Category: Rewind Reviews

Rewind Review: Astrud Gilberto – 5 Original Albums Verve Collection (2016)

I scored this lovely and bargain-priced (twenty bucks!) mini-set of five classic albums by bossa nova queen Astrud Gilberto while on a late winter trip to California. The set covers records released by Gilberto (Yes, the first wife of Brazilian composer João Gilberto and stepmother to Bebel Gilberto.) from 1965 to 1969. In particular, they are her first (The Astrud Gilberto Album – 1965), third (Look to the Rainbow – 1966), fourth (A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness – 1966), sixth (Windy – 1968), and seventh (I Haven’t Got Anything Better to Do – 1969) records, and all of them are delightful.

The first album pairs her with the legendary Antonio Carlos Jobim, who wrote her famous hit “The Girl from Ipanema.” Like that song (which is not on this record, but rather on the other classic Getz / Gilberto), this album is an instant mood-changer. Starting with “Once I Loved,” and Gilberto singing that “love is the saddest thing when it goes away,” everything around you adapts to her voice. Her duo with Jobim on “Agua De Beber” is another song that brings a smile to your face, and Joao Donato‘s piano on it is a delight while Jobim’s subtle guitar strumming hits harder than most metal records. Gilberto sings about the nerves associated with new love on “And Roses and Roses” while snappy percussion sizzles and soothes behind her. “How Insensitive” is heart-breaking yet alluring. “Dindi” is a bossa nova standard, and Gilberto does a great version of it here.

Look to the Rainbow is full of stunning arrangements by Gil Evans. Opener “Berimbou” would fit into a 1960’s Bond film with its lush horn section and exotic strings. The horns on “Fervo” might inspire a wild party in the streets. “Maria Quiet” is, I’m sure, being played in a Tiki bar somewhere right now. “Bim Bom” is peppy and bouncy, sure to flood a dance floor in that Tiki bar. “El Preciso Aprender a Ser So (Learn to Live Alone)” is one of those songs Gilberto pulls off so well – longing and yearning mixed with Zen-like detachment.

A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness teams Gilberto with the Walter Wanderley Trio. Wanderley was an organ maestro who played on “The Girl from Ipanema,” and his band (Jose Marino – bass, Bobby Rosengarden – percussion, Claudio Slon – drums) are all sharp pros. The first two tracks are the double title tracks and both are bossa nova lounge classics. Wanderley’s organ riffs on “Nega” are the sounds of a hundred drive-in intermission countdowns, and Gilberto’s playful vocals on it are a delight. “So Nice (Summer Samba)” is another bossa nova classic, and it’s great to hear Wanderley strut his stuff on it while Rosengarden adds some spicy beats Any melancholy you might be feeling is wiped out by “Goodbye Sadness (Tristeza).” If the closer, “It’s a Lovely Day Today,” doesn’t cheer you up, I don’t know what will.

Windy was cut while Gilberto was living in Philadelphia and raising her and João’s son, Marcelo (with whom she shares vocals on “The Bare Necessities”). A lot of the songs are the album are big and bold, suitable for a Las Vegas nightclub or your party’s hi-fi. Opening track “Dreamy” is a perfect example with its lively brass section. “Never My Love” exudes soft 1960s psychedelia. She nails the title track (a cover of the classic hit by The Association), taking on the identity of the mysterious, playful woman as her own. Her cover of The Beatles‘ “In My Life” is also lovely.

According to the liner notes, Gilberto calls I Haven’t Got Anything Better to Do her “fireplace album.” She wanted to make a record that moved away from the aggressive sounds dominating the 1969 airwaves and could be listened to while curled up next to a fire. She did it. “He’s got a problem if he thinks I need him,” she sings on the opening title track. She had divorced João by this point, so you can’t help imagining her singing that in his direction. The soft, subtle horns on “Wailing of the Willow” mix perfectly with Gilberto’s haunting voice. “The Sea Is My Soil (I Remember When)” again makes you wonder why Gilberto never sang the theme to a Bond film. Everyone can relate to “World Stop Turning” at one point or another as Gilberto wishes time would stop so she could stay in bed with her husband just a bit longer.

