Trollheart

Just because, here's some Bon Jovi. Yeah? Well, keep your opinions to yourself...

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Trollheart

White ladder --- David Gray --- 1998 (iht)


The first time I heard David Gray I thought “Jesus that guy sounds like Dylan!” And he does. But look deeper than the superficial soundalike and you'll find a thoughtful songwriter, a really good singer and a man who really cares about his music. Although this is by far his best known and most successful album, it's his fourth, and he's had five since. A friend of Dave Matthews (he of the band) it was he who released David's album on his own label in the US, leading to interest in it on the other side of the water, and the sudden fame and success for a man who had struggled to gain recognition for five years.

With every song written or co-written by Gray bar the closing cover version, he not only sings but plays guitar, piano, synth and organ. Although not initially a successful single, opener “Please forgive me” became one of his best known and popular songs, with its quietly rolling percussion and sparse piano opening, as bass joins in and then full strings on synth, but it's Gray's distinctive, very Dylan-like voice that carries the track, and which would become a regular sound on the radio during the latter half of the nineties. Near the end of the song, it all fades down to just the solitary piano supporting Gray's vocal, then the synth swells as the ticking drumbeat comes in, handclaps and then the bass, followed finally by the guitar as the song fades out on an instrumental ending.

A great start, and for a long time the only song I knew by Gray, but it's followed by another which was a bigger hit for him, “Babylon” carried on a jaunty guitar line and chigga-chigga-chigga (sorry, there's just no other way to describe them) drums, almost nonchalant bass humming away. It's almost electric folk/rock, laidback but with a quiet energy all its own and a really nice signature guitar line running through it. The acoustic “My oh my” is the first of three tracks (apart from the cover) on which he collaborates with his drummer, Craig McClune, and it's another nice little relaxing song, not totally acoustic in fairness: started off that way but then synth and organ joined in, and there's a really nice vibe going on it now.

Gray's songs all seem to be based in that most simple, and most complex of themes, human relationships, and “We're not right” is another example of this, with a downbeat vocal and a real CSNY feel, with what sound like female backing vocals, though I can't find any credit for them. This is another co-writing venture, this time including producer Iestyn Polson as well, but “Nightblindness” is one of Gray's own, a dour, fragile acoustic dirge with some lovely introspective guitar, and some lovely whistling organ from McClune, then the mood lightens just slightly with “Silver lining”, tinged with blues and gospel flashes, and some lovely violin, before the title track again reunites Gray with Polson and McClune, for the last time. It's a more uptempo song, driven on a discrete little bassline and percussion that sounds like hands clapping, but I must say for the title track it's pretty weak, and not up to the standard of some that have gone before, and more that are to come.

Seems Gray flourishes best when he writes alone, as “This year's love”, another big hit single, is the album's single ballad, sung in an almost angry, sullen way against a backdrop of soulful piano joined by some beautiful mellotron from Tim Bradshaw. This song, if no other, demonstrates Gray's talent for crafting an almost perfect song out of the simplest ideas, and it hits you right in the heart. Another classic by him is “Sail away”, the last song on the album written by him, with a jaunty, upbeat acoustic sound and a message of escape from the pressures in life. Some lovely strings on synthesiser from Craig McClune add to the majesty of the piece, and it would have been a great closer, but for some odd reason Gray chose to end with a cover version of Soft Cell's “Say hello, wave goodbye”.

That would be bad enough on its own, but the version he includes here is over nine minutes long. I'm not sure that's a good idea for someone who was trying to push his own music, but then, the album sold over seven million units despite this, so I guess people weren't that bothered. Still, I would much rather have had one of his own originals instead. It's a decent version of the song, but I never liked the original, so that doesn't really say all that much.

But as a way of introducing David Gray to the world stage, “White ladder” certainly does its job. Hard to believe the guy had to finance this album himself, and that if it hadn't been for his mate Dave Matthews it might never have seen the light of release. I haven't heard any of his material since this, apart from one or two tracks from “A new day at midnight”, which I thought were okay, but they didn't push me to buy the new album at the time. Nevertheless, if he never sold another album, this cemented his reputation for all time in music, and you'll go a long way to find anyone who hasn't heard at least one or two tracks off this album. Not bad, for a struggling singer/songwriter who had no idea of the influence his music would have on the world.

