Cheevyjames’ Musical Roundhouse

Released: 2003
Tracks: Concerto in D major R. 93 – Allegro/Largo/Allegro [Vivaldi]; Concerto in A minor BWV 1041 (violin)/Concerto in G minor BWV 1058 (keyboard) – Allegro/Andante/Allegro assai [Bach]; Adagio [Albinoni]; Concerto in A major R. 82 – Allegro non molto (quasi Andante)/Larghetto/Allegro [Vivaldi]; Adagio (from Keyboard Concerto in F minor BWV 1056) [Bach]; Prelude for lute in D minor BWV 999 [Bach]; Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring from Cantata BWV 147 [Bach]
Best track: Vivaldi’s Concerto in D major
Track to skip: none really

Rating: 84

Released: 1983
Tracks: Separate Ways (Worlds Apart); Send Her My Love; Chain Reaction; After the Fall; Faithfully; Edge of the Blade; Troubled Child; Back Talk; Frontiers; Rubicon
Best track: Rubicon (no, I’m not lying)
Track to skip: Back Talk

I still enjoy listening to Frontiers. It’s not as strong as Escape, but then, I don’t think it ever was. For some reason it feels like this *album* gets kind of neglected. I’m not referring to the massive hit singles (Separate Ways, Send Her My Love and Faithfully), but the other tracks make me think that. Is this an overlooked album? Maybe, but I’ll definitely say that side 2 is COMPLETELY neglected and usually never mentioned. Chain Reaction, right in the middle of side 1? Great song, totally forgotten about. I really like side 2 though (oh, side 2 being Edge of the Blade through Rubicon). I seem to recall I always have. Obviously the hits on side 1 are good songs and obviously you can tell those would be more popular than the others. Side 2…to me it’s one of the more experimental album sides the band ever released. Although I don’t care for Back Talk as a song, there’s no denying it’s one of the heaviest songs Journey ever wrote. Nice Eddie Van Halen type guitar work from Neal Schon on this track. But those other 4 songs on this side are all pretty different from typical Journey songs. Both the title track and Rubicon are kinda futuristic sounding. Or at least what “futuristic” was in 1983. They’re both cool songs and I really love Rubicon. Such a cool track. Yes I like those hits on side 1 (sometimes a bit cheesy, but still good songs), but side 2 has always been that cool zone for me.

OK, yes, there are things I love about side 1. I mentioned Chain Reaction. That might be my second favorite on the album. I’m always partial to the rockers I think. That’s just the ‘rock’ guy in me. Let the girls have the ballads! Actually, I’m a romantic sap too so I dig the slow ones. I really love those bad ass bass harmonics in Send Her My Love. Ross Valory is such a great bass player. I guess he didn’t mind being 4th fiddle behind Steve Perry, Neal Schon & Jonathan Cain…hell, Steve Smith too. I’ve always loved his bass playing; tasteful and creative and *always* spot on. After the Fall is a nice song too, a little bit cheesy (it’s Journey after all), but a nice, sappy love song. Faithfully & Separate Ways? Of course, still good songs even if they’re overplayed. Frontiers isn’t as good as Escape, but it’s pretty solid. Naturally it will always have good memories for me. It’ll always be *that album* that got it all going.

Rating: 92

Released: 1970
Tracks: I’d Have You Anytime; My Sweet Lord; Wah-Wah; Isn’t It a Pity (Version 1); What Is Life; If Not For You; Behind That Locked Door; Let it Down; Run of the Mill; Beware of Darkness; Apple Scruffs; Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let it Roll); Awaiting on You All; All Things Must Pass; I Dig Love; Art of Dying; Isn’t It a Pity (Version 2); Hear Me Lord; Out of the Blue; It’s Johnny’s Birthday; Plug Me In; I Remember Jeep; Thanks For the Pepperoni
Best track: All Things Must Pass
Tracks to skip: I Dig Love, Art of Dying, I Remember Jeep, It’s Johnny’s Birthday

