Music review: Creed, Full Circle

It’s hard to believe, but at the turn of the century, Creed was perhaps the biggest rock band in the land.
With a charismatic frontman and talented lead guitarist pumping out anthems rooted in Christianity, Creed produced tunes many people could relate to.
I have to admit, Creed has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. When they were in their heyday, Creed was one of the few rock bands which received consistent play on Top 40 radio. Back then, radio (before the days of satellite radio I might add) consisted of boy band drivel like N’Sync and Backstreet Boys, a bevy of hip hop acts, teen pop like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. It was a bad time in general for music, rock in particular. The only other rock acts getting much attention were talentless nu-metal hacks like Limp Bizkit and post-grunge whiners like Staind.
Creed’s sound never was incredibly original, and lead singer Scott Stapp was often (and accurately) portrayed as an Eddie Vedder clone. Still, a few of their songs like “My Sacrifice,” “Higher,” “What If” and the overplayed but still good “With Arms Wide Open” have stuck with me over the years.
The band parted ways acrimoniously in 2002, mainly due to Stapp’s addictions. An infamous concert where he was wasted and barely coherent caused fans to sue the band, seemingly providing the final nail in the coffin for guitarist Mark Tremonti, a longtime friend of Stapp’s.
They went their separate ways, with Stapp eventually sobering up and releasing an utterly forgettable solo album, and the other members of the band joining Tremonti and new singer Myles Kennedy for a pair of medicore Alter Bridge albums.
Last year, Tremonti and Stapp worked out their differences and decided to reform the band. They went out on tour earlier this year and recorded a new album, called “Full Circle” (get it?)
The results of the reunion are surprisingly good. It’s probably the most consistent record the band has ever put out. There isn’t a bad song on it. One song in particular “Away in Silence” is one of the best tracks they’ve ever recorded, as Stapp deals with his personal demons as it pertained to his marriage, begging his wife to stay with the line “I’m not the man I used to be, I’ve changed”. “Overcome” and “Bread of Shame” are two of the heaviest songs Creed has ever laid down, and the title track has a bluesy feel not present on their previous work. There aren’t any surefire hit singles (although with the time between albums and the obvious change in the musical landscape, a hit would be hard to come by) but I don’t skip many tracks like I did on previous releases. Overall, a strong return to form.
The Sod rating: *** 1/2
Other Creed releases:
My Own Prison (1997) ***
Human Clay (1999) *** 1/2
Weathered (2001) ***

Music review: Wolfmother, Cosmic Egg

Wolfmother is a band behind its time, which isn’t really a bad thing. The Australian rockers seem to be stuck in a time warp, where the year is always 1971. They celebrate and mimic the sounds of classic rock legends like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath with huge riffs and the ever-present wail of frontman/guitarist/songwriter Andrew Stockdale.
The band’s second full-length album Cosmic Egg is a celebration of all things rock, and while they’re not incredibly original, they’re able to rock you just the same. And with a dearth of good rock bands these days, I’ll take a band that wishes it was opening for Jimi Hendrix.
The latest effort comes three years after the release of the band’s self-titled debut, and much has happened since then. Namely, Stockdale replaced the other members of the band with a completely new group, Axl Rose-style. You can’t really tell the difference because Stockdale is the star of the show, the band’s frontman and musical leader.
The band is tight, but the main difference between this record and the previous is a more consistent set of songs from Stockdale.
While the debut contained a couple memorable tracks like “Woman” and “Dimension,” it’s not a record I’ve revisted all too often.
From the opening bass-line of “California Queen” (which is somewhat reminiscent of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Around the World), the album has very few lulls and is filled with memorable moments. “Queen” and lead single “New Moon Rising” both have the Zep meets Sabbath vibe to it, as Stockdale’s voice often sounds like a cross between Robert Plant and Ozzy Osbourne, with a dash of Jack White and John Lennon sprinkled in for good measure.
“White Feather” has an especially White Stripesish vibe, with Stockdale’s vocal phrasing often coming very close to White’s. “Sun Dial” is the only track I’d call an overt lift, as the riff sounds like Black Sabbath’s “NIB” as played by Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello and the chorus sounds much like “NIB” as well. It’s still a rocking track, but incredibly derivative.
Wolfmother try to stretch out on the Beatlesque ballad “In the Morning,” and Stockdale sounds like the leader of a prog rock band in the other ballad “Far Away.” Think of Yes on steroids and you have a decent estimation of that track, which is the better of the two ballads.
The title track and “Pilgrim” are a few more strong rockers, with the second track sounding like a cross between Zeppelin and Oasis.
The most original and perhaps best song is the album’s final track, “Violence of the Sun.” It clocks in around six minutes, giving the album an epic closer. It’s a slow building song, with a haunting keyboard riff kicking it off, with guitars slowly building in the mix. Stockdale gives his vocals a nice workout on this one, building into a shriek as the instruments blend together for an impressive crescendo. It’s here where you get a glimpse of a band that may one day rise above the level of deft imitator and become an actual innovator, but for now we’ll have to accept Wolfmother for what it is: a kick-ass karaoke classic rock band.

