Keeps Me Alive

Taken from the blistering and absolutely unstoppable End Of Silence record, this single is another one of those discs that fill the world out there with one track and then an edit version. Do they matter? Do they count at all? I mean, we get the album version on track 2, before which is an edit version that cuts 42 seconds from the original, presumably for radio play.

To their credit, this is marked as a promotional copy through Imago, not for sale, so we have to imagine a zillion of these going out to radio stations in the hopes of getting some airplay and exposure for an album that should be in everyone's Top Ten Of All Time list. That’s cool. But not everyone needs to own this single, except me, of course, because I am a huge Rollins fan and it gets me that one step closer to a complete collection of his work.

Well whatever, this is a great tune from an absolute monster of a record. If you don’t own the album and play it often, there’s something seriously, seriously wrong with your record collection, not to mention your listening habits.


Track Listing:
01 Tearing (edit)
02 Tearing (album version)

Gotta love Hank. Even when he gets remixed.

Found this single in Toronto and, of course, it had to come home with me because I am a completist obsessive-compulsive when it comes to this man’s output.

I seem to recall that, around the time of the release of Get Some Go Again, some copies of that album did not include the remix of this song and so Rollins posted on his site that people who got left out should write in with shipping info and he’d make it right by sending out a single to them. He’s cool like that. Anyway, this copy has Promotion Only - Not For Sale marked on it, so I’m wondering if this is one of those freebies he sent out. Maybe? Cool! In case you're wondering, my copy did have the remix so it was all good.

So, what we get here is the Illuminator remix of the song from the album, a shortened edit of that same remix (which shaves off 44 seconds - inexplicably, to my ears), and then the original track from the record. The remix is pretty neat, with it’s chugging beat right off the start, but something makes me like the original track best. I love those soaring guitars and the slower build. And then come those pounding drums!! It’s so much more menacing.

Still, cool single!


Track Listing:
01 Illumination (Illuminator Remix edit)
02 Illumination (Illuminator Remix)
03 Illumination (album version)

I’ve made a bit of a hobby out of collecting Pearl Jam’s releases. I’m nowhere near a completist but I still do fairly well. I mean, who has the funds for keeping on top of things, when they release every show from every tour, not to mention side-projects and everything else? I wish I did.

But I can’t remember ever seeing this single from No Code before, so of course I picked it up. Neat! And it’s the second single of theirs I now own that was made in Austria. Interesting. The collector-geek in me is drooling...

So there’s only two tracks to be found here: First is the title track of the single as it appeared on the album, and what a great rock track it is! I love it when Eddie yells about love, although that line “are you woman enough to be man” always makes my lovely wife laugh at its silliness. Second is a previously unreleased (in 1996) track called Black, Red, Yellow, which is a slinky little number to which you can’t help bobbing your head and tapping your feet to the beat. So cool that most of their b-sides put a lot of other bands’ a-sides to shame.

This was a cool find.


Track Listing:
01 Hail, Hail
02 Black, Red, Yellow

The Replacements rock, which you already know, and this is just one in their list of great releases (which you also know). Think back to what you were doing in 1982 and I’ll bet you wish that you were involved in cool, messily perfect punk rock like this rather than whatever it was you actually were doing. It’s OK, admit it.

These 8 tracks are blast after sodden blast of dripping energy and youthful angst. I hear the Pistols, I hear surf music, I hear awesome! Turn it the hell up and start dancing!


Track Listing:
01 Kids Don’t Follow
02 Fuck School
03 Stuck In The Middle
04 God Damn Job
05 White And Lazy
06 Dope Smokin’ Moron
07 Go
08 Gimme Noise

Jack Johnson makes very relaxing records. I’ve written in these pages before about how I always seem to come away from his tunes with a mellow frame of mind. Hell, even the first track here entreats “Slow down everyone, you’re moving too fast.” It seems to be his manifesto.

And like they said in the one and only Seinfeld episode I have ever seen in my life, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” Seriously, I like punk and metal and any rock that Rawks as much as anyone, but there’s a time and a place for that, just as there’s a time and a place for this music. This is lower-key bliss, great for house parties and hanging at the beach.

Heck, even Ben Harper who, himself, has been known to enjoy the more relaxed moments in life (be they substance-induced or not), appears here. Yup, that’s him playing slide guitar on Flake. Cool.

These are well-written songs by an artist very sure of himself and his place in this world, and that’s way more than most of us can say on any given day, if ever.


