Powerstars

...And now for something completely different. Yes, in an effort to show everyone who reads this (All 1 of you) that I'm not a one-trick pony, I'm going to review an album that is categorized in another genre I'm interested in...Chiptunes. In the future, I will continue to review Rock albums, but will also review albums from a wider variety of genres. You name a genre, I (probably) listen to it. But enough gab. Time to get to this lovely album.

1. Downtown Psychedelic
Opening up with some nice 16 bit drums, I have high hopes for this album. The synth is really weird, but it's kinda cool. The lead, when it comes in, is nice. As the title implies, it is indeed psychedelic. Sounds almost like a menu theme. I like it. I'd say this is a nice way to open the album.

2. Influenza
Ooh. Almost latin/funk fusion we got in dat intro. More funky for the rest of it, though. Bass is nice, but not loud enough in comparison to everything else. Synth does do some really stuff at times.

3. My Spectrum's On Fire
What better way to follow funk than with chill? Don't say more funk! But really, I like this. Chill with some experimentation. It's also pretty soulful. The lead really just carries me away. It is incredible.

4. Dancing On The M%n
Some chill dance fusion going on here. I like it, but it feels a little repetitive. "My Spectrum's On Fire" really did a better job of conveying chill than this one. It is at this point that the listener notices the album begin to drag, with each track going on longer than it needs too. It does have some good moments, though.

5. Get A Brian Morans
More fast paced stuff? Good. Catchy riff at the beginning, after that, the lead is still pretty good, it's good stuff. The rhythm does some really cool stuff later in, also. Halfway in, we also get that part without the drums and then things get rather chill. Pretty sudden end, I have to say.

6. Plagiarism
O.O That awesome spacey intro. The awesome drums and bass. The awesome awesomeness. The dissonance in this song is really awesome and allows it to have some emotion. This is one song that doesn't overstay it's welcome.

7. We Must Perform A Quirkafleeg
More mindless funk! Mindless certainly doesn't mean bad, as the harmonies on this one at the very beginning almost remind me of an asian folk song. After that, it's just some good funk stuff, but they bring back the harmonies sometimes. Later, it becomes more chill.

8. In Retrospect
We start off with distorted drums and then some arcade-like sounds. Then an electric guitar sounding chiptune. This is probably as close to Pop-Rock as Chiptune can get. Very creative. Nice break from the funky chill we've been getting. Almost gets a dream pop vibe towards the end.

9. Sleigh Ride
Yup, that old Christmas song. Very holidayish with the bells. It's pretty great...as far as album filler goes. But really, I like this version.

10. Spectronosis
Whoa, the guitar at the beginning surprised me. Trippy chillish funk, probably the best funk song on the album. Fantastic, psychedelic way to end the album. Psychedelic. Going out the same way we came in.

Conclusion: The album is strong, but is carried down a bit by it's dragging and repetitiveness. It is still, definietly worth a listen, considering you can get it for free. Google it. Also, if you like what you hear, please pay some cash for these tracks. Join me next time, where I review...something. Maybe "Aftermath Of The Lowdown." :3

FINAL SCORE: 79.5/100

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Powerstars

Okay, this isn't just gonna be album reviews. The time has come to rant about a minor inconvenience of mine lately.

Remember when Windows Media Player would simply rip MP3 files, easily? Neither do I. Now, it rips this stupid WMA file. Basically, it's an issue with copy protection. Okay...that's totally fine when that was just the default. But then, they seem to have removed the option to export files as MP3's. One question. Why? That is all!

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Powerstars

Ah yes. In 2012, Richie Sambora, lead guitarist of Bon Jovi, deeply inspired by the amount of personal experiences he had in recent years, wrote and recorded an album about them. Noteworthy is that, for the first time, he has signed to an indie label. Can this man still rock out without Jon Bon Jovi and the band at his side? Let's find out!

1. Burn The Candle Down
Answer: Yes. We open with a very hard rocker. Richie's vocals are better then I initially thought. In fact, I had trouble believing it was Richie at first. He has a very diverse voice. This scape of sound is punctuated by funky organ that really brings the track together.

2. Every Road Leads Home To You
Very obviously inspired by his personal experiences, this emotional, almost power ballad is decently catchy and does it's job. My favorite part has to be the acoustic breakdown at the end.

3. Takin' A Chance On The Wind
Don't get the intro. It's this twangy country thing. The rest of the song is great though. It gets more and more electric as it goes on, and, as with "Burn The Candle Down," we have an organ that holds the song together. It's much more in the background though. Really rockin' and catchy one right here.

