This week was like a marriage - something old (Ozric Tentacles, Camper Van Beethoven), something new (Saxon, Slash, Mike Campbell), something borrowed in time (R.E.M, Placebo, Sugar) and something blue (Rolling Stones, Robben Ford).
Best of the Week
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| Camper Van Beethoven - La Costa Perdida |
What a hoot! First, I didn’t know there was a re-grouping of CVB after the breakup in the 90’s. This and the album El Camino Real (which must be checked out) came from 2013-2014. La Costa Perdida has the same fun rollicking crazy feel that made them the charming band of “folk cool” you can find. Lowery, Krummenacher, Segal, Lisher, Pedersen and company are in fine form.
Placebo - Sleeping With Ghosts
Long time on my list of bands to check out, I plucked this 2003 release from random and was rewarded handsomely for it. Like Muse, they have a style that is definable and yet not predictable. Think of it as approachable art rock.
Lovely blues guitar work permeates this fine recording by Ford. He has the chops and it has earned him a listing as one of the top 100 guitarists of the 20th century by Musician. At 70 years young, he still sounds strong and vibrant on this 2021 release. Maybe I need to check out his earlier work?
Muse - The 2nd Law
Their neo-classical art rock approach is just so rich, they make listening to their music so enjoyable. This release isn’t singles rich like some of the others, but it doesn’t matter. The fact it’s ten years old also doesn’t matter. Their sound is timeless.
Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue
I largely ignored the middle Rolling Stones period and that’s a shame. Production was tight, Keith Richards had fantastic command of his fabulous blues guitar licks, and the tunes had bounce. Don’t know if this remaster is part of the reason, but the magic was still there. This is a noteworthy release from the legendary band.
Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs - External Combustion
The longtime guitarist for Tom Petty obviously can do more than play guitar. What a wonderful extension of their work with Petty. All the elements are there - the folksy relaxed vocals, catchy tunes, and beautiful guitar work are all out of the “Damn the Torpedoes” era. Maybe Campbell’s vocals are a little thin compared to Petty, but that is a small caveat from a real good album.
Interesting Finds
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| Sugar - Copper Blue |
Always liked this album released after Bob Mould’s first stint as a solo artist. If there is one flaw with Bob Mould, it’s the sameness in his guitar playing. Otherwise, his songwriting is top notch. Just check out the track “If I Can’t Change Your Mind” for proof.
R.E.M. - Monster
I have to admit, back when this came out in 1994, I was getting bored with the boys from Athens, GA and that was unfair. This Remastered version shows just how much these guys were on point compared to most bands on the planet. The fuzz and reverb recording emphasis and strong songcraft are seldom seen anymore. “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” was the hit from this album.
Saxon - Carpe Diem
Not sure how this relic from a Deep Purple era showed up on my radar, but it’s not bad! Complete with Ian Gillan style vocals, this brand new release harkins to an older time in rock which means it sounds new now. Beats the heavy metal post punk growl so prevalent.
Ozric Tentacles - Pungent Effulgent (2020 Remaster)
Being an Ozric Tentacles fan for years and years, it’s odd I’ve never experienced a complete album release. It’s about time. Reportedly this and Erpland were the best of OT’s releases and this does not disappoint. The characteristic spacey elements along with some riveting guitar riffs are present and accounted for.
Slash - 4
New album by Slash (featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators) is my first. I was pleasantly surprised he can craft some very listenable and compelling tunes. I also like how he keeps Myles’ vocals, which aren’t bad, slightly reserved and let the guitars do most of the load.
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| Ghost - Impera |
It may be heavy metal, but the catchy tunes from this Swedish band makes it downright tasty. While the band’s presentation is bizarre and ghoulish, they sound closer to a power version of Toto more than bands like Mastodon and Avenge Sevenfold.
Forgettable
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| Steve Vai - Inviolate |
What few parcels of music heard that was crafted by Vai always left the impression he was a technically gifted guitar player that couldn’t deliver musicality on the same level. The best way to see if that judgment holds is to listen to a complete work. Unfortunately, this is the case with most of the tracks on this album. You know those songs you’ve heard that sound like a song but can’t recall it later or hum the essence of the song? That’s what happens here a lot.
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