Yes-athon Part 2 - Time And A Word

To answer your question, yes, that is a naked woman on the album cover. This is the first of two Yes album covers to feature nudity, and out of those two it's certainly the better album cover, but I'll talk more about that when we get to the Going For The One review.

There's a reason I've but off this review for so long. This is a really unremarkable album. It's not really that good, so I don't to have much to praise about it, but it's not really that bad either, so I can't really rip it to shreds. It's just unremarkable

Okay, so there are some remarkable things about it. The first is that decided to use a full orchestral backing on this one. This does have a slight downside in that it diminishes the role of the guitar and keyboards. The second is that Chris Squire's bass work is fantastic throughout this album.

The next thing that it is important to point out is that they have an orchestra on this album. Personally I don't think it really works. It is often times there for the sake of just being there. and I think that it sounds kind of cheesy at times, although there are some times where it works to good effect. One downside to it is that it causes Peter Banks guitar work to be diminished, leading to the myth that he wasn't very good, while in reality he is quite good, just not as good as Steve Howe (but I do like him more than Trevor Rabin).

Now on to the actual songs. Once again there are two cover songs. The first is "No Oppritunity Necessary, No Expirence Needed", originally by Richie Havens. It's a pretty good song, one of the better ones on the album, but the orchestra is a bit corny at times. The second is "Everydays", originally by Buffalo Springfield. This one has kind of a jazzy feel to it. it is also one of the only songs with any memorable guitar and keyboard work. Part of the reason I liked the first album so much was because of the guitar and keyboard, so it's nice to see one song where it shows up again.

The song "Then" is really good musically and melodically, possibly my favorite on the album,but we are forced to listen to Jon Anderson's stupid, generic hippie lyrics he was writing at the time (Love is the only answer/Hate is the route of cancer). Listening to it makes me wish he would hurry up and write the more abstract lyrics he became known for. Still, it's a great song.

I don't like "Sweet Dreams" too much, it's too poppy for my test. I can almost imagine it as a 90125 era song, just make it more generically 80s! "The Prophet" has some cool keyboards at the beginning, and the orchestral build-up works well. the only problem is that after the super cool intro, the melody of the vocal part isn't to strong. Then there's a really cool instrumental break. if the melody of the vocal part was stronger this would probably be my favorite song on here. "Clear Days" has an alright melody, but it's over-orchestrated, and in the end is unmemorable. Astral Traveler is the one song where the guitar is really the lead instrument. It's a cool song, but there's a better version then the one on here.

Finally we get to the title track, Jon Anderson's grandiose hippie anthem. I have a feeling this would have been a hit had it been released in 1967, but by 1970 it sounded a bit outdated. despite it's generic hippie lyrics (there's a word, and the word is love and it's right for me, it's right for me, and the word is love) , I really like it, it's my favorite song on the album, and the use of the orchestra is the most effective on the album with a grandiose build-up at the end.


So all in all, it's not great, but it's by no means a bad album. If you're instrested in this early period of Yes, pick up the first album before this one, and then pick up this one if you like that one pick this one up.

Best Song: Time And A Word
Worst Song:Sweet Dreams or Clear Days

I'm Back... with a twitter now too

Hello everyone (and by everyone I mean all 5 of you who actually read this blog). I have decided to resume doing reviews. I will attempt to have part 2 of the Yes-athon up by the end of the week, even if their second album is extraordinarily unremarkable. You may be thinking "but how will I know when you post it". Well, I have a twitter now, so when I post a new review, you can receive a tweet about it. http://twitter.com/#!/TheMadcap1970

In The Court Of The Crimson KIng

Well, it's been a while since I've done a review, so i figured the 5 of you who actually read this would want to hear from me by now. Today i'll be reviewing King Crimson's 1969 debut album, In The Court Of The Crimson King

Before I begin, it is important to note that King Crimson's line-up was constantly changing. here is the line-up that made this particular album

• Robert Fripp – guitar
• Ian McDonald – flute, clarinet, saxophone, vibes, keyboards, mellotron, vocals
• Greg Lake – bass guitar, lead vocals
• Michael Giles – drums, percussion, vocals
• Peter Sinfield– lyrics, illumination (I have no idea what the hell they mean by "illumination")
  

The album begins with "21st Century Schizoid Man", my favorite song on the album. It's the heaviest song on the album, being driven by a very intimidating guitar riff, with horns sometimes coming in to give the riff even more power. Greg Lake's vocals are very distorted, and lyrically the song is very dark, with metaphorical lyrics about the Vietnam War. In the middle of the song, it breaks down into a very chaotic instrumental improv. overall it's a fantastic song, and a great way to start the album.