The Sod rating: *** 1/2
Other Wolfmother release:
Wolfmother (2006) ** 1/2

Music review: Weezer, Raditude

There’s no denying the talent of Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo. His gift for melody is seemingly effortless. Cuomo has always been able to craft short pop ditties with huge rock hooks, mixed with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and clever lyrics. The first three Weezer albums (particularly the first two, the eponymous Blue Album and Pinkerton) were fantastic. The fourth, Maladroit, was pretty solid, while the last two, Make Believe and the Red Album were hit-and-miss affairs.
Which brings us to the band’s latest effort, Raditude, a pretty ridiculous title which also houses a few ridiculous but ultimately catchy tunes. A quick look at the song titles lets you know you’re not in for lyrical greatness, including leadoff single, the cheesy but infectious “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To”. The band certainly isn’t taking itself seriously here, or on tracks like “I’m Your Daddy,” “The Girl Got Hot” and one of the worst tracks the band has ever recorded, “Can’t Stop Partying”, an ode to clubbing featuring a mediocre rap from Lil’ Wayne, which happens to be the best part of the song. Maybe Cuomo is playing a little joke on his fans with songs like these. Maybe he’s pandering to pop radio for a Top 40 hit, or maybe he’s running out of fresh ideas. Don’t think that’s the case, since the other far-out experiment on the album, the Indian-tinged “Love Is the Answer,” complete with lovely singing from Indian singer Amrita Sen, fares much better. But the best songs here are the ones where we get a glimpse of the old Weezer, especially the melancholy “Put Me Back Together” and album closer “I Don’t Want to Let You Go.” Here, and on the aforementioned “Love is the Answer,” you actually hear human emotions coming through in the performances, which is a welcome change from some of the juvenile sentiments spouted elsewhere. I mean, do we really need to hear guys approaching their 40s singing about hanging out “In the Mall?”.
It sounds like I’m ripping the album here, but the truth is, I enjoyed it. There are hooks everywhere, even on some of the slighter material and the second half of the record, beginning with “Put Me Back Together” comes pretty close to classic Weezer. All told, it’s the best album the band has made since Maladroit. But as time goes on, it seems evident we’ll never get another Pinkerton….

The Sod rating: *** 1/2
“Raditude” track listing: 1. (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To; 2. I’m Your Daddy; 3. The Girl Got Hot; 4. Can’t Stop Partying; 5. Put Me Back Together; 6. Trippin’ Down the Freeway; 7. Love is the Answer; 8. Let It All Hang Out; 9. In the Mall; 10. I Don’t Want to Let You Go.

Another small criticism and note: There’s a deluxe version of Raditude available, selling for $13.99. It’s got four extra songs, a few of which are said to be quite good. I paid for the regular version of the album, on sale for $9.99 at Best Buy. My gripe is, the album, like all Weezer albums, is done in a flash, slightly over 30 minutes in length. They easily could have squeezed four more songs onto the album. The live Nirvana album I reviewed earlier this week ran nearly 80 minutes and 24 songs long, selling for the same $9.99 I bought Raditude for. Seems like a money grab to me.

Other Weezer albums
Weezer (The Blue Album) *****
Pinkerton *****
Weezer (The Green Album) ****
Maladroit *** 1/2
Make Believe **
Weezer (The Red Album) ***

Ratings scale
***** Hall of Fame album
**** Perennial All-Star
*** Solid starter
** Benchwarmer
* Beer League softball player