It’s a wonderful collection, and a great way to be introduced to her music and bossa nova.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: King Buffalo – Live at Freak Valley (2020)

Recorded in 2019, Live at Freak Valley by King Buffalo is a well-mastered and engineered document of a powerful set at that year’s Freak Valley Festival. It’s a great introduction to King Buffalo’s live sound if you’ve never heard it before and will make you want to seek them out at the nearest venue as soon as possible.

“Sun Shivers” sets off the show by launching us away from Earth’s gravity and into the endless sea of stars leading to the sun and beyond. They waste no time and get right to the cosmic riffs. “Longing to Be the Mountain” is a reference to a Chinese story about a stonecutter working on a mountain who desires to become the grand mountain that seems to be above all people, things, and concerns. He’s granted his wish but soon feels a tapping at his base. He looks down to see another stonecutter there chipping away at him. The stonecutter was caught by his own ego and delusions The song is a powerful as the lesson.

“Every day is the same,” they sing on “Repeater,” a fourteen-minute mind-melting experience that covers both existential ennui and Zen presence. By the time you get to “Orion” (“Can you hear me through the smoke and the haze?”), it feels like you’re drifting past his belt of stars. It’s a stunning track that must’ve been quite an experience for the lucky Freak Valley attendees.

“Kerosene” twists and turns around itself like some kind of heavy metal Escher drawing. They mention that A Place to Bury Strangers is up after them (which you can see here) before they get to the closer, “Eye of the Storm.” It’s a great closer that bridges the gap between stoner rock and desert rock for over ten glorious minutes. They encourage us to embrace the void without fear, for the eye of the storm is often the safest place.

Keep your mind open.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyVFHDgKo8s

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Rewind Review: Psycholona – Venus Skytrip (2020)

If you’re looking for a good way to start off your trippy, heavy space rock record, why not do it with a song called “Blast Off?” That’s what Psychlona does on their cool Venus Skytrip album.

The opening track builds with guitar notes sounding like a countdown clock that blend into actual rocket launch countdown recordings and rocket fuel-hot riffs and drum hits. The band’s love of Black Sabbath is evident from the opening riffs of “10,000 Volts,” which hits as hard as its namesake one moment and lulls you into a dreamy headspace the next as they sing about voices in their heads confusing their souls. “Blow” adds stadium rock riffs to the mix.

“Star” punches the accelerator the band’s starship to the floor and plunges us straight toward a red dwarf about to go nova. “Edge of the Universe” practically takes you there. You can probably guess the inspiration behind “Resin,” and it’s as trippy as you hope it will be. The reverb-laden vocals, the echoing guitars, and the cool yet heavy drums all combine to make a satisfying blend.

“Tijuana” seems to be a story about the band encountering dangerous women, dangerous drinks, and other dangerous substances and people while on a trip south of the U.S. border. The whole thing sizzles like an annoyed rattlesnake on a hot rock. The album closes with “The Owl,” a grand, thundering piece that casts a bird of prey’s shadow over you and almost makes you quiver like a mouse in an open field.

This is a cool record, and I hope Psychlona gets us more new music soon. I’d happily go on another sky trip with them. How about Saturn next time, lads?

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Failure – The Heart Is a Monster (2015)

Coming eighteen years after their (at the time) overlooked masterpiece, Fantastic Planet, Failure‘s The Heart Is a Monster picks up where Fantastic Planet (and the 1990s) ended. Ken Andrews, Greg Edwards, and Kellii Scott created an album in 2015 that linked to their past (and the past of their fans) and also showed what a stunning future could be had if we all came together and chose to pursue it.

Opening with the instrumental “Segue 4” (again, picking up after “Segue 3” on Fantastic Planet), The Heart Is a Monster jumps up in volume and beat with “Hot Traveler” – a song about begging for forgiveness after an accidental wrong (“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I had to make a snap move, but now I see your purpose.”). The powerful Failure guitars, soaring synths, and sharp drum chops are all here right away, assuring fans that Andrews, Edwards, and Scott hadn’t lost anything in over a decade – and in fact had only grown in power. “A.M. Amnesia” is a stand-out, which Scott pounding hard beats and drilling fills that make your jaw drop while Andrews and Edwards sing about a woman who exists in both darkness (“You were born on the bottom of the ocean.”) and in the the infinite light of space. Cosmic space is a common theme in Failure’s work, and it’s great to hear them continue to explore that theme on this record.

