Qwertyy's Journal of Music Reviews and Other Assorted Ramblings

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard · 07-15-2016, 12:04 PM

I liked it, but I think it will definitely take multiple listens to grow on me. The moments I like, I loved. The sax playing, his vocal freak outs, and tracks like Moulin Rouge, The Healing Festival, Down by the Borderline were awesome, but there were also moments that felt somewhat boring or disappointing, maybe those moments will be an acquired taste.

**Frownland** · 07-15-2016, 12:09 PM

I also forgot to mention how much I agree on the ****ing album cover. I found the album when I was looking at an experimental rock list and when I saw it, I expected it to be an album that's only experimental because the band added one or two world instruments to basic rock and made people lose their damn minds in the 70s. Glad I was wrong.

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard · 07-18-2016, 09:36 PM

I'm bumping Frown's second rec down to the bottom of the list because he broke the rules, so onto Cheap Trick it is.

Heaven Tonight by Cheap Trick
Recommended by: The Batlord

So, here is the deal with Cheap Trick. I've heard a fair amount of their hits and singles, but I've never actually listened to one of their full releases. I own In Color on vinyl, but I've just never gotten around to giving it a full listen, so in some ways this album will serve as an intro to the group, although I do recognize a few of the tracks on the LP already.

Surrender - This is one of the tracks I already know, as I first heard it on Guitar Hero... II I think? It's just as catchy and fun as I remember it being, as the band blend together power pop writing with some solid musicianship. If the rest of the album is filled with catchy hooks like this gem of an opener, I should be in for a treat.

On Top of the World - The guitar riff on this cut rules. I'm not usually all too crazy about the use of piano in rock music, but hey, they make it work for what it is, I can't lie. This one is very much like Surrender in the way that the song is really just built around an awesome hook, and that's why I'm liking it so much thus far.

California Man - This one is a cover of a song originally performed by The Move, and it certainly sounds familiar. This one feels a lot more true to the hard rock genre than the first two tracks did, and I'm all for that. Is the line "I rocked my mamma so bad" a sexual innuendo?

At this point in the album I'm contemplating throwing on my leather jacket and buying myself a motorcycle because that's what this music was made for.

High Roller - Right from the get go it's clear they're carrying on with the harder tone, and I'm looking forward to that. The first two songs were solid little power-pop tunes, but California Man was far superior, and I'm hoping for more of that same hard rock kick ass-ery as the album progresses.

Not a bad song, but their are definitely some moments that don't quite feel as strong as others. The short solo at the end was a nice touch and brought it back up for me, though.

Auf Wiedersehen - For all of you who aren't Grindy, wiedersehen means goodbye in german, at least according to Wikipedia. The lyrics on this thing are quite dark, and dabble on the topic of suicide, but if you don't really listen to the lyrics and only focus on the band, you probably would think it's a relatively positive song because of how upbeat the music is. The drummer is really wailing on his set on this one, I bet it'd be a sweet track to see live.

Takin' Me Back - I think I've heard this one before as well, although the intro does have a somewhat generic late 70's/early 80's hard rock sound to it. Damn, never mind, the track took a turn I wasn't expecting out of nowhere thanks to the synths being included, and now there's an organ in here too. I'm being reminded of another band with this one, but I can't for the life of me figure out who. Oh well, I digress, this is another good one and I'm starting to think I'll need to download this album as it sounds like the perfect driving tunes.

On The Radio - I want to write a musical to accompany this album, a stage play about some douche bag who always wears his varsity football jacket and rips around on a motorcycle in a pair of greasy blue jeans. That's what this album makes me feel like, it could soundtrack any of those "coming of age" movies set in the 70s, and it would make them infinitely better (except Dazed and Confused because that movie is already great.) The back and forth vocals between the lead singer and the backing vocalist are pretty cool.

When the radio host came on the track to do his whole spiel, I thought I had accidentally started playing music out of my library, it really caught me off guard. I think it was just because of how less dated the production on his voice sounded, but it was strange nonetheless.