The next song on the album is "I Talk To The Wind". this is a much different song then the last one. While "21st Century Schizoid Man" was the angriest and most chaotic song on the album, "I Talk To The Wind" is the most peaceful song on the album. it's very calm and it is a very nice song. other than that, I don't too much to say about this one.

The third song on the album is "Epitaph". it's a very sad song, but also an epic one. the song keeps building up as it goes on. this is most evident during the reprise of the first verse. during the reprise, it is sung with much more power, and there is a lot more instrumentation. i can''t fully describe this song hear, just listen to it for yourself

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAxvyvWPhiY&feature=related

The second side of the album begins with "Moonchild". I have mixed opinions on this one. the first part of the song is a mellotron driven ballad. this part of the song is very haunting and I like it alot, the second part of the song is where i have an issue. in the second part, it goes into a 10 minute improv. Overall, the improv is pretty boring, yet it remains intresting enough to keep you listening`. i'm not entirely sure how I feel about the improv. I feel if it would be better if it were shorter. It has grown on me, I like it more now than I did the first time I heard it.

The final song on the album is "The Court Of The Crimson King". This song has an incredibly epic feel to it. everything about this song is great, I feel like it is a perfect end to the album, just like "21st Century Schizoid Man' was a perfect beginning to the album. one part I particularly love is the part near the end where it seems like it's going to end, but then the music comes back, softly at first but then later at full force.

This is one of the greatest albums of all time. almost every song on the album is great, and even the "Moonchild" manages to have some good parts to it. This is one of those albums I feel everyone should hear. The only other King Crimson album that I feel reaches the same level as this one is Red (at least out of the classic 70's King Crimson albums, 80's King Crimson is too different for me to compare). Unfortunately, the album is not on iTunes, so you'll have to buy it on CD, and it can be hard to find a CD copy since most stores don't have any King Crimson albums. Your best bet is to look for a copy of it online, or to obtain it through methods which I cannot legally endorse on this website.

Best Song: 21st Century Schizoid Man
Worst Song: The improv part of "Moonchild"

Sticky Fingers

Okay, before I begin the review, I would like to those of you who actually read this apologize for not updating this blog in over a month. Also, I will continue my Yes-athon
(which at the rate I'm going, will probably take a century) I just wanted to review this first

Today, i will be reviewing the album Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones. This is my favorite album by The Stones (at least out of the ones I have heard). I Know alot of people prefer Let It Bleed but i like this one more. It starts off with "Brown Sugar". The song is catchy, it has a great riff and is just an overall fun song... untill you listen to the lyrics that is. Seriously, have you ever paid close attention to the lyrics? If you have you will know that it is about slave rape! That's pretty disturbing for such a fun and catchy song. And despite this, it still remains a staple of classic rock radio. Was everyone just so stoned back then that they didn't notice? or are we just living in an overly sensitive and politically correct society that gets incredibly offended by the slightest thing that could be perceived as controversial? still, it's a great song, even with the disturbing lyrics.

The other highlights of the album (in my opinion a are "Wild Horses", "Can't You Hear Me Knocking?", "Bitch", "Sister Morphine", and "Moonlight Mile" (Yes, i realize that this is the majority of the album). "Wild Horses" is a very nice ballad. "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" starts of as vicious rocker, and then goes into a long, jazzy coda with lots of soloing. It is one of my two favorite songs on the album.It has some of the of the best guitar playing of any Stones song and in my opinion is proof the Mick Taylor was by far the best guitar player to ever be in The Stones.I know I probably just pissed a bunch of fans of Keith Richards, Brian Jones, and Ronnie Wood with that comment, but I don't care, it's my blog, I can say whatever the hell I want. Besides, it's not like any of them actually read this.

My other favorite song on the album is "Sister Morphine". it is a very eerie song, with it's lyrics about drug useage, and tons of eerie instrumentation. it start's out with just an acoustic guitar, and then it just builds up from there for throughout the rest of the song. Mick Jagger's vocals start out very soft, and increases in intensity through the song. the creepiest part of the song is the last verse, where it is revealed that the singer is using cocaine and they admit that they will most likely overdose. it's a haunting song and if i had to choose one favorite, it would probably be the one I chose.

