REVIEW: "Has Been"

William Shatner
Has Been
© 2004 Shout! Factory

William Shatner’s musical career has often been the subject of mockery, rather than praise. Though a multitalented performer, singing is not among the man’s skill-set. Syle, however, is and, if it showed anything, his 1968 debut album The Transformed Man showed a very distinctive style of spoken word outsider music. While that album may be considered one of the worst albums ever made, Shatner has proceeded to hone and adapt his musical style over the years, from his classic performance of Elton John’s “Rocket Man” to his commercials for Priceline.

For the most part, his deliberately campy style has been used purely for comic effect. But, in 1999, Ben Folds saw a greater potential in Shatner’s voice and used him in his project, Fear of Pop. This began a creative relationship that ultimately led to 2004’s Has Been, an album featuring spoken word poems (mostly) written by Shatner, arrangements and production by Ben Folds, and numerous celebrity guests. The result? Nothing short of amazing.

Let me add a condition to that praise: This is an album that needs multiple listens. In my experience, at least, the first time I listened to it, I was overwhelmed; I didn’t know if I should laugh or shake my head. Was this some sort of ironic statement? A joke? A serious musical effort? The more I listened to it, the more I realized that it was all three.

The album starts off with one of it’s strongest tracks, a cover of Pulp’s “Common People” that far exceeds the cheesy eurodisco of the original. Though the vocal delivery is surprisingly similar, Shatner’s version manages to inject far more actual emotion into the song’s sentiment. He does what all good covers should: pay homage to the original while making the song his own. The backing vocals from Joe Jackson seem to be there to cover for Shatner’s limited range, but nonetheless work well enough.

“Common People (feat Joe Jackson)” (no video)


As good as it is, however, “Common People” fits oddly with the rest of the album; it is the only cover (with the rest of them written by Shatner and his collaborators) and thus lacks one of the key features that binds the rest of the album, for all of its musical variation: the strong and deeply personal authorial voice of Shatner. Ben Folds’ influence on the music is clear and the various talent on individual songs (such as Henry Rollins on “I Can’t Get Behind That”) clearly show their participation, but this is always Shatner’s show.

Shatner is a complicated man, and each track on this album clearly shows a different layers of his personality.

Some of the songs are reactions to his celebrity status. Whether it be his challenge and satirical retaliation to those who call him a “Has Been” (in the album’s title track)…

“Has Been” (no video)


…to the much more personal message of “Real” where he apologizes for not being able to live up to the standard set by his never-fail screen personas like Captain Kirk.

“Real (feat Brad Paisley)” (fan video)


(Though, the more I listen to “Real” the more it sounds like Clark Kent denying that he is Superman.)

Other topics are taken on with a similar dichotomy, such as morality. “You’ll Have Time” has a clear message “Live life like you’re gonna die/Because you’re gonna.” While it is expressed with no small amount of tongue-in-cheek humor, it is still a genuine sentiment, with it’s disquieting list of people who had died within the past few years.

“You’ll Have Time” (fan video)


On the other side of the coin is the shattering “What Have You Done,” a frank, poetic description of his discovery of the body of his wife, Nerine Kidd-Shatner, who had drowned in their pool. The simplicity of the track and Shatner’s whispering voice, drive home the tragedy of this event.

“What Have You Done” (fan video)


The album isn’t flawless; some songs try too hard or not hard enough, such as “It Hasn’t Happened Yet.” While its sentiment is genuine and moving, the song itself is a little too simple, too subdued, for its own good.

“It Hasn’t Happened Yet”


The problem is in part exacerbated by the superiority of this live version, which manages to capture the message just as clearly with more energy:

“It Hasn’t Happened Yet” (live)


As a whole, however, this album never fails to deliver, provided the audience is willing to listen closely. There is a lot of emotion and subtext here that may surprise those whose first thought of Shatner’s musical talents is “Rocket Man.”