The original CD issue, which I have, has the first 3 album sides (though the title track) on Disc 1 and sides 4, 5 & 6 on Disc 2. This means that my disc 1 gets a ton of play and disc 2 rarely gets put in the CD player. Why? Because disc 2 is not very good. The original Side 4 (I Dig Love, Art of Dying, Isn’t It a Pity (v.2) & Hear Me Lord) isn’t as strong as all of the previous material and really all of the Apple Jam stuff is useless. These Apple Jam songs are either 12 bar blues or 2 chord jams that really don’t go anywhere or say too much. True it is George jamming with Eric Clapton & what would become most of Derek & the Dominos, but it’s still not that exciting. It’s Johnny’s Birthday is a song George wrote for John Lennon’s 30th birthday, which I’m sure Lennon loved (since it’s a bit strange), but as a song on the album it’s not very good. Of the other songs on disc 2/side 4, I Dig Love and Art of Dying aren’t very good either. Art of Dying actually sounds like disco, although about 5 or 6 years ahead of its time. Still, not too good of a song. The other two songs here, Isn’t It a Pity (version 2) and Hear Me Lord are both great songs that continue the feel of the first disc. Hear Me Lord is a great way to end the album proper and Isn’t It a Pity doesn’t have the full, drawn-out bit that Version 1 has (I like both versions).

So, then we come back to disc 1/sides 1-3. I love this stuff here. Some of this material is so moving that it’s hard for me to listen to it without just breaking down. When George Harrison died I just had this disc playing CONSTANTLY for a few days. Esp. the song All Things Must Pass…it’s such a gorgeous song and nearly impossible for me to listen to with crying like a baby. It’s definitely one of the best songs George Harrison ever wrote, and that’s saying a lot. Anyway though, disc 1 has so many great songs on it and so many amazing parts. Like the verse of Let it Down…holy cow, that is so amazing. Beware of Darkness, I’d Have You Anytime, My Sweet Lord, Awaiting on You All…wow. There are moments here and there on disc 1 that aren’t as powerful, but they’re so small and infrequent that you really don’t notice. The only song that isn’t as great as the others is Apple Scruffs, written about all the kids who would just hang around the Apple offices all day long. I don’t mind it; it’s a silly song, but it doesn’t bother me at all. This album definitely has a serious spiritual side to it. Frankly, I love these spiritual songs: My Sweet Lord, Beware of Darkness, Awaiting on You All, All Things Must Pass, and Hear Me Lord. I love hearing it presented in such an honest way. You know that Harrison doesn’t have any ulterior motives and this emotional spiritualism just comes flowing out. It’s very refreshing and wonderful to my ears.

This album was remastered and re-released in 2001 with 5 bonus tracks. From the reviews and opinions I’ve read about it, it sounds a million times better than this original CD version. Yes, the production on this is really annoying. I really don’t like what Phil Spector does to recordings (like what he did to the original Let it Be) and this album has so many glaring spots where I just want to slap him for covering up such great music (and often obscuring George’s vocals). This “wall of sound”, as it’s usually referred to, just smothers songs like Wah-Wah, What is Life and Awaiting on You All. There’s just way too much going on all over these tracks. You know, it’s that “tambourine in an echo chamber” sound. It just covers this stuff. I really wish George would have totally remixed every song when it was re-released, but I guess he felt it wasn’t the best thing to for the album (even though he agreed that the production didn’t sound good 30 years later). As it stands though, Phil Spector’s production can’t defeat a well-written and great album. Regardless of how much crap Spector piled up on these songs, you can still hear that they’re great. I probably will end up getting the new version some day since I really love this album. Well, I really love *half* of it. From everything I’ve heard, All Things Must Pass is definitely the best solo album from any of the Beatles.

Rating: 93

Released: 2000
Tracks: Pickin’ the Cabbage; Disorder at the Border; Salt Peanuts; I Can’t Get Started; A Night in Tunisia; Dizzy Atmosphere; Groovin’ High; Things to Come; One Bass Hit, No. 2; Manteca; Bloomdido; Tin Tin Deo; Birks’ Works; The Eternal Triangle; No More Blues (Chega De Suadade); Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac
Best track: The Eternal Triangle
Tracks to skip: I Can’t Get Started really grated on me; also I don’t care for No More Blues & Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac

Rating: 75

Released: 1982
Tracks: Hotel California; Heartache Tonight; Seven Bridges Road; Victim of Love; The Sad Café; Life in the Fast Lane; I Can’t Tell You Why; New Kid in Town; The Long Run; After the Thrill is Gone
Best track: Seven Bridges Road, maybe Hotel California
Tracks to skip: Heartache Tonight, Victim of Love, Life in the Fast Lane, I Can’t Tell You Why, New Kid in Town