Music review: Nirvana, Live at Reading

Nirvana’s most legendary live performance has finally seen the light of day with this week’s release of Live at Reading, both on DVD and CD.
I bought the CD Tuesday, temporarily delaying buying Weezer’s new disc in the process. After all, I’m a much bigger Nirvana fan than Weezer fan but that’s neither here nor there.
Nirvana already had two live albums, both released in the years immediately following Kurt Cobain’s suicide. The MTV Unplugged album came out a few months after he died and it was brilliant, showing the band was equally adept at toning things down to highlight the beauty of Cobain’s melodies as it was at completely tearing things up on stage. The second live disc, On the Muddy Banks of the Wishkaharrived a few years later, and although it was a fine live performance, it was a bit uneven as the songs were culled from several concerts spanning five years.
So now we finally get a full concert on disc, and it’s from their most bootlegged performance. Nirvana headlined the Reading Festival in England on August 30, 1992. In the days leading up to the show, rumors were swirling about the health of Cobain. There were stories of drug abuse and rumors the show wouldn’t go on.
Just as the show was ready to begin, Cobain was escorted onstage in a wheelchair, wearing a hospital gown and a long blond wig. He was helped to his feet and arrived at the microphone to utter a few lines from Bette Midler’s “The Rose” before collapsing to the ground. Bassist Krist Noveselic played along, telling the crowd “he’ll be alright, with the love of his family and friends” or something of that nature. It was all a joke, as Cobain rose to his feet and led the band into a ferocious version of “Breed” off their benchmark Nevermind, released the previous fall.
Although it was less than a year since that release, Nirvana were now full-fledged superstars, owning both sides of the Atlantic. They played 11 of the 12 songs off Nevermind, including an awesome version of “Lithium” where the crowd sings along with every word, much to the delight of the band. Drummer Dave Grohl would later call this a true highlight of the band’s career. The show offered plenty of highlights, including a killer version of “Aneurysm” off the yet-to-be released B-sides collection Incesticide, which came out that December. How “Aneurysm” was relegated to B-side status, I’ll never know, as it’s probably my favorite Nirvana tune. Other highlights include a version of “Sliver” (also off Incesticide), the tune written about Cobain’s days as a kid at his grandma’s house. Cobain laughs during the beginning of the song and then keeps shuffling his voice from one extreme to the other, almost as if he can’t decide what octave to sing it in. The best cuts from Nirvana’s debut album “Bleach” found their way on the set – “School,” “About a Girl”, “Negative Creep” and “Blew” as did a kick-ass version of “Spank Thru,” one of Cobain’s earliest tunes. Three songs from the yet-to-be released In Utero (which didn’t come out until fall of ‘93) were performed, including a raging version of “Tourette’s.” There’s also a lovely take of “All Apologies,” then still in its skeletal form. Only one verse is done (with slightly different lyrics). That verse is repeated a few times and the “all and all is all we are” ending has been written, but it’s a wonderful version and a nice sneak-peak of a brilliant songwriter testing out his unfinished masterpiece on the road. The crowd loved it and so will you. The version of “Dumb” is the best I’ve heard the song sound, as I’ve never been a huge fan of that particular song for some reason. Here, it sounds awesome and fresh, and it benefits from not having the strings that were put on it for the album version. The band played two encores, dusting off a pair of punk covers “The Money Will Roll Right In: by Fang and “D7″ by the Wipers. Since I’d never heard either original, they truly sound like lost Nirvana tunes (a studio of D7 is included on the band’s excellent 2004 box set With the Lights Out”. The show ends with “Territorial Pissings” and as the song ends, Cobain plays “The Star Spangled Banner” Hendrix style as the band destroys their instruments on stage. Great stuff.
Each time I listen to Nirvana, thoughts of what might have been always come to the surface. What would the band’s next move been after the dire “In Utero?” The unplugged performances and demos from early 1994 like “Do Re Mi” show Cobain experimenting with his softer, Beatlesque melodic side. Cobain had just scratched the surface of his songwriting genius, it’s a shame drug abuse and depression overcame him at an early age. Still, in a very short period of time, the band left an indelible mark on rock, and for that, I’ll always be grateful.
“Live at Reading” rating: *****
“Live at Reading” track list: 1. Breed; 2. Drain You; 3. Aneurysm; 4. School; 5. Sliver; 6. In Bloom; 7. Come As You Are; 8. Lithium; 9. About a Girl; 10. Tourette’s; 11. Polly; 12. Lounge Act; 13. Smells Like Teen Spirit; 14. On a Plain; 15. Negative Creep; 16. Been a Son; 17. All Apologies; 18. Blew; 19. Dumb; 20. Stay Away; 21. Spank Thru; 22. The Money Will Roll Right In; 23. D-7; 24.Territorial Pissings.

