Rainbow - "Rising" (LP Review)

So here's my dilemma: I'd like to increase my hipster indie cred by writing more about artists like Autechre, The Caretaker, Balam Acab, etc. On the other hand, I also like it when people actually read what I write, and so far my two most popular reviews (in terms of page views) are Black Sabbath - "Vol. 4" and Rainbow - "On Stage". In the interest of more clicks, I'm digging up another high school era LP...

Rainbow's 2nd LP, 1976's "Rising"*, is one of a handful of LPs that I have on both vinyl and CD; that should be some indication of how important I thought this LP was at a particular time. I still remember purchasing the vinyl LP at the music store in the Newmarket North mall, ca. 1985. I can't quite remember when I purchased the CD, but I think it was a few years later while I was in college.

As I said in the "On Stage" review, Rainbow Mk. II was their best lineup: Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Tony Carey (keyboards), Jimmy Bain (bass), and Cozy Powell (drums). Sadly, they only made this one studio LP together (Rainbow's lineup changed for every single studio release), and although 1978's lineup for "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll" is similar, that LP isn't nearly as good. Unlike "On Stage", I've always had mixed feelings about this LP. At six songs and approximately 33 minutes, there is actually a lot to dislike about this LP, but an epic, 16 minute, two-song sequence makes this LP worthwhile.

One song is ok ("Tarot Woman"), three songs are awful ("Run With The Wolf", "Starstruck", "Do You Close Your Eyes"), and two songs are amazing ("Stargazer", "A Light in the Black"). The latter two songs formed side two of the vinyl record, so I pretty much pretended that there was only 1/2 of an LP to play. "Starstruck" and "Do You Close Your Eyes" are especially bad: mid 70s blues rock songs that Dio simply can't pull off. Related bands like Whitesnake and later versions of Deep Purple could do well with those kinds of songs, but Dio is best when he sticks within the epic fantasy genre. "Tarot Woman" moves in that direction, but side two is where the LP shines.

"Stargazer" and "A Light in the Black" form a two-part story of a person who (loosely summarizing) joins a cult and helps build a tower for a wizard who seeks to fly:

In the heat and the rain
With whips and chains
To see him fly
So many die
We build a tower of stone
With our flesh and bone
Just to see him fly
But we don't know why
Now where do we go?

Of course, the wizard falls to the ground instead of flying and his former followers are left to ponder why and find their way back home (from ALITB):

Won't forget his face, what a lonely place
Did he really let us go?
All the time that's lost, what's the final cost
Will I really get away?
All my life it seems, just a crazy dream
Reaching for somebody's star
Can't believe it all, did he really fall?
What to do now I don't know
Somethings calling me back, like a light in the black
Yes I'm ready to go
I'm coming home

Well... I thought it was cool in HS. "Stargazer" successfully integrates an orchestra with the music to give the appropriate epic, soundtrack quality. "A Light in the Black" is stripped down and features Cozy Powell at his best: providing the solid foundation of the newly realized certainty of the character. Tony Carey is excellent in both songs.

These two songs provided the template for Dio's future direction in fantasy metal, both in Black Sabbath and later in Dio. Sadly, this Rainbow line up gave us one great live LP and just one studio LP that was only half-great.

Standout tracks: "Tarot Woman", "Stargazer" (live), "A Light in the Black" (live)

Skip 'em tracks: "Run With The Wolf", "Starstruck", "Do You Close Your Eyes" (live)

Final score: 7/10**. I struggled with this one, but if you like Blackmore & Dio, this LP should be in your collection. If you don't like them, this LP won't convince you otherwise.

Bonus link: the entire LP as a single YouTube track.

* Worthless trivia: The vinyl record was originally entitled "Rainbow Rising", with the artist being "Blackmore's Rainbow". Additionally, their first LP was actually billed as by "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow". It wasn't until "On Stage" that the band's name was simply "Rainbow", and they retroactively retitled the first two LPs.

** I'm ready for the clicks to come pouring in! Hopefully no nasty grams since this rated "only" a 7/10.

2017-02-01 edit: I just saw that Jimmy Bain died about a year ago -- I'm not sure how I missed that.  Cozy Powell died a long time ago (1998), so only Ritchie Blackmore and Tony Carey are the only surviving members of this lineup. 

Autechre - "Peel Session" (LP Review)

If you don't like repetitive, electronic music you're not going to like Autechre, who are in some ways electronica's answer to Phillip Glass. Herbert turned me on to Autechre (aka Sean Booth & Rob Brown) many years ago, and their 1999 EP "Peel Session" is probably my favorite release of theirs.

At first listen, Autechre's music seems rather simple: loops of different melodies and percussion gradually introduced, combined, retracted, modified, and reintroduced (thus the comparison with Glass). Any single loop is simple enough, but their combination and the summation of their effect is surprisingly complex and hypnotic, and only reveals its full design after repeated listenings.