RECCOMENDED IF… you have the patience to give outsider music a fair try. On a casual listen, the album may seem silly; Has Been demands a lot more effort from it’s listeners than the typical album.

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REVIEW: "Symphony of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret"

Rhapsody
Symphony of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret
© 2004 SPV GmbH

Note: Rhapsody changed their name to Rhapsody of Fire in 2006, between the release of this album and 2006’s Triumph or Agony.

With their 2002 album Power of the Dragonflame, Italian Symphonic Power Metal band ended their first multi-album fantasy epic, “The Emerald Sword Saga.” The band took this opportunity to not only launch a new epic, “The Dark Secret Saga,” but to upgrade their sound. Symphony of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret features backing by a live orchestra, full chorus, various string solos, and narration by Christopher Lee.

While Rhapsody has always incorporated symphonic elements in their music, with Symphony of Enchanted Lands II they have taken it to a new level. But is that a good thing?

The album’s basic improvements in production quality are the easiest to pass judgment upon. The comparison between the synth orchestration of their previous albums and the vibrant, live instrumentation featured here is no contest. Similarly, Christopher Lee’s rich, sonorous voice is infinitely better than the awkward, slightly lispy narration of the previous albums. Even the quality of the audio is smoother and cleaner than previously.

It is the creative changes that will prove more divisive.

Power of the Dragonflame was, as befit its role as the climax to the grand, military fantasy of “The Emerald Sword Saga,” a raucous, high energy ride. Symphony of Enchanted Lands II, on the other hand, serves as the opening to “The Dark Secret Saga” and the album reflects this. The violent energy of Dragonflame is just not there. Instead Symphony contains many symphonic interludes and slower ballads.

The album opener, “The Dark Secret – Ira Dvinia,” is a purely atmospheric/orchestral song and heavily features Lee’s narration. Its purpose in the story is clear—acting as a prologue and hinting at the conflicts that lie ahead. Musically its purpose is similar—even at over four minutes in length, it is entirely introduction, spotlighting the orchestral and choral elements that will be featured in varying capacities throughout the album. It is a competent arrangement—with the chorus being used to particularly strong effect—but wholly lacking in Metal.

“The Dark Secret – Ira Divina” (no video)


It isn’t until the second track “Unholy Warcry” that the album really starts. And what a start! “Unholy Warcry” is hands-down one of the best songs on Symphony. It has everything—from rollicking percussion, to blazing guitars, to a breakdown featuring more narration—that one could hope for. And the various elements are well integrated into what guitarist and song-writer Luca Turilli refers to as his “neoclassical” style.

“Unholy Warcry” (no video)


Other tracks, such as the epic "Sacred Power of Raging Winds" come close to emulating the balance between effective use of symphonic, narrative, and Metal elements that “Unholy Warcry” achieves, but that song is, unfortunately, never surpassed.

“Sacred Power of Raging Winds” (no video)


In large part, this is due to the unfortunately large amount of time spent on pastoral pieces or ballads. Though these may serve a purpose in the sonic tapestry of “The Dark Secret Saga” there is, nonetheless, too much time spent on the beauty of dragons in flight, and not enough on them burning shit. Simply, Rhapsody is best when they are playing fast, energetic songs; their slower songs are almost universally maudlin and bland.

One of the worst offenders is “The Magic of the Wizard’s Dream.” While not irredeemable, it is almost painfully boring. Its biggest impediment is the simple, redundant percussion that makes the song feel even slower than it is.

“The Magic of the Wizard’s Dream” (no video)


There is a single version of “The Magic of the Wizard’s Dream” that is a duet between signer Fabio Lione and Christopher Lee. While generally the same song, it actually works much better as a duet. Additionally, the percussion has been significantly scaled back and the piano strengthened. It is truly a shame that version did not make it onto the album. link (NOTE: This version was made after the release of the album. It is nice to imagine that this could have been the result of Rhapsody addressing the complaints over this original version.)

