Album Review: Ben Folds - Way to Normal

Musically, there are two sides to singer/songwriter Ben Folds: either you get the sincere, solemn songs that harvest strong emotions such as "Brick" or "Landed"; or you get the silly, off-kilter comedy songs that make people laugh but don't generally do much else such as "Song for the Dumped" and "Rockin' the Suburbs."

After 2004's Songs for Silverman was created using largely the former, the critical backlash caused Folds to make his newest release, September's Way to Normal, filled to the brim with the comedy that got him notice in the first place. The problem with going back to his roots in this case is that, when placed side by side with his serious songs, his comedy material just doesn't seem to hold water. By having two incredibly moving ballads on his latest release, the rest of the album tends to suffer in comparison.

The album starts off well enough: "Hiroshima" and "Dr. Yang" are silly songs that sound good and flow well, although "Dr. Yang" suffers from too much going on musically. "You Don't Know Me" is also a good song that both meanders silliness and respectability and also features Regina Spektor's wonderful vocals, and the following "Cologne" and its intro make the first half of this album incredibly strong.

However, after "Cologne," which is a beautifully painful ballad, we are treated to two songs that, after following such a strong and serious song, fall short. "Errant Dog" and "Free Coffee" just don't have the same strong music that the first few songs do, and the content is simply lacking. "Free Coffee" is not only about nothing but trivial matters, it also has an annoying effect that Folds created by putting metal on top of the piano strings and distorting the notes. The result is less than listenable.

"Kylie From Connecticut" is another song that shows where Ben Folds strength really lies and is a fantastic song to close out the album. However, with the two songs shining as highlights on the album, all of the other songs that fail to reach the same sort of stature just look that much worse next to them. It has gotten to the point where I only want to hear three or four songs on the album, and it is only the fact that these songs are so good that the album is worth listening to.

Scoring:

Replayability: (16/20) As stated, this city is worth listening to for "You Don't Know Me," "Cologne," "Kylie Connecticut," and occasionally "Bitch Went Nuts," which doesn't fail to make me laugh. Otherwise, the songs just don't measure up.

Music: (16/20) Ben Folds is without doubt a wonderful piano player, and in several songs his skills are on display. However, the effects in songs like "Dr. Yang" and "Free Coffee" ruin the songs.

Lyrics: (15/20) This is a case of two Ben Folds as well: in the two serious songs his lyrics are poignant and thoughtful. However, in the other songs it seems he sort of just settles for whatever lyrics he could think of.

Completeness: (15/20) The CD flows well enough until tracks 7 and 8, where it slows down to a halt and then limps slowly to the big finale of "Kylie From Connecticut." Add in the fact that most of the songs are inherently skippable, the entire product isn't exactly complete.

Emotional Pull: (16/20) Again, what the rest of the album lacks in emotional content, "Cologne" and "Kylie" make up for in spades.

Total Scoring: 78

Grade: C+

The more I talk about the two serious songss, the more I realize that Songs for Silverman wasn't nearly as bad as the rap it received, and that maybe Folds gets attention for the wrong type of music. At the very least, if he wants to make an album that is more comedic, he'd be better off making it entirely so as not to run this risk of some songs far outshining others.

Check, Check Plus, X
Hiroshima √
Dr Yang √
The Frown Song √
You Don’t Know Me √+
Before Cologne √
Cologne √+
Errant Dog X
Free Coffee X
The Bitch Went Nuts √
Brainwascht √
Effington √
Kylie from Connecticut √+


Happy New Years, everyone! I hope 2009 is good to everyone, and I hope it continues the good luck I've had in 2008. One thing's for sure: tons of new music to look forward to. Everyone have a good one.

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC

Best Albums of 2008, What To Look For in 2009

It's been a busy holiday so far, so I haven't really gotten to listen to a lot of CDs that I'd like to. However, in a year as strong as this one for good music, I figure a recap of some of the year's best albums would be a good way to segue into what we're looking forward to in the first few months of 2009.

*Note: the albums recognized by me will likely be in the last half of the year seeing as I haven't reviewed any of the CDs before that point. There are plenty of good CDs out there that will not get mentioned, so apologies in advance.

Eric Hutchinson - Sounds Like This: A fresh sound that really took me by surprise. There's enough different genres on this album to appeal to everyone.

Jason Mraz - We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.: Great comeback album after the sort of weak Mr. A-Z. It shows that when Mraz wants to, he can make emotional, probing music that isn't just based around a cool rap verse.

The Killers - Day And Age: Despite not getting a lot of attention from the media at large, The Killers delivered a big follow-up to the slow-moving Sam's Town and showed that the world should take notice.

Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy: Crazy, right? I thought this CD would be terrible after all the build up, but Axl Rose managed to put out an enjoyable album that was a tribute to their old sound mixed with a new type of music that suited them even better.

Looking Forward to the Best Albums of 2009

Bruce Springsteen - Working on a Dream: The 16th studio album from Springsteen coincides with his performance at the halftime of the Super Bowl. Hopefully the legendary songwriter can get some new fans during the performance just in time for his album release.

Chris Cornell - Scream: Early indications mark that this album is going to be more of an R & B album as opposed to Cornell's grunge roots. If nothing else, his collaboration with Timbaland is sure to be interesting.

Mos Def - The Ecstatic: With Kanye West among the rumored producers and Slick Rick and Talib among the confirmed guest stars, the rapper-turned-actor-turned-rapper-again has the potential to really take early 2009 by storm.

U2 - No Line on the Horizon: Even though the band trashed all of their songs produced by Rick Rubin, there is still a big buzz of positive energy focused on their first album since 2004.

Enough of my forward looking. Before the new year is done I should have my CD review on Ben Folds' latest done and ready, and then we can look forward to the mystery that is 2009.

Happy Holidays everyone, and hope 2009 is as good as 2008 was.

Album Review: Fall Out Boy - Folie a Deux

Fall Out Boy has always been an interesting band to me, but in an effort to prevent this review from turning into an essay I will only explain this briefly.

By having an introverted bass player who writes all of the band's sharp and poignantly lyrics and having a lead singer who, among other things, is a producer and good friends with most of the popular music industry, Fall Out Boy teeters the line between band with substance and MTV's Flavor of the Week. By mixing intelligent lyrics with a knowledge of what sort of music sells, Fall Out Boy is essentially what would happen if the smart nerd and the popular student council president ruled the school.

Through their emergence on the music scene to Folie a Deux, the Chicago-based band's fifth album, Fall Out Boy has embraced both sides to their coin quite fervently. So it isn't a surprise that the album, which is named after a medical condition for shared psychosis, is the biggest example of that bond yet.

From the opening "Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes," it is apparent that Pete Wentz's lyrics are still as confusingly in tune as ever, as he questions his place in the world of love: "I’m a loose bolt of a complete machine/What a match:
I’m half doomed and you’re semi sweet." All of the matrimonial happiness that should have lifted Wentz's spirits didn't lyrically, and the result is that Fall Out Boy's words are just as strong as ever.

Comparatively, Patrick Stump's composition of the songs shows that he is very comfortable being categorized as a pop artist. The lyrics are spliced with intermittent "woahs" and falsettos, almost to the point of annoyance. This has become the style of the band since their last album, Infinity on High: Pete loads the feelings, and Stump launches them in a style that radio listeners love.

The biggest problem with Folie a Deux in comparsion to Infinity on High, though, is that in this most recent album the mix doesn't always go well. What would normally be an instant classic in "Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet" is marred by Depeche Mode-like low notes. Similarly, "America's Suitehearts" is almost doomed from the start with the line "You could have knocked me out with a" followed by a painfully high-pitched "feeeather."

Luckily, the duo combine to make very good choruses for most of the album. What hasn't changed is that Fall Out Boy still can make consistently catchy music. What has changed is the journey to that point is not as smooth.

Besides having catchy choruses, most of the songs run together and aren't exactly highly memorable, mostly because Fall Out Boy still subscribes to the interesting method of making the song title as long as the song itself. The titles usually merit a chuckle, but an unfortunate consequence is that the song loses an identity and sometimes doesn't immediately connect with the listener.

When it comes down to it, this album was saved almost entirely by "What a Catch, Donnie," the eighth track.

While the other songs are enjoyable, it isn't until "What a Catch" that you truly see how far as a band Fall Out Boy has come. The lyrically-simple-yet-thick song is accompanied beautifully by Stump's vocal work, and the arrangement of having guest stars sing excerpts from their earlier songs is a great touch. It creates an epic feel that Fall Out Boy has never reached before.

Besides "What a Catch, Donnie," there are a few songs that are good the whole way through: "The (Shipped) Gold Standard" and "Tiffany Blews" are well-crafted pop songs that continue to impress through repeated lessons.

In the end, it isn't that any of the songs on Folie a Deux are particularly bad; it's just that none of the songs really catch a hold of the listener besides the few that were listed above. It's not the best they could do, but it certainly wasn't the worth either, and whether or not you get this CD you need to get "What a Catch, Donnie," their best song to date.

Scoring:

Replayability: (17/20) Most of the songs have catchy choruses, and that's worth listening to a few times, but "What a Catch, Donnie" and "The (Shipped) Gold Standard" are the real reasons for listening to this album more than once.