So, yes, most of the songs are dreadful. I think the worst is I Can’t Tell You Why. It certainly competes with Witchy Woman for Worst Eagles Song Ever. So bad! 10 tracks here, 5 of them I certainly skip and the other 5 are decent. Hotel California gets points for the guitar solos, which continue to be well-written and well-played. The rest of the song, eh, it’s decent. Not the greatest, but it doesn’t suck. Seven Bridges Road has the second-coolest part on this album and that’s the harmony vocals at the beginning and end. Like I said, the lyrics on this one are DUMB, but everything else sounds good. Sad Café, same thing: pretty good song, bad lyrics and an *extremely* out of place sax solo at the end. What is that about? The Long Run has some decent moments, but it’s still nothing too special. After the Thrill is Gone is better, but not by a whole lot. As for all the songs I skip, I do skip them for a reason. I especially don’t care for the country-tinged ones like Heartache Tonight and Life in the Fast Lane. These songs are just really bad.

So, my professional opinion (yeah right) of this album is not very positive. They have released an Eagles Greatest Hits that has all of the songs from GH1 & GH2, plus another disc of songs that would suffice if you were really interested. Honestly though, 1 disc is more than enough. I don’t think I could fill an album side with Eagles songs I really love. This album is a serious let down from the first Greatest Hits. They really did lose steam in the later half of the 70’s and this album clearly shows it. There’s a reason why the first GH has sold millions and millions of copies and this one hasn’t. I don’t think too highly of the first one anyway, but this is definitely worse.

Rating: 63

Released: 1995
Tracks: A Change of Seasons; Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding; Perfect Strangers; The Rover/Achilles Last Stand/The Song Remains the Same; The Big Medley (In the Flesh?/Carry On Wayward Son/Bohemian Rhapsody/Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’/Cruise Control/Turn It On Again)
Best track: Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Track to skip: none

Dream Theater’s follow up to the excellent Awake was a different sort of an album. Really this release is an EP, even if it does clock in at just under an hour. Yes, there are 5 tracks here. What else would you expect from Dream Theater? The release is basically for the title track, a 23-minute massive epic that opens the EP. The rest is filled out with cover songs taken from a few gigs they did where they only performed other people’s material. So, it’s nice to get those two sides of the band: the one that plays a 23-minute long song and then the one that plays other people’s songs they love, and do them quite well actually. The song, A Change of Seasons, is a pretty cool track that naturally goes through about a hundred different moods and changes during its course. I think if you don’t care for bands who write a bunch of changes and textures and moods within each song, then of course you won’t care for Dream Theater. They’re *musicians*, so they’re really doing the type of songs they want to do and aren’t worrying about writing 3-minute boring pop songs. I do like this track and surprisingly, it doesn’t feel like it’s 23 minutes long. They manage to keep it interesting enough so that you don’t sit there and look at the time and wonder, “when do they start to play the covers?”.

As for the covers, the band picks some great choices starting off with Elton John’s Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding. This is a *killer* version of this track and the band nails it. I was initially surprised they’d even play an Elton John song (being that they’re a prog-metal band and all), but they brought me around with their performance. Excellent tune. Then we have Deep Purple’s Perfect Strangers and another excellent cover. When I first heard this version it made me laugh because I immediately thought it sounded like Iron Maiden, which of course it would since Maiden are hugely influenced by Deep Purple. Dream Theater’s version rocks and it’s pretty heavy. The keyboards especially sound great on here. The Led Zep medley they do is decent enough. I mean, they play the songs just fine, but I just prefer the rawness of the original version. Well, and I just prefer Zeppelin anyway. But they do play good versions. The “Big Medley” finishes out the disc and it’s a good cross-selection of bands that inspired Dream Theater: Pink Floyd – Kansas (bleh) – Queen – Journey – Dixie Dregs – Genesis. It’s a fun track and it exposed me to the Dixie Dregs and also to Genesis. Both Cruise Control and Turn it On Again are great tracks and DT does great jobs on both. In the Flesh? is too short to really matter and I don’t care too much for Carry On My Wayward Song or Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’. All in all this track is fun, but I sometimes like to skip ahead to the Dregs’ and Genesis sections.