“Snow Angel” has a heavy, almost doom groove to it, which makes me wish Failure would make a doom metal record. The groaning, squealing guitar of “Atom City Queen” only reinforces that wish. “Counterfeit Sky,” a song about realizing most of your problems (if not all of them) are self-inflicted, has layers of Andrews’ and Edwards’ guitars constantly switching with Scott’s drums for the lead.

I can’t help but wonder if “Petting the Carpet” is a sequel to their classic song “The Nurse Who Loved Me,” which contains the lyrics, “Say hello to the rug’s topography. It holds quite a lot of interest with your face down on it.” “Petting the Carpet” starts with the lyrics, “Petting the carpet. Saliva flows strong.” Both songs blaze with sun-bright guitar chords and thick bass. “Mulholland Dr.” blends sci-fi themes of aliens and mutants with trippy “Sgt. Pepper’s”-era Beatles chords (courtesy of Troy Van Leeuwen – who was in Failure for a short time and went on to become a full-time member of Queens of the Stone Age).

“Fair Light Era,” with its lyrics of “What’s all this space junk? These gems behind my eyes?” might be a sly reference to the “one hundred stones that sparkle in darkness” on Fantastic Planet‘s “Sgt. Politeness.” “Come Crashing” hits with crashing cymbals and power chords before it drops, weightless, into “Segue 7,” and then “The Focus” kicks open the door with a killer bass line that isn’t screwing around. The guitars on “Otherwhere” sound like the calls of robotic birds of prey. “I Can See Houses” tells a haunting tale of a man, possibly Andrews, seeing the world fall away from him as the airplane he’s on rises into the sky and he realizes he has to let go of things binding him to earthly illusions. The album closes with “Segue 9” to leave us in a trippy headspace.

The Heart Is a Monster was a great return for Failure, who have since released three more albums, will begin another tour, and have a documentary film about the band coming soon. Go to space with them. You’ll come back changed.

Keep your mind open.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WQBfgC1hPw

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Rewind Review: The Smithereens – 2011 (2011)

Saluting the past and embracing the current moment, The Smithereens‘ 2011 album, 2011, is a nod to their classic 11 album and was their first album of all-original material since 1999’s God Save the Smithereens. It was a fine return to form with catchy hooks, heartfelt lyrics, and ample shredding.

Take the opener, “Sorry,” for example. Jim Babjak‘s powerful guitars come at you right away and Pat Dinizio‘s strong vocals about being both sad and angry about a breakup show he’d lost none of his chops. “One Look at You” is the opposite in terms of lyrical content, as Dinizio tells the story of swooning after once glance at a lady, but keeps up the snappy beats by Dennis Diken and solid bass work by Severo Jornacion. “A World of Our Own” is the kind of song that The Smithereens do so well – toe-tapping beats, lyrics about love, Beach Boys-like harmonies, and chugging garage rock guitars.

“Don’t listen to the things they say, you just take my hand and we’ll just keep on running,” Dinizio tells his lover on the solid, strong “Keep on Running.” The whole band is firing on all cylinders here, working in great union with each other as Babjak’s guitar seems to melt and solidify from one note to the next in his solo. “Rings on Her Fingers” could’ve been a Beau Brummels song in a previous life.

“As Long As You Are Near Me” has what I’d consider a “classic” Babjack guitar solo – somewhat bluesy, somewhat gritty, and all shredding (and Jornacion’s walking bass line sounds like it’s easy to play but is deceptively tricky once you examine it). “Bring Back the One I Love” has Dinizio lamenting a lover who left him. Jornacion’s bass takes front stage on “Nobody Lives Forever,” giving the song a pulse you can’t ignore.