Music: (15/20) This score isn't as high as it could be because, for the most part, the pop accoutrements that Stump creates does not capture the mood of Wentz's lyrics. This is the first time that their connection was off, and it made the album less enjoyable as a result.

Lyrics: (17/20) Pete Wentz's lyrics are still witty and poignant, and his mixing of simple elements in different songs actually helps make the songs better.

Completeness: (17/20) It is a solid album with no real let-downs except for the end of "20 Dollar Nose Bleed," when they do the dreaded speaking thing that has haunted the other albums. They should really not continue that trend.

Emotional Pull: (16/20) I'm not sure what it is, but the relatability of their music is much lower than usual. It may be the extra pop treatment, but something about the album makes it less powerful in that respect. The songs that received Check Pluses are the main contributing factors to this score.

Total Scoring: 82

Grade: B-

Check, Check Plus, X
Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes √+
I Don’t Care √
She’s My Winona √
America’s Suitehearts √
Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet √
The (Shipped) Gold Standard √+
(Coffee’s for Closers) √
What a Catch, Donnie √+
27 √
Tiffany Blews √
w.a.m.s. √
20 Dollar Nose Bleed √
West Coast Smoker √


Due to the holidays and all, I might not be as active as I'd like to be over the next few weeks. But if there's some music news or an album I want to review, you will be the first to know.

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC

Music Abuse! U.S. using music to torture prisoners.

So Trent Reznor and other artists are being used to fight terrorism. At first this has sort of a comedic value, and many interesting and humorous situations come to mind:

"I'll tell you nothing."

"Oh really? Are you sure you want to face the consequences?"

"I'm strong, I can withstand any torture..."

"Even...HANSON?"

"Mmm bob dip a dop..."

"NO! NO! THE AGONY! THE PAIN!"


But after the chuckles pass away, some serious problems arise. First of all, shouldn't an artist be okay with this sort of thing? I mean, I know people play artist's music for all sorts of purposes they don't know about, but that's mostly for raves and things (although those are considered torture by some parties). How do you feel if you know that your song is being used in a waterboarding lab somewhere? Obviously not good if they're banding together to express their disapproval.

Secondly, they are saying in the articles that some of these guys lost their minds due to the blasting of loud music. Isn't that counterproductive? Don't you want your terrorists to be in a sane state when they give you information?

Plus that whole "torture is evil and wrong" thing. But I'm not a politician, so I won't weigh in there.

Either way, it's music abuse, and that's just not cool.

Album Review: Common - Universal Mind Control

Common has always been a bit of a background player in the world of hip-hop. He gets the critical acclaim that a suburban poet of his nature deserves, but for the most part gets looked over in the general radio scene. After he was nominated for a grammy for Be, it became universally accepted that Common's type of music is deep and powerful, and his lack of commercial success was due to that fact.

In the past two albums, it seems that Common wants to shed that image and join Kanye West and others like him in the limelight, and Universal Mind Control is his most obvious attempt yet. While the latter half of the ten-song album shows glimpses of Common's strong flow and conscious storytelling, the first half begs to be played on the dancefloor.

The bumpy ride begins with "Universal Mind Control," which is only worth listening to for the Neptunes-crafted beat and nothing else. The man who preaches for equality and hope sounds out of place here: "Gucci - Rock'n, Coochies - Pop'n/Movie - Watch'n
Booties - Shop'n/Body - Move'n, Show'n, Groov'n, styl'n and being fly." The same is true for "Punch Drunk Love," "Make My Day" (which is saved by Cee-Lo's catchy chorus), and the unexcusably cheesy "Sex 4 Sugar." If there were any songs at the beginning of an album to discourage listening all the way through, these would be them.

Luckily, things pick up a little at "Announcement" and "Gladiator," where Common brings his more-familiar "King Common" persona as he challenges rappers and navigates issues in Culture with clever wordplay. Then he follows it up with the inspiring "Changes" and the odd-yet-enjoyable "Inhale." The autobiographical "What a World" and the dance-influenced "Everywhere" help to keep the album on a good note, but it feels like the damage has already been done by the sex-loaded front of the album.

On his last album, Finding Forever, Common had two songs about sexual encounters back-to-back at the end of the album, and it ruined the CDs otherwise stellar flow. It seems that he hasn't learned his lesson here, as the first four songs completely take the energy out of the album and should only be listened to if you're planning a party with people who don't listen to rap lyrics or don't understand English.

It simply feels as if Common was out of his element, and while part of the blame can be attributed to Pharrell Williams for his over-production, a large part of the blame has to rest on Common's shoulders because of his need to gain a larger audience. Whether or not this album accomplishes that goal, as a whole it has caused this album to suffer.

Scoring:

Replayability: (15/20) There are a few songs that merit multiple listens, especially "Changes" and "Gladiator" for its scathing yet enjoyable attack on culture. However, except for "Make My Day" the first four tracks are hard to listen to.

Music: (19/20) Although the lyrical content isn't where it usually is with Common, Pharrell Williams has definitely created intoxicating beats and given some songs a nice groove to nod to.

Lyrics: (15/20) Common hits some of his highest highs on this album in "Gladiator" and "Changes," but also his by far his lowest lows in "Universal Mind Control" and "Sugar 4 Sex."

Completeness: (12/20) I mentioned that the beginning of the album almost makes you want to quit listening to it the first time through. That is not the sign of a complete album by any means. The last sex tracks have a certain flow to them but can't completely make up for the train wreck at the beginning.

Emotional Pull: (14/20) "Changes" and "What a World" are almost completely responsible for getting the score this high, which is disappointing because one of Common's biggest strengths has always been creating a voice that most of his listeners can identify with. Other than the songs above it is mostly absent here.

Total Scoring: 75

Grade: C

In his quest to make a hit, Common has sacrificed his voice and his consistency, two things that made Be such a classic.

Check, Check Plus, X
Universal Mind Control X
Punch Drunk Love X
Make My Day √
Sex 4 Sugar X
Announcement √
Gladiator √+
Changes √+
Inhale √+
What a World √
Everywhere √

Lot to look forward to next week. Well, not a lot, but it will be interesting to see if Fall Out Boy can continue balancing pop and intelligence with their new album.

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC

The Lonely Island's New Video is So Awesome That I...

"Jizz in My Pants"

Saturday Night Live member Andy Samberg's music group, Lonely Island, finally released their first single, and it is as crude as it is funny. There are some big guest stars in the hilarious video, such as Molly Sims, Jamie Lynn Sigler, and an especially funny cameo from Justin Timberlake.

I think it will be hard for the Lonely Island's music aspirations to completely take off, especially considering the other comedians who released comedy music while they were hot, such as Jimmy Fallon and Tom Green. In those cases, first their music disappeared from airwaves and then they disappeared soon after. I hope that sort of thing doesn't happen to Samberg, who is as responsible for SNL's apparent resurrection as anybody. But with his success mostly coming off of songs like this one, I'm pretty sure I have nothing to worry about.

Enjoy!

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC

Album Review: Scarface - Emeritus

Scarface is not the type of rapper you'll find doing the late night performance circuit, or collaborating with one of your favorite pop stars for heavy music rotation. He's just not that high profile guy.

By the same token, he isn't the underground rapper who isn't accepted because he defies convention. In fact, Scarface fills his albums with the same sort of material that bogs down popular hip hop today: respect, money, violence, and a claim to being the best around. Any hopes for his presumed final album, Emeritus, to bring out the sentimental side of Scarface are destined for futility: Scarface does exactly what he has done through 9 albums, and even if the result isn't satisfying, it's reliable.

The beginning of Emeritus hits hard once you skip the intro from J. Prince that, while being interesting, doesn't warrant more than one confused listen. After that is the accurate "High Powered" and the only two great songs on the album: "Forgot About Me" and "Can't Get Right." The former is a jam-packed collaboration song with Lil Wayne and Bun B, and both do what they're supposed to (Wayne even makes fun of his multiple guest appearances by renaming himself "Featuring Lil Wayne" in the song). The latter is a soulful song of mourning for trying to break out of the hard way of life and finding it impossible. Bilal's guest vocals contribute wonderfully to this purpose.

However, the rest of the album kind of moves along after that, with few songs sticking out for good reasons. Songs like "Who Are They" and "We Need You" only stand out for their grating choruses. The other songs aren't particularly bad, but they also aren't particularly good. There are no one-liners, no big points, nothing that makes you stop and say "this is why I'm listening to this album." Scarface seems content on this album to just go for the ride, not realizing that he might be the only one in the car.

The music is done well in some parts and mediocre in others. The disparity is such that when the Cool and Dre-produced track "Forgot About Me" hits, the other songs following it sound poorly made as a result. There was certainly ambition in the production, as evidenced in the flutes in "I'm Still Here" and certain string arrangements throughout the album. To that end, the music created a somber mood for the majority of the album as Scarface continues to contemplate why there is still so much hatred in the world while simultaneously glorifying guns and murder.

Scarface is one of those rappers who calls himself "your favorite rapper's favorite rapper," and by listening to this album it is apparent how his body of work as a solo artist and as part of the Geto Boys influenced a lot of today's hip hop acts. But for a potentially final album, Emeritus isn't going out with a bang: more like the pop of a cap gun.