4. Nowadays
Dang, this one came and outta nowhere and was a pleasant surprise. We get this kick-ass drum intro and a surprisingly good metal scream from Richie. The whole track reminds me of the Foo Fighters, which can never be a bad thing. Very alternative inspired. Distorted solo really blows me outta my chair. On further listenings, I find the vocals are more than likely about the issues he'd been having. With his recent break from Bon Jovi, it kinda makes me wonder...Still, I love it when Bon Jovi made new songs with a more modern rock sound on What About Now, and I love it here.

5. Weathering The Storm
Softer sound, that is rather enjoyable. It also seems to be about Sambora's personal life. Has a pretty cool, grungy riff in the background of the chorus that I wish was more emphasized. It's probably the weakest song on the album, but it's okay.

6. Sugar Daddy
Upon hearing the title, I was scared Richie was going to make a rap song. Nope. Pop Rockish, actually. Don't run away, Hard Rock fanboys! It's actually pretty good! I like it. Synth during the verses surprised me, but I grew to really like it. It's probably the equivalent of Because We Can for this album, a poppier tune, though this is on the dirtier side of pop in terms of instrumentation. A song I thought I was going to hate. I ended up digging it. It's like Lady Gaga if Lady Gaga didn't suck and was moar RAWK.

7. I'll Always Walk Besides You
Opening with the good ol' acoustics, and Richie almost sounding like Jon. Then we get a synth sting. Very cool, mysterious sounding song, with seemingly experimental synth at times. The second half of the song was meant for head bopping and singing along badly. I really like this. Parts of it remind me of "The Circle" era Bon Jovi. Guitar solos sound really spacey and awesome. Distorted guitar at the end is weird but cool. Great ballad for the album.

8. Seven Years Gone
Acoustic-y ballad is what this track starts out as. Builds up into sort of a Mid-2000's style rock ballad. This is not a bad thing, it's not all that generic. Very obviously inspired by Sambora's personal issues, it's pretty good, and we get a pretty cool bridge at like 3 minutes in. Some parts, like that bridge, are almost Linkin Parkish to me. This is a diverse album.

9. Learning How To Fly With A Broken Wing
Ooh. Don't know how to describe it really, but I love these types of dark contemporary rock songs. Almost like "Complicated" on Bon Jovi's "Have A Nice Day," but heavier, which is totally a plus. The darkness of this song is really masterful. It gets surprisingly heavy. We know that one good thing came from all the crap that Richie had to go through: This album.

10. You Can Only Get So High
Beginning with a backmasked instrument, it is mildly psychedelic. It's a really emotional, deeply sad song. It makes me feel really sorry for this man. Deep, heartfelt, beautiful. There's only so much I can say about something this heartfelt. I love it so much.

11. World
Possibly my favorite song on the album, maybe excluding "Nowadays", this Beatlesque ballad lightens up the mood a little bit after this story of Richie's lowdown. It's short, sweet, and beautiful. It's lyrics are simple. It's orchestration is lush. It's execution is beautiful. It's perfect.

Trollheart also sent me the bonus tracks. Special thanks, I'll look at them, but won't factor them into the overall rating

Backseat Driver (Japan Bonus Track)
I rather like the song. It's heavy and tells it's story well. Most likely not included on most releases of the album, because it doesn't fit. It almost sounds like that song, "I Don't Wanna Be," at times. I really do love this song though. It just didn't fit, unfortunately.

Forgiveness Street
Chill, trippy opening. It's pretty okay I gu-HOLY CRAP DISSONANCE YES! If an emotional song has dissonance, it wins with me! This is actually pretty good, though it does have the feeling that it is simply a bonus track. It would have knocked the album down by like what, one point? It's still alright.

Conclusion: This is a man that knows what he's doing. This album is very comparable to What About Now, it's just a much darker take. Overall, I want to hear more solo Richie. I really hope for him to have more creative control in Bon Jovi, also. Maybe a song on a future album that features him on lead vocals. I think that's actually a good idea. I mean, The Jimi Hendrix Experience did it, why not Bon Jovi? Ahem, anyways...

FINAL SCORE: 88/100 (Rock on, Richie)

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Powerstars

Review #006 - THE FANTASTIC WORLD OF SUPER MARIO BROS. 3 BY NINTENDO(?)

Incredibly freakin' rare Japanese album from the '80s, it's easy not to know this exists. I'm not exactly sure who to pin the artist down to, so I'mma just say Nintendo themselves. It is official. And yes, they misspelled "Fantastic" on the cover. Morons.

