Month: November 2024

Posted in Album Reviews

Bob Dylan and The Band – Before The Flood (1974)

Posted on by Michael

After finishing the album Planet Waves, Bob Dylan and The Band headed out on tour of North American hockey arenas in early 1974.  Before the Flood collects a double album of tracks mostly from the final three shows in Inglewood, California.  The release sees both artists sharing the spotlight with The Band taking the lead on eight of the albums 21 songs. Several of Dylan’s songs appear in alternate forms from their originals.

In later years Dylan would reportedly complain that the only compliment he would receive about the shows were ones about the energy.  The well meaning compliment is spot on – opener “Most Likely You Go Your Way” from the classic album Blonde on Blonde really gets things moving before top 10 hit “Lay Lady Lay” is performed. The energy shifts with the one track taken from a New York show with “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” that brings a heavier atmosphere than the rest of the side. Side 2 sees The Band turn in a funky groove on their classic “Up On Cripple Creek” and a beautifully soulful version of “The Night they Drove Old Dixie Down”.

The second album opens with Dylan playing an acoustic set with sped up versions of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” that the crowd really appreciates and “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”.  These two tracks + a countrified rock version of “Blowin’ In The Wind” take the Dylan sound out of folk rooms and onto the massive arena stage. “Like a Rolling Stone” appears as a groove laden country take on the incendiary classic.  The drumming of Levon Helm steals the spotlight away from the original’s organ. Both versions work.  Along with these Dylan songs, The Band turn in a vocally rough and ready version of “The Weight” that really swings + the upbeat “The Shape I’m In” from their Stage Fright album.

Years ago, there was a commercial that aired on MuchMusic that showed Bob Dylan mumbling through a song in concert. It was an amusing commercial but that is far from what Dylan sounds like here. His vocals are clear and the different arrangements on several of the tracks work really well to give a different flavour of his sound. The Band locks into grooves and really swing throughout.  A great live album of two legends.

8/10

Posted in Album Reviews

Jessica Pratt – Here In The Pitch (2024)

Posted on by Michael

Here In The Pitch, the fourth album from Californian Jessica Pratt sounds like it was beamed in from a 1960s space age country lounge.  Pratt sounds a bit like a British, blue-eyed soul singer on “Empires Never Know” over a dreamy, otherworldy piano.  An acoustic guitar and spacey sounds swirl in the mix of “Get Your Head Out” while “By Hook Or By Crook” has a slight bossa nova feel.  “World On A String” simply floats on air.

Highlights book end the album. The single, “Life Is” has Phil Spector levels of drama in every bass drum kick while Pratt softly sings, “when you’ve fallen out, get both feet on the ground”.  Here In The Pitch closes with the sweet sentiments of “The Last Year”.  “I think it’s gonna be fine/I think we’re gonna be together/And the storyline goes forever”.  A truly wonderful record.

9/10

Posted in Album Reviews

Idles – TANGK (2024)

Posted on by Michael

It doesn’t take long for Idles to ratchet up the tension on their fifth album, TANGK.  Bass drum and piano start “Idea 01”, an intense song about family and what can be lost in the fire. “Monolith” closes the album in much the same way.  There is a quiet intensity to the minimal track that closes with a jazzy saxophone. In between, the band from Bristol lead by frontman Joe Talbot unleash a rage of love both quiet and loud in equal measure on an album produced by Nigel Godrich.

“Gift Horse” has a bit of a Sleaford Mods vibe and a chorus that lights up a fire of excitement. “My baby, she, she’s so great/I wake up grateful every day” – a hidden love song to a daughter.  The LCD Soundsystem collaboration “Dancer” is a heckuva tune to jump around to, the vibe continues on “Hall and Oates” that brings the noise like a heavier 90s indie rock track.  Sandwiched between those tracks is the sweetness of “Grace” set over a low-end rumble.  All is love, “Make me pure” is the message that is spread over much of the very good TANGK.

8/10

Posted in Album Reviews

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Legend (2002 Edition)

Posted on by Michael

It’s been well over 40 years since Bob Marley died of cancer at the far too young at the age of 36 yet his profile in pop culture has barely diminished.  The biopic movie One Love released earlier this year grossed $180 million at the box office, his posters adorn college dorm rooms, and his face can be seen on t-shirts around the world . Originally released in 1984, Bob Marley & The Wailers’ greatest hits album Legend has been a best seller since its release.  It’s the one album that even non reggae fans will have in their collection, the songs it contains are absorbed just by living.

Reviewing Legend in 2024 holds no mystery – it’s a 10/10 and one of the greatest albums of all time. While everyone has their favourite tracks, these are mine… 

As the first track on the album, “Is This Love” immediately pulls the lister in with a gentle reggae vibe mixed with some soft rock guitar.  “Could You Be Love” was a smash success, going top 10 across Europe when released in 1980.  A funky guitar lick rides under the joyous singing of the I Threes vocal trio on both the verses and the classic chorus.

With the US election just a few days away, tensions on both sides are running high, soundbites bleeding into newscasts across the world, especially here in Canada.  The central theme of “Three Little Birds” to “Don’t worry about a thing, Cause everything gonna be alright” is a welcome message of positivity. The seemingly simple mantra carries a lot of sunny heft. Surprisingly, “Buffalo Soldier” did not appear on an album until posthumously released on Confrontation in 1983.  A fascinating phrase used to refer to Africans stolen from their homeland, brought to America who end up becoming soldiers.  

Like Bob Dylan in the 1960s, Marley is often viewed for being of the people, for the people through political songs like the classic “Get Up, Stand Up”.  Legend does a very good job of showing different sides to the man on tracks like “Waiting in Vain”. A midtempo track with a terrific percussion breakdown that tells of someone longing for the love of a woman. It’s not for the masses, it’s a personal struggle but one that everyone can identify with.

While the nitpicking on an album like Legend are fairly minor, one of the gripes would be this.  “Redemption Song” is a spine-tingling acoustic song that incorporates parts of a Marcus Garvey speech.  “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery/none but ourselves can free our mind”.  Marley’s raspy voice is powerful, a true folk classic that is impossible not to join in when he asks, “Won’t you help to sing/These songs of freedom?”.  How this does not close this majestic album is a mystery.

Legend is record that I only came to recently.  As mentioned, the songs are everywhere, I suppose I never felt the need to hear it as I always hear it just by living.  That was a mistake on my part. In his book, All-Time Top 1,000 Albums, author Colin Larkin did not allow greatest hits to be included but in the year 2000 version of the list, there at #60 sits Legend.  It received so many votes as one of the greatest albums of all time that it could not be ignored and had to be included.  An album whose legend keeps being discovered by a new generation of fans every year.

10/10