Scoring:

Replayability: (15/20) Several songs might be worth a listen or two, but the only two songs that will really warrant several plays are "Forgot About Me" and "Can't Get Right."

Music: (17/20) Where it's good, it's good. The beats help give the album a real, gritty feel that complements Scarface's simple subject matter...

Lyrics: (13/20) Which costs him here. The problem with his lyrics is that they are nothing new. He doesn't sample anyone else's lyrics, but he doesn't say anything different or interesting in any of the songs.

Completeness: (15/20) "Who Are They" and "We Need You" curb the album's momentum, but not by much: for the most part the transitions are smooth from track to track and the mixing was properly done. A lot of the beats towards the end of the album take elements of beats from the first few songs, and it gives the album a complete feel.

Emotional Pull: (11/20) There is absolutely nothing here to grasp onto. Seeing as this could be his last album, there should be a lot of pathos-inspiring elements reminiscent of Jay-Z's Black Album (no matter the outcome with that), but there is absolutely nothing here that you haven't heard a million times. There is no tearful goodbye, no big stunt to remember him by: this is who he has always been, and it doesn't get a reaction.

Total Scoring: 71

Grade: C-

Check, Check Plus, X
High Powered √
Forgot About Me √+
Can’t Get Right √+
Still Here √
It’s Not a Game √
Who Are They X
Soldier’s Story √
Redemption Song √
High Note √
We Need You X
Unexpected √
Emeritus √

Sticking with the hip-hop theme I've brought upon myself, today Common releases his 8th album, Universal Mind Control, which is waiting for me when I get off of work. Expect the review soon.

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC

Freshly signed artists Hey Champ wraps up tour with Lupe Fiasco

Lupe Fiasco's 1st and 15th Records has taken a different turn from most rapper-based record companies. First comes the signing of Matthew Santos, Lupe's reliable hookman, and in October Lupe signed Rockford, Illinois electro group Hey Champ.

Hey Champ's myspace

Lupe has taken them with him on tour for the past few months since their signing, and last night in College Park was their last show. They have an interesting sound and it seems to almost complement the style that Lupe Fiasco brings to mind. After the break, Hey Champ is going to do a few local shows and hopefully work on a complete album under the FnF label.

Good signing for the fledgling label, and hope to see more from these guys soon.

Coldplay Accused of Plagiarism...Again

So Joe Satriani has filed suit against Coldplay for apparently stealing one of his riffs for the song "Viva La Vida." Things are getting heavy for Chris Martin and the boys: first the Creaky Boards cry plagiarism and now this.

This most recent accusation is sort of a hard pill to swallow for a few reasons:

1.) "Viva La Vida" was released in May of 2008. The Creaky Boards complaint was made a month after, which is an appropriate time to react to the supposed pilfering of one of your songs. Seven months is not an appropriate amount of time, especially when "Viva La Vida" was on TV and radio for months straight and is now finally starting to lose steam.

2.) Even if the riffs are somewhat similar, over the course of time there have been many songs that sound somewhat alike and have been passed off as simply a coincidence.

3.) That being said, these songs don't really sound very much alike. If it is that riff after the first bit, then I think Satch is just being picky.

I'm sure that this will go away just like the last accusation did. But if I'm Chris Martin, I would be proud of myself: apparently the song he wrote is so good that everyone wants a piece of the action.

My Top Comeback Albums

Time released an article chronicling the best comeback albums in honor of Britney Spears trying to resurrect her career. While the list does have some pretty good albums, I decided to create my own list of albums that helped me get over a band's past mess-ups.



Incubus - Light Grenades. After the successful reception of Make Yourself and Morning View, bassist Dirk Lance left the band for creative differences. Judging by the subsequent release of A Crow Left of the Murder, Lance took all of the creativity with him. The CD was full of overambitious concepts and riffs without melodies. After the lone abberation in their long career, Incubus got back on track with Light Grenades, which brought back the interesting sound that listeners know and love.



Eminem - The Eminem Show. The Marshall Mathers LP may have marked Eminem's most successful album, but it also was followed by a rough patch in Eminem's personal life. He was arrested for attacking a bouncer and his marriage to Kim was in shambles. However, Eminem took all of that negative energy and rolled it into a 19 track masterpiece that stands, in my opinion, as his best album to date. He referenced the incident in several tracks, including as a skit in "The Kiss," and with help from Jeff Bass and Dr. Dre turned something that could have been career-killing into the best-selling album of 2002.



Tool - Lateralus. Tool took the 90s by storm and essentially created the genre of progressive metal, or at least brought the genre to a bigger stage. With thrashing guitars, haunting lyrics and disturbing music videos, Tool had much success with 1993's Undertow and 1996's Aenima. But after a long legal dispute with their record company and a tarnished image thanks to their stance on the Napster/music sharing controversy, many Tool fans were thinking their third studio album might never come. Butin 2001 Tool released Lateralus, an album that took all of Tool's strengths and made them better, especially with the moving title track and epic songs like "The Grudge."

There are more, but they will be saved for another time.

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC

Album Review: 8Stops7 - In Moderation

I've mostly taken it upon myself to do new album reviews since that is the nature of the music beast: it is all about what is new and happening right now. This is why I plan on reviewing CDs from Scarface and Akon among others in the coming weeks.

But sometimes a CD that is a little bit older just takes hold of you and won't let go, even after almost ten years. This sort of CD deserves a review, especially since it's from a band that never really got much publicity after the release. And since I mentioned one of their songs in the pick-me-up thread, I figured I should give them a little more attention.

8Stops7 is a rock band from Ventura, California that broke onto the music scene with the 1999 release In Moderation, and quickly got national notice for the singles "Satisfied" and "Question Everything," even getting a spot on the soundtrack from the show Friends. The problem was no one bought the album and Reprise records subsequently dropped 8Stops7 from their label.

If anyone had heard this album, they never would have had to be dropped.

In Moderation was -- and, 9 years later, still is -- the quintessential modern rock album. Every element to this album is nearly perfect, from the mood-setting thrashing guitars to the chilling vocals from Evan Sula-Goff, from the pulsing rock anthems to the moving ballads. This album was crafted with obvious care from top to bottom, from track to track, and it hits all five of the RRC criteria pretty flawlessly.

The guitars slash in some songs and whisper in others. The same can be said about Sula-Goff's voice, which has a surprisingly strong range. The lyrics aren't just splattering of angry words together but true stories. Every song has substance, from "Satisfied"'s battle with addiction to "Regression"'s letter from a child school shooter. There are songs about love and loss, songs about fathers dying and lovers' insanity. Each song is a story that draws the listener in and envelops them in a style that is uniquely 8Stops7's own.

8Stops7 released another album which is nearly impossible to find, and is planning on releasing another one in the coming year. I have tried desperately to find the second album because this first one had such an overwhelming effect on me. It has been 9 years since I first purchased this album and it still can bring out whatever emotion is needed: sadness, happiness, fear (from the end of "Better" which is a truly haunting song).

I reviewed this album because while there have been many good albums this year, I still feel like something's missing, and I wanted to show that there is an album that most people missed which should be discovered and given the attention it deserves.



Scoring:

Replayability: (20/20) "Not Alive," "Question Everything," "Regression," "Uninspired," "Esteem": each of these songs deserve multiple listens, and it takes many listens to "Esteem" to get your head around the subject matter. The songs are deep and moving and require multiple listens to truly enjoy.

Music: (18/20) The guitars from this album were much like the guitars from most the post-grunge rock era: heavy, distorted, and talented enough to carry a track. What really helps this score is that the shift in musical styles completely carries the album's momentum, and the solo in "Esteem" really captures the essence of the song completely.

Lyrics: (18/20) The pain is evident in "Regression": "These idle hands don't know their worth/I've covered them in blood, but this still fucking hurts." Similarly, the simple yet powerful lyrics in "Good Enough" display a much more hopeful theme: "But maybe tomorrow you'll wake up to find out/If I'm not good enough for now I'm good enough to wait for you."

Completeness: (20/20) This album was mixed and arranged perfectly, starting with the highs and mixing in the lows effortlessly. A variety of different emotions and moods are covered in the CD, and they flow naturally through one another.

Emotional Pull: (19/20) Spilling over from the last score, the emotions are powerfully on display throughout the entire album, climaxing at the end of "Forget," where Sula-Goff ends the CD with the full-circle: "When I need to find what I'm missing/And I can't recall what it was I believed in/Take me home." The ride is full of identifiable moments that listeners can relate to.

Total Score: 95

Grade: A

8Stops7 hits it right on nearly every chord, every vocal, every song. It may be hard to find, but it is on Amazon for 7 dollars, and that's a STEAL. This album is great from start to finish. Here's hoping that the other material they have and will put out can live up to the same standard.

Check, Check Plus, X
Satisfied √
Not Alive √+
Question Everything √+
Regression √+
Good Enough √+
Better √+
Uninspired √+
Esteem √+
Wider √
My Would-Be Savior √
Forget √+


Like I said, the next few album reviews should happen this week, as there is plenty of more hip hop, plus other albums coming out this week and next.

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC

Wale: when is this dude gonna make an album already?