Heaven Tonight - Another seriously dark lyrical cut. The hook of "would you like to go to heaven tonight?" is something I would more so expect on a single from a shock rock artist like Marilyn Manson or something, to be honest. I preferred when the band seemed to be going full tilt, pedal to the floor with hard hitting rock tunes, but this isn't a bad change of pace and it shows they can slow things down fairly well.

I'm looking at the Wikipedia page for the song, and apparently Apu sings it on an episode of The Simpsons. Remember when The Simpsons was actually good?

Stiff Competition - Alright, we're back. I could write about this song, but why do that when the guy who wrote the song, Rick Nielsen could tell you his thoughts instead

"I see it as male and female genitals marching like whole armies and whole corps of these going around and talking with each other. So the male says to the female 'I look hard in your eyes' and all that stuff, it was love at first sight' - I mean maybe these appendages, or lack of appendages, depending on what your gender is, maybe they have these sort of feelings, maybe there is a little brain under yonder! So I try to put myself in that position..."

What the **** is this dude on about? It's an okay track anyway though.

How Are You? - This one sounds very doo-woppy, and I'm finding myself gravitating towards their heavier stuff on this LP, so it's kind of a let down. It's not bad, but it's one of my least favourite moments of this album.

Oh Claire - Please don't be a ballad, please don't be a ballad, please don't be a... live jam? I was making the assumption it would be a ballad based on the name, but I guess that's just some wordplay by the group based on the town of Eau Claire, Wisconsin? Huh. Okay well that was too short to even write about, so never mind that.

My first impression of Cheap Trick: why aren't they Chula's favourite band? This album is full of incredibly catchy and fun tunes that manage to make a genre and era of music that I'm usually not all that fond of (70's/early 80's hard rock) and turn it into a good time.

Part of me is surprised that you were the one to rec this Bat, but I know you have a thing for "fun" music, or anything that is even the slightest bit catchy, so I can understand why you might dig this one a fair bit.

Final Verdict: This is a definite pass, and I'll be coming back to it a few times in the near future, without a doubt.

Zhanteimi · 07-18-2016, 11:13 PM

I've been wanting to try a Cheap Trick album. Gonna check this one out!

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard · 07-19-2016, 11:09 AM

Waiting on grindy's album because I can't seem to find it on Soulseek, so MISB will be next instead.

Thoughtless by Man Is The Bastard
Recommended by: Frownland

I've enjoyed nearly every powerviolence record I've heard, and these guys seem to be pretty well known within the scene, so I have high expectations for this, let's see if it delivers.

Puppy Mill - The album kicks off with some industrial noise, before moving into a hardcore beatdown of epic proportions. There's a ton of hardcore influence on this first track. Not too fussed about this opener to be honest, it felt very stop/start with the instrumentation, and never really hit me all that hard. It's just one track though, so hopefully they turn it around quickly.

Kosher Grimace - More noise to start this one, they seem to dip fairly heavily into the realms of noise music, which is a genre I can't say I'm very familiar with at all. Yet again, this one feels more hardcore than it does PV, which while not necessarily an immediate disappointment, it is somewhat of a letdown considering what I went into this thing expecting.

Unweened Infrant Orphan - Morrrrreeee noissseeee. That's been the most interesting part of the album so far, if I'm being honest. Well, that track was pure noise.

Tyke - Finally, a cut that feels fairly heavy. Even then, it isn't really what I was looking for. I hate to call this boring, but I'm having a hard time focusing on the music, because it just really isn't all that interesting.

The Giant Ebola - The way these songs keep opening with heavy feedback and all this noisy production seriously makes me wish they were doing something more impressive with the music itself, because I love the atmosphere it creates, it has me on edge.

Prepared Hammond / Interplanetary Intrusion / Galactic Insect Swarm / Lunar Landing - This one sounds like someone is sticking their cock in a radar, kind of rad, not going to lie. Actually, it's more like a Pac-Man arcade machines turned up to full speed and then fast forwarded x10. My ears are pulsating at this point, I think that's a good thing? The constant beeping was broken up by a short little interlude, but it's not back, and perhaps even more intense? I'm not sure, I can't remember what it sounded like prior to this. I wouldn't say I love this, mainly because I'm not sure I understand it, but I don't hate it either so that's a plus.