Other Nirvana albums
Bleach (1989) ***
Nevermind (1991) *****
Incesticide (1992) ****
In Utero (1993) *****
Unplugged in New York (1994) *****
From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah (1996) ****
With the Lights Out (2004) **** 1/2

Music Review: KISS, Sonic Boom

It’s been quite evident since oh, say, 1982, that KISS’s best recording days are well behind them. That was the year Ace Frehley officially left the group (although he didn’t contribute anything to that year’s great Creatures of the Nightalbum. Aside from Lick it Up and 1992’s Revenge, the band hasn’t produced many memorable songs, let alone albums.
They have, however, remained a viable touring band, seemingly unleashing a farewell tour every two years or so. They even reunited in the late 90s with Frehley and original drummer Peter Criss, putting the makeup back on and pleasing many fans on a few tours.
The only album from that reunion, 1998’s Psycho Circus was pretty disappointing and as it turns out, wasn’t really much of a reunion at all. Frehley and Criss appeared on just a handful of tracks, although they were given full credit throughout the album. Aside from that, the album was overproduced, which definitely hurt the few worthwhile tracks the album contained.
That was the last we’d heard from KISS, studio-wise. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons continued touring (with replacements Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer), also keeping the KISS marketing machine going with all sorts of merchandise (including a KISS Kasket, for crying out loud).
They finally headed into the recording studio earlier this year to lay down their first album in 11 years, Sonic Boom. In interviews, Simmons said it was the best thing the band had recorded since their 70s heyday, and I was very skeptical. For one, every band says this when they’re promoting a new album. And for KISS, three good albums in 27 years isn’t a very good ratio.
I bought Sonic Boom at Wal-Mart (you can only get it there as the band signed an exclusive deal with the retail chain like AC/DC did last year), and much to my surprise, the thing rocks. Opening track “Modern Day Delilah” is the album’s first single, and it’s one of the best tracks on the record. Heavy guitars, a classic Paul Stanley vocal, it feels like it could have fit nicely on an early 80s album like Creatures or Lick it Up.
I’ve always enjoyed Gene Simmons’ songs the most (if you exclude Frehley from the equation) and on this album, he’s produced four songs that fit rather nicely with some of the band’s 70s work. The lyrics are still pretty juvenile (as are most KISS lyrics) as Gene sings things like “If it’s too hot, then you’re too cold, if it’s too loud then you’re too old” on “Hot and Cold” and commanding his female companion to “take off your clothes” in “Yes I Know (Nobody’s Perfect), but I’ve always enjoyed his bravado. He sings this stuff with such conviction and you truly believe his arrogance with a line like “Yes I know nobody’s perfect, but baby I come awful close.”
Stanley has always been the band’s most consistent songwriter. He’s written most of their most successful singles, including the aforementioned “Delilah.” He has a few other strong rockers on the album, including “Danger Us” and the excellent closing anthem “Say Yeah.” He spouts some ridiculous lyrics, as well, like “Danger you, danger me, danger us” but great lyrics were never the band’s forte. Putting out tight, rocking, melodic tunes is, and it’s something they haven’t done much of since their glory days.
Even though Criss and Frehley are no longer with the band, their replacements Thayer and Singer, do a nice job of filling in. In fact, they each get a lead vocal on the album, making it feel like more of a band effort. Singer’s “All for the Glory” is the better of the two, as his voice sounds like a less rough version of Criss’. Thayer’s “When Lightning Strikes”, which he co-wrote with Stanley, is very good, though, and it almost sounds like a tune Frehley could have written.
There are a few missteps. “Never Enough” sounds way too much like Poison’s “Nothin’ But a Good Time”, and sounding like Poison is never a good thing. “Stand” has good intentions, it’s the closest thing there is to a ballad on here. It was probably the most challenging song to write, with several chord changes and musical shifts. Co-written by Stanley and Simmons, the verses are very good, and the Beatle-esque coda near the end is a left-field surprise. However, the chorus just ruins the song for me. “Stand by my side, I’ll be next to you, stand by my side and we’ll make it through” is not only cheesy, the way they sing it sounds like it was lifted right from the worst of hair-metal ballads in the 80s.
Still, this is an album I’ve enjoyed cranking in the car. The production is clean, no bells and whistles added, just guitar, drums bass and vocals. It has the feel of a classic KISS album, which is something the band should be proud of. With a bit of editing and slightly better lyrics, it truly could have ranked up there with Destroyer, Love Gun or the self-titled debut album. As it is, it’s the best they’ve done since 1982, so I’ll take it.