Track Listing:
01 Inaudible Melodies
02 Middle Man
03 Posters
04 Sexy Plexi
05 Flake
06 Bubble Toes
07 Fortunate Fool
08 The News
09 Drink The Water
10 Mudfootball (For Moe Lerner)
11 F-Stop Blues
12 Losing Hope
13 It’s All Understood

Let’s be honest: Master Mellow Man Jack Johnson’s newest record (to date) sounds like more of the same as everything else he has ever done. And you might think that that’s really boring, even give up on him for being unoriginal. But you’d be completely missing the point.

Yes, there is a ‘sound’ to what he does, and it’s becoming ubiquitous and, as a result, instantly recognizable. But he’s got a lot to say, and if you really listen to him, damn it all if you don’t feel yourself relaxing and agreeing with the man.

He’s just what this culture needs, with his cries for peace, common sense, environmental responsibility and generally changing our society’s (as well as our personal) ways for the better. Hell, I haven’t heard this much social commentary since the last time I binged on Bob Marley... which really wasn’t all that long ago.

It’s also worth noting that he seems to be trying to back up what he says with his own actions, with the album packaging made from recycled materials, part of the proceeds donated to 1% For The Planet, and the entire album recorded using 100% solar energy. Very sensible, and very cool. And he’s not pushy or obnoxious about it, like so many other people are. I like that.

Best out of all of it, there’s a great groove here, and the songs are well-crafted, completely listenable and highly enjoyable. If everyone had this stuff in their car stereos, there might never be road rage ever again.

It would be impossible to lose one’s balance in life while listening to this record.


Track Listing:
01 All At Once
02 Sleep Through The Static
03 Hope
04 Angel
05 Enemy
06 If I Had Eyes
07 Same Girl
08 What You Thought You Need
09 Adrift
10 Go On
11 They Do, They Don’t
12 While We Wait
13 Monsoon
14 Losing Keys

What an incredible line-up of musicians for the soundtrack from this wrenching film, and what a (generally) great collection of songs.

The Springsteen track is absolutely perfect for the mood of the film, and if Johnny Cash had been left off this soundtrack it would have been the crime of the century. Suzanne Vega’s track is creepy and quite unlike a lot of her other work, borrowing heavily, as it does, from NIN without ever managing their level of menace. Lyle Lovett is, of course, always awesome.

The first of two duets between Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Eddie Vedder, The Face Of Love, is entirely intriguing on its own as the great song that it is, but it doesn’t really fit this mix at all. Then Tom Waits come along and does what he does and makes it all awesome. You know, I actually bought this mostly for the Tom Waits tracks. I mean, who wouldn’t? Michelle Shocked turns in a really slinky bluesy number, Mary Chapin Carpenter does her thing and then Tom Waits comes shuffling back again for another round at the bar.

Steve Earle’s acoustic number is perfect for this disc, Patti Smith’s dirge-like number suits her voice and brings the darker moments of this film into the light, and the second duet between Eddie Vedder and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, this time a Pearl Jam song from their tracks they did with Neil Young (who is conspicuously missing on this disc but would have made a good addition, come to think of it) has that Eastern drumming again, as well as some vocalizing in the background, but all I can hear is the original version. The two tracks by this duo would have been better on the Babel soundtrack or something. I dunno. Cool tunes, just not on this disc. Their presence here feels like they’ve been forced in.

So yah. Overall, a good one.


Track Listing:
01 Bruce Springsteen - Dead Man Walkin’
02 Johnny Cash - In Your Mind
03 Suzanne Vega - Woman On The Tier (I’ll See you Through)
04 Lyle Lovett - Promises
05 Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan with Eddie Vedder - The Face Of Love
06 Tom Waits - The Fall Of Troy
07 Michelle Shocked - Quality Of Mercy
08 Mary Chapin Carpenter - Dead Man Walking (A Dream Like This)
09 Tom Waits - Walk Away
10 Steve Earle - Ellis Unit One
11 Patti Smith - Walkin’ Blind
12 Eddie Vedder with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - The Long Road

I’ve been listening to a lot of the Clash lately. Actually, that’s not news. I listen to them pretty much on a regular basis. Yeah, and who doesn’t?

A tribute album to this venerable band always piques my interest, so when James picked up this little gem on his first-ever visit to a great record shop on Bloor in Toronto, of course I had to request a chance to hear it, and hear it I have. I know he bought it solely for the Hawksley Workman track (because James surely does love all things Hawksley, as do I), but it turns out there’s lots of other cool stuff here, too.

