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Recommended Mp3s
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| Matthews, Dave (Band)- EVERYDAY- *** 1/2 out of ***** I'm not going to blow smoke up your ass like so many other reviewers I've seen do for this album. This is, by far, the worst DMB studio album to date. Now, that's not saying much, being as DMB are more a live band than a studio band anyway, and their other studio albums are more or less timeless. However, I hate Glen Ballard. I hate what he does to every band he works with, and I hate the sound of his production. The entire band has been transformed into Glen Ballard's less-is-more pop theory zombies. However, all of that said, there are some good, interesting songs left on this album. "I Did It" is kind of cool, but is lacking that usual DMB kick that made so many of their other songs so great. Personally, having heard some of the tracks that DMB scrapped from the original version of this album (if you don't know what I'm talking about, research it, its not that hard to find), I can't see how some of the original tracks were dismissed for being too depressing. My favorite song on this album, "If I Had it All," isn't exactly what I'd call inspiring. However, this song, along with another semi-downer, "What You Are," are two of the highlights of the album. The sappy "Space Between" is nice, and the just-plain-weird "When the World Ends" is fairly cool. The one other highlight that I've found is "Mother Father," which has some incredible Latin-styles going on, although I find that the Santana parts are frighteningly similar Metallica's "For Whom the Bell Tolls," (listen for yourself, its f*cking uncanny). Two more weird things: "Dreams of Our Fathers" has a section from the concerts-only song "Little Thing," and "Everyday" is entirely too much like "#36" from LISTENER SUPPORTED. Good album, but not their best work. Matthews, Dave (Band)- LISTENER SUPPORTED- **** out of ***** This is a good live album. Well at least, far better than the semi-disasterous LIVE AT RED ROCKS. Most of the band's hits appear on this one, and almost all are in top form. The only real exception is "Crash" where Matthews's voice just begins to fall apart in a couple places. The album also includes previous unreleased songs like "True Reflections," "#40," and "#36." (By the way, all of these are fairly high quality tunes). Some extended jams also make this one interesting for people who are into that. This album is nothing revolutionary, but it is of high quality. Matthews, Dave and Tim Reynolds- LIVE AT LUTHER COLLEGE ****** out of ***** possible (no that is not a typo) Truthfully, one of the best albums I have ever heard. Literally every song is worth a listen, as this is Dave Matthews in his element, with no accompaniment other than the second guitar of virtuoso Tim Reynolds. Good listens (though they all are) include: "#41," "Tripping Billies," "Ants Marching," "What Would You Say," "Say Goodbye," "Seek Up," "Typical Situation," "A Christmas Song" and "Granny." I could go on forever, but i won't. Instead, I'll say this: if you like Dave Matthews at all, buy this album. Moby- PLAY **** 1/2 out of ***** Techno often makes the reviewer's job difficult. Albums like this one are often all over the musical map. And while Moby has done both these things, the album is one coherent masterpiece. Standout tracks like "Natural Blues," "Porcelain," the rap-rock "Bodyrock," and the beautiful instrumental ballads "Guitar Flute and String" and "Everloving" are what make this album so powerful. Not that there are no flaws. One particularly weak track, the attempt at club-friendliness, "Machete," cost this album half of a star. However i believe this album is still a masterpiece. Moby's unique use of samples from gospel, as in "Natural Blues" and "Why Does My Heart Feel so Bad?" make the album stand out as truly innovative. I would recommend this album to anyone who is open-minded about this type of music. Modest Mouse- LONESOME CROWDED WEST ***** out of ***** This is another one of those bands I never got into until after they were somewhat past their peak. As I write this I believe MM's second full length on Sony has recently come out. If MOON AND ANTARCTICA is any judge, i'm not too interested. (I'll review M&A sometime in the near future). This, however, shows the band in top form when they were on Sub Pop subsidiary Up Records. The record showcases the seeming schizophrenic insanity that is the songwriting of frontman Isaac Brooks in a way that is compelling and original. "Teeth Like God's Shoeshine," on the right day, sounds better than any song ever written to me. "Convenient Parking" despite its absolutely idiotic chorus is wonderful. "Doin the Cockroach" and "Cowboy Dan" are great songs, as are "Shit Luck" and "Trucker's Atlas." Nothing on the album strikes me as weak or subpar though. Maybe you should download some Modest Mouse before you buy it anyway, because it sure as hell isn't for everyone. But, for my money, this is one of the better albums I own. Monster Magnet- POWERTRIP **** out of ***** This qualifies as my third favorite album of 1998, right after the Smashing Pumpkins' ADORE and Finger Eleven's TIP. Monster Magnet are the good old raucus kick in the @$$ that modern rock really needs. Some highlights include "Powertrip," "Space Lord," "Third Eye Landslide," the very Doors-ish "See you in Hell" and a cool sounding "Your Lies Become You." A sound buy for anyone who likes REAL rock. |
 zeromus06@netscape.net |
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