The Sod rating: *** 1/2

Kiss discography as seen through my eyes
KISS (1974) *****
Hotter than Hell (1974) ****
Dressed to Kill (1975) **** 1/2
Alive (1975) *****
Destroyer (1976) **** 1/2
Rock and Roll Over (1976) ****
Love Gun (1977) *****
Alive II (1978) ****
Dynasty (1979) ***
Unmasked (1980) ** 1/2
Music from the Elder (1981) ** 1/2
Creatures of the Night (1982) ****
Lick it Up (1983) ***
Animalize (1984) **
Asylum (1985) * 1/2
Crazy Nights (1987) *
Hot in the Shade (1989) ** 1/2
Revenge (1992) ***
Psycho Circus (1998) ** 1/2

Music Review: Alice in Chains, Black Gives Way to Blue

It seems I’ve been stuck in an early to mid 90s grunge groove lately. Last week, I reviewed the outstanding new Pearl Jam release. A week later, Alice in Chains’ first album in 14 years comes out, and of course, I bought it.
I always enjoyed the Seattle bands, although I had trouble with calling all of them “alternative” or “grunge” bands. To me, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden were four distinct, outstanding hard rock bands, some of the best of their era.
In their heyday, AIC cranked out sludgy, depressing tunes that often dealt with the band members’ (namely lead singer Layne Staley) struggles with drug addiction. What made them so much better than the numerous imitators (Staind, Godsmack, Nickelback, etc.) were great tunes and versatility. They put out three proper albums, as well as two excellent, mostly acoustic EPs. The vocal cohesion shared by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell produced countless haunting harmonies, often sending chills down the spine.
Staley succumbed to his heroin addiction in 2002 while the band was on an extended hiatus (due to Staley’s sickness). Their last album with Staley was the underrated self-titled release in 1995, probably their best-sounding record production-wise (1992’s Dirt was their best songs-wise and it still stands as one of the greatest albums of that era). The group recorded a pair of tunes for their 1999 box-set Music Bank but that was it. Cantrell released a pair of Alice-esque solo albums, but it appeared the group was finished when Staley died.
In 2005, Cantrell, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney regrouped to do a show for Asian psunami victims, eventually deciding they’d like to hit the road again.
Eventually, they picked former Comes with the Fall singer William DuVall as a new singer/rhythm guitarist for the band, eventually deciding to record an album under the Alice in Chains moniker again.
I’ll be the first to admit, I was highly skeptical about the project. Replacing well known lead singers in rock bands is very difficult, often resulting in failure. AC/DC, Van Halen and to a certain extent, Black Sabbath have been successful.
DuVall’s task wasn’t easy, but Cantrell made it a bit easier on him by singing lead on most of the new material. DuVall is the lead singer on one track (the searing “Last of My Kind”) and for the most part he sings co-lead with Cantrell or backup to the guitarist.
DuVall obviously isn’t Staley, but what surprises me is how well he blends with Cantrell’s vocals to produce those killer AIC harmonies. You can hear it throughout the album, but it especially shines through on the acoustic Indian-tinged track “When the Sun Rose Again” as well as the album’s best tracks “Acid Bubble” and “Private Hell.”
“Acid Bubble” lands right in the middle of the album, and it’s one of Cantrell’s best songs in years. It almost feels like three songs in one, with an extremely heavy bridge built around slower, more melodic passages.
Other highlights include current single “Check My Brain” (which has landed at #1 on billboard’s rock chart) and its down-tuned, off kilter riff that gets stuck in your head. Also of note is the closing tribute to Staley, the title track. Elton John played piano on the track and Cantrell sings extremely heartfelt lyrics to his former bandmate.
This album exceeded my expectations and then some. And I’m hoping it isn’t a one-off project (the band seems to be revitalized now), as I believe there is room for growth in Alice in Chains, phase two. I believe Staley would be happy with what the band has done here.
NOTE: I’ve been reading a lot of reviews for this album, many of which were positive. A few of the lukewarm reviews came in big publications Rolling Stone and Spin. That’s fine, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I have a problem when a short review is written by someone who seems to have A. never listened to the band and B. gave a cursory look at a few tracks from the album. The Spin reviewer said he thought the album would have been better had Cantrell sang lead more often. This guy obviously hasn’t listened to AIC before, because if he did, he would know that Cantrell was sang most of the tunes on the album. The Rolling Stone reviewer said the drama in the band was gone, because much of the great songs were turned out due to Staley’s drug addiction, saying the band’s catalogue played like a soundtrack to Staley’s battle with drugs, totally ignoring the fact that Cantrell was the band’s primary songwriter. And the band dealt with addiction a lot in the tunes, but it wasn’t the only subject matter (see Rooster, about Cantrell’s dad’s Vietnam experience). Oh well, to each his own. Just would like writers to be more informed about their subject matter.

