Musician’s Notebook

Where do you think rock’n'roll first began?
Some say it was with Elvis, while others say Beatles — and even a few still say Chuck Berry.

But the truth of the matter is that it all started in the African-American spiritual churches at the turn of the 19th-2oth Century!  Here’s what I’m talkin’ about:

Y’see, the congregations of these churches loved to move and sway to the energetic gospel sounds emanating from their choirs.   Meanwhile, over in the Atlantic, African-American sailors would take note of their ships’ swaying and rocking on unsteady seas.  They’d eventually describe those movements as the ships’ rockin’ and rollin’.

So, when they got back home and settled back into their churches, they’d see the choirs and congregations swaying and moving to the music, caught up in the “spirit”, as such.  These same sailors would remember their high-seas escapades and say the people were rockin’ and rollin’, too!  And the music would be nicknamed … rock and roll music!

Now, according to some records of the ’20s, a few of the deacons would be … well, more than, er, “spiritual guidance” to some of the prettier ladies of the congregations and start some “rockin’ and rollin’ of their own!”

Okay … we’ve got the name, and we’ve got the association to, let’s say, secular pleasure …

Soon, the word “rock” became used in country and rhythm-and-blues songs as a synonym for sexual or romantic intimacy. As these two forces produced the next steps toward rock music — the “hoy-hoy” era from rhythm and blues and rockabilly from country — we came closer and closer to what we now know as rock and roll!

We’re gonna pick it up here and elaborate on this in Part 2, later this evening.
See ya on the flip side!

Remember The Eagles’ 1990s reunion tour, Hell Freezes Over, which was given that name to recognize their spite for each other?
Well, it apparently hasn’t yet …

On a recent gig in Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, the band showed that, while it’s still got the musical tightness and vocal blend that made it famous, the members themselves are as distant as L.A. is to Liverpool.

They changed guitars often … perhaps as a way to keep from looking at each other … and performed songs from their Long Road Out Of Eden album with the warmth and life of a piece of cardboard.

Fortunately, the band still has Joe Walsh, who seemed to be the only one really interested in the gig and its audience!
He used the slide guitar to embellish In the City, soloing with an energy the rest of the band apparently has forgotten.

Two songs later, he tore up the stage to Life’s Been Good, his 1978 reggae-influenced musical satire. The fans finally got into the groove, rocking and laughing to Joe’s humorous take on life as a “star” (he always cuts up a bit when he does the tune).
Then he broke into the boogie-woogie rhythm of the James Gang’s Funk #49 (he had been with that band prior to his stint with The Eagles), and, for a moment, the band’s mood seemed to change!

But, overall, it was business as usual for the foursome: Glenn Frey could be a bit charming but had a knack to suddenly drift into the background. You couldn’t hear Timothy Schmidt’s bass, and Don Henley just seemed more like a robot.

Their biggest hits, including Hotel California, Life in the Fast Lane and, of course, Take It Easy – were pretty much “by-the-book” but didn’t have the spark they once did. But when Walsh took to his set, it woke the crowd up and got a great response.

Bottom line: Joe still remembers how to rock … and play to the fans at the same time. He truly seems to enjoy it!

Would that the rest of the band could pick up on that.

Amy Winehouse, The Killers and The Rolling Stones have decided to work with a group of Cuban musicians on an album that’s being recorded to fight climate change.

They’ll perform duets with Rhythms Del Mundo on the CD, titled Classics, and the proceeds from the album will go to fund climate change projects as well as natural disaster relief around the globe.

The album will have some spectacular musical moments with The Killers singing The Eagles’ Hotel California, and The Rolling Stones doing The Drifters’ classic Under the Boardwalk.
But you’ll also hear Winehouse’s covering Sam Cooke’s Cupid and, on a track that’s destined to stand out,  Fall Out Boy and John Mayer getting together to cover Michael Jackson’s Beat It.