My least favortie song on the album is " You Gotta Move". the song is just very dull and boring. Mick Jagger's voice is a bit annoying on the song and i just think it's a bad song. it's the only song on the entire album I don't like. From what I have read it's a cover song. I don't know which one of them decided they should cover it, but i kinda want to kick them in the nuts.

As I said before, this is my favorite Stones album. almost all of the songs are great. I recommend that everyone go out and get this album. you won't regret it.

On a slightly related note, there's a crappy new pop singer called Ke$ha (yes, it's actually spelled with a $). Her crappy new single "Tic Tok" features the following line

"all the boys are lining up cause they here we got swagger, but we throw them to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger"

Really? Mick Jagger? Has she even seen what Mick Jagger looks like?










Now, I'm a straight guy, so I'm not entirely sure what women find "attractive", but I'm pretty sure it's not that.

oh, and he can't dance for shit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed36UQX8kXQ

Best Song: "Can"t You Here Me Knocking" or "Sister Morphine"
Worst Song: "You Gotta Move"

The Who: Live At Leeds

Today I am taking a break from my Yesathon (which at the rate i'm going will never end) to review Live At Leeds. Why? Because it happened 40 years ago today and it's also the greatest live rock album of all time.

I have the deluxe edition which contains the entire concert so that's the one I'll be reviewing. I was considering reviewing the original LP from 1970 since that has less songs but that would just make me a lazy asshole, which I am not (most of the time)

All the songs here have much more energy than on their studio counterparts. A prime example of this is "Heaven and Hell", one of the few John Entwistle songs here. The studio version is a good song, but it here it is a great hard rocker and I consider it to be his best song. Also, I've always particularly loved the version of "Substitute" found here.

There are also a good number of cover songs here ("Fortune Teller", "Young Man Blues", "Summertime Blues", and "Shakin' All Over"). I haven't heard any of the originals but I can't see how they could ever live up to the versions found here. my favorite is "Young Man Blues". It features some of the absolute best performing by all four members of the band. Seriously, if you don't like it there's somthing wrong with you. I try not to make generalizations like that but this is an exception.

Another thing worth pointing out is there performance of "A Quick One (While He's Away)". The version here is far superior to it's studio counterpart. It's a great energetic performance but it leads to one of my few gripes with the album, the onstage dialogue. Before they play the song, Pete talks about the song for 5 minutes. While it's amusing the first few times you'll find yourself skipping over the explanation of the song. Still, the actual performance is great.

"My Generation" becomes a 15-minute jam here. It begins with a feirce version of the well known classic, then it goes into "See Me, Feel Me/Listening To You" followed by an improvisational jam featuring parts of "Naked Eye", "Sparks", and what seems to be an early version of "The Seeker". As far as, improvisational jams go, this is one of the best, and it is one of the true highlights of the concert.

"Magic Bus" is greatly improved upon here. Gone is the silly little single and in comes a 9 minute jam. the song starts out similar to the studio version but continues building up with the instrumental parts getting progressively heavier. All four members get to show off here, and it is another one of the many highlights.

Finally I want to talk about the performance of Tommy. This version is radically different than the album version. the acoustic guitar and orchestration are gone and replaced by Pete's electric guitar. Overall this performance rocks way harder and is in my mind the definitive version of Tommy. I'm not going to go to in-depth but I will say my favorite songs from the performance are "Overture" and "See Me, Feel Me/ Listening To You".

Overall, this album is simply great. It is the best live album ever, if not the best album of all time. You need this album. Seriously, if you only buy one album by The Who, buy this one. in fact, I'm not even going to do my usual best song/worst song thing because it's all so great. so stop reading this blog and go give Pete Townshend your money!

Yesathon part 1: Yes

I have decided to embark upon a Yesathon. why? because i freaking love Yes! So what exactly does a Yesathon mean? it means i'm going to review every Yes album ever. So to begin this I will be reviewing their first album, Yes (not to be confused with The Yes Album)

One thing i feel that it is important to point out is that the lineup is not the classic Yes lineup. Instead of Steve Howe on guitar this album features Peter Banks and instead of Rick Wakemen we have Tony Kaye.

