11/30/2011 5ive Quick Hits

Nickleback – Here and Now
I must apologize profusely. I really intended to listen to HERE AND NOW and let you know what I think. I tried. I failed. So based upon the 3 and a half songs I did listen. If you like Nickleback you’ll like this and vice versa. They did a great job of either miking the drums or programming some tasty sounds. I did not hear a lyric I appreciated.

Best Cut: The one that sounds like it’s been on the radio before. You pick it.

Yelawolf – Radioactive
I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about this but just between you and me, I dig it. The first pass seemed more like a compilation… the songs are all over the place but after a couple more listens I found myself smiling. “Good Girl” is pretty damn funny and “Slumerican Shitizen” sounds like it should have been this summer’s skatepunk anthem… (if it wasn’t already, I’m too old to hang around the skate park). Warning: If you don’t like Rap music you won’t like this.

Best Cut: “Growin’ Up In The Gutter”
Yes – In The Present: Live fromLyon
Sometimes I love me some technical pomposity. This is not it. This is so far removed from Yessongs it’s sad. Plodding, slow versions of classics. Songs that I guess are more recent that didn’t do it for me. If I was 15 I’d probably play this and be amazed. I’m not 15. I’m not amazed.

Best Cut: “And You & I” (Listen to the original instead)

Smashing Pumpkins – Gish (Deluxe Edition)
I don’t want to sound like a elitist music hipster but Gish is my favorite Smashing Pumpkin’s record and I loved it so much when it came out I actually bought the 3 records that followed it. I liked each of those to a lesser degree and then stopped paying attention. That being said I think everyone who likes rock adventurous rock music should buy Gish and if you really like it buy Gish (Deluxe Edition) because there’s some stuff on it you’ll probably dig.

Best Cut: “Tristessa”

Kate Bush – 50 Words for Snow
Beautiful. As I sat and listened to 50 Words for Snow for the 10 or 11^th time that’s the word that stayed with me. I can’t imagine a more perfect setting for her voice than these tales of winter. You can smell the snow in the air and wood of the piano. She decorates the beauty of each melody with words descriptive and intensely beautiful. There’s that word again. I let this go into rotation and play endlessly for a day. The song “50 Words for Snow” rises above its own preciousness to expand our consciousness. Her internal and external voices have grown with her quirky genius. Along with Wilco and Tom Waits one of the best releases this year.
Best Cut: “Misty”