Fortunately, after “The Magic of the Wizard’s Dream” (which is track five) the album generally picks up its pace, with some genuinely enjoyable songs such as “Last Angel’s Call,” which strongly resembles sound of the Rhapsody of old, and the climax “Nightfall on the Grey Mountains” which revisits many of the musical themes that came before like any good finale.

In fact, while scanning through the rest of the album for another negative example, I had trouble finding one. Even other slower songs, such as ”Guardiani del Destino” are not without positives. (“Guardiani del Destino” is perhaps a minute longer than it has to be, but actually does build to a rather satisfying finish.) Unfortunately, while these might be at least okay when taken one by one, when played through as a whole, they utterly fail to distinguish themselves.

That is, perhaps, the greatest disappointment of Symphony of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret. While individual tracks may be truly impressive and the increased production values serve their intended effect, the total result is one that falls short of it’s potential.

The band’s following album Triumph or Agony generally had greater success in balancing the symphonic and Metal elements than Symphony but was beset by it’s own problems (which I’ll save for a later review). Currently, production on the third album in “The Dark Secret Saga” is on hold due to legal complications. Hopefully, if this project ever sees completion, Rhapsody will be able to take what they have learned with these two albums and do something truly impressive.

RECCOMENDED IF… you enjoy or are interested in Symphonic Power Metal. For all its shortcomings, excesses, and other failings, it remains an extremely enjoyable album.

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Week of Monday, March 16th

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

It is time for yet another schedule readjustment.

I will now be posting during the day on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

That will be two reviews and one "other."

I am moving in less than six weeks, and there are things I want to get in order before I do: projects to finish, projects to start, etc. I need to apply the maximum amount of time to these things that is possible.

I hate to downgrade my schedule on this again, but the simple fact is that this blog cannot be my highest priority in the coming weeks.

As I said, posts will be entered "during the day." I am going to continue to shoot for midnight, but sometimes, such as tonight, that just won't be possible. Please follow me on Twitter or through an RSS reader (see widget on the side of the page below the archive) if you want to stay up to the minute.

Thanks for sticking around.

—John Read more!

Week of Monday, March 9th

Afternoon lads and lasses,

I have some less than great news.

I'm going to be taking this week off.

I have a bunch of stuff on my queue that I really want to get moving, and I just won't have time to work on this blog much for a few days.

It's nothing bad, it's just time-consuming.

In the mean time, feel free to follow me on Twitter for bite sized music reviews and so on.

Thank you for your patience. Read more!

REVIEW: "X"

Kylie Minogue
X
© 2007 EMI

In most on the world, Australian performer Kylie Minogue is one of the biggest names in pop music. She has never really caught on in the US, but that hasn’t stopped her from trying. Her US biggest success so far has been her 2001 album, Fever, which toped at #3 on The Billboard 200. Performance of her 2003 album Body Language was decent (#43). A battle with breast cancer led a lengthy gap before her next album, X, and, unfortunately, she seems to have lost any momentum she may have gained (#139).

In general, I have never found chart success any kind of gauge of quality. Nonetheless, it is interesting to note how poorly the album performed in the states compared to the rest of the world. Why is this? Is it indicative of anything in the music, or is it simply that Kylie did not enough presence in American to surmount the five-year gap?

In this critic’s opinion, it is both. Kylie is a Pop musician and image has been a major part of the industry since its birth. In the UK and Australia—where her sales are their best—she is a constant presence in the tabloids. Here, her album dropped with minimal fanfare because, frankly, most Americans don’t care. We have plenty of our own stars to fuel our voyeurism, idolatry, and schadenfreude.

But even without sensationalism, some artists have risen up the charts to success if they manage to catch that elusive “It.” And, quite simply, this album does not have enough It. While it does contain some excellent pop songs, its quality is inconsistent, and some of the weaker songs, unfortunately, having been selected as singles. Even Minogue herself has expressed disappointment in the final product.