TRACKLISTING

1. Please forgive me
2. Babylon
3. My oh my
4. We're not right
5. Nightblindness
6. White ladder
7. This year's love
8. Sail away
9. Say hello, wave goodbye

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Trollheart

Bit of good electronic pop for you today, this is A Flock of Seagulls, with “I ran”.

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Trollheart

Desperado --- The Eagles --- 1973 (Asylum)


I could of course be wrong --- it has to happen sometime! --- but I think this is the first, possibly only concept album I've seen in the country music genre. Of course, I'm not all that well versed with country and western music, so that's really not a claim I should be making. However, it is the only country concept album I've ever seen or heard of, so for that at least it deserves a listen.

Second album released by the Eagles, it's based around the concept of an outlaw gang, the Daltons, who figure fairly heavily in the history and mythology of the Old West. Although they only enjoyed a brief spell of notoriety, operating from the year 1890 to 1892, they ran with the Youngers, who were affiilated with Jesse James' James Gang (though the Daltons and the James never met or rode together), as well as Bill Doolin, legendary founder of the Wild Bunch. The Daltons were three brothers, who began life as lawmen but later became outlaws for various reasons.

The album opens on “Doolin-Dalton”, an acoustic rendition of the tale of the Daltons, who later joined up with Bill Doolin and became the Doolin-Dalton Gang. Don Henley takes the lead vocal, with Glenn Frey also adding vocals and a very atmospheric harmonica. Great guitar from Frey and Bernie Leadon, who would only last with the Eagles two more years, unhappy with the direction the band was taking towards more commercial, radio-friendly music and away from pure country and bluegrass. The latter is evidenced by “Twenty one”, on which Leadon not only sings, plays dobro and banjo but also wrote the song. Very much a one-man-band, in terms of this song. It's a good foot-tapper with a good melody, but the sort of song very definitely that the Eagles would gravitate away from, over the course of the next two albums. Far harder and rockier is “Out of control”, where Frey takes over both on vocals and guitar, perhaps taking a leaf out of Bowie's book on “Suffragette City”. A good rocker, with some great guitar from Frey, a real drinking song, and again the sort of thing they would move away from in favour of more AOR and often bland soft rock in the future, culiminating in the record-breaking milestone “Hotel California”.

One of their big hits is up next, the mid-paced ballad “Tequila sunrise”, Glenn Frey again behind the mike and also adding acoustic guitar, with Leadon playing the electric and a beautiful little mandolin solo that really makes the song. This then of course shows the slide towards commerciality that would for some people ruin the Eagles, and for others offer them a door into the world of country music and an appreciation of this band. Either way, it was a huge hit, and the boys were already on their way to fame and glory. The next song everyone knows, but perhaps not everyone knows it was never a single, despite being one of the huge standards of the Eagles. “Desperado” is sung by Henley, with Frey performing a classic and heartfelt piano piece which more or less carries the whole thing, as the outlaw is warned not to push his luck too far: ”Don't you draw the Queen of Diamonds, boy/ She'll beat you if she's able/ The Queen of Hearts is your best bet.” One of my favourite Eagles songs, and with good reason. Why this was never released as a single I will never know.

Leadon's acoustic guitar and powerful mandolin lead in the only song on the album voiced by Randy Meisner, as “Certain kind of fool” tells the tale of how the Daltons became outlaws, with lead guitar from Frey as Meisner tells of the outlaw's purchase of his first gun: ”He saw it in a window/ The mark of a new kind of man/ He kind of liked the feeling/ So shiny and smooth in his hand.” Great solo from Frey, and Meisner's vocal, though a little strained, somehow seems to fit this song. With a flourish on the drums it ends and hits into the only instrumental on the album, less than a minute long, and mostly riding on Leadon's versatile banjo, “Doolin-Dalton (instrumental)” runs directly into “Outlaw man”, a boogie rocker with Frey back on vocals, on the only song on the album not written by any of the Eagles. A great rippin' guitar solo from Leadon, then the song kicks into higher gear, almost southern boogie style, with fine backing vocals to the end, like a train hurtlin' down the tracks.