"Peel Session" was recorded for and broadcast by John Peel in 1995, but the EP itself wasn't released until 1999. At 25 minutes, it contains three songs in increasing length and complexity: "Milk DX", "Inhake 2", and "Drane". They're all good, but "Drane" is a hypnotic masterpiece (with some elements bordering on shoegazing). This EP has a more ambient feel than some of their more IDM-influenced releases, making it that much stronger in my opinion.

Standout songs: "Milk DX", "Inhake 2", "Drane"

Skip 'em songs: none.

Final score: 8/10. Don't play this as background music, because it will suck the air out of the room.

The Clash - "Straight to Hell" (forgotten song)

I just realized that while I had a Super Bowl themed post last year, I didn't have one this year. So just a few days late... The Clash?! Admittedly this is one of the last bands you would associate with the Super Bowl.

Here's the tie-in: Madonna did the half-time show this year and although she lip-synced (that's bad), it was still better than last year's oddly bland performance by the Black Eyed Peas (anyone that says the BEPs performance was the worst ever must have forgotten about the 2010 performance by The Who...). One of Madonna's guests was M.I.A., who apparently flipped off somebody -- NBC, NFL, FCC, America, Madonna -- it isn't clear.

Upon reading about that my first reaction was "who?". But then I remembered that M.I.A. did the song "Paper Planes", made famous by being featured in the 2008 movie "Slumdog Millionaire". Of course, what made that song memorable is that it heavily samples from the last (proper) single by The Clash, 1982's "Straight to Hell", from the LP "Combat Rock".

The Clash's last single was fittingly a great song, and although their lyrics deal with examples of immigration issues ca. 1982, it is still a proper summary of the GOP policy on immigration:

There ain't no need for ya
Go straight to hell boys

The Clash: "Straight to Hell" (SNL 1982 live version, stadium live version)
M.I.A. "Paper Planes"

Bonus Links:
Lily Allen & Mick Jones: "Straight to Hell"
The Clash: "Should I Stay or Should I Go" (B-Side to the 1982 single).

Roseanne Cash - "Seven Year Ache" (forgotten song)

This has been driving me crazy for quite some time... Katy Perry songs are featured regularly at the Y (about the only place where Danette and I hear pop music). Although it makes me a little ashamed, I have to admit Perry writes some strong hooks, with her 2010 single "Teenage Dream" probably being my "favorite". But the thing that always struck me was part of the song reminded me of what I thought was a 70s song; specifically how she sang the following lines, first occurring at 2:27--2:43 and repeated again at 3:23--3:40:

I'ma get your heart racing in my skin-tight jeans
Be your teenage dream tonight
Let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans
Be your teenage dream tonight

Last night at the Y I think I figured it out: I believe I'm thinking of "Seven Year Ache", the country/pop cross-over single from the 1981 LP of the same name by Roseanne Cash. Yeah, so 1981 isn't quite "70s", but it is close enough. I'm not claiming a copy or ripoff, just similarity: listen to the phrasing and structure of lines like (0:32--0:48):

Girls in the bars thinking who is this guy
But they don't think nothing when they're telling you lies
You look so careless when they're shooting that bull
Don't you know heartaches are heroes when their pockets are full

as well as the chorus:

Tell me your trying to cure a seven year ache
See what else your old heart can take
The boys say when is he gonna give us some room
The girls say, God, I hope he comes back soon

and then compare to the Perry lines. Danette confirmed that they were similar and said it was a good pull, but she may have just said that so I would shut up about it. Anyway, I think I've uncovered the similarity that's been a pebble in my shoe every time we'd hear this song while working out. And while it has been probably 10 minutes since you've heard a Katy Perry song, when was the last time you heard a Roseanne Cash song?

Roseanne Cash -- "Seven Year Ache"
Katy Perry -- "Teenage Dream"

Negativland - "U2" (LP Review)

Where would Negativland's career be without "U2", the 1991 two song EP that took aim at Casey Kasem and the band U2? On one hand, the resulting legal firestorm from Island Records (U2's label) and SST (Negativland's label) nearly ruined the band financially. On the other hand, the accompanying attention greatly increased the profile of the band, as well as giving them a nearly limitless source of future material. Perhaps the wreckage was the inevitable conclusion for the band that invented the term "culture jamming".

Island Records claimed that the cover art was intended to confuse buyers, who would think it is a release from U2 entitled "Negativland". Negativland countered that the band U2 doesn't have exclusive rights to the letter U and the numeral 2. Island was also unhappy with the extensive sampling of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". Negativland countered that this was covered under fair use. The fight is documented in an LP and magazine from Negativland, but here's the short version: Island has a lot of $, and Negativland and SST don't. Island wins.

The EP was withdrawn from SST's catalog (surviving copies can bring big $) and hastily replaced with the EP "Guns", whose cover art continues the commentary on the situation. The two songs themselves are freely available on the band's web site, and in 2001 the band re-released the songs (along with live versions and other situational commentary) on the LP "These Guys Are From England and Who Gives a Shit" (the quote is from Casey Kasem's abusive and profane rant about the "death dedications", the band U2, and Kasem's confusion about Ireland vs. England; the shock value is much higher for those familiar with Kasem, American Top 40, and their squeaky clean image). As far as I know this LP (released on Seeland Records, Negativland's own label) generated no controversy; I guess Island and SST no longer thought it worth their while. You owe it to yourself to get TGAFEAWGAS, but in the mean time you can find the two original mp3s directly from the band. Lost in the story about these songs is the fact that the songs themselves are quite entertaining.