Lack of sufficient publicity + singles that fail to catch on = a deadly combination for a pop album.

So with the mystery of the weak performance sales solved, where does that leave the album? While X is hardly Kylie’s strongest work (I would pick Fever for that honor), there are still several excellent tracks. It might not be Album of the Year, but fans of Dance-Pop should give this album a second chance.

Fortunately, in this day and age, mixing and matching songs is easy and affordable and, as there isn’t really any sort of theme or connective elements to the album, X is a prime hunting ground. I’ll make it easy for you. Here are the best songs on the album:

“2 Hearts”

The best track on the album, pulling together classic pop-music elements from across the past 50 years into a practically perfect Pop track.

“In My Armss”

Pure Euro-dance. Those who enjoyed Fever will find a lot of the same appeal here.

“Speakerphone” (no video)

Quirky, silly, and almost annoyingly catchy. This is one that really grows on you.

“Wow”

A Disco-styled dance song with a killer hook.

Put any of the above four songs on a play-list if you want to get people out on the dance floor. They’ll work quite nicely.

The rest of the album is fairly unexceptional. While the album is consistently danceable—Kylie’s specialty—most of the tracks fail to have anything special about them. She displays a good range of influences, from disco to rock, house to new wave, but doesn’t take them anywhere exciting. These songs often are repetitive and somewhat flat.

RECCOMENDED IF… you really love dance-pop. There are a few gems and the rest are decent if unremarkable; I would recommend using the album a quick preview to see if there is enough here to justify the purchase. (Try the “Preview All” function for the MP3 album linked below.) If you are looking for some fun music to get your friends dancing, the four songs I have mentioned above will do the job quite nicely. (I have included links to the individual MP3s on Amazon.) It’s just a shame the rest of the album doesn’t live up to the standard they set.

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GEAR: Sennheiser PX 100 Collapsible Headphones

Just a quick one today. Think of this as Friday’s post a day earlier (with Thursday’s review to post for Friday)

Today was a sad day, for I had to bid farewell to my Sennheiser PX 100 Collapsible Headphones. The highest praise I can offer them is that, once I realized the problem was insurmountable, I promptly bought another pair of the same model.

The PX 100 is, in basic design, a fairly standard set of open, headband-style, mini-headphones which collapse easily. They are light and fairly low-profile, allowing them to wear comfortably, even under a hood or wool cap, and they look nice, if unremarkable. And their price, ($59.95 msrp / around $40 at most reasonable discounts) is good for quality headphones of this type.

Physically, the construction is solid. The frame is a mix of metal and dense plastics, including durable metal hinges for the collapsing action. The pads are resilient and comfortable, though one of mine developed an annoying habit of coming loose and falling off. The cord is sturdy, with little problems over normal use.

The trouble was that I didn’t give them the most “normal” use; my treatment of them was nowhere near as gentle as it should have been. In part this was due to the uncanny ability for the cord to get caught on every possible cabinet knob, chair arm, corners, etc. yanking them off of my head and, frequently, out of my iPod. Of course, this is entirely a user-problem derived from the confluence of my height, the length of the cord, and the construction of my apartment. In fact, that the headphones withstood the kind of abuse that I gave them for so long without a problem is a testament to their toughness. If you pay half a mind to your surroundings, these things should last you forever.

Of course, eventually that abuse was too much for my poor headphones and a connection somewhere came loose and the right earphone stopped working properly.

But until that moment, the sound quality on these headphones was amazing. They yielded a very wide range of sound, with excellent balance. I never experienced any disappointment in any style of music, from classical to rock, house to noise and spoken word materials were clear and warm. The only problems I ever encountered were those endemic to this style of headphone, such as minimal isolation, some distortion at high volume levels, and a drop-off in the lower base (though that last was far better than most).



