Springsteen has spoken

The voice of the nation returns with another release that would shake the foundations of America if anyone actually purchased full albums anymore. Bruce Springsteen’s latest release, Wrecking Ball, is an outcry as much as it is a salute to the great country we live in, America.

It was easy to hear the tone of Wrecking Ball from its first single, “We Take Care of our Own,” an anthem for Americans everywhere saluting our resilience. There is no room for misinterpretation on this one as there was with “Born in the U.S.A.,” which was not about celebrating America but about the people who gave their lives to keep our freedoms. Ronald Regan grossly misused this song during his campaign turning into a modern day National Anthem that never sat well with Springsteen.

On “Easy Money” the vibe of Wrecking Ball kicks in, which is an Irish-folky sound layered with samples to give it a modern feeling. Springsteen has not ventured this far out of the safe-zone since, Tunnel of Love, the follow-up to Born in the U.S.A. This album reminds me a lot of Tunnel of Love conceptually, not lyrically, in that it’s Springsteen combining his sound with a more modern approach to production.

“Shackled and Drawn,” continues the folky vibe telling the story of the blue-collar worker who has no choice but to work hard to earn a dollar, which draws the analogy of being a slave to the almighty dollar.

“Jack of All Trades” tells the tale of the workingman who’s unemployed but does what he can to survive using his skills to keep his family afloat. Despite the melancholy and angry tone there is great optimism that a new age is dawning in America.

“Death to my Hometown” is a battle cry against big business destroying the American economy, which leads in “This Depression” about how the individual needs love to get him through the tough times he is facing, “This is my confession, I need your heart, in this depression, I need your heart.”

The title track, “Wrecking Ball” was born from Springsteen playing the final shows at the Meadowlands. While it’s a salute to the Meadowlands its also about the resilience of America. This is also one the final two tracks that features the late, great Clarence Clemons. It’s easy to hear the E-Street band pouring through on “Wrecking Ball” even though for the recording it only featured a few of the members.

“You’ve Got It” might be an ode to Patty Scialfa sounding like classic-Springsteen from his heyday, a simple love song that lightens a rather heavy record to this point.

Springsteen leverages religious imagery on “Rocky Ground” to paint America’s current state, but again there’s hope. Wrecking Ball started out as a Gospel album that Springsteen completely scraped, but I’m pretty sure this one made it through, as did the concert favorite, “Land of Hope and Dreams.”

“Land of Hope and Dreams” takes on new life on this studio version, it features a piss and vinegar that lacked in the version that Springsteen played on the road to close his shows during the reunion tour that took place in 1999-2000. Clemons puts his signature sax solo on this version as he did so many times live; it’s a great tribute to hear him play with Springsteen one last time. RIP Big Man.

The album closes with “We Are Alive” that opens with crackle of the needle hitting vinyl before giving way to Springsteen’s take on an American classic in the vein of Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” No matter what happens on this earth our spirit always lives on “We Are Alive.” “We are alive, and though our bodies lie alone here in the dark, our souls and spirits rise, to carry the fire and light the spark, to fight shoulder to shoulder and heart to heart, to stand shoulder to shoulder and heart to heart, we are alive.”

If you purchase the Deluxe Version of Wrecking Ball there are two bonus tracks, “Swallowed Up (In the Belly of the Whale)” and another concert favorite, “American Land.”

It’s understandable why Springsteen left off, “Swallowed Up,” since it doesn’t offer any hope, in fact it’s as depressing as anything from the The Ghost of Tom Joad.

“American Land” was first played during Springsteen’s tour with the Seeger Sessions band and became a regular during the “Land of Hopes and Dreams Tour.” A live version did appear on a special edition of the We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (American Land Edition) and Live in Dublin. This is a new studio recording and seems to fit perfectly with Wrecking Ball.

Again, Bruce Springsteen captures the spirit of America in an album of anger and hope for the future. Hope was a theme prevalent on Springsteen’s last release, Working on a Dream, while anger ran rampant on its predecessor, Magic. This time around he found a way to channel both feelings into an amazing release.

They’re back with “pistons popping”

I’d like to confirm a few things:

1 – Eddie Van Halen is playing with a fire not heard since the early 80’s

2 – Alex Van Halen found his double bass drum pedal that Sammy Hagar stole from him; seems to working just fine

3 – David Lee Roth can still carry a tune

4 – Wolfy can play bass and does decent back ground vocals

5 – So what if Van Halen used old tracks as new songs for A Different Kind of Truth, many great bands have done that. Must I remind everyone that the last great Stones’ album; Tattoo You is a series of leftovers from Sticky Fingers and Some Girls.