The Sod rating: ****
Rating system
***** Hall of Fame album
**** Perennial All-Star
*** Solid starter
** Bench warmer
* Jose Lima and Sal Fasano

Other Alice in Chains albums
Facelift (1990) ***
Sap (1991) *** 1/2
Dirt (1992) *****
Jar of Flies (1994) **** 1/2
Alice in Chains (1995) ****
Music Bank (1999) *** 1/2

Album Review: Pearl Jam, Backspacer

A new release by Pearl Jam is always welcome, as they’ve been amazingly consistent throughout their 18-year recording career. They’ve never released a bad album, and while some are certainly better than others, each release has moments of brilliance.
Their ninth studio release, Backspacer, came out earlier this week, and it’s definitely one of the band’s best. Its 11 tracks literally fly by in a brisk 37 minutes, and not a moment is wasted.
The band gets things off to an exhilarating start with four punchy rockers, each of which clock in at three minutes or less. “Gonna See My Friend” and “Got Some” are more punkish, while first singer “The Fixer” is extremely catchy, almost poppy. “Johnny Guitar” has some unique rhythmic changes, and each of the first four gems contain amazing singing from Eddie Vedder (who shines, as usual, throughout the record) and strong guitar interplay from Mike McCready and Stone Gossard. The rhythm section (drummer Matt Cameron and bassist Jeff Ament) keep things moving in the right direction and its probably the hardest rocking opening four tracks of any Pearl Jam album.
But what has made PJ such an enduring band is its ability to shift gears, change the moods. While this album doesn’t contain as many experimental, way out there tunes as other Pearl Jam releases, it contains two amazing ballads in the acoustic “Just Breathe” and album closer “The End.” Vedder describes “Just Breathe” as the closest Pearl Jam has ever gotten to a love song, and he’s right. But it’s far from a cheesy schmaltzfest, the feelings in the lyrics and the singing are genuine and extremely effective. “The End” deals with mortality and how Vedder “just wants to grow old.”
Other highlights are the straight-ahead rocker “Supersonic” and the majestic “Amongst the Waves,” but I highly recommend the whole disc. I’ve listened to it four times now (I can get through it beginning to end on my 35-minute commute to work) and it seems to get better with each listen, a sign of an album that will stand the test of time.
The Sod rating: **** 1/2

Pearl Jam catalogue (as heard through my ears)
Ten (1991) **** 1/2
Vs. (1993) *****
Vitalogy (1994) *****
No Code (1996) ****
Yield (1998) *** 1/2
Binaural (2000) ****
Riot Act (2002) ****
Pearl Jam (2005) **** 1/2
Backspacer (2009) **** 1/2

Ratings system
***** Hall of Fame album
**** Perennial all-star
*** Solid starter
** Bench warmer
* Jim Pankovits and Archi Cianfrocco

Football picks

Just posted this at my other blog, The Grounds Crew, figured I’d do it here as well.

I missed out last week, but I’m going to try to do football picks from every week here on out. I’ll tackle college and the pros, and while I’ll mostly stick to the Top 25 college games, I’ll also pick a few of the more intriguing matchups.

Temple at 5 Penn State
Temple hasn’t beaten Penn State in Happy Valley since the FDR administration….
Penn State 56, Temple 7

11 Ohio State at Toledo
The Buckeyes will be mighty ticked after blowing a golden opportunity last week against USC….
Ohio State 38, Toledo 17

East Carolina at 24 North Carolina
East Carolina usually puts up a good fight against its Carolina brethren…
North Carolina 19, East Carolina 14

Eastern Michigan at 25 Michigan
The Wolverines get to stay in the AP poll another week…..
Michigan 35, Eastern Michigan 3

Duke at 22 Kansas
This would be one heck of a matchup in college basketball. Unfortunately, this isn’t college basketball….
Kansas 49, Duke 6

8 California at Minnesota
This might be closer than the 14-point line indicates, but Cal wins it….
California 27, Minnesota 17

North Texas at 4 Alabama
Saban’s squad wins in a laugher…..
Alabama 58, North Texas 7