My favorite song on the album is the opening track, "Beyond And Before". the song grabs your attention with it's opening riff and keeps it for the rest of the song. It is a fantastic opening track and the best song on the album, but that doesn't mean the rest of the album is any worse. In fact, for the most part, it's just as good.

This album features something that is very rare for Yes, love songs. The songs in question are "Yesterday And Today" and "Sweetness". So how are they? They're actually pretty good. Out of the two, i have to say I like "Sweetness" more, but they are both pretty good. In fact, they could almost be called McCartney-esque.

Speaking of McCartney, Yes actually does a Beatles cover, "Every Little Thing" to be exact. They take the original song and change it to the point where it is unrecognizable in some parts, specifically the extended prog-rock intro, which incorporates part of another Beatles song. Which one? you'll have to listen to it to find out (if you can't figure it out you are not a real rock fan). I have to say i like Yes' version of the song more than the original

There is another cover song here, "I See You" by The Byrds. This song is the most jazzy song Yes has ever done. it's very different than anything else the band has ever done but I like it. unfortunately I can't offer any comparison to the original, as I have never heard it.
(edit: i heard the original, i like the Yes version more)

The other songs are all very good as well. "Looking Around" is very heavy on the keyboard and bass and an overall good song. "Harold Land" is the most fantasy filled track here, hinting at what would come in the future. finally we come to the track, "Survial". This is a great song. I especially love the intro bit. Actually, listening to the album again, I have to say I like it as much as "Beyond And Before".

This is very different from any other Yes album, but don't let that drive you away. If you are willing to open your mind to it, you will find a very enjoyable album. It's one of my favorites by the band, and I find it much more accessible than the side-long epics of their later albums (I do love their side-long epics, though. Especially "Close To The Edge" and "The Gates Of Delirium", but those will be discussed in later reviews). Still it is not their strongest work, that's still a few years away.

Best song: "Beyond And Before" and "Survival"
Worst Song: There is none!!!

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

I figured that for my second review i would do Sgt. Peppers. Why? because it was recorded at the same time in the same studio as Piper. In fact, Pink Floyd got to watch The Beatles record "Lovely Rita". so what do i think of Pepper's? I think it's overrated. that's not to say that it's not revolutionary or that i don't like it, because it is revolutionary and I do enjoy it. I simply feel that The Beatles have done much better work than it. In my mind "most revolutionary" does not equal "best" (well, with Piper it does)

My main fault with the album is John's songwriting. Normally I tend to like John's songs the most but on Pepper's i feel his song writing here is weak for him. "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" has to be one of the most overrated Beatles songs ever. When i listen to it it just makes me wish i was listening to "I Am The Walrus" instead. "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite" and "Good Morning, Good Morning" aren't really worth mentioning in my opinion other than the awesome guitar solo on "Good Morning, Good Morning". In fact i think the majority of John's psychedelic songs on Magical Mystery Tour are better than the ones here. That's right! I praised Magical Mystery Tour while critizing Pepper's! Sue me! But in all seriousness i'll take "I Am The Walrus" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" over the songs i just mentioned here anyday.

Paul's songwriting here is stronger than John's in my opinion (shocking, right?). the opening track (and by extention it's reprise) is a good rock number, i just wish the guitar was stronger. "Fixing A Hole"is good but not great. "Lovely Rita is another good song". "Getting Better" and "She's Leaving Home" are personal favorites of mine, especially "She's Leaving Home" which is simply beautiful. despite all this Paul still manages to write the worst song here. What is the worst song here? Why it's "When I'm Sixty-Four", of course! granted it's not as bad as "Od-La-Di, Od-La-DA" or "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", but it's still my least favorite here.

George's sole song here, "Within You, Without You" is another of my favorites off the album. some people don't like his sitar music but i do. then there's the Ringo song "With A Little Help From My Friends" (he didn't actually write it but he sings it so i consider it his). this song is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. I know I should hate it since it's Ringo, but i enjoy it.

There is one more song i haven't mentioned yet, "A Day In The Life". this one starts out as a John song, then goes to a Paul song, and then goes back to the John song (think "Bohemian Rhapsody"). this is the definate best song on the album. it is simply a masterpiece that everyone must hear at least once in their life.

so while Pepper's is a good album, it is not The Beatles best (that honor goes to Abbey Road). still it is essential and one you must hear, so go downloa... I mean legally purchase it today

Best Song: A Day In The Life
Worst Song: When I'm Sixty-Four