Standout songs: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (1991 A Capella Mix)" (negativland.com, YouTube); "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (Special Edit Radio Mix)" (negativland.com, YouTube).

Skip 'em songs: none.

Final score: 9/10. Snuggles.

Bonus Link: A YouTube playlist of Mark Hosler at the 47th Ann Arbor Film Festival, talking about Negativland. I'm going to eventually review some of their full-length LPs...

Ice-T - "99 Problems" (the song remains the same)

Twice was interesting, but upon hearing the third "version" of this song convinced me there was something afoot: three completely different songs, sharing only the memorable chorus and nothing else.

"99 Problems" was made famous in 2004 by Jay-Z as a single of his LP "The Black Album" but it was originally a (different) song by Ice-T. Ice-T never released it as a single, but instead was a B-side from the "That's How I'm Livin'" single (from his 1993 LP "Home Invasion"). Guesting on the Ice-T version is Brother Marquis from 2 Live Crew, and the song is typical of both their styles at that time: juvenile sex rhymes. The "bitches and hos" misogyny is so over the top, I tell myself it is like the cartoon violence in Kill Bill -- you shouldn't be offended because it isn't meant to be taken seriously. Regardless, the song gave us a memorable chorus with a great hook.

Jay-Z must have agreed since he lifted the chorus for his 2004 single. He replaced the sex stories with autobiographical stories about police, music critics, the street, etc. Rick Rubin is the producer of this song, and while Jay-Z obviously raps, Rick's influence turns this into what has to be one of the heaviest metal songs ever (see also: Rick Rubin and Johnny Cash in "God's Gonna Cut You Down"). As Jay-Z says at the end "You're crazy for this one, Rick".

Ok, so Jay-Z reworking an Ice-T song isn't that much of a stretch... But this summer, Danette's sister, Julie, played a bluegrass version of "99 Problems" by Hugo. Julie was unaware of the prior versions and that is what convinced me that the song (or at least the chorus) was on its way to becoming a traditional song (or at least a musical version of "The Aristocrats"). I don't know that much about Hugo, but there is a connection since he is signed to Jay-Z's label Roc Nation.

What will be the next installment in the series? Where do you go from rap, to rap/metal, to bluegrass?

Ice-T: "99 Problems"

Jay-Z: "99 Problems"

Hugo: "99 Problems"

Bonus links:

Danger Mouse: "99 Problems" (A mashup of Jay-Z's version with "Helter Skelter" from the semi-official LP "The Grey Album".)

Trick Daddy: "99 Problems" (From his 2001 LP "Thugs Are Us"; this version is basically part 2 of the Ice-T version. Not really a cover, but neither is it a new version like the others listed above.)

Jay-Z and Phish: "99 Problems" (Not all combinations work well...)

Ice-T: "That's How I'm Livin'" (The original A-side of the single.)

Liz Phair - "Juvenilia" (LP Review)

The 1995 EP "Juvenilia" was basically an extended single for the song "Jealousy" from Liz Phair's excellent 1994 sophomore LP "Whip-Smart". In addition to "Jealousy", there are two new songs and five "old" songs from her fabled Girlysound demo tapes (nearly impossible to get in 1995). Liz mined those demo tapes for a majority of the material on her first three LPs, but the LP versions were always re-recorded with full-production, band members, etc. To the best of my knowledge, "Juvenilia" was the first time she released songs straight from Girlysound.

As such, their sound is pretty bare: just Liz strumming a guitar and a few multi-tracked vocals. No bass, no drums, just Liz with her attitude & guitar. Honestly, that's really all you need.

Do you need this EP? Well, how big a fan are you? "Jealousy" is a great song, but this is the same version that is on "Whip-Smart". Of the new tracks, she does a decent cover of "Turning Japanese" (originally by the one-hit wonders, The Vapors) but I never really cared that much for the original. The other new track, "Animal Girl", is not really bad, but isn't memorable either (foreshadowing for later material).

Of the Girlysound tracks, "California", "South Dakota", "Batmobile", "Dead Shark", and "Easy", only "Dead Shark" is close to being weak. The first two tracks are excellent, and I wonder why were never re-recorded for inclusion on later LPs. "California" was re-released on the 2nd half of 2010's "Funstyle", but I believe "Juvenilia" is the only in-print option to get the other four Girlysound tracks.

Standout songs: "Jealousy", "California", "South Dakota", "Batmobile", "Easy".

Skip 'em songs: none.

Other songs: "Turning Japanese", "Animal Girl", "Dead Shark"

Final score: 7/10. This one is hard to score. If you're a big fan, you already have this. If you're not a big fan, then her demo tapes aren't the place to start. I settled on a "7" since any serious collector should have this.