Monday, October 6, 1997
Soundbites
MUSIC:
The Rolling Stones "Bridges to Babylon" (Virgin) In the music
world, it’s basically standard knowledge that the Rolling Stones,
considered the oldest and still greatest band in rock and roll,
have been making the same album over and over again since the early
’80s. While the top-notch musicianship has yet to fade, the Stones
have yet to match the greatness of the "Let it Bleed" and "Exile on
Main Street" albums … hence the rock press skepticism of
late.
Whatever. Expectations are made to be broken, and the surviving
heroes of rock have given us one enjoyable, well-constructed
record. "Bridges" is neither a return to the quality of their ’60s
material, nor the groundbreaking album it was hyped as. However,
looking at the album in itself, the Stones have both crafted a
cool, lazy-day record and strayed slightly from their classic
style.
Some songs on "Bridges" do sound like the old Stones we know and
love. "Flip the Switch," the extremely sexual "Too Tight" (We’ll
watch the sun go down/ upon the swollen sea/ aaaaahhhh" and
"Gunface" (cool title, eh?) brim with smoky-club swagger. "Low
Down" and "Out of Control" seem very familiar but they sound more
triumphant and emotional than some of the Stones’ older stuff.
Despite "Already Over Me" and "Always Suffering" sharing virtually
the same chorus, there’s soul behind the two country-tinged
ballads.
Other pieces differ from the typical, bluesy-country rock sound
they’ve perfected over the years. The new single, "Anybody Seen My
Baby?" (with writing credit given to k.d. lang, thanks to a chorus
that sounds strikingly close to that of her "Constant Craving") has
both a straightforward rock sound, as well as a heartfelt feel that
matches that of their classic, "Wild Horses." Their other Dust
Brothers- (Beck, Beastie Boys) produced numbers, "Saint of Me"
(somewhat reminiscent of the Stones’ epic "Sympathy For the Devil"
with its "You’ll never make a saint of me" lyrical battle cry) and
"Might As Well get Juiced" (the Stones gone Beck), resonate with
freshness.
It’s a shame Mick and company (Keith Richard’s guitar lacks
sound as clear as ever, and the Ron Wood/Charlie Watts rhythm
section will force some sort of bodily appendage to move with the
music) won’t be playing much of the new material for their
much-ballyhooed tour, for a live treatment of some of the songs
might transcend the already decent album versions.
Nonetheless, the Stones have been around for over 30 years now.
The fact that they have remained the megagroup that they are is in
itself a testament of their talent. "Bridges to Babylon" repeats
more on their standard for great music than it does the past. Mike
Prevatt A-
The Honeyrods "The Honeyrods" (Capricorn) In a year that has
seen such acts as Third Eye Blind and Matchbox 20 hit it big,
alternative pop continues to reign over the electronic hype and
established hitmakers of a few years ago. The Honeyrods follow with
their satisfying, twelve-track debut, which sounds destined for
KROQ, Y-107 and Star 98.7 radio heaven.
Their songs are different enough not to melt into each other,
but yet there remains a pleasant flow that keeps you listening.
Their material ranges from the rockers ("Float," "Love Bee") to the
happier pop ditties ("Into You," "Child"). What links their songs
together are the good (signature, high-pitched guitars) and the bad
(pseudo-deep lyrics: "Sometimes you get something/ sometimes you
get nothing… matters where you go"). But the bad never takes away
from the Honeyrods’ fresh-sounding, prepped-for-crusing sound. Mike
Prevatt B
Genesis "Calling All Stations" (Atlantic) Taken in small doses,
"Calling All Stations" provides a smooth throwback to the escapism
found in Genesis’ earlier albums. On their 20th album, the band
unveils its new Scottish vocalist, Ray Wilson. Filling the role
previously held by both drummer/vocalist Phil Collins and Peter
Gabriel, Wilson steps up to the microphone and sings as though he’s
been a member of the band for its entire 30-year career, sounding a
lot like Gabriel’s and Pink Floyd vocalist Dave Gilmour’s
love-child. His refreshing voice floats over Tony Banks’s keyboard
and Mike Rutherford’s guitar to create relaxing, groovy tunes.
The album’s title track, "Calling All Stations," makes the
listener want to kick back in a bean bag, pop on the headphones and
turn on the black light. The album’s fourth cut, "Alien Afternoon,"
is a fantastic "Joy to the World"-ish anthem for the "X-Files"
generation.
However, the soothing effect wears off halfway through the
album. The grooves begin to sound wuss-like, rather than relaxing,
such as the maudlin "Not About Us." The ninth cut, "Small talk,"
brims with wackness. Thankfully, the band picks up the pace for the
last two cuts ("There Must Be Some Other Way," "One Man’s Fool") to
save the album (and the listener) from perishing in a dungeon of
musical mediocrity. Jeremy Engel B
Forest For the Trees "Forest For the Trees" (DreamWorks) The
debut album by Forest For the Trees goes beyond categorization.
This innovative, eclectic bunch of lush arrangements and technical
wizardry pushes all music genre boundaries, thanks to
singer/songwriter/producer Carl Stephenson (co-producer of Beck’s
debut album, "Mellow Gold").
"Dream," the first track and single, nicely epitomizes the world
music-meets electronic pop atmosphere of the album, complete with
bagpipes. Songs like "Tree," "Planet Unknown" and "You Create the
Reason" follow positive lyrical themes about the environment and
self-realization. Many popular elements of alternative music today,
such as hip hop/trip hop beats and sitars, also float in and out of
the album.
Full of perky melodies and musical brightness, Forest For the
Trees represents a welcome eyesore on the pop music scene. Their
immeasurable creativity and novel sound is worthy of checking out.
Mike Prevatt B+
The Rolling Stones "Bridges to Babylon" (Virgin)