"5 Minutes"

He's had some mixtapes, sure, but the Washington, D.C. rapper is sick and really needs to get something out there. He has the flow of Jadakiss but the mindset of Lupe, and I think the combination is something hip hop really needs right now. "5 Minutes" is a pulsing track that affirms in my mind Wale's skills.

Get this kid on an album yesterday!

Top Pick-Me-Up Songs: My Favorite Four-Minute Escape Sessions

Music has followed me everywhere I go for as long as I remember, and I know I'm not alone in saying that it has become a driving force of every conceivable situation and emotion in my life. Music for me is most helpful when I need a pick-me-up and the real-world solution isn't in sight or ready to happen yet. This is when I play the songs that, for whatever reason, put me in a better mood just for listening to them.

1. "Question Everything" by 8Stops7. This song is a gem from the Ventura, CA-based band that came into the public light, put out one of my favorite albums of all time In Moderation, and promptly disappeared. I still listen to this album consistently, and this song is the one I pick when I need to realize that problems and perspective fades in time, and things that seem daunting or insurmountable can look so silly when compared with time or, in this song's case, a bigger tragedy.

2. "Get Over It" by OK GO. They've become famous for their amusing videos, but it is this song that always springs to mind when I'm in a slump because the music is uplifting, and the message is simple: stop whining and get over it.

3. "Ok It's Alright With Me" by Eric Hutchinson. The first song off of his amazing album Sounds Like This is just a fun song to take your mind off of your problems and groove with the beat, as short as it is.

4. "Work It Out" by Jurassic 5 ft. Dave Matthews. Not only is the video hilarious, the song is a nice groove and advocates just chilling out and not getting too worked up over the problems in relationships. Sadly, J-5 couldn't work out their own problems and now one of the best hip-hop groups of our generation is gone. But if that depresses me, I can just listen to the song again and cheer up.

5. "Landed" by Ben Folds. I had initially disregarded Ben Folds as a comedy artist in the early years of the millennium, but this song has not only proven me wrong, but has cheered me up when I felt trapped in past relationships. And when I finally "opened my eyes and walked out the door," this was the first song I played.

6. "Pantera Fans in Love" by Nerfherder. I'd like to think I grew out of most of the pop punk music I loved in my young, formative years, but Nerfherder is a band that I haven't been able to drop. It might be because they're funny, or because this song always made me laugh even when I was in a foul mood, but it's easy for me to overlook the simple chords and shallow, funny lyrics and just wonder "How come Slayer doesn't sing about this?"

7 and 8. "A Southern Thing" by Better Than Ezra and "New Orleans" by Cowboy Mouth. I'll lump these two together because I play them when I'm upset about the same thing. These songs are a must when I start to feel negative about the city I live in. I'll be honest and say that I often get tired of living in New Orleans and dream of a life in another city, state, country.

But both of these songs have the ability to put me back in perspective and have a sense of pride for my city. With "A Southern Thing," the line in the chorus "Don't mock what you don't understand, it's a southern thing" makes me realize how different living here is than anywhere else. And when Fred Leblanc belts out "take me back to New Orleans and drop me at my door/'cause I might love you yeah, but I love me more" I always think of how this is my city and how proud I am of it.


I have millions more, but these are the songs that truly help me through a troubling time. It would be interesting to hear what songs get other people through the bad times.

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC

Album Review: Ludacris - Theater of the Mind

Although I am a firm disbeliever in the current "look at me" era of hip hop that has produced uninspired acts such as Soulja Boy and Dem Franchise Boyz, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Atlanta-born Chris "Ludacris" Bridges. I think it's mostly because he makes me laugh, and never seems to truly take himself seriously. A lot of his singles have been unintelligent club bangers, but Ludacris has always had an ability to transcend the trite subject material with his fantastic flow and seemingly bottomless pit of analogies and wordplay.

With Theater of the Mind, Luda's 6th LP, Ludacris has kept most of the same calling cards as in earlier albums but has tried to mold them into an ambitious collective. After his successful run-ins with the film industry, Ludacris has attempted to give every song on the album a theatrical touch, claiming that he wanted every song to pop out like a scene in a movie. I'm not quite sure if he accomplished this objective, but I will say that the songs that do hit hit VERY hard.

This is evident from the very beginning, as the "Intro" and the following "Undisputed" grab the listener's attention and refuses to let it go. Right out of the gate Luda's rapid-fire delivery and amusing lyrical offerings are on display, and the same is true for the end of the album. Starting with "Last of a Dying Breed" with Lil Wayne, Ludacris ends the album in such a strong way that if there were only these 6 songs on the album, it would be a 98 or higher.

It's just a shame that the middle 8 tracks throw all of that in the shitter.

It's not that all of the tracks are bad: in fact, "Wish You Would" is pretty good outside of the annoying chorus and "Southern Gangsta" is a really good song that actually makes Rick Ross sound good, strange as that sounds. But with medicore songs like "Contagious" and downright bad songs like "Nasty Girl" and the single "What Them Girls Like," there is no sort of continuous flow to the album to speak of.

To make matters worse, the abundance of guest stars (or co-stars to fit the movie theme) in most cases do not deliver the expected punch: T.I. does not give the verse he is capable of on "Wish You Would," and Chris Brown is almost unrecognizable on "What Them Girls Like." The overused cliche is that too many chefs spoil the pot, and the resulting entree seems overcooked. Not to say that all of the co-stars fail to contribute: besides the aforementioned Ross, Nas, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Common all deliver good verses. It's just that the CD has been given an epic treatment when it comes to the starpower that is working with Ludacris, and some of the actual performances do not necessarily live up to the hype.

Similarly to the guest rappers, the myriad producers on the CD have some high-profile names, such as legendary DJ Premier, Scott Storch, Swizz Beats and 9th Wonder. However, this collection of great producers does exactly what they're supposed to do. Ludacris's aim of making every track seem like the scene of a movie is an ambitious one, but the opening string arrangement on "Last of a Dying Breed" and the emphatic introduction help to capture this goal. Some of the songs don't carry the theme well ("What Them Girls" and "One More Drink" come to mind), but overall the beats on the album are certainly part of its strength.

After 2006's Release Therapy halted Ludacris's momentum because of its slightly different style, Luda has taken it in the opposite direction with Theater of the Mind. Although there are some chasms in between, Luda shows us he still has the flow and wordplay that made him hot but also the vision to try something different.

Scoring:

Replayability: (17/20) The first two and last four tracks are the songs to listen to over and over again. There are some songs here that I don't want to listen to at all, but those six plus a few others in between (hearing Chris Rock's mini-roast of Luda on "Everybody Hates Chris" is pretty funny) will keep Theater rockin' my CD player for a few more weeks, I'm sure.

Music: (18/20) Some of the songs do sound straight out of the movie screen, while others just sound good to shake your ass to in a club (not my ass, but somebody's, I'm sure). The amalgamation of big name producers helped the album's direction.

Lyrics: (18/20) I think that Ludacris takes a break on some songs, particularly in the middle, but in the beginning and the end his witticisms and jokes are top notch: "And I got da women screamin', and they could catch my balls on any given sunday like my name's Willy Beaman" is just one of the chucklers on the album.

Completeness: (13/20) This is where the album truly hurts, and it's because of songs such as "One More Drink" and "Nasty Girl." If Ludacris wanted to make this album like a movie, these are the scenes that should've been deleted; they make the entire album suffer. Doubly worse is the back to back of "What Them Girls Like" and "Nasty Girl."

Emotional Pull: (15/20) Since rap really isn't about commiseration and coming to touch with one's feelings, this score is mostly for the epic mood that the album creates on songs like "I Do It For Hip Hop," "Undisputed," and "Do The Right Thing." More than just a theme, the album's movie-driven influences take the listener on a ride and really shine when done properly.

Total Score: 81

Grade: B-

When it's hot, it's really hot: Ludacris rides on perhaps some of his best flows on this album. However, when it's not, it's simply not there, and the album as a whole suffers because of it.

Check, Check Plus, X
Intro √+
Undisputed √+
Wish You Would √
One More Drink X
Call Up My Homies √
Southern Gangsta √+
Everybody Hates Chris √
What Them Girls Like X
Nasty Girl X
Contagious √
Last of a Dying Breed √+
MVP √+
I Do It For Hip Hop √+
Do The Right Thing √+

One of the biggest CD release weeks of the month has been sufficiently conquered! We have a lot more music coming up before the end of the year, but I'm going to recommend something that's not exactly typical music in my next review. So get ready and suit up, because it will be on the way next week.

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC

Album Review: Kanye West - 808 and Heartbreak

The first time I ever saw the music video for "Through the Wire", I scoffed and bristled at the idea of Kanye West becoming a household name. To me, he was just another producer-turned-rapper who would find out he had more talent in the former than the latter and fade into the background.

Well, hindsight being 20/20 and all, I'm the biggest retard on the planet.

Kanye West has proclaimed himself as the most influential person in entertainment in the past decade, and it's really hard for the world to disagree. His body of work (10 Grammys, 3 multi-plantium albums, and his face on nearly every magazine ever made) is hard to ignore, and that's probably why his fall from grace in the past year has been something of a shock.

