Sound Selections

B.B. King – Indianola Mississippi Seeds

Indianola Mississippi Seeds was B.B.’s eighteenth (!) album. Released in 1970, This album is NOT what you’d expect. Starting off with the stripped down “Nobody Loves Me Like My Mother” it lulls you into a false sense of sameness. “Oh, ok. Pretty straight forward blues…” Then it explodes into the killer “You’re Still My Woman” and weaves and ducks through the remaining seven tracks that sees B.B. deliciously incorporate an orchestra as well as venture into more straightforward rock territory. B.B. navigates these additions and changes with ease, creating an album that’s subtly eclectic yet 100% true to B.B.’s style. It’s no wonder B.B. himself noted Indianola Mississippi Seeds as his favorite release.

I’m probably speaking to the choir here, but B.B. King was a true legend. He was someone that every guitar player is influenced by, whether they realize it or not. His style was studied and imitated by many artists and it’s very likely that your favorite guitarist studied him. I sure have. Hell, I once messed up my shoulder trying to emulate his signature “butterfly” vibrato technique (don’t ask). He was an artist that truly infused emotion into his music and his guitar. George Harrison might have made his guitar gently weep, but B.B. made his truly sing with the whole breadth of human emotion. 

Gerald Casale – Jihad Jerry & the Evildoers

“Believe what you will… But do not make others eat from your plate…” With those words and tongue firmly planted in cheek, Gerald Casale embarks on a “war on stupidity” via his character Jihad Jerry. Being a founding member of Devo, Gerald builds on his years spent in that band and gives us an album that questions modern times via witty observation and parody. You have songs like “Army Girls Gone Wild” that parodies “red-blooded American” ideals via the infamous soft-core video series. Then you have songs like “Find Out” which do away with parody and take a more direct approach to call out those who will tell you what to think about subjects they really have no business speaking on. All this is done through a sonic landscape not unfamiliar to fans of Devo, albeit much more guitar-driven with a fuller sound that includes backup singers and various horns among the army of instruments Devo-tees are used to.

I’ve been a fan of Devo for quite some time. I saw them live back in ’04 and it was a sight to behold (yes, it included costume changes). Their sound is unique and highly influential. Gerald had a big hand in crafting that sound and his solo effort was a no-brainer to pick up. I hadn’t even heard it prior to grabbing it on Record Store day a few years ago, but I knew it was going to be interesting. I was not disappointed. It’s out there, as one would expect from a founding member of Devo, but it’s also thought-provoking and the issues it critiques are unfortunately still prevalent 16 years later. Maybe it’s time for Jerry to return to his war on stupidity? I don’t know if that’s in the cards, but I do know that this album is a fun and engaging listen and I’m glad it was rereleased, albeit briefly, to be discovered by a new generation of fans.

Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts

Sleeping with Ghosts was Placebo’s fourth studio album and was a major turning point for the band both lyrically and sonically. Prior to SWG, Placebo skewed towards angst-driven lyrics with a punky glam sonic aesthetic. However, their 2003 release saw a new, more mature direction for the band with romantic lyrics (not romantic I love you, but more romantic as in looking at and trying to understand love) coupled with a more sonically diverse-yet-cohesive sound. They dabbled in this on their previous release, Black Market Music, but here we see Brian and the crew expertly balance guitar driven rockers with synth sounds not dissimilar to the sound of the new romantic bands of the 80s. 

Here in the States Placebo are not nearly as big as they are in Europe, which is a shame. I first heard of them, as most Americans did, when Pure Morning was the big hit on alternative radio. (I distinctly remember the DJ on Chicago’s Q101 station make the lame joke “Placebo, or Play-sah-bo as the folks in Indiana call them.”) I had at some point also picked up (or borrowed, my memory is hazy) the deluxe edition of Black Market Music (the one with the excellent Bowie collab bonus track), but SWG was the album that really made Placebo click for me. Perhaps it was the more mature lyrical content and writing style or perhaps it was the new sonic directions the group were taking. Either way, I was hooked. I look forward to the day when I can see them live in-person. Until then, however, I’ll just have to enjoy their excellent tunes on the turntable.   

Local H – Hey, Killer

Before the White Stripes and the Black Keys broke onto the scene and made power duos “cool,” Local H was busting eardrums with their heavy-hitting riffs and earth-quaking drums. Hey Killer, a newer record of theirs (2015) is a good example of the sound these gents are known for. Drop the needle and you’re greeted with a distorted guitar drone that swells into the intro riff of “Last Picture Show in Zion,” building the energy and heralding what’s to come. What comes next is almost 50 minutes of pure Local H goodness. I don’t mean that in a general sense, I mean they have a certain sound and are VERY good at consistently producing music within that framework without sounding redundant. When you hear a Local H song, even if it’s a simple acoustic number or even a cover, you know who you’re listening to because of the sonic consistency they’ve built.  