Another great ballad then in the mariachi-influenced “Saturday night”, a real song of reminscence with Henley on vocals and acoustic guitar, and Leadon adding his mesmeric touch on the mandolin, almost giving the song a vaguely celtic feel. Really nice song this, close to the standout, but then you have of course the title track, “Tequila sunrise” and “Doolin-Dalton” to consider. The next one is close to a contender as well, with vocal from Bernie Leadon on the introspective “Bitter creek”, also written by him. It has a very Delta blues feel to it, and I'm pretty sure that's a dobro Leadon is playing. It's also the longest track on the album, just over five minutes. Some great vocal harmonies on this, puts me in mind in places of Simon and Garfunkel at their best.

The closer is a sort of pastiche of the opener and the title, called “Doolin-Dalton/Desperado (reprise)”, which at the time excited me when I found out about it. I had listened to, and loved, “Desperado” for decades, never knowing or even dreaming there was more to the song, that there was a reprise. It's not a disappointment, and it closes the album really well. The first part, the “Doolin-Dalton” section, is essentially just a retreading of the song that opened the album, though more acoustic with banjo and dobro in Leadon's capable hands, and Henley on lead vocals. About halfway through the song, a banjo break ends the first part and we slide into “Desperado (reprise)”, which is indeed a continuation of the famous classic, and gives it new life, finishing the story but nevertheless leaving the conclusion unresolved, and taking this classic album to a very satisfying end.

There are those who love the Eagles, and those who hate them. There are those who think they sold out on the “Hotel California” album, and perhaps they did. There's no doubt that, like Deep Purple and perhaps Led Zeppelin too, they were coaxed out of retirement by huge mountains of money: Don Henley's promise that the band would reform “when Hell freezes over” was used as a clever marketing ploy to title the reunion album, but is fairly clear evidence that these guys did not get back together because they missed each other. Most had quite successful solo projects going, and they surely did not need the hassle of a world tour. But the dollar has a loud voice, and they listened to it.

Many will denounce them for that, for making the music secondary to money, but there's no doubting that, while that album was little more than a live set of old material with four new tracks, it did lead to one of the best albums, in my opinion, of 2007, the real comeback album, “Long road out of Eden”. Whatever your view on their future work, "Desperado" shows the two sides of the Eagles: the pure, undiluted country/bluegrass and the more adult-oriented rock side of them, the latter of which won out in the end and made them huge international stars. But I really like this album, not so much for its disparities but for the way it pulls all the threads together into one cohesive whole. Elements which should really have no business working together do, and the album is the better for it.

The final word I leave to a review in, of all things, an “Alias Smith and Jones” annual from my childhood. A few paragraphs only, concerned of course with the fact that this album addresses the story of cowboy gangs and outlaws, and yet, for all its brevity and simplicity, it really does say it all about this album.

“Desperado, by the Eagles. It's only a record. But what a record.”

TRACKLISTING

1. Doolin-Dalton
2. Twenty-one
3. Out of control
4. Tequila sunrise
5. Desperado
6. Certain kind of fool
7. Doolin-Dalton (instrumental)
8. Outlaw man
9. Saturday night
10. Bitter creek
11. Doolin-Dalton/Desperado (reprise)

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Trollheart

The often demented ramblings and musings of a music journal author

Something has been troubling me since yesterday. I stumbled across an artiste whose name intrigued me (often the first impression one makes on me is to have an interesting name, either of the artiste or the album) and having trialed a few tracks found it not terrible. It was, I think I can only conclude, doom metal, but for what it was it was not too bad, and I haven't had that much experience with that sub-genre. So as I usually do, I went searching for more information on the artiste. Wiki had nothing, which is never a good start. My other main source --- for metal at any rate --- Encyclopaedia Metallum was more helpful, but still details were sketchy. So I decided to type in the artiste's name as a domain, and was gratified to see a website pop up.

The artiste in question is known as Babylon Mystery Orchestra, and turns out, from what I can see, to be the solo efforts of one guy, who sings, plays all instruments, writes all lyrics and music and is so far unsigned, despite having six albums and being in existence since 2003. Is this a good thing? If he was that talented, surely he would have been signed by now? Perhaps. Not necessarily, I thought though. Some artistes either turn down the advances of a major label as they either don't want their music diluted, want to retain control of their music or simply don't trust them. From having read about BMO I think he falls into the final category.