With the death of his mother last year and the ending of his engagement to designer Alexis Phifer, Kanye seemed to unravel in front of the public, and with the decision to release an unconventional album in 808 and Heartbreak, most of his listeners were expecting his rule of the pop culture world to take a huge hit. On the other end, the critics have been very positive about this album. So it's either unadulterated hatred from fans mad because he tried to be different or overwhelming critical acclaim from magazines because he tried to be different. It's hard to tell which truth to believe.

After listening to the album, made completely using Auto-Tune, the verdict is that, like most things, it is not either side but a mixture of the two: 808 and Heartbreak is not a failed experiment, nor is it the the work of a genius. It is, however, a solid album that shows that Kanye West can do whatever he wants over one of his beats and the result is still listenable.

Throughout the entire album, there is only one glaring weakness, and it is something that is usually one of the Chicago-born rapper's second-biggest strength: lyrics. The man known for his wicked wordplay and clever jokes has nothing more than cliches to offer throughout the entire experience, with the exception of a few gems in "Robocop" and nearly the entire song of "Pinocchio's Story." This leaves most of the album to be driven by the 808 half of the title.

Thankfully, this is Kanye's biggest strength. Every track has a cleverly arranged beat that speaks louder than the lyrics do. In "Welcome to Heartbreak," it is the haunting piano line that betrays Kanye's depression more than the lyrics. The same is true for "Street Lights." Since it is obvious that this new genre did not allow Kanye to truly express himself through his words, Kanye has to use his award-winning production skills to pick up the slack. He is able to do this well.

Because of the musical accomplishments, it is easy to feel something for Kanye, if he is indeed telling the truth when he proclaims that this album is his "heart and soul." Most of the songs have somber tunes and tell sad stories, and especially in the final track "Pinocchio's Story" it makes you feel for him, which is impressive seeing that the star has millions of dollars and can at least rent happiness temporarily.

The songs actually do a good job of melting into each other to create a general mood. The only snag in the flow is the end of "Bad News," which develops into some sort of jam session of repeating beat for almost two minutes. The West/Lil Wayne supertrack "See You In My Nightmares" saves the momentum of the album, but it still gets a skip from me every time.

As for the other collaboration on the CD, "Amazing" actually does a good job of playing to plodding rapper Young Jeezy's (only) strength: a slow, grooving beat for Jeezy to ride cautiously. The result is a song that helps fade seamlessly into the single "Love Lockdown."

It isn't the best album of the year, despite the overwhelming approval from the critical world. However, it isn't a train-wreck either, as some fans are calling it. 808 and Heartbreak is a CD that shows that Kanye does what he wants, and still knows what relatively good music is.

Scoring:

Replayability: (17/20) The smooth feel of the album has unexpectedly made me eager to listen to it more and more. Much like the single "Love Lockdown," each song has a fungus feel: it grows on you and begs for more listens.

Music: (19/20) Kanye started out as a producer, so there was no surprise that the biggest strength of this album is the groovy and dark mood he has created with his simple yet entertaining arrangements.

Lyrics: (13/20) The lyrics could have a universal appeal that pulls in listeners, I guess, but for the most part the lack of originality from one of music's most creative minds is a huge disappointment.

Completeness: (16/20) "Bad News" really hurts the entire album, but the smooth ride and great transition into each song truly helps this score. I really like the idea that the concept of Heartbreak can be found in each song.

Emotional Pull: (15/20) Despite the lack of great lyrics, the music and the universal appeal mentioned earlier help cause a connection, although it's only strong in "Heartless," "Street Lights," and especially "Pinocchio's Story."

Total Score: 80

Grade: B-

The middle of the road is a strange location for the generally-outstanding Kanye West, but he travels it well. It's nothing like his college-themed albums, but I'm pretty sure that's the point.

Check, Check Plus, X
Say What You Will √
Welcome To Heartbreak √+
Heartless √+
Amazing √
Love Lockdown √
Paranoid √
Robocop √
Street Lights √+
Bad News X
See You In My Nightmares √
Coldest Winter √
Pinocchio Story √+


Happy Thanksgiving again, folks. It's been a pretty good holiday so far, and I get to celebrate by having fun with some friends, then coming back to the music room to listen to Ludacris' new album, which should be reviewed in a few days.

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC

Today on the Rick Report Card...No One Is Safe

Not even the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Watch the clip!

Call this overdone if you want, but I think it was funny and may possibly be the final straw for the Rick Rolling phenomenon. Which means maybe Rick Astley will release another CD. God I hope not.

Either way, it was fun while it lasted. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. We have much to be thankful for. Like resurrecting a Brit's song 20 years after it was popular, then overdoing it so much it arrives on national television.

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC

Album Review: The Killers - Day And Age

The Killers have always had a knack for standing out. Whether it be from their odd song “Somebody Told Me” off of their Debut album Hot Fuss or their interesting marketing of lead single “When You Were Young” from Sam’s Town, The Killers have something about them that make the average listener stop, at least for a moment, and pay attention.

For the most part, though, it’s only been a moment; despite having a large cult following and being critically recognized for their two albums, the public at large have mostly refused to latch on to the group from Nevada. Call it a lack of interest in the particular genre or not enough universal appeal in their singles, but The Killers are usually passed over for other artists. The biggest example for this is the release of their 3rd album, Day & Age, which has not gotten the publicity it deserves because it was released on the same day as Kanye West and Ludacris, and a day after the most anticipated music album of this generation, Guns N Roses’ Chinese Democracy.

However, anyone who skips over this album is missing out, because after compiling two CDs that were filled with hit-or-miss songs, Day & Age is The Killers’ first album to consistently deliver good song after good song full of aesthetically pleasing music and thought-provoking lyrics.

Their first single, “Human,” is a good indicator of the entire album: interesting lyrics that probe more of the mind than earlier material, more synthesizer-influenced music, and less vocoder work on Brandon Flowers’ vocals. The overall treatment of the album is helped by these changes.

As in past albums, The Killers offer a range of different moods for their songs: there are the fast-paced, 80s era songs such as “Spaceman” and “Joyride,” and there are the epic, sweeping songs such as “Dustland Fairytale,” “The World We Live In,” and “Goodnight, Travel Well.” The difference between this album and albums of the past is that the epic songs actually come off as such: with “Goodnight” and “Dustland,” the music and building up of Flowers create a mood that past songs such as “Sam’s Town” failed to invoke.

It is this mood that creates the tone of the album: by seamlessly going from track to track, the 42 minutes of music is a relatively smooth ride, with no songs that kill the album’s momentum. The mood is equally helped by the musical styling of David Keuning and Mark Stoermer and the surprisingly adept lyrics of Flowers. Songs such as “Spaceman” and “The World We Live In” have the lyrical and vocal strength to carry the song by themselves but are especially aided by the extra musical accoutrements, which besides synth include sax solos and violins.

Past efforts from The Killers have not quite reached top album status because they have lacked a true complete feel, even Sam’s Town’s attempt to bookend the album with similar tracks. This album has a natural flow to it, however. That along with the good lead-off single in “Humans” gives The Killers a chance to keep the public looking for more than just a moment.

Total Scoring:

Replayability: (19/20) Even after the rock stations inevitably run “Human” into the ground (as they’re starting to already), there are still plenty of songs worth listening to several times over – the whole album, essentially.

Music: (18/20) I think using Flowers’ true voice, despite revealing some of the singer’s off-key moments, was a good move for this album, especially on “Human,” as it makes the song seem more approachable. Also, the synthesizer and overall musical treatment really captures the mood of each song.

Lyrics: (18/20) Much like the music, the lyrics of each song are complementary and surprisingly good (I say surprisingly because these are the same guys who talked about someone’s boyfriend looking like a girlfriend). Flowers seems to have hit his songwriting peak on his third album.

Completeness: (19/20) Again, this is the strength of this album compared to previous efforts. In both Hot Fuss and Sam’s Town, a series of good songs would build up the album’s momentum and then a bad song or two completely halted the process. That does not happen on this CD, as even the songs that are not great are still enjoyable and do not hurt the album’s flow.

Emotional Pull: (16/20) “Human” and “Spaceman” have lyrics that touch the listener and pulls them in, but it is the grandiosity of the final two tracks that truly make an impact on the listener emotionally. The build-up of “Goodnight, Travel Well” hits a climax that literally made me stop to catch my breath.

Total Score: 90

Grade: A-

Day & Age has marked an increase from Sam’s Town, which was in turn slightly better than Hot Fuss. If this growth is any indication, we have yet to see the best of The Killers.

Check, Check Plus, X
Losing Touch √+
Human √
Spaceman √+
Joyride √
A Dustland Fairytale √+
This Is Your Life √
I Can’t Stay √
Neon Tiger √+
The World We Live In √+
Goodnight, Travel Well √+

Next up, I will review one of this album’s competitors on the release date of November 24. Kanye West has conquered every facet of the entertainment world that he has encountered. How did he do on his auto-tuned album? Well, you can either listen to it to find out or wait until the grade is handed out. Should be tomorrow, or Friday if the turkey puts me into a coma.