This is starting to get old now, it's running on too long and I'm starting to get a headache from this thing... ew I sound like JGuy right now.

Well ****, I guess there were two tracks in here that I didn't even notice.

Forced Alien Confinement & Short Trek to the Cauldron - Both of these are around 30 seconds long, the first sounding like pure distorted noise, and the second one serving as a really cool noisy, electronic glitch interlude with loud tribal drums in the background. Short Trek might be my favourite song on this thing.

Moloch - Time for the closer, but it's one hell of a long closer. I'd say it's too late for the band to save the album or really blow me away, but I would still like to see a decent powerviolence track before this thing ends.

I've been on their Wikipedia page reading, and apparently they released a split with a convicted murderer on death row? These guys are really about it, I guess.

So far, this track has been pretty lacklustre, with some slow downtuned guitar riffing and the vocalist screaming a political rant and using the word Moloch a million times. The word Moloch is officially my least favourite word ever.

God, this song sucks, and it just won't end. It's like 10 minutes long, featuring the same ****ty guitar riff and boring drum pattern. Just end now, please.

FINALLLLLY that torturous wreck of a song is over and I'm free to go.

I was not a fan of this, at all. As I said multiple times throughout, I found the noise sections to be far more compelling and intriguing than anything the band played. It just felt like super repetitive, slow-paced riffing and rants about political activism that I honestly couldn't care less about. I had heard good things about these guys, maybe they're just not my cup of tea though.

Final Verdict: this one is going to be the first fail, it's not complete **** but it definitely isn't worth revisiting and it hasn't convinced me to check out any of their other material.

**Frownland** · 07-19-2016, 11:15 AM

Bummer. The lyrics for Moloch are from the second part of Ginsberg's Howl, you Philistine. Read it.

Anyway here's the next one
Girl Pusher - January 1 EP

It's less than six minutes long so you can do it now if you wanted.

The Batlord · 07-19-2016, 11:24 AM

First wave PV was generally less intense than later stuff, but it was way more raw and ugly. Despise You are ****ing sick though. You definitely need them in your life. Forget all of Frownland's hipster, MITB dicksucking.

**Frownland** · 07-19-2016, 11:27 AM

Isn't liking one of the most popular bands of a genre something hipsters oppose?

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard · 07-19-2016, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

First wave PV was generally less intense than later stuff, but it was way more raw and ugly. Despise You are ****ing sick though. You definitely need them in your life. Forget all of Frownland's hipster, MITB dicksucking.

Just give me a YouTube link for the whole album, pussy.

The Batlord · 07-19-2016, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qwertyy

Just give me a YouTube link for the whole album, pussy.

Everything they ever recorded. When they were still around they only released a few splits and an EP, but after they broke up they released this comp with their entire discography.

Oh, and since the songs are in chronological order it only gets more brutal as the album goes on.

07-15-2016, 12:09 PM	#42 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,548	I also forgot to mention how much I agree on the ***ing album cover. I found the album when I was looking at an experimental rock list and when I saw it, I expected it to be an album that's only experimental because the band added one or two world instruments to basic rock and made people lose their damn minds in the 70s. Glad I was wrong. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.* d e a f b o x

07-18-2016, 11:13 PM	#44 (permalink)
Zhanteimi Mord Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Tokyo Posts: 4,874	I've been wanting to try a Cheap Trick album. Gonna check this one out! __________________ Zhanteimi LetsTalkMusic

07-19-2016, 11:15 AM	#46 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,548	Bummer. The lyrics for Moloch are from the second part of Ginsberg's Howl, you Philistine. Read it. Anyway here's the next one Girl Pusher - January 1 EP It's less than six minutes long so you can do it now if you wanted. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

07-19-2016, 11:27 AM	#48 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,548	Isn't liking one of the most popular bands of a genre something hipsters oppose? __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x