The first Rhythms Del Mundo album was released three years ago and included an all-star cast of Cuban musicians as well as the Arctic Monkeys, Dido, U2, Coldplay, Sting, Jack Johnson, Maroon 5, Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs. Proceeds from the CD went to the non-profit environmental  org,  Artists Project Earth.

The new CD is due for release in July.

Sometimes, an article comes along that … well, it just begs reprinting. This is especially true of one that deals with the courage of a musician who’s terminally ill, yet is determined to continue his craft.
So, though it’s a bit lengthy, I hope you’ll read this whole post (reprinted from its source) and get some inspiration out of it:

EAST LANSING, Mich. /Music Industry Newswire/ — Ace Noface, a 38 year old man with Lou Gehrig’s disease, today announces the release of a piano rock CD, “Toxic Charm.” His goal is to leave a musical legacy behind, and raise awareness of ALS. May is ALS awareness month. Words like “inspiring” get used so casually that their meaning loses power. But in the case of Ace Noface, and his new album, Toxic Charm, one immediately becomes present to the true meaning of words like inspiration and courage.
The musician, living with a terminal illness, is facing his fate with courage and conviction by creating rich and resonant piano-based rock that is in turn hypnotic, jarring and spellbinding. Ace’s life and music is the ultimate example of living what is possible in the face of any circumstance.
Listening to Toxic Charm, you can hear the plaintive vocals, the resonance of the piano and the rolling presence of the rhythm section - it’s a huge sound for such few instruments, but it makes sense, given that Ace makes the most of what he’s got.
At one time the bassist for an indie-rock band, in 2005, Ace was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, an incurable and degenerative neurological disorder. The diagnosis, obviously, was devastating. Ace remembers, “I really shut down for six months. I spent most of my days playing on the Internet and listening to music - I couldn’t deal.”
But a musician friend took a stand for Ace, and informed him what might be possible. “He told me that even though I couldn’t play an instrument anymore, I had to continue making music,” Ace recalls. “He said that he knew that was what I had to do to make some sense of the diagnosis and give meaning to the rest of my life, as opposed to just suffering. So I developed a sense of purpose for my life - probably more than any other time.”
To begin, Ace had to learn a whole new way of making music; using one finger, some computer software and email. It was a daunting task, but Ace quickly found a benefit. He explains, “When I’m writing music or lyrics I completely get lost in it - I forget that I have any kind of disability.”

The example of his work, his defiance in the face of a grim fate, and the songs on Toxic Charm that will be his legacy. Ace concludes, “When faced with a difficult situation, everyone has a choice to make - to let it define you as a person, or make the most of the time you have left. What I’m committed to leaving behind as a legacy is the truth I’ve learned: Anyone can achieve their dream, no matter what the circumstances.”

In a way, I was kinda like most of the rock world when I read about the lineup for “supergroup” Tinted Windows. I mean, James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins), Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne) and Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick) … lining up with Taylor Hanson (yes, of that “brothers” group)? It just all seemed a bit far-fetched … almost comical.

Sure, they released their first album, the self-titled Tinted Windows — and for power-pop, it sounds pretty solid. And, yes, they did know each other (in fact, they first came up with the concept when Iha met up with Hanson, who was fourteen at the time, at a concert the latter had with his brothers). But still …

When they performed on the Late Show with David Letterman on Tuesday, they proved to viewers that Tinted Windows is serious about their music!
Of course, they need tightening up in some areas (but very few):

For example, it’d help if the band seemed a bit livelier when they played/sang. Taylor (whose vocals are refreshingly clear and work great with the instruments [now, there’s a hidden hint for you new bands! More on that later …) seemed a bit tentative behind the mic — when he could’ve been “playing” it to his advantage.
Another thing is that you couldn’t help noticing a second guitarist nearly “in the wings”, next to Adam. If he’s necessary, he should get billing with the band as well! (I know … the Stones don’t do it with their bass player, and it’s really a shame!).
Lastly: While they had a pretty decent attack at the first of the number, they needed a strong finish. Years ago, one of my very first contacts in the biz — a producer named Herb Moral from Massachusetts — told me “every song should end with an exclamation point, not a question mark!”