Simply, if you are looking for a good set of portable, multi-use headphones for your iPod or to take to work, the PX 100 is an excellent choice in terms of both sound quality and cost. I have not experienced better in this class of system.

Also, they come with a well-constructed and easy-to-use carrying case that I really shouldn’t have lost …


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REVIEW: "Incredibad"

The Lonely Island
Incredibad
© 2009 Universal Republic Records

Comedy in music—whether it be a parody band, novelty song, or a “serious” artist using wit—is a challenging technique. The difficulty of balancing humor and listenable music often results in one element losing out. Comedy troop and Saturday Night Live writer/performers The Lonely Planet—Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg—have thrown their hats into the ring with their first album Incredibad.

Though the troupe had produced numerous sketches and music parodies independently, it was their SNL Digital Short and viral smash “Lazy Sunday,” that garnered them major attention. Since then, many of their Digital Shorts have featured music videos written and produced by the trio—often with a celebrity guest—such as “Dick in a Box (feat Justin Timberlake).”

Many of the songs included on Incredibad have also been featured on Saturday Night Live. While it is a little disappointing that more original content was not included, these songs are nonetheless enjoyable, with most of them surviving quite well without the aid of their video.

One of the group’s most recent shorts, “I’m On A Boat (feat. T-Pain),” has arguably handled the transition to audio-only the best. The song’s hardcore swagger, energy, and backing vocals by T-Pain would not be out of place on a serious rapper’s album; most of the songs humor comes from the contrast between the earnestness of the music and the inanity of the content of the lyrics, rather than quality.

“I’m On A Boat (feat. T-Pain)”


The other SNL tracks have generally remained both funny and listenable, but often lack a little something compared to their videos. “Jizz In My Pants,” for example, is an extremely funny song with well-produced music, but the physical humor of the video was certainly part of the appeal.

“Jizz In My Pants”


Few things can kill the listenability of a song quite like it being deliberately bad and, fortunately, one of the strengths of Incredibad is that they usually do not use the song itself as the joke. There are some exceptions to this, however.

One, “Sax Man (feat. Jack Black)” starts off pretty kickin’ in that distinctive Jack Black way. The song’s humor derives from the hyped Sax Man utterly failing to meet expectations.

“Sax Man (feat. Jack Black)” (no video)


Another, “Ras Trent,” makes fun of its vocalist/character, a white college student who claims to have become Rastafarian, but clearly neither gets it nor has any skill.

“Ras Trent” (no video)


By treating the music as a joke they come across more as sketches than funny rap songs. While they may be good for a laugh now and then, by becoming essentially a joke-song instead of a song of jokes, they lack in staying power. This is particularly damning for “Ras Trent.” Where much of the humor of “Sax Man” comes in repetition and continued refusal of the Sax Man to play—and thus making use of it’s entire two minute play time—“Ras Trent” quickly overextends it’s basic joke—the ignorance and lack of talent of Trent—which is clearly made in the first few seconds of the song.

The non-SNL material is a mixed bag, with the best of it touching on some of the attitude and wit of the Beastie Boys (albeit with a consistently self-deprecating edge) and the lesser just being a little boring. One of the greatest stumbling blocks these songs face is inconsistent production values; many of them are older tracks from the groups pre-SNL days. The album finishes with one of the funnier of these tracks “Incredibad” where the group gives the obscene and hilarious origin of the album title and cover art.

“Incredibad” (no video)


Incredibad is largely parody, but, even in the pure joke-songs, the humor is directed inwards. The Lonely Planet are not mocking the genre or riffing on specific songs, instead targeting their own failings (“Jizz In My Pants”), nerdy over-enthusiasm (“We Like Sportz”), or the extremes of their imagination ("Space Olympics"). This has worked heavily in their favor as, not only does it give their songs more staying power, they are easily able to bring celebrity guests and SNL cast-members in on the joke; even when only guests voices heard (as in “Natalie’s Rap”), the humor and sound is consistent with the rest of the album

RECCOMENDED IF… you have enjoyed their Digital Shorts. The humor presented in them is representative of the album, for better and worse. This is a consistently funny comedy album, though as a rap album it tends overly towards a generic sound.

