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| Artist: | "HALL & OATES" |
| Title: | "MARIGOLD SKY" |
| Label: | Push Records |
| Reviewed By: | Jill Williams |
| Rating: |  |
| Daryl Hall and John Oates debuted in 1972, and enjoyed great success
from that time until around 1990. They met at Temple University while they
were both with different bands, meeting backstage one night in 1967, when
their bands were both invited to lip-sync their records at a show. The two
rockers started talking backstage and something clicked. Some time after
that, to make a very long story very short, they started working together.
They didn't exactly burst onto the music scene, but they did gain a following,
which turned into mass appreciation. Their hits include "Rich Girl,"
"Maneater," and "I Can't Go For That." After a while,
their albums were almost guaranteed to go platinum when they were released. It's been a long time since we've heard much from them Seven years, in fact. They decided to take a break after selling 40 million records and having six #1 hits in order to gain new perspective. They sensed it was time for change. In this album "Hall & Oates" have gotten away from production and the technology-based sound of the 80's to bring us something with a little more soul and closer to their roots. It's also entirely new for them. The voices remain the same, where they started is apparent, but the feel of the album is completely different from what I had grown accustomed to from them. Listening to this album reminded me how much I used to love "Hall & Oates." They're voices sound a bit older, but still distinctive. "Romeo is Bleeding" begins the album with a bit of peppy, light, and soft music. The chorus is a bit too repetitive, and it's about a love lost, but it still manages to be a fun song. That has a lot to do with the airy atmosphere of the music playing along with the words. The title track, "Marigold Sky," is just beautiful. Another light and airy tune that symbolizes their new life in the music world. The lyrics are lovely and there are far too many good thoughts to pick just one or two lines as an example for this review. "The Sky Is Falling" continues in the same vein of middle ground tones, but this one is a bit sadder and slower than the what we've heard so far. Still, the openness of the music keeps us from getting too dragged down in the sorrow. This song is also a bit more rhythm and bluesy than we've heard yet. I can see Otis Redding hanging out in the great beyond happy with what "Hall & Oates" have done with this one. "Out Of The Blue" is about getting a call from an old lover. She leaves and still expects him to drop everything for her. Guess again. This is a great example of how to handle just such a situation. They lyrics are amazing and the music fits it well with an atmosphere of "I'm doing great. Too bad for you." Starting in with a little harder music and more variety is "Want To." This is at times bouncy, at times mellow, and at times pretty rockin'. It's a fun, happy song about freedom, and is very easy to bop around to. And getting a little more into the hard sound is "Love Out Loud." By today's standards, it's a pretty tame song, but for the adult contemporary audience this album is most likely to appeal to, this is a pretty heavy and wild tune. The background is a little too muted for such a rowdy song. If they let that loose a little more, this song would be even better. "Throw The Roses Away" is more accoustic and softer than anything thus far. It's pretty and melancholy and, as always, the lyrics are fantastic. Similar to this is "Promise Ain't Enough," which is the first single from the album. The lyrics are a bit simpler than most of the others on the cd, but it's still well thought out and lovely. "Hold On To Yourself" is most like their old hits. While it doesn't sound exactly like their old style, it's the one that most reminds me of the 80's and their ballads from that time period. I didn't talk about all of the songs, but they're all fine examples of worthwhile and wonderful music. This CD is very R&B based, and the general theme is that love is gone for one reason or another. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing depends on the song. There's enough variety in the music and lyrics to make the entire album interesting, though all of the songs have the same feel. The words are really what makes this album so wonderful. It's rare to hear such in depth and clearly symbolic sentiments, and the presentation of them is first class. In fact, the only thing I didn't like didn't have anything to do with the songs themselves, it was the consistant misspelling of the word "lose" in the liner notes as "loose." Someone needs an editor. This shouldn't detract from the listening, of course. Any "Hall & Oates" fans should run out and get this, especially if you're a fan of the ballads. I'd also recommend it to any adult contemporary or R&B fans. If you're looking for something hard, fast, and rough, this isn't it, but if you want something on the mellow, soft, and beautiful side, you can't pass up "Marigold Sky." |
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| Artist: | "FEBRUARY" |
| Title: | "TOMORROW IS TODAY" |
| Label: | Carrot Top Records |
| Available: | Any Major Music Store |
| Reviewed By: | Dave Merrill |
| Rating: |  |
| Amy Turany, Damian Neubauer, Steve Saari and Todd Reubold formed the
band "February" in April of 1994. Turany contributes vocals and
keyboards; Neubauer does guitars and sound sculpture; Saari, piano and bass;
and Reubold is drummer and rhythm programmer for the Minneapolis quartet.