But the band still did an excellent number, Kind of a Girl, from the new album. And, believe me, if the whole album complements that single, there’s no doubt this band is here to stay!
PREDICTION: Get used to having Tinted Windows around for a long time to come! They’ve got all the elements needed for a strong and successful run on this music highway!

A few random notes from the RockDesk:

Black-Eyed Peas

A HELPIN’ OF BLACKEYED PEAS:

The Black Eyed Peas have scored their first #1 song on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart. The new song also remains at the top of the iTunes chart.
“Boom Boom Pow” is the new album from three-time Grammy Award winning recording artists.
The first single from their upcoming release, The E.N.D., gave them their first Hot 100 chart-topper of their music career.
The new CD is released on April 21, 2009.

Incidentally, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more charitable and socially-active band than this.  They not only have a superb Foundation that assists those in need (especially youngsters), but will.i.am is vocal about his support against child poverty and abuse.  This band has a heart as big as its vocals …

CHAINS UNCHAINED …

And Alice in Chains have finished the mixing stage of their first album since the death of singer Layne Staley.

While the shows that the band have put on with new frontman William DuVall have been sensational, this will be the first material to be released by Alice In Chains v2.0.

A posting from their webmaster said: “Some amazing songs were written and recorded. From the heaviest riff-dripping gut-puncher to the most sadly beautiful song I think this band has ever recorded, I honestly believe that this album will return Alice In Chains to the top of the hard rock heap.”

Okay … that’s all for now, but stay tuned:  There’s gonna be more in 24 or less.  Until then …
see ya on the flip side …

Godfather of punk Iggy Pop is releasing “a quieter album” on May 18 that targets French-speakers and was inspired by novelist Michel Houellebecq’s “The Possibility of an Island”.
Titled “Preliminaires” (Preliminaries), the album’s cover is designed by comic-book author Marjane Satrapi.

“I made it really especially for France and people who speak French,” Iggy says.
The 61-year-old former Stooges frontman sings one number in French on the album — “Autumn Leaves”, the classic that was a hit for Yves Montand.

“It’s a quieter album with some jazz overtones,” he says (I mean, Iggy … not Yves) on his website. “I just got sick of listening to idiot thugs with guitars banging out crappy music.”
The idea of the album came after he was asked to write music for a film documentary ”about death, sex, and the end of the human race.” (well, we can rule out a Jonas Brothers sound …)

Iggy Pop — real name, James Newell Osterberg — was lead singer of The Stooges, a 1960s-1970s garage rock band that influenced heavy metal and punk rock and whose live acts included Pop taking drugs, self-mutilating, verbally abusing the audience and leaping off stage.

That brings to mind the incident, a few years ago, when he got “caught up in the moment” and dived offstage — allegedly into a “mosh pit” (where the kids catch ya and “float” you over their heads).

Nope.

When they saw him comin’ toward them, apparently they thought “What the hell is this old guy DOING?” .. and MOVED OUT OF THE WAY!!
Yep.  He hit the floor, ended up with broken collarbone, bruises and contusions …
Somehow, somebody’s gotta get through to Iggy that, while rock and roll is ageless … humans aren’t!

With THIS edition, we’re gonna start takin’ a look back at how rock and roll really started! I’ll scatter these throughout the posts over the next two weeks, so stay tuned …

Okay … you’re probably wonderin’ why I’ve put a church here at the start of this post.
Welllll, yardbirds, guess what?? This is where it all started!

Y’see, back in the 1800s, African-American sailors would see their ships swaying with the ocean, from front to back, side to side (gettin’ seasick yet? I am! Let’s move on …). In describing this in letters home, they’d say the ship was “rocking and rolling.”
When they arrived home and settled back into their church-going, they noticed the spirit-filled choirs would also sway back-and-forth and side-to-side. Their music would spotlight shouting, charismatic singers and could make the congregation move. So, in the sailors’ words, they were … rocking and rolling!

