Posted in Album Reviews

Arcade Fire – WE (2022)

Posted on by Michael

“It’s the age of doubt/and I doubt we’ll figure it out”.  So begins Arcade Fire’s sixth album WE.  First track “Age of Anxiety I” from which those lyrics are pulled starts with a piano and a light pulse in the background before the pulse gets turned up and a beat comes in. At nine minutes, “End of the Empire I-IV” has a wistful yet futuristic feel, turning a neat Bowie trick as Win Butler sings of the end of the American Empire. Even though it’s slower in tempo, “The Lightning I,II” feels anthemic as Butler sings “We can make it if you don’t quit on me”.

Sung for Butler and Regine Chassagne’s son, “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)” is a modern folk track that is an album highlight before the title track settles the record down with an acoustic guitar.  Produced by Nigel Godrich with Butler and Regine, it is the last album to feature multi-instrumentalist Will Butler. As on many AF releases, Regine’s vocals popping in on tracks is often a highlight and the drumming of Jeremy Gara is rock solid. With its use of synths and slower moods, WE can drift in and out of consciousness that often works well as background music, that can be left on repeat for hours.

7.5/10

Posted in Album Reviews

The Cars – Panorama (1980)

Posted on by Michael

Following up their classic debut was always going to be difficult but The Cars pulled that off extremely well with Candy-O.  A year after their sophomore album came Panorama. Even though the album hit the US top 5 and went platinum, none of the three singles made much of a dent in the charts.  Scraping into the top 40 was “Touch and Go”.  The track starts off with minimal synth/drums combo before a guitar adds in warmth, with a galloping rhythm that recalls songs from the 50s.

“Gimme Some Slack” also rides a galloping guitar on this upbeat track.  “Misfit Kid” has a plinky-plonky keyboard that then mellows out in the chorus.  Rick Okasec sings “I’m the American misfit kid/still wonderin’ what I did” on the should have been single. “Up and Down” hits a bit harder with a chiming guitar.

With Panorama, The Cars still show in several places that their new wave chops are still there. What lets it down is a few unmemorable songs and even worse, a few dreadful ones including the Benjamin Orr sung “Don’t Tell Me No” that is more whiney than forceful.  Many of the tracks sound like B-sides, more experimental than past releases but lacking better songs.

6.5/10

Posted in Album Reviews

Prince – 1999 (2CD Deluxe Edition) (2019)

Posted on by Michael

Prince’s fifth album, 1999, was released in 1982 and was the first to have the band The Revolution play on it.  For many mainstream rock fans, this would be the first time they came across Prince and his brand of rock/funk/pop/soul.  A one-night stand is detailed on his first top ten hit, “Little Red Corvette”.  The sleek rocker has a great female vocal from Lisa Coleman whose brief vocal adds texture to the “ride it to the ground” lyric. While the original release of single “1999” stalled high in the charts, the ubiquitous new year’s eve track is one of Prince’s, and pop music’s, most popular songs. The infectious party anthem sees a shared vocal between Prince and other members of The Revolution who sing of bombs and destruction over the punchy drum track.

Upbeat third single “Delirious” has a squiggly keyboard line before the darker and harder beat of “Let’s Pretend We’re Married” appears.  The original album was a double vinyl release which allowed Prince to stretch out on funk tracks such as “D.M.S.R.”, the crisp beat of “Automatic”, and rock guitar of “Lady Cab Driver”.  For fans of pop music, the album 1999 is front loaded with the hits coming fast and furious.  However, for those wanting to explore further, the funk workouts at the end of the disc all ride a fabulous groove that rarely outstay their welcome.

The second disc on this release features various promo mixes and  B-sides.  Your love of it will depend on how much you want to listen to several versions of the album tracks with only minor differences from the originals.  It is a bonus to have the 7” versions of “1999” and “Little Red Corvette” that immediately jump into the track vs. the album versions.  Of the three B-sides, the soulful “How Come U Don’t Love Me Anymore” from the “1999” single is the pick.    

1999 – 10/10

Second disc – 8/10

Posted in Paper Chase

Q1 + Q2 Read It 2022

Posted on by Michael

Reading this book in early 2022 while the trucker’s “Freedom Convoy” worked its way across Canada to then occupy downtown Ottawa was a stark contrast in realities. Colson Whitehead’s book, The Underground Railroad, from 2016 was hugely popular – it won a Pulitzer Prize before eventually being turned into a TV show.  The book follows Cora as she escapes the plantation she is enslaved on in order to find a better life. In the book, the underground railroad is an actual railroad that takes ex slaves around America through secret tunnels. Even as Cora runs further and further away from the plantation, her past is never far behind. It’s a powerful book that should be widely read.  

9/10

The first book in a series that will follow the songs of the Bee Gees decade by decade. Starting off in the 60s, this volume is split between the group’s Australian beginnings and it’s first brush of international fame with their first UK albums. The book written by several authors including Winnipegger (and friend) Grant Walters is expertly written with many in-depth anecdotes about the Gibbs’ brothers writing and recording history. It is a book that will keep both the hardcore and casual fans entertained throughout.

8/10

On top of work, working towards a Business Analyst certificate occupied a lot of my time in early 2022. This book taken for the Business Re-Engineering course was a companion for a few months.  Workflow Modeling is a way of looking at the design of work/process mapping to gain more insights into where process improvements can be made. Certainly, dense with a lot of information, the second edition by Alec Sharp and Patrick McDermott has several interesting business stories and is swimming with swim lane diagrams.

7/10

Prairiefire Magazine – Summer 2021, Volume 42 No. 2