Forty years ago today, the greatest rock band of all-time released the greatest rock album of all-time, Led Zeppelin IV. A powerhouse from the legendary opening vocal intro of “Black Dog” to the final notes of the hypnotic Mississippi blues-infused “When The Levee Breaks,” IV contains eight radio classics including “Rock And Roll,” “The Battle Of Evermore,” “Misty Mountain Hop,” “Four Sticks,” “Going To California,” and, of course, the ultimate rock anthem, “Stairway To Heaven.” “Hats Off” to Jimmy, Robert, John Paul, and John for creating a true work of art that only gets better with age.
Led Zep 4 is truly a rock classic and a must for any music collection.
To coincide with the UK release of Chickenfoot’shighly anticipated second album “III” (Oct 24th) and the recent announcement of two UK concerts in January 2012, this week the band have released a new video for the single “Three and a Half Letters”. Watch the video here – http://bit.ly/nCStEu
When you have a voice a bit like Klaus Mein, you have a fair shot of climbing the old fame and fortune ladder. So, Tracer front man Michael Brown looks set to position himself as a man to whom you should listen. It doesn’t matter that he can’t play like a Schenker, although he poses with a Flying V quite nicely, because the lads write decent rock songs and perform them with enthusiasm and no little skill.
Based in Adelaide, South Australia, the trio of Michael, his brother Leigh who plays bass and drummer Andre Wise do the riff-rock genre proud with solid, uncomplicated songs that have a certain catchiness about them. Think of the driving, rhythmic feel of the Foo Fighters wrapped around the metallic thunder of the Scorpions and you’ll get close. The solos are short, to the point and derivative, as are the the songs, but despite this, Tracer manage to turn in a sound that works. They’re a rock band for a new generation of guitar heads. Lack of originality is nothing to be sneered at, dozens of bands from Guns n Roses to Pearl Jam via Muse have made massive careers out of it. So, unless you’re a genius, you make the best out of what you have and Tracer have quite a lot thank you.
Their new album: “Spaces In Between” taken as a whole is quite impressive. There’s lots of good, solid guitar rock to be had, nice hooks and bag of riffs to bang your head to. The album opens with “Too Much”. Take a listen to this:
I get the feeling I’ve heard it before somewhere, but it rocks, so who cares? Next up is “Push”, which opens with a pulsing drum beat, then we’re into the riffing. “Push” could have been lifted straight off a Free album in the seventies, Brown even manages to do a Paul Rogers intone in the chorus “It goes on and on…” The pace drops into Doctor-Doctor mode for “Walk Alone” and Brown starts singing like Percy Plant. We get served “Louder than this” after “Walk Alone”. It’s pretty much a blues standard of the kind Deep Purple used to excel when they were in the mood, circa Machine Head. “Devil Ride” takes into grungeland with shades of Nirvana daubed over Motorhead.
The best track on the album is “The Bitch”, which opens with a very promising, undistorted, metronomic riff, which is suddenly subsumed under a wailing voice and crashing guitar, only for it to disappointingly develop into a pretty standard seventies riff, although the chorus brings out a lovely dynamic contrast, which is really why this song is the stand out track on the album. It has a great hook, lots of drama and a sing along tune, with the best guitar solo on offer – it’s almost accomplished. The slide guitar at the end is very nice though and completely unexpected.
“Voice in the rain” nods to Jimi at his most mellow with Paul Rogers singing along. Good stuff if you’re in that bottle of whisky and a quiet cigarette while staring out at the rain type of mood. There’s a great crescendo that descends into a reprise of the opening bars. It’s really quite good.
The title track closes the middle section album. It’s five minutes I’ll never get back. The twee, eastern Indian influenced solo was particularly grating. It’s followed by “Dead inside”, which is a cracker, lots of dynamics, drama and contrasts. “Save my breath” is like “Too much” with a slightly different riff – enjoyable though. “All in my head” takes on a tour of Michael’s soft guitar technique, before it breaks out into a “Wheels of fire” Cream sound-alike – he even does Jack Bruce phrasing, although the chorus breaks out into Foo Fighters yelling. I was moved to think Pete Brown must have had Aussie children. The chorus is really good though.
By time we get to “Won’t let it die” with it’s vibrato guitar, I’m ready for something different, and to be fair to Tracer, they serve it up with aplomb. This is a nice plodder, with a great, sparse sound. Good production can make a song and this one is a great example of good production values making a good song, great.
Overall, this is a good, perhaps very good album, but you’ll enjoy it more if you haven’t listened to everything rock from the sixties to the naughties. Recognising complete rips is not the same as admitting influences and “Spaces in between” tends more towards the latter than the former. Better still, it’s a grower – by time I’d played it three or four times, I was beginning to sing along and by the sixth play I was sold and will probably end up buying my own copy.
Listen if you want high art, then this isn’t the album for you, but if you’re after real good time rock ‘n’ roll with a more than adequate sampling of listenable tunes and the odd sing along, then it might be worth shelling out a few quid.
Manic Street Preachers have announced details of their forthcoming album, National Treasures – The complete Singles.’
Celebrating the 21st anniversary of their first single release, Manic Street Preachers are releasing the ultimate singles collection in October.
’National Treasures – The complete Singles’ gathers 38 songs from the band’s rich history, starting with initial Heavenly Records release ‘Motown Junk’ (1990) to tracks taken from last year’s ‘Postcards From A Young Man’ album – the bands tenth which was greeted with universal critical acclaim.
The album also features a brand new single ‘This is the Day.’
Tracks
1. Motown Junk 2. Stay Beautiful 3. Love’s Sweet Exile 4. You Love Us 5. Slash ‘N’ Burn 6. Motorcycle Emptiness 7. Theme From M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless) 8. Little Baby Nothing 9. From Despair To Where 10. La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh) 11. Roses In The Hospital 12. Life Becoming A Landslide 13. Faster 14. Revol 15. She Is Suffering 16. A Design For Life 17. Everything Must Go 18. Kevin Carter 19. Australia 1. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next 2. The Everlasting 3. You Stole The Sun From My Heart 4. Tsunami 5. The Masses Against The Classes 6. So Why So Sad 7. Found That Soul 8. Ocean Spray 9. Let Robeson Sing 10. There By The Grace Of God 11. The Love Of Richard Nixon.Empty Souls.Your Love Alone Is Not Enough.Autumnsong.Indian Summer.(It’s Not War) Just The End Of Love 12. Some Kind Of Nothingness 13. Postcards From A Young Man 14. This Is The Day
White Willow, one of Norway’s most successful Progressive Rock bands of recent times, return after a five year absence with Terminal Twilight.
Creating a distinctively mysterious Scandinavian sound that encompasses mellotron-drenched retro prog, gothic folk, art pop and post-rock, the band’s ambitious compositions combine sophisticated structures and harmonies with powerful playing and uncluttered production.
Main songwriter Jacob Holm-Lupo is joined by fellow band members, Sylvia Skjellestad, Mattias Olsson (Anglagard), Lars Fredrik Froislie (Wobbler’s vintage synth maestro), Ketil Einarsen (Jaga Jazzist) and Ellen Andrea Wang. No-Man’s Tim Bowness guests on the poignant Kansas Regrets.
Soaring Hackett-esque solos collide with demented Crimson-influenced riffs counterbalanced by compelling and ethereal song sections.
The Burning Shed page for this album features a nine minute promo video.