And the first mention of “Rock-and-Roll” on a record was on the Little Wonder label back in 1916, with Camp Meetin’ Time. Now, as early as 1929, in Montana Taylor’s “Detroit Rocks”, the charismatic gospel sound — and its new name — began to make a crossover into the secular music. Then, Buddy Jones, a white Country and Western artist, recorded “Rockin’, Rollin’ Mama”, which completed the identity.

But it took a blues artist named Wynonie Harris to really drop-kick it onto the charts. Y’see, in 1947, singer Roy Brown did a song called “Good Rockin’ Tonight”, that caught a mythical (and comical) Deacon Jones and Elder Brown … well, “rockin’” in a … ummmm … “secular” way with the ladies of the church. Still, the song was a bit draggish … not really uptempo enough to suit most secular listeners.
And that’s where Harris stepped in, adding a rock rhythm on the 2nd and 4th beat, and some rollicking hand-clapping.

Meanwhile, a 37-year-old Aaron Thibeaux (”T-Bone”) Walker was already rocking audiences with his lively singing, cool humor (who else would record “I Know Your Wig Has Gone”?) and wild guitar antics onstage (including outrageous splits).
Prior to T-Bone, rock-and-roll (still, at the time, considered Rhythm & Blues by white audiences) was largely brass. It’s been said that, if Wynonie created the rock fuse-box, T-Bone provided the first electricity for it. (His hit, “Stormy Monday”, was later covered by the Allman Brothers).

Soon, this electrical current began running through most of the blues shouters (singers who, due to the loudness of rowdy audiences and weak microphones, had to shout their vocals. Though these artists, including Brown, Harris, etc., were some of the first, they certainly weren’t the last — The Beatles had to do the same thing at the Kaiserkeller and Star Club fifteen years later!) and primed us for the 1950’s — and the first volleys of what was to become a revolution!

Now, I’ll be continuing our journey through the back pages of rock and roll in just a coupla posts, so stay tuned!  Right now, I’m gonna break open a new pack of zzzzz’s and get some shut-eye for about 360 minutes.  So, until tomorrow, remember to …

keep your eyes on the skies, your feet on the ground, your heart with the music … and I’ll see ya on the flip side!

During the formative years of rock, we had some outtasite music comin’ over the airwaves and on our turntables … but none of it was actually describing our feelings about things (remember: The ‘Nam was still a few beats away from becoming a musical issue!).

Then came a dude named Bono … not the Irish guy who’s one of my favorite moderns (what? U2?? Cool …), but the fur-vested Sonny of  …and Cher fame.

See, he realized that the older generation was puttin’ us down for the long-hair, wild music and offbeat antics. Many of ‘em were cutting on him and his lovely young wife as well (wellll, she was back then!!). So, in a song dedicated to her, he put his vocal cords to work with Laugh At Me — a tune that asked “the establishment” the musical question, Why?
Why would they make fun of the clothes he wears, the way he wears his hair, the things he does? Why would they “try to make (him) run”?

Although it was a first-person plea, millions of kids all across America began to relate to Sonny’s first solo effort. It was considered the first anthem of the Beatle era.

But it took a four-man Jersey group who eerily sounded like The Beatles to record the anthem of the early years of the Invasion.
The Knickerbockers recorded a top-10 song that had everybody convinced it was Lennon & Co. behind the studio mics.  And while Lies was a runaway hit, the “B” side of that single, The Coming Generation, actually laid it on the line as far as who we were … and where we were going.
Their tagline, We hold the future in our hands, is nothing but pure-tee truth to every youngster … even today’s. We’ll heal your sick and bury your dead … someday we’ll give you a President. We do, and we did. ‘Nuff said on that point.
Oddly, even though that song has primo impact, ya can’t find it today, even on those funky music download sites on this info superhighway! If any of you Rockaholics have a copy you wanna share, gimme a shout-out, okay?