Now that I confirmed a few things I can get on with my review of A Different Kind of Truth, the first Van Halen album with David Lee Roth since 1983. It’s a glorious return to everything that was right about Van Halen with much of the album sounding similar to the nasty vibe of Women and Children First and Fair Warning.

Any backlash from this album, especially from Sammy Hagar is unwarranted as this is exactly what every DLR-era Van Halen fan has wanted. The fact that the songs lack “soul” according to Hagar is good news, because the “soul” that Hagar provided Van Halen we all had enough of. It’s time to return to the fun and raucous times of Diamond Dave and the boys singing about women and partying; I’m not really looking for anything else at this point.

Van Halen is really a different band with Roth at the helm versus Hagar, and while 5150 put a lot of Van Halen fans at ease since it still had lingering characteristics of Roth-era Van Halen, OU812 made us cringe at times. Supposedly recordings with Roth exist of 5150 gems, “Get Up” and “Good Enough,” it would great if they did those live for fans.

I’ll be first to admit that when Hagar took over it was a fresh approach, but heavy reliance on keyboards during that era of Van Halen was mind-boggling. It was obvious something Eddie wanted to do, but it really changed the Van Halen brand, and while For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge reinstated faith, the follow-up Balance was a dud.

So after a brief Dave reunion for two songs for a “Best of” followed by a terrible release with Gary Cherone, followed by a brief Sammy reunion for a more extensive hits package with four new songs and a tour Van Halen ended back with Dave for a 2008 classic Van Halen hits tour.

So here we are today with Van Halen and Roth being able to get along well enough to record 13 songs and hit the road again for another world tour. Here’s my track-by-track analysis of A Different Kind of Truth:

1 – “Tattoo”  – The first single from A Different Kind of Truth didn’t exactly wow me on first listen, but hearing Dave and the boys rocking again was enough to bring a smile to my face. It still sounds to me that this was the bridge the gap song, with Eddie using more of the guitar tone he used during the Sammy years.

2 – “She’s the Women” – Now we’re talking! This is a left over from the late 70’s and I couldn’t be happier. This has the all the energy and rawness of Van Halen 1 with Alex playing a disco hi-hat and expected background vocals reminiscent of early VH. The background vocals are definitely recorded new and not samples of Michael Anthony that several articles have alluded to.

3 – “You and You’re Blues” – A subtle beginning with a softly spoken Dave gives way to classic VH chorus with Dave letting it loose with background vocals echoing the bridge and chorus. The guitar tone is that wonderfully dirty, gritty tone from Fair Warning.

4 – “China Town” – Well hello Mr. Edward and Alex Van Halen showing off like the old days. A blistering solo opens “China Town” with Alex thundering in on double bass much to my liking. Pretty much what you would expect and want from a VH song with that heavy, dirty tone again from Fair Warning and Women…

5 – “Blood and Fire” – “You can always tell the winners from the saints and sinners down at the starting line,” classic Dave lyrics with the brighter sounding guitar tone from the first two VH albums. It makes you want to put the top down and go driving around town blaring your music like a kid again. Eddie kills on the solo.

6 – “Bullethead” – If there was one song on A Different Kind of Truth that sounds like a rehashing of material it’s “Bullethead.” It pretty much is a newer version of “Atomic Punk,” which I’m not complaining about. Eddie adds some tasty licks.

7 – “As Is” – Alex opens this one with a percussion part similar to “Everybody Wants Some” that changes into a scorcher that’s more like “Hot for Teacher” along with a very similar solo from Eddie. Again, another blazing solo from Eddie. The song also has a few breaks similar to “Hot for Teacher.” Another winner!

8 – “Honeybabysweetiedoll” – Probably the heaviest riff on A Different Kind of Truth doesn’t really go anywhere. It reminds me of “Pleasure Dome” from For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.

9 – “The Trouble with Never” – The boys pick back up where they left off with a catchy chorus and another heavy riff from Eddie. This one is stuck in-between new VH and classic VH.

10 – “Outta Space” – This thrash masterpiece never lets up for the 2:53 it’s blasting the listener. No time to catch your breathe on this one; definitely a flawless track.

11 – “Stay Frosty” – They could have titled this one, “Ice Cream Man part 2.” Eddie does some wicked acoustic guitar picking to open this one and then the song kicks in with crunchy guitars and background harmonies.

12 – “Big River” – This one’s ok, the riff is decent enough but it’s really boring. Could of left this one off a 13-track release.

13 – “Beats Workin’”- A great closer! More Fair Warning, dirty guitars with a harmonized chorus. The riff is a bluesy rock with an off-time beat. The break includes a healthy dose of cowbell; Eddie stumbles at first through the solo then turns into high gear.