1. In the Fantastic Mood
Cheesy big bandish arrangment of the main Mario 3 theme. It's okay, I s'pose, I just really don't know what to say about it.

2. I Can't Help Fighting With You
Ooh, this is better! Cheesy '80s glam rock style arrangement of the battle themes. The drums have a delightful amount of reverb and the bass can be very funky! Also, at about 2:30 in, they use the "Smoke On The Water" riff! What? Why?

3. Mario Concerto
Ah. Less cheesy, more sophisticated. I always love hearing classical arrangements of Mario tunes, this one in particular is of various themes. It's well done, but sounds a bit weird sometimes.

4. End Of The Fantastic World
Ah yes, more cheese, this time Sambaish. I honestly don't know what the heck is up with this album. WHY WAS IT MADE? Anyways, later we get some more cheesy drums and funky bass and shiz. So yeah.

5. Selected Medley
What the frick is this? It sounds like someone playing the game with a weird reverb effect condensed down to 10 minutes. Yes, the sound effects are in there. What the frick was Nintendo thinking with this track! It was probably literally only made to fill up album space and prevent this from becoming an EP. It's weird and it shouldn't be on an album. It shouldn't be considered a piece of music. And yes, I did sit through this whole thing. The only unique thing about it is what seems to be some added drums at parts, though they're so horribly distorted and in the background that I don't really think it matters. That's another thing wrong with this. The horrible amounts of feedback from the drums and the reverb effect make this even worse than it already was. A very large disappointment.

CONCLUSION: Overall, I didn't really know what to think of this album after my initial listen. Thinking it over a bit, it's really not that good. I mean the only "song" I really liked was "I Can't Help Fighting With You" and that's not even taking into account that "Selected Medley" bullcrap. Overall, just seek out "I Can't Help Fighting With You" and maybe some of the other tracks if you're into that kind of style, but for the love of God, stay away from "Selected Medley"!

FINAL SCORE: 45/100 (Decent, but logged down with some absolute bull)

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Powerstars

Wow, been dead here! Should have a new entry up sometime soon. Requests would be greatly appreciated!

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Powerstars

Review #007 - "Let It Be" by The Beatles

1970 was a hard year for The Beatles. Having just recorded and released Abbey Road after suffering through the hellish "Get Back" sessions, the band's future looked bleak. One thing was for sure: They had to call in someone to make something of the trainwreck that was the "Get Back" sessions. They called in Phil Spector, infamous for his "Wall Of Sound" approach.

When Paul McCartney first heard Spector's version of "The Long And Winding Road," he was furious. It went completely against the stripped-down sound that the original song, and album, for that matter, was supposed to have. He angrily called Spector and demanded that he change it back. He didn't. So, was this album any good? Or was it The Beatle's darkest hour. Let's find out.

1. Two Of Us
Opening with a bit of studio banter from John, this first song really has more of the "raw and real" feel than any other song on the album. McCartney wrote this, presumably about his wife at the time, Linda, though for whatever reason, John barged in one time and claimed he wrote it. A lot of fans interpret it as being about John and Paul, which is an easy assumption, they sing it together. Overall, a real solid track

2. Dig A Pony
Cool, groovy lil' track. The only new song that John wrote specifically for this album ("Across The Universe" was written 2 years prior, "One After 909" was written WAY back before the Beatles hit it big, John's part of "I've Got A Feeling" was also written 2 years prior), the track consist of word salad lyrics that Lennon later dismissed as garbage. Doesn't matter John, you may not like it, but this song is instrumentally tight and generally good.

3. Across The Universe
Now for a taste of the over-production. I feel this song is better when it's not orchestrated. John said that it was a lousy track...of a great song. This is one of his songs that he still loved late into his life. He just felt it hadn't been recorded properly. The guitars were out of tune, he said, and so was his voice. I personally still love it though, but I felt 2003's "Let It Be Naked" got the best take on the lousy take.

4. I Me Mine
Ah, George. Good ol' George. Great song, but once again plagued by overproduction. Not only is there an unneeded orchestra, but Phil Spector took the track and looped a section over again to make the song longer. YOU DON'T DO THAT TO THE BEATLES! THE BEATLES ARE SACRED! Still, one of the best songs on the album, and one of George's best cuts with the Beatles. While The Beatles considered it filler, George was smart enough to know it was good, and his autobiography, named after the song, proves that he retained a liking to it.