They self- produced an album called "Even the Night Can't Tell You
From a Star," and "Tomorrow Is Today" is their first album
for Carrot Top Records. Amy Turany sounds most like a breathy slightly more
nasal Debbie Harry. Her vocals undulate through the haunting melodies "February"
creates. Her voice sounds lazy, like she just woke up, heightening the trancey,
dreamy quality of the album. The opening track, "Hit Me," begins with synthesizer that sounds like an alarm of some kind, like an air raid warning. Drum and fast guitar come in first. The combination creates an immediate feeling of tension. Lead guitar comes in next and finally Turany's voice joins. It's a deceptively simple piece, that evolves into complex guitar distortions. "Caught" begins with electronic drum and then bass guitar, with an echoey sounding bongo beat. Manic distorted guitar and Turany's voice help to create a discordant uncomfortable feeling, which matches the mood of the lyrics, "And I don't trust the moment/ And I don't trust the future." The song is about falling in love, but it's not all rosy and wonderful like most love songs. It expresses that uncomfortable out of control feeling of being "Caught" up in someone else's life when you first fall in love. On "Slinky," the quick repetition of doubled distorted guitar notes gives me the impression of hearing music while drunk. It puts the listener off balance. When I first started listening to this CD, I had a lot of trouble with the opening tracks. "February" is so good at creating a landscape of feelings in their music, that it's somewhat inaccessible at first. But it's worth pushing through the album the first few times to fully understand what they're doing. It's about the changes in a relationship as two people change. "I never said it was easy/ I never said it was fair/ You took the wrong way to find me/ I took the wrong way to care/ Do you feel frustrated/ Do you feel like nothing's the same." "Make A Sound" has male lead vocals. I'm assuming they're by bass player, Steven Saari. The song has a much different sound from the others, but it's still very obviously "February." A horn section on "Pink Slippers in Antarctica" distinguishes it from the other songs. It still has the trademark "February" guitar distortions, but it has a very bluesy feel to it, that the other songs lack. Fast guitar strumming and a meandering bass line join an electronically distorted Turany vocal on "Easy," with a mechanistic quality to the drumming. The album takes a definite turn with the songs "Soundtracks" and "Trace," becoming even more melodic and ethereal. They remind me sometimes of "Lush," "The Sundays" and "Ivy." "Soundtracks" features sounds at it's opening that reminded me of "Oasis' " new single. It took me a long time to make the connection, because the other parts of the song don't even resemble "Oasis." It's really a wonderful song, very moody and sensual. There's a bit of flute and a male voice whispering in the background. "Trace" is another song about the confusion of a relationship. "Cry away/ You're here with me/ Cry away/ You're not with me." Turany supplies her own backing vocals. "Riproar" sounds a lot like "Blondie" in its guitar work and vocals. The guitar almost overpowers Turany's vocal, rip-roaring it's way through the song, ending in static. There's a repetitive mechanistic quality to the drumming and bass playing on "Slan." The guitar, voice and keyboard seem to generate out from it, sometimes melting back into it, while at other times overshadowing it. In this way it avoids becoming monotonous. "Slan" is perhaps my favorite song on the album. It's very complex, wonderful. It reminds me of "Reel To Reel Cacophony" era "Simple Minds." Listening to "Swoon" is like waking up in someone else's insane dream world. The opening noises are Arabic sounding. They're quickly overwhelmed by guitar distortions. A bit of echo accompanies Turany's voice. I really get lost in this one. It's a steamroller of a song, sweeping you up and taking you with it, and it ends the way it begins. "Pulse" is an awesome song! Three rhythms mix to form a discordant, uncomfortable, yet incredibly infectious melody. It's another pocket dream world that "February" drags the listener through. The music is challenging and complex. I hear something new each time I listen to it. Opening with a spacey sounding synthesizer noise, "Rue Mouffetard" is a soft song with lots of distortion. A repetitive bongo rhythm sets a lonely mood with Turany's breathy vocal, "Take me/ Bury me/ In simple things/ Like eyes that never fade/ Will you sing me to sleep/ Wrap me in your beautiful dreaming/ If he's out there, will you tell him to come in/ Will you tell him it's too cold to be out here, alone/ Out there alone." The last song, "Peacock," opens with a frenetic tapping for a beat. Piano and distorted guitar soon join in, followed by vocal and synthesizer, building to a lush and dreamy sound. "Tomorrow Is Today" is not a comfortable album to listen to. Each song challenges the listener to follow the band to a new land where earlier conceptions of music must be left behind. It's worth the extra work to go with them. They alternately evoke feelings of melancholy, laziness, tension, and comfort. At the same time all the songs have a sensual feeling to them, like lazing in the afterglow on a Saturday afternoon. |
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| Artist: | "KISS" |
| Title: | "CARNIVAL OF SOULS" |
| Label: | Mercury |
| Available: | Any Major Music Store |
| Reviewed By: | Jill Williams |
| Rating: | |
| If you don't know who "KISS" is, you've been hiding in a closet
the last 25 years. They were the driving force in hard rock music all throughout
the 70's, and have managed to continue making albums since they began recording
in '72. In fact, 27 of their 29 albums have gone gold or platinum. Some
might say that "KISS" has mellowed or "sold out" in
the last 10 years or so. I don't agree. I think they've remained pretty
much the same in feel while the music around them has gotten more aggressive.