Now, the music is fine: nothing terribly special, but not unlistenable (at least, in the samples I heard) but I often look for more interesting than good albums to review. Wow, that sounds stupid doesn't it? That's not what I mean. What I mean is that I look for something interesting first, some hook on which to hang the review. Of course, if the music is terrible then it doesn't matter how different or thought-provoking the name is, I shy away from it. No point in sacrificing quality for novelty. I learned this lesson with Vincent Kuhner's album some time ago, buying it only for the extra-long title, and was very disappointed, if not totally confused by it. But if the music matches the interest factor, I can usually push “Purchase” and have a listen to the whole thing.

Babylon Mystery Orchestra is the brainchild of one Sidney Allen Johnson, and on his website there is a lot of rhetoric about the things he doesn't like, and/or trust, and it seems, in fairness, to be pretty much everything. He has written, it would appear, albums that take apart religion, politics, America ... here, I'll let the guy tell you himself: ”From its inception Babylon Mystery Orchestra has defiantly presented its vision of the truth, the way a true artist should, without regard to the prevailing popular views of the time. The gothic hard rock/heavy metal artist thrives on challenging conventional thinking. Especially that of the rock music elites. No man-made institution is sacred to Babylon Mystery Orchestra! Not America, portrayed as the Biblically doomed "Mystery Babylon the Great" on the debut CD "Divine Right Of Kings." Not the Christian church, a man-made institution rightly questioned on the critically acclaimed work "The Great Apostasy: A Conspiracy of Satanic Christianity." The second CD, "On Earth As It Is In Heaven," even condemned rock music itself!”

Okay, all fine and good. It's a thinly-disguised promotion for his previous works, certainly, but it manages to succesfully state his case. So I'm intrigued, and want to investigate more. I notice that on his site the guy seems to have links to essays --- essays? Yeah. So obviously he's reasonably intelligent and presumably articulate. A good way, I reason, to find out what he's all about is to read one or two. So I do. The one I choose seems to be a deconstruction of the theory of evolution. Now, to my mind, there is only one group that denies evolution as a solid theory, and that's creationists. So am I reading the rantings of a religious conservative? I read the article, which I have to say is both well-written and researched, and seems to reference some eminent scientists, who appear to agree that there may be flaws in Darwin's theory. I get a little unsettled by this, and await the revelation at the end that Johnson believes God created the world. If he says this, then I know (right or wrong) I'm dealing with a creationist, and my opinion may form on that basis.

But to my surprise, he doesn't say anything, beyond mentioning The Great Flood and Noah, however the manner in which he refers to them leaves me no wiser as to whether he's advocating creationism or laughing at it equally. My curiousity unsatisfied, I turn to see if there's a similar essay “taking down God”, as it were, but my attention is drawn to one about homosexuals. In this article, I find Johnson perhaps revealing his true colours, as he seems to launch into an angry, hate-filled tirade about the passing of laws in certain states promoting and allowing same-sex marriage. It's clear he doesn't agree with this, it's clear he has a hatred of gays, and also of the president, as he constantly refers to laws passed by Obama, with a thin veneer of hatred over his writing which suggests he either hates Democrats, or blacks, or both.

So, are we now looking at racism, gender-fuelled hatred and prejudice? It would, on the face of it, seem so. The fact that the symbol for BMO is a badly-disguised swastika does not help settle my nerves. I know it's the actual original ancient symbol that Hitler corrupted to make into the Nazi emblem, and which came to stand for repression, murder, totalitarianism and hatred, but in which context is it supposed to be understood when used as the logo for Babylon Mystery Orchestra? I don't see essays on jews, but I do see a lot of hatred directed at Islam. This is not good. Islam is a religion; it's Islamic terrorists or extremists that should draw the ire of all right-thinking people, not a whole community that is spread out over the globe.

Titles run like: “There is no god but Allah: the truth about Islam part 2”, “The science of denying God”, “Heavy metal's golden goose ... COOKED! By the Ku Klux Klan” and “Homosexuals and Hugenots”, the latter of which was the one I read. This last one, at least, makes very uncomfortable reading, and I am left in something of a quandary (whoever owns it shouldn't have left the doors open, but there you are, I wandered in and now I'm stuck in it!): do I now judge this man's music --- the lyrics of which do seem to reflect his view on the world as transmitted through his somewhat hate-filled but well-written essays --- on the basis of what he writes? If I review it, can I divorce the music from the ideals, the man from the music, the album from the prejudice? And if I do review it, am I giving oxygen to a preacher of intolerance and hatred, becoming (however inadvertently or reluctantly) the mouthpiece for Sidney Allen Johnson, providing a platform from which he can spout his edicts and pronouncements? If people reading this enjoy the music, am I driving them into the arms of a fanatic?