Surely now, this is another case of the originals being completely untouchable, but I have to give credit to all of the bands for sending in commendable versions, for the most part.

One thing that struck me most while listening to this through was the number of tracks that had that tortured singer-songwriter, cafe stage with an acoustic guitar sound to them. And hey, that’s cool too. Maybe some people listening to this will finally get the words (and message) of what the originals were saying when they’re slowed down like that. And some of these slower tracks sound more like attempts at eulogies to Mr. Strummer as much as they do tributes to the music. Fair enough.

Either that, or there were some tracks that played up the reggae/ska/two-tone fascination, sounding somewhat like Smashmouth met up with Shaggy and they all went to rave. Well, you know, that’s fine too.

Yah I love the originals, but who could turn down a chance to hear these covers? Not me.

Track Listing:
01 Stiff Little Fingers - Strummerville
02 Songdog - Janie Jones
03 Hamell On Trial - White Riot / Hitsville UK
04 Matthew Ryan - Somebody Got Murdered
05 Hawksley Workman - Bankrobber
06 Marc Carroll - London Calling
07 Josh Rouse - Straight To Hell
08 Kealer - Train In Vain
09 Mr. David Viner - Should I Stay Or Should I Go?
10 Thea Gilmore - I’m Not Down
11 Jeff Klein - The Guns Of Brixton
12 Caravans - Know Your Rights
13 Asian Dub Foundation & Zebda - Police On My Back
14 Terry Edwards & The Scapegoats - Version City
15 Edwynn Collins - 1977
16 Fiery Furnaces - One More Time
17 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Long Shadow

So I watched this movie called Jumper the other day, largely because I am a fan of science fiction and the premise seemed promising. And what has this to do with music? Stick with me.

The movie, of course, sucked totally. The idea was good enough, but they did everything wrong that they possibly could have done, and all the important bits on which I would have focussed were tossed off like so much inconsequential stuff to be forgotten. The acting was atrocious, the story ended up being insulting, and so I spent two hours of my life that I can never get back. I mean, there were plot holes large enough to drive Sherman tanks through them, and Hey! Wake up, Hollywood! I know you think that Hayden Whatshisname can “emote,” and “do tortured and angst-filled” really well because you've been sold that very idea like the nitwits you are but, uh, he totally can’t, OK!? Did you actually see him in Star Wars? That was awful! Oh, and Samuel L. Jackass does nothing for me, and here was just more of the same. Whatever, man.

But I was pretty pleased to hear, at one point in this waste of celluloid, the Tragically Hip’s Ahead By A Century playing, and not just for a second or two, it was definitely on for a little while. Right on. I sure do like me some Hip.

Now, I imagine this all came about because Hayden Whatshisname is Canadian and probably a fan and so he used his “star” clout to get them on the soundtrack for the film. Way to go, thanks, that’s great exposure for our boys because all kinds of people probably tuned in to this crap and stuck it out at least long enough to get to the point in the film where the Hip song is playing.

That was all I had, really. Way to go, Hip! It’s just too bad that it was in such a crappy, idiotic film.

Oh man, was this really released 16 years ago? Wow. OK, so I’m really dating myself here to say that this was absolutely essential first-year university late-night dorm room listening for me. Well, so be it. This ol’ codger has been listening to this record ever since and I just plugged it in today for the umpteenth time and it still slays me. I love this record.

This is the record that R.E.M. was trying to make all those years leading up to it, and it’s the record that they’ve been trying to duplicate ever since. Oh stop it right there before you go flaming me - I know that they’re huge and popular and “classic” and all that now, and I know that this band has written so many GREAT songs over the years (and, of course, I’m once again partial to their earlier stuff, same as I say for pretty much every band), but this was THE record, in its entirety, that was perfect (to me). Their other records had great moments, of course, but were never complete. This one totally is.

So, how many people have I pissed off by saying that? Cool. Well then, go write your own blog about how you think Out Of Time or Reckoning or Murmur was the one. Good for you. Have fun. Please, though, just wipe that drool off your chin and leave me alone.