5. Dig It
This song just makes me feel sad whenever I listen to it. Not because it's a sad song or anything, but because of all the wasted potential. It was a jam session, that originally lasted 7 minutes. They actually went and recorded it again, which lasted 12 and a half minutes. On the original "Get Back" album it was supposed to be cut down to 5 minutes. We get 30 seconds of it here. Then, when "Let It Be Naked" was released, it was removed entirely. Why, Phil Spector? Why would you cut it down when it had so much potential?

6. Let It Be
The title track also suffers from overproduction with an unneeded orchestra. Still, it is one of the Beatles' signature songs, and easily recognizable.

7. Maggie Mae
More filler, although I can say at the very least that it wasn't cut down, just short to begin with. Come to think of it, why did Phil Spector make "I Me Mine" longer, only to include 2 short filler tunes. Back to the song, it's John and Paul running through an old Liverpool standard, nothing special.

8. I've Got A Feeling
My favorite song on the album, this is possibly the last time John and Paul wrote a song together. It is not plagued by overproduction, it just feels right. Combining John and Paul's concepts for songs in a perfect way, this song may be too perfect for any more words. Just listen to it now.

9. One After 909
An old Beatles number that they didn't think was good enough to include on any of their albums until this one. I disagree. It really showcases the Beatle's influences in the most Beatley way. Listening to the 1963 version on "Anthology," I can tell you that they reinvented this song. They made it so much better and it became something truly great. Paul remembers it as not a great song, but a great favorite of his.

10. The Long And Winding Road
Ugh! Phil Spector turned this jazzy tune into a more easy listening song. This is not a good thing. You can't ruin this song, but Phil Spector came close...and his version became the hit! Listening to the "Let It Be...Naked" version just kind of makes me angry at how he drowned out the original drums, guitar, and even McCartney's voice! The anthology version is also less easy listening, but more spacey and folkish, which is a really cool sound. I can see how Paul would've been mad with what he did to this version. It's a meh take on a stellar song.

11. For You Blue
Another song that Spector (thankfully) didn't try orchestrate. Bluesy tune, I was completely obsessed with it for a time. As George puts it, it's a simple 12-bar song. Simply, catchy, and damn good. I really love the lap steel solo by John.

12. Get Back
The original title track, Spector thankfully left this one pretty much as is, although I prefer the single version by a small margin. This one is a good note to end on though and overall, there wasn't much he could've done to ruin this song anyways.

Conclusion: Some songs suffer just a bit from Spectorization ("I Me Mine," "Across The Universe"), while others are drowning in it ("The Long And Winding Road"), while others yet suffer none at all ("Dig A Pony," "Get Back," etc.) It's a good album, but unbalanced and suffering bad production. Overall though, Phil Spector can decrease the quality, but he will never ruin the Beatles

Final Score: 78/100 (Go, Johnny, Go)

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FRED HALE SR.

Honestly I think you have a decent enough journal. I don't necessarily listen to the same genres as you but I think being straight to the point and short works for some people. My opinion would be to expand out and maybe try a totally different genre then soft rock/classic rock. Thats my opinion since you asked for it in the shouty. I've read better and worse and I haven't created a journal so you have a head start on me. Later.

Powerstars

Thank you my friend. I am, in fact, into many genres, but Rock most of all. If you can think of an album from another genre to review, lemme hear it, I'm open. If you even have a genre in particular you want me to look at, go ahead.

In other news, I got 2 requests in my inbox. Thank you guys, I will look into getting your albums reviewed. You guys know who you are! You sent me albums by 3 and Cheap Trick, respectively.

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Powerstars

The 2nd album Trollheart has sent me, he described it by saying that he reviewed 2 years ago and didn't know what to think of it. I decided to give it a whirl, cuz good ol' Trolly sent it to me. Yes. I called him Good Ol' Trolly. Get over it

1. Sirenum Scopuli
Nice little acousticky opener. Very mysterious and dissonant. One of the cool things about this song is that it leads directly into...

2. React
..."React." Good God, I love this song. It starts off mysterious and almost like a combination of folk and metal and then goes distinctly Hard Rock. I love the sound of this track. Not too heavy, but heavy enough. Very dark, but not too dark. Guitars, vocals, and drums are all brilliant. Sheer brilliance on a plate. I really like how dreamlike it sounds towards the end. Those guitars almost sound like synthesizers. All I can say is...REAAAAAAAAAAACT! REAA-AACT!

3. Sparrow
Ooh. Heavier stuff! Bang that head! Intro reminds me of "Black Dog" by the Zeps, but muuuuuuch darker. Once again, we have guitars that sound like synths during that first verse! It goes from heavy to dreamy to heavy again. It's like a metaphor for not being able to find what decisions to make, or what paths to take. But, instead of sounding weird, the transitions are very natural. I really like the transition from the verses to the choruses with the band yelling. Also, that solo!