But if I choose not to publish, not to pursue this review, ignore the man and his music, am I pushing the problem to one side and refusing to face it? Am I pretending this sort of hatespeak through music does not exist, even though I know it does. Of course I know, but is this a case of NIMJ (Not In MY Journal)!? Am I ignoring the problem and hoping it'll fade away? Am I taking the easy way out instead of taking this challenge head-on and trying to deal with it? Should I even involve his politics, beliefs, prejudices, or just concentrate on the music? But when the music is so deeply rooted in that belief system, how can I have one without the other? They're each part of the whole, more than the sum of their parts, and one road leads inexorably to the other.

Or do I misunderstand the man? His first essay, while coldly laughing at the idea of evolution and explaining WHY he does not believe in it --- or, indeed, global warming --- was quite a deep and enthralling read, and he can certainly string a word or two together, there's no doubting that. Is he a harmless conspiracy theorist, one of those people who blames the government on everything that happens, that think shadowy men sit around a dark table in a grey office somewhere and make decisions that affect the world, faceless, powerful men who are answerable to no ---- hey! Where are you taking me? What's the hood for? I demand to see the Irish ambassador!

Seriously though, do I give his writings credit, should I decide to go ahead with the review, or ignore them? Do I give him more exposure, let him say what he wants, and let people make up their own minds about that, or do I essentially repress what I've read, practicing a form of censorship myelf which I have never fully agreed with? Will I be unwittingly doing the work of the “shadowy men” by denying Johnson and the Babylon Mystery Orchestra a chance to state their case? Will I be making myself a tool of the “Illuminati” or PNAC, or whoever he blames for all the ills and wars and diseases and economic meltdowns in the world?

It's not even that I'm that blown away by his music: I mean, it's okay, but I could just as easily review something else, forget about him and move on. But then again, could I forget him? If his words --- be they misguided, plain wrong, or in fact the unvarnished, undisguised truth --- have affected me so deeply that I felt I had to write this to try to sort out my reaction to BMO, do I not owe it to myself, and my readers, to explore further and see what's to be found? I only run a tiny music journal, in the final analysis, not a conspiracy centre or a television studio, but what I put in it is up to me, and I like to think that my choices are based both on personal experiences and first impressions as well as gut feelings.

What does my gut tell me about this? I'm still trying to work that out.

If anyone knows of Johnson, or Babylon Mystery Orchestra, and has any advice, I'd be really grateful to hear from you. Anyone else who would like to weigh in, on either side, your input would be welcome too.

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Geekoid

I've said it before, but I really appreciate your integrity, Trollheart.

The questions you raise in that entry remind me of my own thoughts surrounding my journal. I want to make the point that I have strong convictions about my beliefs, but I don't want to be so censored that I'm essentially pumping out propaganda (if you remember my post about Leslie Phillips, I'd rather not act as a right-wing propaganda machine).

If you've read my most recent review on "Tomorrow, in a Year," you would noticed that it's an album that pays tribute to Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution, which I don't completely agree with. I had to ask myself a few questions before I wrote that review. Though I'm a creationist, I don't like demonizing scientists who do legitimate work and come to fair theoretical conclusions. The church did that to Galileo, and ended up having to apologize for it later. There's no denying that the Earth is round, and that there are planets in outer space. I have no moral qualms over that fact. Galileo was actually a creationist himself, and if he was anything like me, he may have used science as a means of discovering the depths of creation.

But anyway, I have come across a lot of hateful messages from people who consider themselves members of various beliefs, philosophies and religions. A lot of them are very well written and appear logically sound. From my study of psychology, I began to realize that there are people who are extremely gifted at making logically sound arguments; but their logic is always lacking something. Scientists are right only until someone else comes along and proves them wrong (they really love it when that happens. lol). Lawyers might make a brilliantly elegant case against a person, but in the end the wrong person sometimes still goes to jail because the lawyer was good at playing devil's advocate.