3 USC at Washington
The Huskies actually will have the better quarterback in this one, as USC freshman Matt Barkley is out with an injury. Jake Locker is no slouch and former USC assistant Steve Sarkisian will turn this once proud program around. Probably not this week, though…
USC 31, Washington 14

18 Utah at Oregon
Oregon 38, Utah 27

Tulsa at 12 Oklahoma
The Sooners get back on track….
Oklahoma 51, Tulsa 13

19 Nebraska at 13 Virginia Tech
You have to give the Hokies a lot of credit, they’ve scheduled some tough non-conference opponents. This will help them out big time later in the year…
Virginia Tech 24, Nebraska 20

Tennessee at 1 Florida
Lane Kiffin ran his mouth, and while the Volunteers may eventually return to elite status in the SEC, it certainly won’t be this year. Look for the Gators to run it up…
Florida 55, Tennessee 10

17 Cincinnati at Oregon State
I’d usually go with the Pac 10 over the Big East, but Cincinnati is an up and coming power in a weak conference. Many people agree with me, as Oregon State started as a 2 1/2 point favorite, but now Cincinnati is favored by one…..
Cincinnati 35, Oregon State 23

Rice at 16 Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State flamed out big-time last week against Houston. They’ll get well in a hurry against Rice…..
Oklahoma State 48, Rice 12

La. Lafayette at 9 LSU
LSU romps….
LSU 58, La. Lafayette 10

Florida State at 7 BYU
The Seminoles’ porous pass defense gets lit up again. BYU’s favored by 7 1/2, doubt it will be that close….
BYU 41, Florida State 21

SE Louisiana at 5 Mississippi
Jevon Snead gets to pad some stats….
Mississippi 55, SE Louisana 6

23 Georgia at Arkansas
Bulldogs fall out of the rankings after this one….
Arkansas 31, Georgia 24

Texas Tech at 2 Texas
No Graham Harrell, no Michael Crabtree, no chance for Tech.
Texas 62, Texas Tech 27

Other non top 25 games
Navy at Pittsburgh
Navy nearly pulled off the upset at Ohio State, they get it here….
Navy 24, Pittsburgh 23

Northwestern at Syracuse
The Orange have played two Big Ten schools in the Greg Paulus era, nearly upsetting Minnesota and putting up a game effort against a much-better Penn State squad. They get their first win this week at the Carrier Dome….
Syracuse 24, Northwestern 21

Arizona at Iowa
Iowa’s favored by 6, I’m not buying it….
Arizona 31, Iowa 26

Buffalo at UCF
George O’Leary’s squad is the favorite at home, but Turner Gill has done one heck of a job at Buffalo….
Buffalo 28, UCF 27

And on to the pros….
Oakland (+3) at Kansas City
Raiders looked good in opening loss to Chargers. Take them here….
Raiders 28, Chiefs 24

Tennessee (-6 1/2) vs. Houston
Texans got stomped by the Jets and a rookie quarterback last week. Titans lost a tough overtime battle to the world-champion Steelers.
Titans 24, Texans 10

New England (-3 1/2) at N.Y. Jets
Beating the Texans was one thing for rookie Mark Sanchez. Topping Tom Brady and the Pats is another altogether….
Patriots 31, Jets 16

Cincinnati (+9) at Green Bay
Bengals were surprisingly good on defense last week against Denver. The Packers will win this at home but the Bengals will cover…
Packers 21, Bengals 14

Minnesota (-10) at Detroit
It’s a large point spread, but the Lions haven’t won since 2007. They won’t get off the schneid this week either…..
Vikings 38, Lions 12

New Orleans (pick em) at Philadelphia
This is an intriguing matchup, but if Donovan McNabb doesn’t play, I like the Saints. I still might have taken the Saints otherwise, but if Kevin Kolb starts, New Orleans wins….
Saints 27, Eagles 20

Atlanta (-6 1/2) vs. Carolina
Turnover machine Jake Delhomme plays himself out of a starting job this week….
Falcons 24, Panthers 7

St. Louis (+10) at Washington
The Rams are terrible, but I don’t see the Redskins’ offense putting up a lot of points, either…..
Redskins 23, Rams 14

Arizona (+3) at Jacksonville
Look for the NFC champs to rebound after a lackluster first week against the 49ers.
Cardinals 20, Jaguars 16

San Francisco (-1 1/2) vs. Seattle
Mike Singletary’s boys start the year 2-0 with another ugly win…..
49ers 17, Seahawks 14