I will never forget my first experience with Local H. It was back in 1999 and I saw them play at a festival in Chicago. Back then it was just the two guys on stage and they absolutely blew me away with their performance. Up until then I had never imagined two people could rock SO HARD. It was also the first and (until I see them again in a few weeks) last “reach-around” guitar solo I’ve ever seen. (A roadie came up behind the frontman, Scott, during one of the songs, reached around him and played the rhythm part on his guitar while he did the solo, then ran off the stage when finished.) It’s a sight to be seen and is just one of the many reasons this band is legendary and well worth a spin on your turntable and a ticket to their show.

Wendy Carlos – Switched-On Bach

Switched-On Bach is one of, if not THE most important synth album of all time. Released in 1968, it proved to the world that synths weren’t mere expensive toys for the weird experimental artists to play with. As the name implies, Switched-On Bach sees Wendy take the revered works of Johan Sebastian Bach and reproduce them in an electronic medium, specifically on Moog synthesizers. It might sound gimmicky, but as soon as the record starts you know that’s not the case. Every track on this album is expertly crafted to where it can easily stand with other full-orchestra classical albums, and the (now) legendary (in no small part thanks to this album) Moog synth sounds really add a special kind of character to these dusty old classics. 

If it weren’t for this album convincing the world synths are not silly gimmicks by selling millions of copies and winning THREE Grammys (back when winning a Grammy actually meant something), it’s obvious we wouldn’t likely have many of the electronic acts of today. Hell, if not for this album it’s hard to believe Kraftwerk would have gained the traction they did, especially in those very early experimental/classical leaning days. Wendy set out to prove synths were the real deal and succeeded. Wendy saw the future of music and used the past as a gateway to a musical revolution. And while some might despise the idea of electronic music (to which I say grow up), I can’t imagine a world where this album never was made and we never got to hear acts like Kraftwerk or, hell, even last week’s Sound Selections pick. It’s an important piece of music history and one everyone should listen to at least once.

Bright Eyes – Digital Ash in a Digital Urn

2005 was a big year for Bright Eyes. They catapulted into the mainstream with not one, but TWO albums released on the same day on the legendary Saddle Creek label. The two albums were polar opposites of each other, with I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning’s folk stylings countered by the dark electric sounds of Digital Ash in a Digital Urn. A departure for the band, D.A.i.a.D.U. pairs Conor Oberst’s melancholy romanticism with near industrial song stylings. Along with heavy textured beats (often a combo of live kits and a drum machine) and sweeping synths, you’ll find horns and new wave-like guitar work weaving through twelve tracks that can sound both upbeat and dark at the same time. Hope and death vie for control of Conor’s world and the listener is there to hear the struggle play out.

Like I mentioned in my review for Danse Macabre by fellow Saddle Creek band The Faint, the early 00s were a golden age for that record label. I discovered Bright Eyes through the little catalogue the Saddle Creek included with all their releases and thought, “well, I like all this other stuff from them, I bet I’ll like this too.” Spoiler: I did. And my introduction to Bright Eyes was this album as well as its release companion. Admittedly, at the time, I was more interested in D.A.i.a.D.U. Its textured electric sound was more in line with my interests then, but hearing it side-by-side with I’m Awake… showed me that you can, artistically speaking, have your cake and eat it too. Conor was able to successfully transplant his melancholy folk out of the organic world of acoustic and into the electric black light of the synth realm. Many artists have tried to transplant their music into other genres and failed, but Conor proved that it can seem effortless when you understand what makes the music “yours.” If the heart and brain of the song is the same, the body they’re wrapped in can be a mushy human or a metallic cyborg and still deliver a recognizable message to the listener.  

Stevie Wonder – Innervisions

One thing comes to mind when listening to Innervisions: Legend. From start to finish the album flows with an energy brought on the wings of Stevie’s soaring vocals and funk beats. Also, with a few exceptions, he played ALL the instruments AND wrote and produced the entire album himself! In 1973, that was a very rare thing to encounter, let alone from someone with a disability. Opening with a hi-hat slurp on the funky “Too High” and seamlessing segueing into the beautiful “Visions,” Innervisions takes the listener on an audio journey through Stevie’s world in the early 70s. You feel like you KNOW Stevie after listening to this album, which is hard for any artist to do, proving this entire album is truly a masterclass in thoughtful writing and powerful performance.