Nope, for me it’s this one. Start to finish it’s chock full of track after amazing track of meditative, brilliant songwriting and so much musicality that it’s almost not fair to other bands. This is the perfect example of how less is more. There’s so many little things adding up to make a huge whole without any really over-the-top showiness, and that’s yet another reason why I could play this record any time, anywhere, and why I would choose it over a ton of their other releases in a pinch.

And then there’s Nightswimming. The best song they ever wrote? Discuss.

Yeah, this is one for the ages. Fucking brilliant.


Track Listing:
01 Drive
02 Try Not To Breathe
03 The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
04 Everybody Hurts
05 New orleans Instrumental No. 1
06 Sweetness Follows
07 Monty Got A Raw Deal
08 Ignoreland
09 Star Me Kitten
10 Man On The Moon
11 Nightswimming
12 Find The River

I’ve written about radiohead in these pages before, as you may recall. So you’ll know that I prefer their earlier stuff... and not to negate the shift they made into exploring blips and bleeps and electronic silliness. Oh no. I just listen to their beginnings more often. Chacun son gout.

This is truly an incredible band. Their musicality, originality and inventiveness must be utterly shaming (and inspiring) for all of the other bands who continue to trundle along beneath them. They are huge for a reason.

So it follows that there’s this greatest hits disc released after they left their label. And what a disc it is. Sound-wise, these songs flow one to the next as though the intervening years between them don’t matter at all. Sure there’s an increasing electro-tomfoolery from the later tracks (it’s not for me but whatever), yet it all still sounds remarkably like only radiohead can sound.

Imagine if this were an album, not a compilation... a new release that sounded this good. Damn, it’d blow minds... Look, all you really need to know is that their futuristic, claustrophobic and agoraphobic sound is by now so sure and strong as to be invincible. Fans know this stuff inside and out. If you’re new, what rock have you been living under, exactly?

There’s two versions of this set (with either one or two discs). Get the two-disc special edition, even if only for Talk Show Host (I love that track, and there's really no other reason to buy the Romeo And Juliet soundtrack). Of course, you probably already own all their records and have downloaded a ton of other stuffs already, so it’s moot. But if you just want to listen to them occasionally, or have a set in the car that isn’t your lovingly crafted MP3 collection in its entirety, get the two-fer. Trust me on this one.

This band was essential listening 15 years ago and it still is today. Personally, I just wish they’d have placed the tracks chronologically - then I could ignore disc 2 altogether. And where the hell is Stop Whispering?!? I mean, c’mon!


Track Listing:
CD1
01 Just
02 Paranoid Android
03 Karma Police
04 Creep
05 No Surprises
06 High And Dry
07 My Iron Lung
08 There There
09 Lucky
10 Optimistic
11 Fake Plastic Trees
12 Idiotesque
13 2+2 = 5
14 The Bends
15 Pyramid Song
16 Street Spirit (Fade Out)
17 Everything In Its Right Place *

CD2
01 Airbag
02 I Might Be Wrong
03 Go To Sleep
04 Let Down
05 Planet Telex
06 Exit Music (For A Film)
07 The National Anthem *
08 Knives Out
09 Talk Show Host
10 You
11 Anyone Can Play Guitar
12 How To Disappear Completely
13 True Love Waits


* If I were the band, I’d be pretty pissed that Parlophone/EMI, even after all those years and all the tens of millions of dollars earned for the coffers of the over-priced idiots behind desks, couldn’t even get their shit together long enough on a career-spanning retrospective collection of one of their best-selling bands to correctly spell two of the song titles on the packaging. I mean, “Everthing In Its Right Place” (sic) and “The Natioal Anthem” (sic)? Man, that would bug me forever to think of all the millions of copies out there, misspelled. Completely shoddy, if you ask me. Ever heard of a spell-checker? Yeesh. Damn The Man, I say. Damn The Man!

So, I heard on the news recently that Ed Robertson, of Barenaked Ladies fame, crashed a plane that he was piloting, not long after take-off. I’m totally glad that everyone walked away unscathed. That’s truly what matters most.

I couldn’t help wondering, though:

When it happened, did it feel just like he was Falling For The First Time?

(beat)

Yes, that was bad.

But you laughed.

Admit it.

Hiya Faithful KMA Readers!

This morning marked our transition to our new IP, and so we are now completely free of the cash-grabbing corporate bastards who used to pretend to give us good service! Hooray!

Also, before our brief hiatus, I had mentioned several posts that I had written that were awaiting our switch before being posted. Well, read on, my friends, because here they all are!

Enjoy, and thanks for your patience.