So when it’s all said and done I would have dropped two or three songs and A Different Kind of Truth would have been an even better release. The album is flawed at times because some of the tracks are stuck in this void of sounding like a more modern sound and then jumping back to a classic sound. They should have just gone for it on every track and not worried about being what someone might consider relevant versus nostalgia. There’s times when nostalgia serves a band well, and this would be one of them.  Still, there’s no reason not to embrace A Different Kind of Truth with open arms in hopes that this is not a one-off deal. If they can actually get along well enough to write while on tour for A Different Kind of Truth nirvana may be accomplished.

The Best of 2011

It’s that time of year again when I put together the Top Ten music release of the year. This year was pretty solid musically, but not completely saturated with great releases which makes it easier to put together this list. There were some huge disappointments that included Radiohead’s The King of Limbs, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ I’m with You, but other than those as I mentioned very solid.

10 – Foster the People – Torches
I don’t know what it is about Torches, but I really enjoy this album, it reminds of the first MGMT release. All the songs are catchy in a simple pop way, nothing overly inventive just good. The hardest thing to do is write a good pop song, but Foster the People has mastered it on their debut. Torches isn’t groundbreaking by any means, but it might be the most enjoyable listen of 2011.

9 – Jay-Z and Kanye West – Watch the Throne
Hip-hop perfection best describes this crowning achievement by two masters in their respective field. The beats and samples are some of the best of the decade and the varied rap styles of Jay-Z and Kanye play well off of one another.

8 - Wilco – The Whole Love
Wilco has come full circle and returned greatness once again, and The Whole Love features Wilco at their most experimental and at their most basic, a formula that made Yankee Hotel Foxtrot legendary and will do the same for The Whole Love. I still believe that if the Beatles were still together they would be making music that sounded like Wilco.

7 – Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks – Mirror Traffic
How could the latest Stephen Malkmus release not be great after touring with Pavement for a year, obviously that would have an influence on his writing and it did. Mirror Traffic is a Pavement-driven release that is reflective not lifted from Malkmus’s past.

6 – St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
St. Vincent’s strong suit is song arrangements as I’m not sure you’ll hear more original or inventive music this year with vocals that vary from confident to vulnerable. Strange Mercy touches on a variety of topics from her insecurities growing up on “Cheerleader” to the relationship denial of “Northern Light.”

5 - The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar
Aptly titled since the guitars of Ritzy Bryan create a wall of sound that’s the furthest thing from a whisper. The Joy Formidable should become one of the bigger bands of 2012 as their legend grows from this release and their live performances. For only being a three piece they produce the sound of a five-piece, and while Bryan’s vocals are soft at times they still cut through the hard-edged sound. It’s obvious that the Joy Formidable has listened to a few metal records in their day.

4 – The Twilight Singers – Dynamite Steps
Greg Dulli and Co. returned with their most dynamic album to date that set out to emulate 60/70’s AM radio, and Dynamite Steps does just that. Dulli finally seems comfortable in his skin excepting his past musical achievements with the Afghan Whigs, as Dynamite Steps possess elements of the Whigs later catalog. Funk N’ Roll lives on with the Twilight Singers.

3 – The Rapture – In the Grace of Your Love
The Rapture’s latest is a great leap in the maturation process for this young band from NYC with expertly crafted dance-punk to soul tracks. The Rapture seeks inspiration from soul and house while infusing their own musical wisdom creating layered masterpieces. The Rapture will be able to carry the torch that LCD has left behind while adding their creative spin.

2 – Foo Fighters – Wasting Light
I can’t believe this is not on everyone’s top ten; the Foo Fighters come back with a roar not heard since The Colour and the Shape, their sophomore effort. Wasting Light is a perfectly written record by Dave Grohl and the band covering off the usual anger issues for Grohl, people. The Foo recorded Wasting Light old school style at Grohl’s house and brought Pat Smear back on guitar, which can be heard as a positive effect. If need to let off a little steam give Wasting Light a spin, or is it a click now a days?

1 – Fucked Up – David Comes to Life
Punk lives for real in this conceptual album of lost love from punk-pioneers Fucked Up. I say pioneers because they’ve managed to do what Green Day did not do on American Idiot, stay punk not power-pop. Don’t get me wrong, I think American Idiot is fine musical achievement, but Green Day jumped the shark at that point. Fucked Up, hungry for success possess the raw energy of Iggy and the Stooges, Fugazi and Naked Raygun. David Comes to Life has intense energy from start to finish barely letting up, only in necessity for the story. The best release of 2011 makes it the Year of Punk!

The Kings are crowned

The kings of hip-hop have combined to set the benchmark for all future hip-hop records with their brilliant use of samples and beats, not set forth since the early days of hip-hop. As brilliant and groundbreaking as Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was to hip-hop last year, Watch the Throne has already exceeded it.