Buffalo (-5) vs. Tampa Bay
Bills erase bad taste from opening chokefest against Pats….
Bills 27, Bucs 20

Cleveland (+3) at Denver
The Broncos didn’t look particularly good in their opener against the Bengals. Look for Brady Quinn and Braylon Edwards to find the chemistry lacking in last week’s game. Browns in an upset….
Browns 19, Broncos 14

San Diego (-3) vs. Baltimore
Ravens defense is tough, but look for Philip Rivers and the boys to win at home….
Chargers 24, Ravens 13

Pittsburgh (-3) at Chicago
Jay Cutler couldn’t have looked much worse in his debut. He’ll be better, but the Steelers are a better team than the Bears….
Steelers 21, Bears 13

N.Y. Giants (+3) at Dallas
Tony Romo did just fine without T.O. last week. But the Giants have a much better defense than Tampa Bay, and they’ll come after him with a fearless pass rush….
Giants 27, Cowboys 23

Monday night
Indianapolis (-3) at Miami
Just don’t think the Dolphins have the magic this season. They fall to 0-2 with this loss….
Colts 24, Dolphins 17

Beatlemania lives

It’s about time.
The Beatles, the greatest rock band of all time in my and many others’ humble opinions, finally get the sonic treatment they deserved with this week’s re-release of their entire catalogue, digitally remastered.
The release coincides with the unveiling of the Beatles RockBand video game to the world, which gives the band a new outlet to introduce their music to today’s youth.
For me, the reworking of the band’s catalogue is the real treat. All 13 original albums plus a two-disc collection of all the non-album singles/b-sides have been cleaned up. The songs are already great, but the sound quality is light years ahead of the original cd releases (which came in 1987). The Beatles’ catalogue was long neglected, while contemporaries such as the Rolling Stones, the Who and Led Zeppelin had their work remastered, in some cases twice.
The packaging of these new cds is something to behold, as they come with lots of pics (some of which I’d never seen) and updated liner notes to fill a listener in on the recording of each album. Each cd also has an embedded mini-documentary which gives you even more information on how the albums came to be.
But the key is the sound. The instruments jump out of the speakers like never before. I always knew Paul McCartney was a fantastic bass player, but you can really hear the intricate bass lines on these remasters. Ringo doesn’t get enough credit as a top-flight drummer, but you can hear his wonderfully placed fills and impeccable timing. And the singing? Always fantastic but never clearer than presented here.
I bought the stereo box set at Best Buy and haven’t listened to all the discs yet (although I’ve put a good dent in them). To let you know how much I think of these albums, I also bought the new Jay-Z and Phish discs, and haven’t opened them up yet. I may have heard the Beatles’ songs a million times, but I just can’t begin to explain their music’s impact on my life. There truly will never be another Beatles. I’m utterly amazed on their staying power. It’s been almost 40 years since they broke up, yet they’re arguably just as popular today as they were then. Fab indeed.

Music review: Arctic Monkeys, Humbug

Young British rockers The Arctic Monkeys recently released their third album, Humbug. The band, huge in their native United Kingdom, haven’t yet achieved stateside success. But that seems more due to the lack of taste in music over here (I’m looking at you, Daughtry, Nickelback and Black Eyed Peas) than anything else.
The Arctic Monkeys are exciting, with lead vocalist/lyricist Alex Turner’s biting sarcastic wit and energetic singing complimenting the garage-band sound of guitarists Jamie Cook and Nick O’Malley. Their first release, 2006’s Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not bursted with energy, and its rough, gritty sound helped make it a fantastic debut. The follow-up, 2007’s Favourite Worst Nightmare was a more polished effort, full of excellent songcraft but lacking much of the immediacy and vitality of the debut.
For their latest effort, the Monkeys recruited Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme to do the producing duties, and his presence is felt all over Humbug. The Arctic Monkeys’ sound is denser and darker than ever before, and the guitar work often sounds more psychedelic (Homme’s influence is everywhere, as he plays guitar and sings backup on several of the tracks). The last three tracks “Dance Little Liar”, “Pretty Visitors” and “The Jeweler’s Hands” are unlike nothing the band has recorded, with an almost Halloween-esque organ augmenting “Visitors.” There’s still some good straightforward rock like lead single “Crying Lightning” and “Dangerous Animals” but even those have more layers and surprises than before. These twentysomethings keep getting better, pushing the envelope with each release. Sod rating: ****

Other Arctic Monkey releases:
Whatever You Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006) ****
Favorite Worst Nightmare (2007) ***