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC

U2 to Rick Rubin: Thanks But No Thanks

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/launch/20081126/en_launch/61903658;_ylt=AhJrldo6na3pu90icUS3je2VEhkF

Too many big-named chefs spoil the pot? Maybe. The Edge cites their decision to scrap all of the Rubin-produced tracks on the album was because Rick's style did not match their own in recording. Namely, the Hall of Fame rockers didn't like the fact that he believes in waiting until you're completely prepared for everything you're going to do before setting foot in the studio.

Obviously, this does not reflect U2's philosophy.

"UNO, DOS, TRES...CATORCE!" Yeah, they don't like preparing much at all.

I think that there are two ways to look at this news story. Either the Irish rock band is completely right for doing this, because they've always done well for themselves with Eno and the others that they are comfortable with.

OR:

Rick Rubin could've been the way to get back into the spotlight that had diminished after a sort of mediocre reception of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, and scrapping the tracks on the album might further alienate them from the largest music-listening generation right now, the one that eats up tracks by Jay-Z and other artists that have had Rubin craft their songs. Also, Rubin helped another band that was fading out of the rock scene resurrect their careers with Red Hot Chili Pepper's Stadium Arcadium.

To each their own, of course. I have no authority to tell U2 what to do with their record, which will probably still be good. I just think a Rick Rubin track on a U2 album is a guaranteed hit. Oh well.

Album Review: Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy (FINALLY!)

The most anticipated album in music is finally released, and there are tons of opinions. So here's one more. Open that free Dr. Pepper and let's get going!

I should start by establishing the obvious aspects of this 14-years-in-the-making album: yes, there have been so many delays and legal battles that the collaborating artist roster is more then ten people. Yes, the album's trials and tribulations in trying to be released has made it something of a joke with the public at large. Yes, Axl Rose cannot possibly hit the same notes that he could in 1989. These things are true, and as a result there are many reviews that are trashing the sixth release under the Guns N Roses banner. However, the third of those obvious aspects is the one that actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Chinese Democracy: Axl's new voice fits in perfectly with the album, which while not being exactly like their material from the 90s is still listenable: in fact, it's downright enjoyable.

From the onset of the title track, it's obvious that the days of unrivaled screeching have passed the 46 year-old by. In the earlier songs, he makes the mistake of attempting to cover this up by singing in a deeper voice. The result is a voice that sounds like Chef from South Park singing over the Buckethead/Robin Finck/Bumblefoot riffs. This is less than enjoyable.

But after the first two songs drag down the album's momentum, "Better" and particularly "Street of Dreams" show off Guns N Roses' real skill, the one that has shown itself more in "November Rain" than in "Welcome to the Jungle": the epic, dramatic song. There are several songs that fit into this category besides "Street of Dreams": "Catcher in the Rye," "This I Love," "Sorry," and "There Was a Time" all show the strength of the album and the style that Axl's new voice perfectly complements.

They can still rock it hard as they do in "I.R.S." and "Riad n’ the Bedouins," but the songs mentioned above are more important to the album's overall ebb and flow. It's the rock songs you headbang to in your car, but it's the slow songs you remember, and it's the slow songs that make Chinese Democracy a good album.

Most of the other familiar components from Guns N Roses have returned. No matter who the guitarist is, the riffs and solos are amazing, and there is absolutely no need for Axl to offer an olive branch to Slash because he's not missing anything in the new product. Every solo perfectly fits the song, and the riffs are memorable and hard to shake.

What's more surprising than the vocals to me is that Axl Rose delivers pretty admirably on the lyrics of the album as well, for the most part. Besides the pedestrian lyrics in "Chinese Democracy" and "Shackler's Revenge," Axl fills his songs with accessible lyrics that pull on the listener, especially in songs like "Prostitute," "Madagascar," and "Sorry." I picked up the album merely expecting to be blown away by the music, but the overall emotional pull of the songs ended up making an impact on me as well.

The fact that this album is fourteen years in the making can be seen in two ways: that Axl had a long time to get it right, or that he couldn't possibly live up to expectations over the years. Well, with this release, I think the former is much more accurate than the latter.

Scoring:

Replayability: (19/20) There are way too many good songs on this album to be bogged down by the slow start. The solos warrant more listens, the lyrics warrant more listens.

Music: (20/20) There are so many good solos on this album that I can't name them all. There isn't really much more that the guitarists could've done on this album.

Lyrics: (16/20) Not the strongest suit of the album, but some of the songs have some surprisingly insightful lyrics from the man who is most known for spitting on fans and screeching "YOU GONNA DIE!"

Completeness: (15/20) From track 3 on it's a smooth ride, but the beginning really slows everything down. It's almost too much to recover from, but the rest of the album is complete enough to save this score.

Emotional Pull: (17/20) This is also a surprising score, especially since when I think Guns N Roses I think more about my speakers being blown that my heartstrings being tugged. But through his identifiable lyrics and newly-minted croaking voice, he is able to convey a lot of pain in some of the more depressing songs.

Total Score: 87

Grade: B+

A very solid effort for a band that hasn't made music since George H.W. Bush was president. There are plans that this album will be the first part of a trilogy, and it will be interesting to see how this album leads into the next.

Check, Check Plus, X:

Chinese Democracy √
Shackler’s Revenge X
Better √+
Street of Dreams √+
If the World √
There Was a Time √+
Catcher in the Rye √+
Scraper √
Riad n’ the Bedouins √
Sorry √+
I.R.S. √
Madagascar √+
This I Love √+
Prostitute √+


This week is a big week of albums, and I will have a fresh copy of Kanye's album in my hands by tomorrow. I'll get the review up when I get a chance.

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC

Don't Play Your Music Too Loud Or We'll Make You Listen to Manilow

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/nov/22/noise-violators-fort-lupton-sentened-listen-barry-/?partner=RSS

This is a fantastic idea. You play your rap music too loud in the middle of the night and annoy your neighbors, then you get forced to listen to a song you really hate. Makes you think of what song you'd have to listen to.

For me it would probably be, at least at the moment, "Womanizer." I can't stand to hear the same word repeated over and over again, and something about that particular song kills me. Also, another small thing about the song that pisses me off is the "uh uh" after every line in the pre-chorus. "Boy don't try to front, uh uh, know just just what you are, uh uh." It drives me NUTS.

So now I'll never blare my new Chinese Democracy album in Fort Lupton for fear of Britney Spears forever uh uhing in my ear.

Speaking of, keep your eyes peeled, the Chinese Democracy album review is almost done, and I won't make you wait 14 years for it!

6 Great Music-Driven Movies

The actual subject of this topic is movies that weren't necessarily great movies in writing or concept, but were completely saved by the songs that acted as plot devices and made the movies memorable. These are in no particular order and anyone is welcome to contribute their own ideas.



8 Mile: Say what you will about Eminem's first (and last) starring role in a movie, the "freestyle" rhymes and amazing battle finale kept this movie on steady syndicated play, including a spot on VH1's Movies That Rock. Solid performances by Mekhi Phifer and Kim Basinger also helped, but it was the songs, including the Oscar-winning "Lose Yourself," that truly gave the movie its oomph.



Hustle and Flow: I will be honest and say that this movie didn't need the music to save it; Terrence Howard exploded onto the scene in this movie, and everyone played their roles nearly to perfection. The plot was thin but watchable, and Ludacris's role was great to see. But it was the raps, one of which also won an Academy Award, that got my attention. And if I never remember anything else from that movie, I'll always know that it's hard out here for a pimp.



That Thing You Do: Honestly, Tom Hanks couldn't save this movie by himself. The plot was contrived, the bit characters forgettable, and the lead singer was acted so horribly that I still cringe at his "I Quit" song. But to this day whenever "That Thing You Do" comes on my computer I sing along as loud as I can and dance like I was in the 60s.



Once: This movie's plot was very loose, the acting was questionable, and an overload of Irish accents can drive a man insane. However, I came away from the movie with an incredibly positive experience, and that's because the songs are nearly perfect. "Falling Slowly," yet another Oscar winner for Best Song, completely takes the listener for a spin and puts them right into the movie. There are few movies that completely make you forget its faults because the soundtrack is so strong, but Once is certainly one of those films.



Almost Famous: Another movie that really didn't need to be saved. There wasn't a ton of original music in this movie, but the few songs that were there, along with the influential scene involving "Tiny Dancer," definitely puts this movie on the list.

And, perhaps the movie that needed the most help from the music (or anything, really)...



Rock Star: Mark Wahlberg, Jennifer Aniston, and even cameos from Zakk Wylde couldn't save this movie. Matter of fact, the awesome 80s metal tracks by Steel Dragon weren't much help either. The movie loosely based off of Judas Priest was ruined by poor writing and ridiculous moments (the "I Eat Pussy, tons" bit comes to mind). The soundtrack was the one redeeming quality of the movie, and even that wasn't enough to get the image of Marky Mark in frilly clothing and big hair out of my mind. Okay, so this movie betrays the subject title. Definitely not great. But the music at least made it not terrible.

I'm sure there are plenty more, but these are the ones that stick out in my mind. Maybe these soundtracks will get graded one day. Most likely not, though, since I'm not trying to dig into the vault too much for reviews seeing as the next few weeks have so many potentially good albums to review (Kanye! The Killers! Guns N Ro...The Killers!)