Now, over the years, there were a few “coulda-beens” that were just throwaways, really. Tunes like Us Kids Gotta Make Up Our Minds and Little Black Egg just didn’t measure up to what we were needing to say.  So they were bargain-binned almost as soon as they came out (remember the little box that Woolworth carried … you know: with x number of unheard-of 45s in ‘em? Went for something like a buck or maybe less?  Now you’ve got it [if yer under 25, ask yer folks]…).

Over the past three-or-more decades, the rock scene has offered an amazing array of anthems. Twisted Sister’s We’re Not Gonna Take It, Guns ‘n Roses’ Get In The Ring, Queen’s We Are The Champions and many more put the angst of American youth directly in the face of The Establishment.

And millions of today’s youngsters are relating … But now ya know the first … and, arguably, the best … of the bunch.

Okay .. that wraps up this session. So, until next time, remember:

Keep your eyes on the skies, your feet on the ground, your heart with the music ... and I’ll see ya on the flip side!

THE FORE: Mini Compilation Album is now available!

Thousands of rockin’ fans around the world have experienced the energy and excitement of this fantastic UK band! Now, it’s your turn!

But they know, like the rest of us, that the economy’s tight, and many folks have gotta watch what’s in their purses and wallets. So they’ve come up with an awesome offering to help ya fight high prices and dig the fab sounds of the band that’s turnin’ the rock music world upside-down!

You can get eight of their most popular songs, delivered right to your computer … and for only … ONE POUND! (about $1.50 US)

YOU’LL GET:

• ‘Man of Few Words’ (2006 version)
• ‘Little Louisa’
• ‘Love For Sale’
• ‘You’ll Be Mine‘ (all from the Album ‘Black and White‘. released in 2007)
• ‘Run and Hide’
• ‘We Were Meant To Be’
• ‘Lazy Day’
• ‘No Other Love’ (all from the album ‘Run and Hide’ released in 2008).

All for just one pound!! And it’s available on download only from the INDIESTORE at
http://indiestore. 7digital. com/thefore/ indieProductDeta il.aspx?pid= -114739

HERE’S A SAMPLE, ON VIDEO!
This is The Fore, doing their hit, Man of Few Words (2006)

So don’t miss out! Ya can’t get great music like this for less! Do it NOW …
and I’ll see ya on the flip side!

It’s been called the ultimate ‘cheat-board” … a ‘proprietary audio processor’ created by Antares Audio Technologies that corrects pitch in vocal and instrumental performances and disguises inaccuracies and mistakes to produce more precisely tuned recordings. In fact, sometimes it’s used as an effect to deliberately distort the human voice!

Probably best-known for Cher’s use of it in her 1998 hit, Believe, it’s been panned by most rock artists as a “cheap way out” for performers who don’t want to take time to rehearse their vocals — or are basically “tone deaf” anyway.
At the same time, it’s been praised for its economical side — cutting down on studio time, mixing and more.

Performers as diverse as T-Pain, Reba McIntyre, Faith Hill and Cher have used these to save re-takes and give their songs the “perfect pitch” it calls for. They don’t have to worry about missing notes or whatever, because this program can make even the worst singers sound heavenly!

Here’s what it says on the Antares Tech page:

“Auto-Tune is used daily by thousands of audio professionals around the world. Whether to save studio and editing time, ease the frustration of endless retakes, to save that otherwise once-in-a-lifetime performance, or to create striking special effects, Auto-Tune Evo is the tool of choice.”

Now, I’ve been in the business for thirty-plus years, and, quite frankly, I see this thing as a poor substitute for adequate vocal/instrumental rehearsal. If you’re good, you’re good. If not, keep on rehearsing until ya get it right! Don’t depend on a machine to correct your mistakes, because, onstage, you might not have it to rely on!

If the greats from all genres didn’t have to use it (Beatles, Stones, James Brown, Johnny Cash, etc), why do acts need it now?