A Change of Seasons was the first album appearance of new keyboardist Derek Sherinian, although he was actually hired prior to the Awake tour…that’s where I first saw him. I think he was a great addition to the band and is actually a more tasteful keyboardist than Kevin Moore or Jordan Rudess. Sherinian isn’t a typical ‘prog’ keyboardist and he tends to shy away from the usual wanking that prog keyboardists usually do. He’s a great player, and although he didn’t contribute any lyrics to the band’s music, I still prefer him of the 3 keyboardists Dream Theater’s had. Unfortunately, he’d only last through the next album and tour before being sacked. While he’s here though, he’s a nice addition. If you like Dream Theater this album is essential, but it’s probably not going to convert any new fans, especially ones who can’t get past songs over 4 minutes long.

Rating: 90

Released: 1994
Tracks: Hound Dog (Elvis Presley); Rebel Rouser (Duane Eddy); (I Don’t Know Why) But I Do (Clarence “Frogman” Henry); Walk Right In (The Rooftop Singers); Land of 1000 Dances (Wilson Pickett); Blowin’ in the Wind (Joan Baez); Fortunate Son (Creedence Clearwater Revival); I Can’t Help Myself (The Four Tops); Respect (Aretha Franklin); Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (Bob Dylan); Sloop John B (The Beach Boys); California Dreamin’ (The Mamas and the Papas); For What it’s Worth (Buffalo Springfield); What the World Needs Now is Love (Jackie DeShannon); Break on Through (The Doors); Mrs. Robinson (Simon & Garfunkel); Volunteers (Jefferson Airplane); Let’s Get Together (The Youngbloods); San Francisco (Scott McKenzie); Turn! Turn! Turn! (The Byrds); Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In (The 5th Dimension); Everybody’s Talkin’ (Harry Nilsson); Joy to the World (Three Dog Night); Stoned Love (The Supremes): Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head (B. J. Thomas); Mr. President (Randy Newman); Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd): It Keeps You Runnin’ (The Doobie Brothers); I’ve Got to Use My Imagination (Gladys Knight & the Pips); On the Road Again (Willie Nelson); Against the Wind (Bob Seger); Forrest Gump Suite (Alan Silvestri)
Best track: On the Road Again, maybe Respect or Mrs. Robinson
Tracks to skip: Rebel Rouser, I Don’t Know Why But I Do, Walk Right In, Sloop John B, California Dreamin’, What the World Needs Now, Let’s Get Together, San Francisco, Aquarius, Stoned Love, Mr. President, Sweet Home Alabama, It Keeps You Runnin’, I’ve Got to Use My Imagination, Against the Wind & the Forrest Gump Suite (which is pleasant enough, but definitely doesn’t fit)

The songs I really like on here are, to my ears at least, the ones that still hold up 30-40 years later. Stuff like: Fortunate Son, Respect, For What It’s Worth, Break on Through, Mrs. Robinson, Volunteers, On the Road Again, etc. This could easily be condensed down to a single disc for the soundtrack, but then that would disappoint the audiences. Forrest Gump was a long movie and it had a TON of music in it. So many pop songs. Actually, I bet they could release 3CDs worth of songs from the movie as I know there are a lot that aren’t featured here. I think when I saw the movie, and around that time, I liked listening to this, but now it’s only for selected songs. All the songs listed above as skippers are ones I really don’t care too much about. I like the protest songs, but I really can’t get into the Hippy Propaganda songs like California Dreamin’, What the World Needs Now, Let’s Get Together, San Francisco (gag me) and Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In. Have you ever listened to the words of Aquarius? HILARIOUS! So incredibly silly.

Every time I’ve listened to this album since I bought it, I keep getting reminded of the commercials that all these songs appear on. Every song, another commercial. I think I remember both Fortunate Son & Volunteers being used to sell blue jeans. That’s so ridiculous! What the hell did these songs used to stand for? It surely wasn’t freaking BLUE JEANS and stupid commercialism. Ugh! Anyway, that’s just the purist in me coming out. I think the Forrest Gump soundtrack was an interesting thing when it first came out, but it’s not something I would recommend today. Most of the songs I skip or they just don’t do anything for me.

Rating: 74

Awright, so I got a call from my good friend April tonight and she oh so kindly reminded me that I need to post some more album reviews. So, I said, you know, you’re right. And she is. So I did some. I’m sure any of you who look at my main webpage have noticed a massive lack of activity since early summer or something. So, I’ll try to not let it get so dusty for such a long time.

http://www.geocities.com/cheevyjames2/album_reviews_chronology.html

that’s what I did tonight.