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC

Album Review: Nickelback - Dark Horse

There are several things that need to be explained to Mr. Chad Kroeger. So I will start by listing these things and relating them to his missteps that are present in Nickelback's latest album, Dark Horse:

1. Rock songs should not have lyrics that resemble rap/R & B songs. Trace Adkins broke this rule with "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk", and Chad Kroeger breaks it with nearly every song on the album. From the slightly subtle "I'd Come For You" to the more explicit "Something in Your Mouth" to the subtle-as-a-penis-stamp-to-the-forehead "S.E.X.", Nickelback beats into our heads that they like talking about sex. A lot. In overwhelming detail. I understand that the song "Figured You Out" from their Long Road surprised a lot of people with its opening line "I like your pants around your knees," but continuing this trend merely makes listeners uncomfortable, especially when Chad Kroeger sings these lyrical gems presumably straight-faced and with no sense of irony: "I wanna cover you with jello in the tub/we can roll around for hours without ever comin up/I want you naked with your favorite heels on/
Rub John Deere across my ass and ride me up and down the lawn." Classy.

2. Mutt Lange can not save an album on name value alone. When I heard that the legendary producer was going to be working on Nickelback's sixth studio album, I was ecstatic. The guy who brought life to Def Leppard, Foreigner, and most importantly AC/DC would surely take Nickelback away from the contemporary direction they were nosediving towards. However, it seems that the only thing Lange contributed to the CD were guitar solos that, much like AC/DC, sound almost exactly alike every time. The music is certainly more grainy than the album before it, but only on select songs: the singles are as poppy and lifeless as ever.

3. Going from singing about hot and sweaty sex to talking about how much you genuinely love a person (and vice versa) is the worst segue possible. Even if I am to believe that "I'd Come For You" is not a veiled sexual reference, we have a song that celebrates true love and we follow it up with "Next Go Round", which makes the Kama Sutra look like Green Eggs and Ham. (It's where those wonderful aforementioned jello/John Deere lyrics came from.) Similarly, "S.E.X." melts so very smoothly into the introspective "If Today Was Your Last Day", which is a positive ode to carpeing the diem. It's common to mix your album with songs that portray a different mood, but this is the musical equivalent of reading a love poem to your girlfriend before burning her house down. It just doesn't make sense.

Perhaps I'm being too harsh. It's most likely because I was a very big Nickelback fan during their second through fourth albums. Silver Side Up is still one of my favorite albums to listen to sometimes. But Nickelback has conquered the rock world in that time, and as they climbed higher and higher up the charts, the lack of oxygen way up there must have affected Kroeger's brain to make him write things like "Well she ain't no Cinderella/
When she's getting undressed/'Cause she rocks it like the naughty wicked witch of the west."

Point is, Nickelback has continued with some of the things I enjoyed about them several years ago, but left most of the other parts largely behind. For example, while the pulsing riffs are still around (and even accentuated thanks to Lange), the heartfelt songs that seemed to comprise half of the previous albums only show up in small doses here. "Just To Get High" warmly reminds me of "Never Again" or "Cowboy Hat" from prior albums, and "Never Gonna Be Alone" is a genuinely good love song, one that proves that Nickelback is still capable of making such a thing. But they are surrounded by songs that talk about shaking asses and going "balls out," and the result is an album that was clearly made for young people to laugh at all the immature lyrics. Oh, and to sell albums too. But I'd argue they would do that anyway.

The lyrics are uninspired. The momentum is completely sapped from the CD from the second verse of the first song. The flashes of that old Nickelback brilliance are much too few and far between, and the stories don't evoke any emotion anymore. It actually hurts to say this, but this album truly, unequivocally, undeniably is NOT a good album. If you liked All The Right Reasons, you'll probably be happy. But you can't be happy for the band. Because it looks like the nosedive isn't stopping.

Scoring:

Replayability: (11/20) I won't listen to this very often, if at all. Maybe to hear "Just To Get High" or "Never Gonna Be Alone". Or to laugh at the lyrics from "Shakin' Hands". There's just not much to get you coming back. No, Chad, I Won't Come For You.

Music: (17/20) The riffs are still there, and I really enjoy the solos on most of the songs. Besides the slower songs on the album, the band's true talent is on display here.

Lyrics: (10/20) The attempts to be clever fail. The open referral to sex and juvenile phrases just make the band sound like a bunch of kids joking under the bleachers at the football game.

Completeness: (12/20) There are two good songs in the middle wrapped up by a bunch of crappy and mediocre songs. I actually skipped through half of the album after a few listens, and that never results in a good score.

Emotional Pull: (10/20) The ballads sometimes make me feel something, but they're too generic to really strike a chord. Gone are the days of "Should've Listened," a Nickelback ballad that truly drew feelings.

Total Score: 60

Grade: D-

Almost a failing grade, but the listenable music saves them. A lot of people will probably disagree with this grade, but I feel like when you're on top of the music mountain as Nickelback has been for a few years, it requires a monster effort to show that you still have it. Judging from this album, however, it looks like they don't.

Check/Check Plus/X:

Something in Your Mouth X
Burn it to the Ground √
Gotta Be Somebody √
I’d Come For You X
Next Go Round X
Just To Get High √+
Never Gonna Be Alone √+
Shakin’ Hands √
S.E.X. X
If Today Was Your Last Day √
This Afternoon √

Speaking of Mutt Lange, I recently finished listening to AC/DC's first album in years. The review should be up by the end of the week.

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC

Song Review: "Another Way To Die" by Jack White and Alicia Keys

After several busy minutes of thinking, I realized that my criteria for rating entire albums can be easily applied to individual songs, which is a useful practice for when a song enters the popular scope in such a way as this song has.

I just returned home from the 5:00 showing of Quantum of Solace, and I was successful in my attempt to avoid listening to this song until I was able to hear it on the ultra loud speakers in the movie theater. I also think this is appropriate because the opening song to a James Bond movie is a vital part to the experience; it would be like watching a five minute clip of any other part of the movie.

So tonight was the first time I listened to the song, and I was quite glad that I waited. The song, a blend of two curious yet somehow complementary artists, completely represents the blend of mindless action with snappy writing that embodies James Bond's film career.

On one hand you have the mindless action: the explosions, car chases, sexual detours (which can definitely be classified as action), and the other big fights that seem to capture America at large's attention. This side is the one that the slick-voiced Alicia Keys resides in: her nearly-universal appeal was most likely the driving force that brought the execs to her doorstep. (Disclaimer: I do not mean to imply that Alicia Keys is mindless, nor do I mean to insult her fans who like her generally listenable music.)

Then on the other side is the less lauded aspects of the Bond flicks: the dialogue and the sentimentality that most viewers with TiVo skip through in order to get to the next helicopter vs. jet battle. Jack White is wearing this team's jersey, as he has a certain unapproachability to him (mostly because he acts like a hermit) yet still intrigues people with his musical mind.

Hear it Now!

This union of the two takes the grand stage with a wonderful background accompaniment. The grungy line that White has mastered in his duo makes a cameo in the song and is accompanied by Keys' piano skills and horns, creating a song that fits the occasion. This looks and sounds like a Bond song, which is good...because it is one.

The only main problem with the song is the same problem with many songs of today's age: the bridge, or lack thereof. The bridge has been largely left in recent music in lieu of the breakdown, where the singer makes noises with his mouth in an attempt to distract the listeners from the inevitable fact that a chorus is once again barreling towards them. Breakdowns never have truly resonated with me, and this one is no exception.

Other than that, it is a song that screams cool, slick, and dangerous, all things which 007 is.

Scoring:

Replayability: (19/20) The chorus is catchy and you want to listen to it again when you leave the theater, or at least I did. This is easily a radio single, whose very definition is that it can be played over and over again without consequence.

Music: (19/20) Nearly flawless arrangement by White. The piano, the guitar, and the drums perfectly collaborate to create an atmospheric song that fits the mood of the world it introduces.

Lyrics: (17/20) Once again, the lyrics fit the movie. The word "solace" is used quite deliberately, which is annoying, but otherwise the lyrics completely set the tone for Quantum, especially the ever-present (read: beat into our heads OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER) theme of trust.

Completeness: (16/20) The verses are great, the chorus is incredibly strong, and the breakdown is the only thing that hurts this score.

Emotional Pull: (15/20) Not that it doesn't hit any emotional chords, but the point of this song is more the pairing of oil and water than the actual content of the song. That being said, the tie of the lyrics to the movie and the stirring effect of Keys and White singing together is what keeps this score above water.

Total Score: 86

Grade: B

As always, keep in mind that a B is a great grade to have if you want to have a song that sticks out in listeners' minds. The pick of this duo for this song (which was obviously highly contested) is clearly the right choice: it obviously garnered more attention that last Bond flick's theme by Chris Cornell.

Album Review: Eric Hutchinson - Sounds Like This

When the biggest problem you have found with an album after multiple listens is that it's not long enough, that's an indication that you might have an A-worthy album on your hands.

Such seems to be the case with Eric Hutchinson's first major album, Sounds Like This, re-released in May of 2008 after blogger Perez Hilton put the spotlight on this singer/songwriter from our nation's capital. The journey into Eric's alternative rock world is not a long one, but it is certainly a fulfilling one.