4. High Times
Almost like an ever so slightly lighter combination of "React" and "Sparrow." It's very heavy, but not as dark as those songs and very melodic. The harmonies during the chorus are a personal favorite part of the song for me. Also, the drums in the early verses truly have a great song, necessary for this song. I love it.

5. Numbers
Funky intro that allows me to hear more bass. I like the bass there. Then...Oh my God, it's even heavier than "Sparrow!" This is really nice and still doesn't manage to be too heavy, though I do believe it may cross the line into METAL. Not a bad thing, mind you. The processed vocal near 3 minutes in is surreal, mildly psychedelic, and awesome. The guitar chord morphing at the end is really cool. Once again, oozing with love for this album.

6. One With The Sun
One of the longer tracks on the album, it starts off very surprisingly joyful. Which is a good thing, I like it. Then there was a little dissonant chord. And a line about crazy people while we go back to happiness. Lyrical dissonance, indeed. It still ends up being a happy song through and through, even with the little dissonance on occasion. Even with the lyrics about crazy people committing murder. I mean really, lyrical dissonance. Little happy guitar solo is a nice touch to the false mood the song sets considering what the lyrics are about. This is certainly a highlight of the album.

7. The Ghost You Gave Me
Opening with heavy drums, guitar, and mysteriously reverbed vocals. Actually I don't know if that's reverb, double tracking, harmony, or really good production. Proves how good these guys are. I do like the harmonies we get around 50-60 seconds in, which I can actually tell are harmonies. I do know they have really good production though. They really managed to make that guitar solo sound like a synth solo. And no, there are no synths on this album. Wikipedia (The most reliable site ever) said so. On a more serious note, Trollheart said so in his review. Anyways, back to the song The chorus is one of the catchiest parts on the entire album. Pure awesome

8. Pretty
Very trippy verses. It's also very calm and cool. I love later on when they add like the whispery thing (lolwat). Then the guitars crunch, baby! Chorus is pretty bouncy as far as dark experimental hard/prog rock goes. Yeah, that's what I'm calling it. But yeah, chorus is cool, as is that little guitar break around 1:30. I'm getting used to 3 by now, and I like them very much.

9. Afterglow
Ooh, cool lighter intro. Still dark, but lighter than anything we've heard up to this point. And, ooh! OOH! Hints of orchestration! Also, dem harmonies during the chorus! The lightest song on the album, and trust me it's not a bad thing. It allows the band to show off their more melodic side as well as still experiment with the spacey effects and orchestration! Seriously, that was a nice touch! Another highlight and certainly a great song!

10. It's Alive
Right on back to the heavier stuff, the drums really shine on this one! At least, I thought it was heavier (and darker), but dat verse is almost jazzy. That's right, they're throwing another musical genre into their musical palette, but only for the verses. What can 3 not do? The flanger guitar is truly enjoyable to listen to. I love when it slowed down a bit for a solo and then for a bridge. Not to mention the "It's A Lie" part. Very catchy at times.

11. Only Child
I love the intro to this one. I have no idea how to describe the wonderful intro. Anyways, this is the longest song here, so I'mma be typing this track's part up for a while. The acoustic guitar on this one seems almost mexican folk songish at times. That's really the only way I can describe it. And wonderfully, we have some more harmonies. These guys can harmonize very well! And then, we get slidey wah-wah guitar parts. Ooh! OOH! OOOOOOOOOOH! These guys seem to take influences from every musical genre that involves a guitar and then some! Then at around 3:45, the drums pick up and, once again, it is glorious! Then, we have the lead vocalist playing "Call-and-Respond" with himself, which is very nice. The finest hour for the producer on this album, whoever they may be. We get a trippy "Piano and violin" solo thing that is probably the single best part of this wonderful track and closes it out.

12. The Barrier
We have slow spacey folkish thing going, and the vocalist sings folky very well. It almost reminds me of "American Pie" at times and unlike "One With The Sun" this is a legit optimistic effort. The guitar solo is certainly a highlight. And of course, they gotta give us some awesome, yet subtle harmonies. Spacey and awesome. A unique end to a unique album.

Conclusion: I really enjoyed this album. They use the same formula on almost every song, but manage to introduce enough variation to keep it fresh. An awesome album.

Final Score: 90/100

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Powerstars

Sorry for posting so many posts that I don't want published, but I submitted the updated 3 review.

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