Heck … all they did was rehearse until they got it right. And, if they had a vocal or instrumental “glitch” onstage, it gave the gig even more substance, because the fans knew they were seeing it all live and raw … they loved the fact that their musical heroes were human and not fed through some machine that did their work for them!

‘Course, that’s just my opinion. I’d like to get yours. Just give me a shout-out by comment or email and let me know what you think.
I’ll be happy to print your feedback here …

I’ve always been a fan of Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits’ frontman) and his music — in fact, some critics put his axe-wielding second only to Slowhand (Eric Clapton) in effectiveness.
One of my faves is their first hit, Sultans of Swing (1978). It recently came in at #22 in Classic Rock mag’s Top 100 guitar solos … but, more importantly, Mark had some great advice for new bands as he described the song:

“ ‘Sultans of Swing’ was originally written on a National Steel guitar in an open tuning, though I never performed it that way,” he said. “I thought it was dull, but as soon as I bought my first Strat in 1977, the whole thing changed, though the lyrics remained the same.

It just came alive as soon as I played it on that ’61 Strat—which remained my main guitar for many years and was basically the only thing I played on the first album—and the new chord changes just presented themselves and fell into place.

It’s really a good example of how the music you make is shaped by what you play it on, and is a lesson for young players. If you feel that you’re not getting enough out of a song, change the instrument—go from an acoustic to an electric or vice versa, or try an open tuning. Do something to shake it up!

As for the actual solo, it was just more or less what I played every night. It’s just a Fender Twin and the Strat, with its three-way selector switch jammed into a middle position. That gives the song its sound, and I think there were quite a few five-way switches installed as a result of that song.”

SO WHAT DOES IT SOUND LIKE?? HERE YA GO:

Okay … it’s 6 AM here, 11 AM there and 5:00 somewhere, so I’m gonna get outta here and catch some zzzz’s for about 300! But stay tuned … there’s more to come in 24 or less! ‘Til then …
see ya on the flip side!

I’ve been meaning to make a review off the latest Weezer self titled album which is mainly known as “The Red Album”.  Just the way Weezer works by releasing an album while going through the colors of the rainbow. All the rock geeks are super excited as Weezer explodes with this latest record of theirs. I must say I was a bit skeptical about this album after listening to their prior release. I was amazed to say the least that they really put their sound through some experimentations compared to their prior releases with uses of drum machines, but still keeping the Weezer sound we all love to hear.  What got me absolutely excited about this album was hearing similarities from “The Blue Album” and their new approach. 

 So here I’ll go reviewing the album track by track:

Track 1:  Troublemaker

I rolled my eyes at first thinking maybe this would be a possible disappointment associating my experiences with the last album. Listening to the lyrics sounding as if it were written by some rebellious teenager. When you listen closely though, it sounds as if it were meant to be some college part rock song type of deal. The disappointment I thought I was going to have quickly left me. As a matter of fact, it’s good to hear rock music that makes you want to have fun, party, and act positive as opposed to the wrist slicing stuff that’s out on the radio these days.

Track 2: The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)

This song starts out with a piano and some police siren. The way the drum comes was a great reminiscences to the way some of their other songs started in the past but with a different new twist. Just like the song states, it’s pretty much a hymn, having the other members join in for some vocal fun. It’s a great pretty lengthy song for a Weezer song. 

Track 3: Pork And Beans

This is the single from the album and damn its hot on the Billboard charts. This song’s chorus has a very similar resemblance to Weezer’s very popular song, “Buddy Holly” In fact, I would call it the “2008 Buddy Holly”. The lyrics are very clever on this one mentioning the grammy award winning producer, “Timbaland”.

Track 4: Heart Songs

This song has a similar feel to “Only In Dreams” maybe not so much on the bassline, but the feel in general. I would say its a very soothing song with again some very clever lyrics. One song I won’t give too much away from, so listen for yourself. Overall, amazing song. 