So. My album. It was going to be done by August 1st, then October 1st, then I hoped to hand deliver it to Kelly & Jenn in North Carolina on 11/11, then I wanted it done by my birthday. I’m not even going to try to say it’ll be done by January 1st, because it simply won’t. Besides all the usual “life stuff” that comes up and prevents me from working on it, I have to admit that it’s difficult when I am doing everything on my own. And sometimes, like tonight, I’d rather do album reviews than work on it. At least I’m doing what I want, that’s what I say. But really, I need to get the motivation and get ‘r done. So, final release date is now April 7th, 2006. No excuses.

Current Mood: Fleh

Current Music: Mother Love Bone - Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns

Released: 1993
Tracks: Kazango; Off White; Sweet Rita
Best track: Kazango
Track to skip: none

So that’s all the background. I got this from my Aunt (Lisa’s mom); I guess she just had an extra copy lying around. So yes, this is quite a treasure for me, especially since 47 Indians was the first band I ever saw live. I think this was maybe when I was in 8th grade, maybe 9th grade? Somewhere in there. It was cool for a 14 year old kid to get to go to a club and see his cousin’s band play. And I love having Lisa’s stuff in my collection since besides being my cousin, she’s a fantastic drummer. Of course she doesn’t disappoint on this release.

It’s interesting to me to hear how huge of a presence Olivier is on here. His guitar sound really shaped this band, just as it did for 8 ½ Souvenirs. He gets such a wonderful sound out of his hollow-body Gretsch. His solos are great here. This record is definitely tame compared to how electric their live shows were around this time. But that’s OK. It’s more than good enough of a representation of the band to here how talented they were. It’s hard to pick a favorite song on here since I really like all 3. Well, I’ll go ahead and go with Kazango, the instrumental. Nothing against Brent’s voice (which I love), but Kazango is probably the best composition on here. The sound quality isn’t the greatest on here, but coming out of an indie label from Finland (and on vinyl, which is very often a noise-fest anyway) it’s good enough to tell what’s going on. I wish that the band had stayed around long enough to record a full-length studio album, but at least I have something other than my memory. I think the next release with a new band is better, as a whole entity, but I still really enjoy this.

Rating: 87

Released: 1993
Tracks: Potters Field; Only; Room For One More; Packaged Rebellion; Hy Pro Glo; Invisible; 1000 Points of Hate; Black Lodge; C11 H17 N2 O2 S Na; Burst; This is Not an Exit
Best track: in no order: Potters Field-Only-Room For One More-Packaged Rebellion-This is Not an Exit
Track to skip: none!

Oh, this album just ROCKS! I’m on the last track, This is Not an Exit, and rarely did the band ever just kick this much ass. The sound and production on this album are just immense. Producer Dave Jerden did such a fantastic job on here. The sound is heavy and thick, but not sludgy. Everything is crystal clear. And relentless. The only breather on the album is the surprise hit single, Black Lodge. I think the lyrics are about something to do with the old TV show Twin Peaks, but I have no idea. I never saw it. It’s a good song, pretty chill, and as far as I remember the first “slow” song the band ever wrote. I’m not counting NFB from Attack of the Killer B’s since that was a joke song. It’s a bold experiment for such a heavy band and it really paid off. I mean, it was a hit single (lots of play on MTV), but it wasn’t a sell-out track. Besides the heaviness of this album, the music itself is a lot more melodic than on previous Anthrax albums. So yeah, it’s heavy and it’s melodic. A great combination.

It’s hard for me to pick a favorite track since this album is solid all the way through. Not a bad song on here. I love them all for different reasons. Usually I gravitate to Room For One More or Packaged Rebellion, but today I was just totally loving Potters Field, Only and, yeah, This is Not an Exit. I don’t know, I can’t pick. It’s one of those songs! So, by far, this is the best Anthrax album that I’ve heard. I’m really sorry to say that I haven’t bought anything released after this, something I’ve wanted to fix for a long time. From what I’ve heard, this is Anthrax at their best. I love that quote at the end of the album: “Be dangerous & unpredictable…and make a lot of noise”. Definitely not to be missed.

Rating: 95

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