(# 447) Oasis – Be Here
Now (1997)
Oasis’ third album had the British critics as united in
fierce opposition as they had been united in reverent praise for their first
two albums. The words or phrases most often used to
describe the album included “self indulgent”, “bloated” and “drug affected”. I still have my copy of Q magazine which
contains the 5 star review it gave on release, which they would like to retract. After a couple of previous false starts, the
band finally undertook an Australian tour; an on board incident en route
cultivated the enmity of the local media and their shows were roundly panned. …..
…..and yet, 16 years later this is the Oasis album that I
play more than any other and I’ve gotten to the point that I think it is infinitely better than (What’s
The Story) Morning Glory which preceded it, in turn, a pale imitation of their
superb debut, and best album, Definitely Maybe. The songs are, for the most part, extremely
catchy each rendered in the rumbling sound of their celebrated live version of The Beatles I Am A Walrus. D’You Know What I Mean, Stand By Me, All
Around The World, I Hope I Think I Know and, most memorably, It’s Getting’ Better
(Man!!) all fall into this category. Don’t
Go Away is a pretty good ballad and far more intelligible than either
Wonderwall or Champagne Supernova to boot.
By the way, I was in the crowd of their Melbourne gig of
that tour and I think it was pretty damned good. I should know, I have a tape of the gig to
prove it.
(# 448) The Stone
Roses – Second Coming (1994)
This album wasn’t so much spurned but did suffer negatively from perceived unfulfilled
expectations resulting from the 5 and a half
year waiting period after the release of their celebrated debut. Additionally, I think the title put some
people off, the cover painting seemed too reminiscent of the debut and the introduction
to the album was seen as kind of different…..
…… and yet I think this is one of the great guitar rock albums
of the last 20 years. On this John
Squire unleashed his inner Eric Clapton and some of the results are
astonishing, none more so that the twin barrel opening assault of Breaking Into
Heaven and Driving South. The former
starts with approximately 5 minutes of what sounds like a jungle – water running,
animal sounds and other ambient sounds – punctured by blasts of Squire’s guitar
which eventually coalesces into the song’s introductory riff. Squire’s playing
on this is nothing short of extraordinary, especially towards the end with it effortlessly segueing in to Driving South. This is pretty good but is topped by the
following Daybreak and its awesome jamming towards its end. Tears is a pretty good tune which appears to
musically reference Jimi Hendrix’s version of All Along The Watchtower and Love
Spreads was a convincing enough single.
The untitled hidden track is a bit much though.
The Stone Roses also undertook their debut tour on the back
of this album. I was in the crowd of
their Melbourne gig on that tour – one of the last shows performed with Squire
in it before his original departure – and the live performances of these songs
blew the original studio versions out of the water.
(# 449) The Red Hot
Chili Peppers – One Hot Minute (1995)
The follow up to BloodSugarSexMagik is routinely criticised by
just about every critic and the long term members of the RHCP. It is the only album which contains Jane’s
Addiction’s Dave Navarro on guitar and it appears that one of the problems some
people have with his presence is that he is not John Frusciante. Additionally, Navarro also seems to
influenced the band away from generally hedonistic themes to much darker ones……
……and yet, apart from its predecessor, this is the RHCP
album I play the most. A lot of it is
due to the excellent quality of its opening six numbers. Offering a variety of styles it kicks off in
grand style with the frantic Warped, the catchy and cheerful Aeroplane, the
solid Deep Kick, the reflective ballad My Friends and the singalong Coffee
Shop. Elsewhere, One Big Mob is an
effective throwback to the Hillel Slovak era whilst Falling Into Grace and
Shallow Be Thy Name thrash about agreeably.
Navarro’s guitar work is, as always, a treat and he was a galvanising
presence of the tour behind the album.
The Melbourne show I attended was good but not as riotously fun as that
for BloodSugarSexMagik.
(# 450) Metallica –
St. Anger (2003)
Now here’s an album hardly anybody likes. Songs from this album rarely seem to appear in
Metallica’s ever changing set lists, the band nearly broke up whilst making it,
critics routinely disparage it and, for
many, the only good thing to have emerged from the lengthy and chaotic
recording sessions was the Some Kind Of Monster documentary. When I first heard it, I too was completely
underwhelmed…..
….and yet I was turned around by, of all things, the documentary. More specifically, I was seduced by the
massive riff that sits behind Some Kind Of Monster as it played behind the film’s
closing credits. Curious as to whether
I’d missed anything, I played the album again – and have never really stopped
playing it ever since. It is, to my
mind, just about Metallica’s greatest album, a release in which they contemplate
and confront their own mortality and attempt to frame music to go with it. The key, is the opening 20 minutes, a
combination of three tracks that sound almost like a suite and which contains
some of the most ferocious and brave music this band has ever recorded. Frantic starts proceedings, a throwback to
the early days powered by some of Lars Ulrich’s most convincing drumming. Much of drum sound has been treated in some
way that it sounds very metallic. Over
the course of the album it does become a bit wearying but is perfectly suited
to the attack of these early tracks. The
title track follows starts with a furious jam that is later repeated to even
greater effect. As soon as it ends some ominous
notes, THAT riff and the closest thing to a guitar solo on the record heralds
the start of the stomping Some Kind Of Monster.
By the time this has ended, you’re gasping for breath. The opening three tracks have been so dense,
so dark and so very heavy that relief is needed. It comes in the form of the remainder of the
album, especially Dirty Window, Invisible Kid, Shoot Me Again and Sweet Amber. If the album has a fault, it is that some of
the tracks are a tad too long and possibly one track too many but ultimately
what cannot be denied, and which demands to be heard, is those opening three
tracks.
And had Metallica had toured Australia behind that album, I’m
sure these tracks would have been the highlight.
No comments:
Post a Comment