Track 5: Everybody Get Dangerous

If you thought the first track was rebellious then this one might as be consider the gangsta rap song of Weezer. The lyrics have a humorous twist about doing property damage and just being wreck less and young.  This is where I think the album begins to head towards that different 2008 direction of theres even though it reminds of a typical a popular three chord song from Nirvana that we all know very well. 

Track 6: Dreamin’

This song reminds me of another song from “The Blue Album” but I can’t put my finger in which one. It reminds me of a Beach Boy song too. It’s very catchy and listenable not much I can really say other than it being a great song and another to judge for yourself.

Track 7: Thought I Knew

This is the song that has some drum machines in it.  It doesn’t sound like it’s being sung by Rivers Cuomo though. It’s an okay song and I honestly have to say its the one of the least impressive song in the album. I wasn’t fascinated with anything , but I won’t say it was a bad song neither. 

Track 8:  Cold Dark World

This is where Weezer really goes out of their spectrum from their usual stuff. The vocal style is even different the lyrics are pretty edgy, but it’s actually not a bad song.   It’s when albums like this get released that would normally disappoint me when they go around direction and it sounds bad , but in this case I’ll relieve everyone of their worries and say you can sit back and possibly enjoy this song.

Track 9:  Automatic 

Lots of piano and some synth-like sounds being used in this track. This song I found to be okay. It wasn’t anything out of this world, but I respect their use of instruments in this one. Especially with some of the effects they used. I don’t think I heard Weezer in this state neither. I wouldn’t put it down, but it’s not 100% my cup of tea, but who knows it might be yours.

Track 10: The Angel And the One

Another great ballad by Weezer and their way to end their album (that’s if you don’t have the deluxe edition). It’s their lengthiest track on the album and one I would recommend to listen to if you’re just minutes away from sleep. 

Overall:

Growing up in the 90s and listening to The Blue Album and Pinkerton album was one of my greatest auditory experiences in the past. Listening to this album reminded me of those times. The reason why I decide to actually compare such albums is because Weezer’s popularity was really high at those times and when I ask someone what their favorite Weezer albums are, it always goes back to Pinkerton and The Blue Album. Of course, there’s never going to be another “The Blue Album” in its 100% material and we don’t want to except that, but this is my way of saying Weezer fans from the early 90s would love this album even with its new direction. I consider it a excellent album and those early Weezer fans should scoop it out. Also, don’t forget there’s a deluxe edition with more tracks attached I think one or more are covers, but if you want to extend your “Red Album” experience, it’s available. 

Nine Inch Nails’, “The Slip” Album Review

I was fairly impressed with Nine Inch Nails’ album. To think that most of the times when people say,

“The best things in life are free!”, I will forever relate that to this album. I would like to warn most though 

its hard to really determine my opinion because I am an overall Nine Inch Nails fan for about 12 years now.

I do, however, would like to add that the one album I had anticipated from Nine Inch Nails for many years wasn’t

my favorite (”With Teeth”) of course after 2 -3 years, “With Teeth” did grow on me.

The reason why I’m even mentioning a past album in a current album review is because if I really wanted to 

say if I had to imagine what kind of sound I expected “With Teeth” to sound like it would have to be, “The Still”.

I think this album was is genius. I would have paid two times the amount of “With Teeth” for this album and I think

my wallet would have had to problem giving it up.

So I’m going track by track to describe to you guys another great record by Nine Inch Nails.

Track 1: 999,999

Sometimes Trent loves to do a great a little intro to his albums whether it be all atmospherical or a good intro song. 

Here he uses kinda of a hissing sound with some ambient and some greatly designed sounds in the background that 

he uses his great knowledge of sound synthesis to perform. The sounds get a little more intense then it all stops and

you hear his voice saying something which at first you didn’t notice was being manipulated by an effect  saying, “HOw did I Slip….”

which leads to the actual track.