If there was one word to be used to describe Eric Hutchinson, it would be eclectic. Sounds Like This is a ten-song effort that covers the usual range of human emotion with an unusual range of genres: Hutchinson's songs can be described in myriad ways (alternative rock, funk, soul, piano ballad, etc.), but they all fit comfortably into a unique style that the 28-year-old has seemed to master quite well. Hutchinson's greatest strength is his sense of cohesion: every song is strong, but viewed as a collective work it is greater than the sum of its parts. From start to finish, Sounds Like This is an incredibly enjoyable album.

Eric Hutchinson's voice sounds like Jason Mraz, but with perhaps even more range and control. In "Food Chain" he even evokes the spirit of Freddie Mercury in certain notes and piano lines. In addition to piano, his songs are filled with saxophone solos, intriguing sound effects, and catchy chords and melodies. As far as being pleasing to the ear goes, Hutchinson has it down to a science.

His song content also ranges from simple and detached (as in the VH1 You Oughta Know single "Rock N Roll") to the poignant(as in "Oh!") without skipping a beat. Rather than serve out one type of cookie cutter sound, Eric Hutchinson delivers an entire bakery's worth of delicious pastries (in the music sense, of course...metaphor ends now).

The only other complaint besides the length of the album has to do with the disparity in production value: obviously picked to be the album's single, "Rock N Roll" has a manufactured, almost overproduced feel to it that leaves the rest of the album sounding raw in comparison. However, this is merely a small flaw that is worth mentioning only so I don't sound as gaga over this CD as I have already.

The point is, Eric Hutchinson makes good songs, and by placing ten of those good songs back to back he has made a very good album. The somewhat poppy sound might drive away some listeners, but those who stay for the short ride are going to be dying to take it over and over again.

Scoring:

Replayability: (20/20) If you look below, you'll see that 7 out of the 10 songs on the album get a check plus. With so many great songs on the album, it's hard to take out of your CD player; I haven't for a solid week so far.

Music: (18/20) While not being overly complex, Hutchinson has created a variety of different sounds with his acoustic guitar and piano and uses synth and other effects to keep his songs stand out for their individuality and also their catchiness.

Lyrics: (16/20) Much like his music, Hutchinson will not win any awards for fantastic poetry. However, the simple lyrics that capture human emotion so well (as evidenced in "It Hasn't Been Long Enough": "I think I've been wrong enough to know when I'm right/So put up fight if you must but we know that our trust is undone") help maintain the balance between identifying with the listeners and also not sounding like a pretentious English major.

Completeness: (20/20) There are no letdowns on this entire album. Even the songs that did not earn check pluses are good songs that receive mere checks only because they are right next to such great songs. Like I said, this album becomes greater than the sum of its parts because of how complete it is.

Emotional Pull: (17/20) Songs such as "Oh!", "It Hasn't Been Long Enough", and "You've Got You" all bring emotions to the surface, whether it's about the human condition or simply about the negative aspects of relationships. The accessible lyrics is part of what makes this score so high: what Hutchinson is singing about is common, easy-to-relate-to emotions that can strike a chord with the listener at any time.

Total Score: 91

Grade: A-


In conclusion, buy this album. Worth the download. Worth the buy. No matter what type of music you like, you'll find something that pleases you on this album.

Extras

Check/Check Plus/X:
Ok, It's All Right With Me √+
You Don't Have to Believe Me √+
Outside Villanova √
Food Chain √+
Rock & Roll √+
Oh! √+
All Over Now √
It Hasn't Been Long Enough √+
Back To Where I Was √
You've Got You √+


As always, anyone who wants to have a CD reviewed can email me at rockreportcard@hotmail.com and I'll have a review up as soon as I can. Also if there is an album coming out in a few weeks you want to hear about, let me know so I can prepare for it before its release date.

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC

Album Review: Lupe Fiasco - The Cool

I've never really been much of a hip-hop head, per se. I always enjoyed Eminem, Jay-Z, and a few other artists, but for the most part I was turned off by the glorifying of wealth (something those of us without it can get bitter about) and lack of true content. So it was only because I had a gift card to a CD shop that I purchased Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor, a hip-hop album that my friend had recommended.

It was one of the best decisions I've made. Lupe Fiasco is well worth the money.

After the moderate success of Food and Liquor, the rapper from Westside Chicago didn't waste much time in releasing his sophomore effort, The Cool. The gold-certified album is largely a story based on the titular character from one of Lupe's earlier songs, "The Cool," compounded with a message that seems to be directed to the rest of the world who is enveloped in the aforementioned typical hip-hop front: this lifestyle may be seen as cool, but it has consequences.

As far as the actual songs are concerned, Lupe Fiasco is one of the most effective rappers I've heard since the earlier Jigga days. His voice is polished, his flow and speed is unapproachable, and most importantly he has the intelligence and content to carry an album to greatness.

From the beginning of the album his message is clear (the first track is an vilification of the rap mindset by his sister), but he does take some time out every so often to break away from the story and message and have some fun. "Go Go Gadget Flow" is a primary example. Perhaps answering critics who believed his last album did not show enough speed, Lupe rips the track wide open with blistering rhymes and Twista-like flow and un-Twista-like cohesion. He also spits in convention's face by having Snoop Dogg on the track "Hi-Definition" instead of collaborating with another of hip-hop's more conscious rappers such as Nas or Common.

But it's the story that really makes the CD flow. The Cool is about a young man who gets caught up in the chase for the rap lifestyle that he sees on TV and hears about on the radio, and to what lengths he will go to achieve it. There are many highs and lows for the character through the album, and songs such as "The Coolest," "Streets on Fire" and "The Die" tie into each other while also being incredible stand-alone tracks as well.

It's not all sunshine and roses, however. One of Lupe's biggest problems is his inability to decide whether he wants to stand outside of the rap conventions he is attacking or use these conventions to get more listeners. An example of this is in the song "Gold Watch," where the lyrics of the verse condemns being part of the "punch-clock promise" and vies that he has "a low tolerance for them tellin' me how to lean." However, the chorus of the song is trite and generic: "Got my gold and my gold chain, with my fancy cars and my diamond rings..." etc, etc. It's the musical equivalent of sour grapes, and it doesn't go unnoticed.

Most of his songs, however, are not as typical. "Little Weapon" is about turning children into killing machines, "Dumb it Down" is his unbridled attack on critics asking him to adapt to the mainstream culture, and of course the entire story of The Cool is not something you'd find on most rap albums. All in all Lupe Fiasco is a breath of fresh air when compared to the rest of the world, and the entire album reflects this.

Scoring:

Replayability: (18/20) There are too many great songs to put the album on the shelf for too long. Also, with Lupe, the more you listen the more you realize how deep he is. Whether it's to see exactly what he's saying in "Go Go Gadget Flow" or to find the connections between the story of The Cool, it's hard to put this album away.

Music: (16/20) If I had to point to a single shortcoming that prevents Lupe from catching on, it would be his abnormal content. Right behind that, though, would be his beats. The beats aren't bad by any means, but he doesn't have the big names in the booth that most other rappers have as standbys. Nearly every track is made by Soundtrakk, Lupe's in-house producer. The beats on this album are much better than the ones from Food and Liquor, but it's still not as good as you'd find on a Lil Wayne or Jay-Z album.

Lyrics: (20/20) I know, a 20 out of 20 seems strange, but this score is reflective of two things: the chasm of quality between his and most other rappers' lyrics, and the fact that he doesn't waste his lyrical talent on tired concepts. Lupe is smart and has more wordplay than you'd expect, plus he focuses on agendas that you'd more likely find in the New York Times than Hip-Hop Weekly.

Completeness: (16/20) There are so many good songs on this album and the flow is very good at the beginning. However, as is the problem with most albums that have more than 12 to 14 songs, the album loses momentum towards the end. Songs like "Hello/Goodbye" and "Put You On Game" slow the process down and are largely skipable, which hurts the album as a whole.

Emotional Pull: (16/20) The thing I love about concepts in albums is that if it's done well, it's like any good book, movie, or TV show: it draws you in and leaves you really connected to the players of the story. It is unusual for a listener of rap to get any emotion out of the experience, but with The Cool there are enough identifiable successes and failures that the listener can relate to.

Total Score: 86

Grade: B

Lupe Fiasco represents a lot of different things for hip-hop. He is a new voice, a new direction, and for me he represents the reason for why I am enjoying the genre again.

Extras

Check/Check Plus/X: New little change here. The bad songs are going to get X's instead of check minuses because I am aware we are not in kindergarten and should not soften the blows for songs that deserve bad marks.

(The first two tracks are not rated because they are not conventional songs)
Go Go Gadget Flow √+
The Coolest √+
Superstar √+
Paris, Tokyo √
Hi-Definition √
Gold Watch √+
Hip-Hop Saved My Life √+
Intruder Alert √
Streets on Fire √+
Little Weapon √+
Gotta Eat √
Dumb it Down √
Hello/Goodbye X
The Die √+
Put You On Game X
Fighters √+
Go Baby √


So that was fun. I was going to stick around with the hip hop for a little bit longer, but an album dropped into my lap that I have to review because it compelled me to do so. Expect this historic review (could it be the first A I give out?) within the week.