlight of the album, not lacking in stature, playing time or musicianship this is definitely where the talents of Zappa and Mr Underwood are showcased. Zappa is a mad man during the major guitar solo and Underwood provides us with a mind-numbing saxophone solo too, which really turns this album from a very good one, to a grand one. “It Must Be A Camel,” is a fine way to end the album and showcases Underwood performing on the keyboard very nicely, although after the previous song it comes as quite an anti-climax. A very weird rhythm throughout the song, which you don’t quite know what to think of. So give the whole damn thing another listen! 9.3/10 Frank Zappa – Willie The Pimp __________________ My Blog (album of the day): http://musicfromthesouth.blogspot.com

07-01-2009, 11:31 AM	#17 (permalink)
zeppy111 16, so? Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Africa Posts: 630	Youssou N’Dour – The Guide (1994) Genre: Mbalax (look down for more info) Intro: Youssou N’Dour is arguably one of, if not, the greatest musician to come out of Africa. Born in Senegal in 1959, he has been an active musician since the early 70’s with various bands and is most well-known for being a vocalist and Percussionist. “The Guide,” is his 7th studio album. Review: Firstly, the genre above says ‘Mbalax,’ which is basically the traditional sound of Senegal and surrounding areas. The genre consists of influences from our modern western music like rock, jazz, soul…. This combines with the ‘Sabar,’ which is the traditional drum rhythms, which you will hear gives the album such flavor. An album that is truly African, would naturally produce African music, through and through, and that is what you receive in this box. Recorded in Senegal, made in Senegal, born in Senegal… Most would think after hearing those words that the music would be suspect, but this is arguably one of the best albums to EVER come out of Africa. NO TRACK BY TRACK THIS TIME. Now I am sure, most people have heard Of Youssou before for the track “7 Seconds,” which came of this album and was his commercial standout. The music is a concoction of Africa, from far and wide, showcasing their talents and proving to the world that they can play this game. As mentioned above, the Sabar is what really gives this album that exotic feel to it. The use of traditional instruments such as the Tama (Senegalese talking drum) also adds to the rich music. If you were expecting to be rocked by this, you may fall short, but in terms of richness, local talent, exotic sounds, native tongue, ect the album is brimming to overflow with these traits. You have to sit back and relax to the sounds and appreciate the crafting of the music and the originality. Although the albums vocals are almost all in native tongue, the lyrics when translated in English are really beautiful and need to be read, to fully appreciate the music. Overall, a really exotic album for the general population which is nice to throw on, sit back and relax, without sacrificing musical talent or originality. 7.9/10 Youssou N’Dour – 7 Seconds __________________ My Blog (album of the day): http://musicfromthesouth.blogspot.com

06-22-2009, 11:20 AM	#11 (permalink)
clooney1973 Groupie Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1

06-26-2009, 04:30 PM	#16 (permalink)
Bulldog why bother? Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: UK Posts: 4,840	Very good review there. One of my favourite Zappa albums as well (Overnite Sensation and Jazz From Hell challenging it for the top spot). I've never had a problem with the opening 4 minutes of Son Of Mr Green Genes myself (it's one of my very favourite piecess of music as a whole), but it's those differences in opinion that make review threads like this more interesting. Great thread as well. I should check on this more often.

07-05-2009, 02:14 PM	#19 (permalink)
JanX Groupie Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: London Posts: 5	its great aka tha best

07-10-2009, 03:24 PM	#20 (permalink)
Bulldog why bother? Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: UK Posts: 4,840	Yeah, you should definitely get some more Zappa when you can. Never knew you were into Yossou N'Dour. I've got his Egypt album which is probably quite different from the one you reviewed there - I haven't listened to it in years, but it had a lot more elements of classical to it than Mbalax (from what I remember anyway). Good album, I'll see if I can find it again tomorrow. I'll have a look for the Guide too. So, yeah, another great review there. Keep them coming eh.