Track 2: 1,000,000

Using one more 1 to the title of the track brings you his next track. Which has the usual harsh and rash synth lines with some 

crazy noisy sounds and harsh bass sounds to accompany his neighboring sounds. There’s even a slight guitar shred in 

the song that reminds of “Wish” from their “Broken” EP. The chorus is catchy along with some the abrasive sounds 

in the verse. Overall great song! It kinda reminds you of a mixture of what he would do in his “Broken” EP 

with his maturity of the “With Teeth” album.

Track 3: Letting You

The drum programming sequence in the beginning of this song kinda reminds me of some crazy drum n bass but then the synths 

begin to go nuts with some speedy vocal melodies. Another aggressive sounding song to follow up with its previous.

The chorus really hammers on against your brain in this one. It’s fast and its what you expect in a nicely evolved Nine Inch Nails song.

Track 4: Discipline 

This is the single for this album that most of us have already heard before the album came out. The song that made us 

anticipate the album to begin with. This one reminds me of something that would be in “With Teeth”. Its got your

synth lines that remind you of the synth lines in “The Hand That Feeds”, but its just such a better song. A very catchy song and kinda 

tones down his aggressiveness from the previous tracks on this album so far.

Track 5: Echoplex

This was the other song that was heard in iLike before the album came out. The electronic drums starts off the song along 

with the bass line that is effected by a strange kind of distortion. It’s a pretty good song overall with some great melodies. The beat I think is one 

thing that will stay stuck in your due to the fact that it never really changes. Maybe not my favorite song out of the whole album 

but it gives good contrast to the other songs that you’ve heard up to this point. 

Track 6: Head Down 

I love the drums in this song and the extremely distorted guitars. I love this song its very mid tempo and everything, but what I really love about this song

is the chorus. WOW! The sequence that follows the chords is just really amazing. It kinda reminds me of what “The Line Begins To Blur” 

did to my auditory pleasure. Not a track to skip at al!

Track 7: Lights In The Sky

Piano and vocals. One of the things that I love that Trent does. Sounds like a ballad of some sort, but if you’ve ever liked any of his piano and vocals 

only like the beginning of “Hurt”, “Something I Can Never Have”, etc. I think you’ll love this one if you’ve ever loved his piano and vocal work. I think the 

structure if very heart and especially the chorus and the melody that accompanies it.

Track 8: Corona Radiata 

Sounds sinister and almost like the world is ending or something. It’s another instrumental that could be used for a score of a movie or something. 

I will have you judge for yourself. Strange way to follow up sucha great ballard sounding song. 

Track 9: The Four Of Us Dying 

Another sinister instrumental. The bassline and the effect in it is lovely. The song is generally a harsh electronic rock jam to me. 

It keeps you anticipated throughout the entire song. It’s a great track to jam to if you feel you need a dosage of a great blend of electronic rock

with crazy synths and background sequences and etc.

Track 10: Demond Seed

The drum sequence is what really turns me on in this song. It’s more electronic than anything and I have been loving what 

Trent has been doing electronically lately especially since the “Year Zero” album. The song has some similar traditional Nine Inch Nails 

sounds. It’s abrasive, the vocals are soft, and the guitars at a minimum. It’s repetitive but it’s that beat that just doesn’t leave you 

and doesn’t get tiring neither and thats also the way the album ends.

Overall

I”m very impressed with the album. It seems almost too short sometimes, but that can be a perspective thing. You can enjoy it so much you might want 

to play it again.  I honestly suggest getting this album, after all its free! Any hardcore NIN fans would def. appreciate it. It’s got its older influence

back somewhere in there with a blend of the new mature sound since “With Teeth”, but it’s got the balls of “Broken” and “Year Zero”. So if you were 

a fan of any of those records, then I can almost guarantee you will love this album. For those of you who have been living under a rock for nearly 15 years

and are a fan of electronic music blended with rock music because I really wouldn’t want to call NIN industrial these days, I would get out of that shell of yours

and check this out this record. So don’t wait and do your ears a favor and get this album now at http://www.nin.com (Again, it’s free and you won’t have to feel guilty about “illegally” downloading it from a torrent site or a file sharing P2P network)