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REVIEW: Working on a Dream

Bruce Springsteen
Working On A Dream
© 2009 Columbia Records

Bruce Springsteen is one of those rare artists who truly, deeply connects with people. Ask almost any fan and they will tell you how his music seems to speak to them directly, how it helped them through hard times, and how it inspires them in the good. The flipside to these people, however, are all those who never formed a connection with “The Boss” and his music. These people may respect him as a musician but, generally, have never seen what is the big deal. (There is a third camp as well; those who can’t stand the man, frequently for political reasons.)

I fall into this second camp, so please take this into account while reading this review of Working On A Dream. If you already are a Springsteen fan, I have it on good authority that this album will not disappoint. Of course, judging by its incredible first-week sales, you probably already have it.

This album is “Classic Springsteen;” he hits all of his signature elements frequently and effectively. Lyrics with a heavy emphasis on stories of the common man’s plight? Check. Emotionally charged choruses? Check. Guitar-driven rock backed by layers of multi-instrumental sound? Ballads? Anthems? Check.

In other words, Springsteen has, in many ways, gone back to basics with this album. This makes for a very accessible album; if you are a fan, this is an excellent album to give someone to get into The Boss. For those who did not care for the darker tone of his previous albums will enjoy the return to classic form.

And those who dislike Springsteen will find nothing new to change their minds.

The album starts with its best foot forward. “Outlaw Pete” is an eight-minute epic (the only one on the album; the other songs max out under five minutes), a story of crime, regret, revenge, and penance that spans the life of its title character. The storytelling of the song is top-notch, the music varied but consistently powerful, and, despite it’s length, engages consistently.

“Outlaw Pete” (no video)


The rest of the album never climbs to the same heights, but still maintains a decent level of quality. One of the weakest songs is the title track “Working On A Dream.” Quite simply, it is boring. The lyrics, instead of being anthemic, are redundant and reductive. The music is unremarkable. The one thing it does have going for it is the sense of hope and perseverance that works through the whole album.

“Working On A Dream” (no video)


Most other songs are a mixed bag. While perfection is always just out of reach, they are not without commendable elements.

For example, the ballad “Queen of the Supermarket”—the tale of a man falling in love with a supermarket employee from afar—manages to maintain a level of sweetness that prevents it from becoming overly melodramatic, silly, or creepy. The end of the song, with its stirring, hopeful crescendo, is one of the highlights of the album—making it all the more a shame that beginning was not stronger.

“Queen of the Supermarket” (no video)


Another strong song is “Tomorrow Never Knows.” The upbeat, acoustic guitar, reflective, yet hopeful lyrics, and the rising strings blend together to form a short, sweet, and encouraging song.

“Tomorrow Never Knows”


“What Love Can Do,” one of the first songs written for this album, was conceived of as a meditation on “"love in the time of Bush." But the overt politics of some of Springsteen’s previous songs is not present. Instead it is a thematic element: though things are tough now, love will see us through. While not a guarantee of safety and improvement, but it is a message of the possibility of hope and change—clearly drawing on contemporary political attitudes as inspiration.

“What Love Can Do” (Fan video)


With its classic sound, inspiring message, and solid songwriting, Working On A Dream is a strong entry in Springsteen’s catalogue. Unfortunately, it is not quite an instant classic; more songs fall just short of their potential than those that meet or exceed it. That said, it is an enjoyable and effective album that is worthy of notice—even if that notice should be given with the same tempered optimism Springsteen encourages.

RECCOMENDED IF… you are looking for something with a bit of grounded optimism. Springsteen’s back-to-basics approach makes this very accessible album and a good starting place in the artist’s decades-long career.

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