I've also learned in my studies that there are some very gifted people out there who use their intellect in unhealthy ways. If someone is always on the defensive, and seems to have a conspiratorial or extreme attitude about the outside world, they are likely in an unhealthy frame of mind. On top of that, if they're good communicators, their edgy and elegant language are effective at adding a "wow" factor to whatever they write, because they seem to have a perspective nobody else knows; a leg up on conventional thinking. But in the end, it's all just a logically sound illusion they create from feelings of distrust; a bit like the conspiracies of a paranoid schizophrenic. As long as people can't prove them wrong, they can perpetuate the illusion and are content in their unhealthy frame of mind.

When it comes to including artists in my journal, as much as I like the idea of being all-inclusive, I try to be careful not to promote anything I wouldn't be comfortable listening to myself, no matter how impressive or interesting the music may be. Not out of the idea of censorship, but of personal conviction. I like to feature artists that help to cultivate healthy perspectives on life, so that people are left better off for having listened to them. I feel better about myself when I trust my moral compass. If I feel like I'm making any kind of compromise, I'm allowing myself a chance to do something I might regret later, especially when there are other people involved.

Anyway, that's my opinion. I hope it helps. And I hope this guy's music doesn't trouble you for too long, either. I don't know if it's worth the stress

Trollheart

Thanks Geekoid for your input and help. To be honest, the music doesn't bother me: it's not that it's music I came across and went WOW! I have to feature this! What troubles me more is my own attitude, how I deal with this, how I approach it, and am I giving, basically, "free speech" a chance? But then, there are certain elements which don't belong in any journal, or on any forum, such as hatred, racism, bigotry and so on. Religious conservatism would be another I'd have no truck with, but equally I wouldn't give a platform to anyone trying to actively tear down religion either.

It's a sticky one. Like the title says, my brain hurts. Think I'll go watch my taped "Match of the day" and relax for a bit before I think any more about it...

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Trollheart

Woohoo! The worm is finally going on holidays! Bout bloody time too! Won't be seeing your ugly faces for a whole month! What? A long time? Hey, the worm has been working solid, flat-out for a year now without a single break, you know, while others have had their holidays. Only seems fair. Plus, he's been keeping the daily entry log of the journal going while Miss High-and-Mighty is off, ah, reuperating (cough! Rehab!) after her kidnap, so he thinks he's done more than his share. Time to relax and chill out: what? Never you mind how a worm relaxes and chills out...
Anyway, going to leave you with one from the Human League, this is “Open your heart”. See yaz all in a month!

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Trollheart

Would you believe, it's been six months since I last hit this section? About time I threw a few more recommendations your way, wouldn't you say?

Let's kick off with this then: this is from the Gaslight Anthem, from an album of theirs I reviewed a while back and was very impressed with. To be fair, just about every track on it is great, but this is one of the ones I didn't feature in the review. It's called “The spirit of jazz”, and if you don't hear the Springsteen influences in this track, then there's no hope for you (or you've never heard a song by the Boss)...

The spirit of jazz (The Gaslight Anthem) from “American slang” on SideOneDummy


An album I have yet to review, but will, is “The quiet resistance” by Nemesea. Here's a taster from it.
High enough (Nemesea) from “The quiet resistance” on Napalm


One for my mate Ki, from an album he's been listening to recently (or a band at any rate); a short little piece but definitely recommended, from The Reasoning, this is the aptly-titled “Serenity”.
Serenity (The Reasoning) from “Dark angel” on Comet


And one I've just totally fallen in love with, from the latest Stevie Nicks album, this is called “Italian summer”.
Italian summer (Stevie Nicks) from “In your dreams” on Reprise


An album that often gets a little overlooked, because it sort of straddles the transition from prog rock band to pop/rock band, I still think “Duke” by Genesis is among their best. This is the closing track from it --- well, two really, but they flow together as one and end the album really well.
Duke's travels/Duke's end (Genesis) from “Duke” on Charisma


And finally, from another metal band who have really impressed me recently and who I will be reviewing soon, this is Crystal Eyes, who hail from Sweden, with a great track called “The fire of Hades”.
The fire of Hades (Crystal Eyes) from “Chained” on Heavy Fidelity

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Key

^Awesome to see the inclusion of The Reasoning. One of the best female lead bands I have listened to in a long time.