As a suburban white kid, my introduction to Stevie Wonder was The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ cover of “Higher Ground.” That being the case, Innervisions, which contains that song, was my first foray into his music. But what an introduction it is! You’ll find every bit of Stevie’s varying sounds contained in these nine brilliant tracks. It’s a record that’s influenced thousands and there’s a reason it’s always included on all those “top 100” albums of all time. It’s a classic in every sense of the word and a gift from Stevie to the generations who have heard it and the ones yet to discover it.

Alice Cooper – School’s Out

School’s Out is an album that not only perfectly capture’s Alice Cooper’s dark theatricality, it also has some of the best packaging design I’ve seen for an album. (The sleeve has fold-out legs and opens like a desk to reveal the album. Unfortunately my copy does not include the dangerously flammable panty disc sleeve.) Besides the hit single that catapulted Alice into such stardom as to be noticed and featured by the Muppets (Ok, not true, but he DID perform the song on The Muppet Show in a performance that unfortunately has not aged well considering the U.S.’s problem with school violence.), School’s Out showcases a dark glam rock sound mixed with broadway theatricality. West Side Story is even referenced at one point (in the aptly named Gutter Cat vs. The Jets). This might sound like an odd thing to include on a rock album, but it works surprisingly well due to Alice’s dark charm. It also works with the overall narrative of someone leaving high school and figuring out “what now?”, which is something we’ve all felt. 

When I first heard the album School’s Out, I was surprised it only had the one “hit” single on it. It might be due to just how legendary that song is, but I would seem the radio didn’t latch on to anything else from the record. On one hand I can see why, as the rest of the album largely works as a whole to further the overall narrative. But on the other hand I think it’s a shame that more people might not have heard Public Animal #9 or Blue Turk because they only ever listened to the greatest hits. School’s Out lays out a relatable narrative set to a dark and seedy glam rock soundtrack. It’s one of many classic Alice Cooper albums and well worth a listen from start to finish.    

John Cale – Sabotoge/Live

Sabotage/Live is easily John Cale at his most forceful and aggressive. Recorded in 1979, the punk scene was well-established and John Cale, who arguably helped birth the genre a decade earlier, dove back in the deep end. This album is all-new material that’s leaves behind the somber piano and melts face with searing guitars and catchy riffs. John doesn’t fall into the trappings of early punk with simple power chords and repetition. No, you get his signature thoughtfulness combined with solid musicianship and songs that individually stand out on their own while at the same time serve the album as a whole, all with an energy that only CBGBs (where it was recorded) could instill in John and his band… Ok, MAYBE cocaine too. But regardless of HOW it was produced, the energy is there and crackles throughout both sides of this album.

John Cale is an interesting musician for me because of the vastly differing eras of his music. He goes from high-concept experimental drone music to punk to introspective piano ballads to avant-garde synth pop (not necessarily in that order). He really does offer something for everyone. I enjoy his ability to seamlessly cross genres while still sounding like himself. Sabotoge/live shows this with its side 2 offerings. You get a small respite from the heaviness with the beautiful “Only Time will Tell,” which is like John’s softer side reminding us it’s still here and to remain calm… Right before “Sabotage” comes in and hits you upside the head with its ice pick guitar and gerrot wire bass. It then pivots again and ends on a very gospel-sounding number…. Which includes a coda of a piercing tone not unlike the severe weather alert one gets on their phone. It’s pure John Cale through and through and a good jumping-on point for those who only know John from his VU days.

Bret McKenzie – Songs Without Jokes

This might be the fastest release-to-write-up on Sound Selections… Bret McKenzie, of Flight of the Conchords and the (Oscar winning) music from the Muppet movie reboot, has released his first solo album. As the name implies, it’s not the typical silly stuff he’s been known for up until now. Songs Without Jokes is Bret branching out from humor and really showing off his songwriting chops. Right out of the gate Bret mulls over the seemingly decaying state of the world today and asks why we don’t fix it if we KNOW the problem. (An excellent question.) Throughout the rest of the album he continues to open his mind and his heart in 11 tracks that range in style from piano ballads to 80s pop, proving that he truly understands and appreciates the styles he was parodying back in the day. The songs flow together beautifully and every number is Bret Mckenzie through and through.

As my early work might bely, comedy rock, especially the Conchords, was a huge influence on me. I can’t remember the number of times I’ve re-watched that series or listened to those albums. I’ve always loved Bret and Jemaine’s writing style and clever word play. When I saw Bret was releasing his first solo album, and one of serious songs at that, I immediately preordered it. I feel a definite kinship here, as I, too, am working to shed my old humor music skin and wish to be seen as a more serious songwriter. It’s not easy to change like that, as you’re sure to ruffle some feathers. But with Songs Without Jokes, Bret truly proves that he is a versatile songwriter. I have no doubt that the folks who loved the Conchords back in the day will love this album… And the folks that DIDN’T like them will quite possibly find something to love in these jokeless numbers.