Sometimes when two brilliant minds come together you end up with a mess because they try put too hard to each put their signature on the song or album.

In the case of Jay-Z and Kanye, they’ve put their egos aside to make one of the best releases of the year. Kanye brings his genius use of beats and samples, while Jay-Z brings the edginess, energy, and rawness that Kanye often lacks.

Combining these two qualities helps to add freshness to every track, as well as the two masters trading off versus creating a push and pull with their different styles.

Jay-Z comes right at you with an aggressiveness that makes the listener want to step back while Kanye’s style is more welcoming in more a devilish way. Not sure that you’ll ever find two rappers that complement each other any better.

The first single Otis samples Otis Redding while Jay-Z and Kanye barge in rapping over the top of Otis as a scat sample of Otis echoes in the background from the Redding classic, “Try a Little Tenderness.”

On “New Day” Kanye offers a better life for his son apologizing for his own sins, “And I’ll never let my son have an ego / He’ll be nice to everyone, wherev­er we go / I mean I might even make ‘em be Republican / So everybody know he love white people / And I’ll never let ‘em leave his college girlfriend / And get caught up with the groupies in the whirlwind,” while in Jay-Z he admits its already too late to change things, “I already ruined ya / Cause you ain’t even alive, paparazzi pursuin’ ya / Sins of a father make your life ten times harder / I just wanna take ya to a barber / Bondin’ on charters, all the sh*t that I never did / Teach ya good values so you cherish it / Took me 26 years to find my path / My only job is cut the time in half / So at 13 we’ll have our first drink together / Black bar mitzvahs, mazel tov, mogul talk.” This all over a Nina Simone sample of “Feeling Good.”

Kanye and Jay-Z pay tribute to African-American activists and religious icons on “Made in America,” thanking not these activists but their families for the sacrifices they made for them. Frank Ocean sings the chorus, “Sweet King Martin / Sweet Queen Coretta / Sweet Brother Malcolm / Sweet Queen Betty / Sweet Mother Mary / Sweet Father Joseph / Sweet Jesus.”

There are so many incredible tracks on Watch the Throne, but my early favorite is “H•A•M;” it sounds like a lost track from the Godfather soundtrack with it’s climatic symphonic bridge. The fierceness and aggression of “H•A•M” make it standout on an album where it’s hard to because its just one great song after the next.

Hopefully, this will not be a one-off for Kanye and Jay-Z, but it will be difficult for them to top Watch the Throne, maybe its best left at just that.

Big, Big Sound

Friends often build-up bands to other friends, proclaiming that they must see a band because it was an amazing show or this band is the second coming of another great band, and then when you finally see the band you’re kind of underwhelmed.

My good friends, Amy and Robin, talked up the Joy Formidable to me so much that I downloaded their first full-length release, The Big Roar, and was rather impressed. They both told me the album didn’t even did their live show justice, so when I found out that Joy Formidable was playing a free show at the Double Door to kick-off the Lollapalooza festivities this weekend I sent out some emails and we went.

We weathered three average bands for the first four hours of the evening before the Joy Formidable hit the stage at a very late 12:45am, and even though I was feeling a bit tired the pleasant buzz of the distorted guitar was like getting an adrenaline shot Pulp Fiction style.

Somehow, the Joy Formidable projects a wall of sound of a five piece band with only three members lead by Ritzy Bryan’s fuzzy, distorted guitar and edgy vocals. Bryan’s guitar fills the room as if she has two other guitarists backing her, but the magic isn’t Bryan’s alone. The rhythm section of Rhydian Dafydd and Matt Thomas are a tremendous combo that add to the huge, room filling sound of the Joy Formidable. Dafydd plays his bass like a rhythm guitar at times adding thundering bass to each song as he ferociously thrashes on stage. Thomas plays drums as if he’s backing a metal outfit adding the occasional double bass drum while thrashing around his set with great precision.

Joy Formidable tore through a 45-minute set of music mainly from their album debut, The Big Roar, leaving the crowds ears’ buzzing, longing for more. No encore as 1:30am was most likely the curfew for a Thursday night at the Double Door. Bryan did apologize for the band starting an hour later then planned stating she wasn’t really sure why.

This may be one of last times fans of the Joy Formidable will have the pleasure of seeing them at a venue the size of the Double Door, as they seem destine for stardom. The Foo Fighters handpicked them to open their Lollapalooza after show at the Metro this Saturday night, and they will play the festival on Sunday afternoon.

I have to say that the Joy Formidable exceeded my expectations and definitely lived up the billing from Amy and Robin. Catch them while you can.