No matter what you think of them however, you can't deny that they have
had unbelievable success and have shaped the way we listen to music today.
The line-up for this album, which was recorded prior to their big reunion
tour last year, is Gene Simmons on bass and vocals, Paul Stanley on guitar
and vocals, Bruce Kulick on lead guitar, and Eric Singer on drums. I've
been anxious to see what new turn they might take with this album and I
have to say, it is a bit different than I expected. The first track, "Hate," begins with guitar feedback and the only word to describe it is grunge. I don't know that this is a good thing. I've been a fan of "KISS" for many years and no other song has turned me off quite the way this one does. It's not at all musical and their voices are unneccesarily gravely. This song is more of a group effort where vocals are concerned. Surely they could give a better first impression. Actually, I know they could because any song on here would be a better choice to draw us into their new sound. Next in the line-up is "Rain." It's a little slow, a lot loud, and perfect for a hard rock radio station (as are most of the songs on here). It's even good to headbang to, in a leisurely sort of way. "Rain" is modern sounding, yet you know that it's coming from "KISS." The first song could be anybody, and we don't much care. "Master & Slave" alternates between slow, soft music and loud, hard music all with a great bass line in the background. A perfect way to show the master/slave relationship. This tune has a very alternative feel, in an "Alice In Chains" meets "Jackal" kind of way. It's a really great effect and this is one of my favorites on the album. Now we switch from Paul Stanley to Gene Simmons on vocals with "Childhood's End." I've always been especially fond of Simmons, so this is another favorite. The song is slow, yet hard, and sadly nostalgic. If you can use the word beautiful for heavy metal type music, this would qualify. I can't say that "I Will Be There" is one of the better songs on this CD, but the sentiment is lovely. The first minute or so is borderline annoying, but then the music and the singing get much better. "Jungle" is terrific, though perhaps a bit on the long side. It also alternates between slow and fast and the music is busy and fun. No denying that this is "KISS" when you hear this song. It's among their best. "In My Head" just made me laugh. I don't know that it's meant to be funny, but the imagery seemed rather humorous to me. Let me give an example. "Nest of termites glowing red/ In my head, in my head." Hard to take that seriously; much like Alice Cooper's lyrics during his "Teenage Frankenstein" period. It's a little dirge-like, but fun and interesting if you listen to the words. The guitar solo is also really good. "In The Mirror" is a very good song, but the real shining point in it is the lead guitar. It's fast and furious with an extended solo that really makes the tune worth listening to, not that it wouldn't be anyway. The album wraps up with "I Walk Alone," a very slow beginning and gets a little harder during the chorus, but remains unhurried. Lots of great things here. There are some really interesting things musically in this tune and the lyrics to all of these songs are a cut above most others they've released for a while. Overall I have to say that this album is full of hits and just a couple of misses. The rough edge to this newest installment in the legacy of "KISS" really adds to their modern appeal. The CD is well worth buying even if you do have to wade through a couple of not-so-good songs. The change in their style is refreshing. They're getting a little more in tune with the younger audience while not losing what made them so special in the first place. This is a real winner. |
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