The haunting “Goodnight Goodbye” has great vocals from the whole band and this almost doom metal pace to it that I love. It’s a standout on the record. “All the Same” displays the band’s love of the Mersey Beat sound. “Viennese Hangover” belongs in a romantic comedy that takes place in Austria. Diken’s drums are in fifth gear on “Turn It Around,” and the added tambourine and jingle bells only increase the punch. The closer, “What Went Wrong,” sends us off on a fast note like a hot rod not bothering to slow down after it crosses the finish line in a street race.

2011 showed that The Smithereens still had plenty of fire in them, and it still sounds good eleven years later.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Frankie and the Witch Fingers – Levitation Sessions (2020)

Released in the middle of the pandemic and when everyone needed to just crank some psych-garage rock and let out a bunch of pent-up energy in their living room, Frankie and the Witch Fingers‘ Levitation Sessions is a great slice of the band’s always-solid live sets and bursts with energy for its entire length.

“Activate” is perfectly named and played to start off the set with beats that get your feet tapping right away and riffs to knock you back on your heels. “Reaper” is always a standout with its dreamy build-up to crushing power. “Sweet Freak” has this cool, looping groove to it that evolves into wild, frenetic, psychedelic guitar solos that are like a crow calling from a high tree when you walk by.

“Where’s Your Reality?” is another FATWF that absolutely cooks live or otherwise. Something is wrong with you if it doesn’t get you jumping and / or crowd surfing. The song melts into “Michaeldose,” a trippy and funky instrumental. The driving, hammering beats and bass of “Realization” are likely to induce you to bounce around your living room so hard you’ll be knocking over lamps and freaking out your pets.

The drums on “Dracula Drug” are especially sharp. All respect to Caster Black, who recorded and mixed the whole session. Another good example of the mixing is how well “Can You Hear Me Now?” eases into the rocking “Simulator” – another cut that always floors any audience. Likewise, “Cavehead” blends perfectly into the peppy, trippy “MEPEM…” – which is over eight minutes of thumping, bumping garage-psych.

Levitation Sessions is a great taste of a live FATWF show – a taste that leaves you wanting to dive face-first into their psychedelic buffet.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: The Smithereens – Meet the Smithereens (2007)

A Smithereens cover album of a classic Beatles album?! Yes, please!

It’s no secret that The Beatles are one of the biggest influences on The Smithereens (along with The Who, The Kinks, and many others from the UK), so hearing this American rock band have fun with these tracks is a delight from beginning to end.

They’re a little subdued on their version of “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” and it’s an effective in touch – pushing the love in the song more than the riffs. They push the riffs harder on “I Saw Her Standing There,” rocking it for all it’s worth. “This Boy” soothes things down a bit before the rocking, underappreciated Beatles’ classic “It Won’t Be Long” – a song they load with Jim Babjak‘s killer guitar riffs.

“All I’ve Got to Do” has a blues touch to it that’s perfectly suited to Pat Dinizio‘s voice. Severo “The Thrilla” Jornacion‘s bass is all over “All My Loving.” They perfectly capture the 1960s garage rock sound on “Don’t Bother Me.”

“Little Child” flies right by you at fast beats laid down by Dennis Diken, and then “Till There Wsa You” comes in with almost a Tiki lounge comfort to it. They make playing “Beatles swing” sound easy on “Hold Me Tight.” They unleash “I Wanna Be Your Man” on you after you’re all cozy from the previous track, with Babjak taking on lead vocals and having a blast with it. The albums ends with a fade-out on “Not a Second Time,” leaving you with a smile and fond memories.

It’s a fun record, and one that led to other fun cover albums by then. You’ll dig it if you’re a fan of either band.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Ibibio Sound Machine – Doko Mien (2019)

When I type “afrobeat” into my post here, my computer’s autocorrect feature changes it to “acrobat.” It makes a bit of sense, actually, because Ibibio Sound Machine combining Nigerian afrobeat with house music so well that they are like acrobats moving all around you with astounding skill on their 2019 album Doko Mien.

Opening track “I Need You to Be Sweet Like Sugar (Nnge Nte Suka)” sounds like a Curtis Mayfield track mixed with 64-bit video game blips. Eno Williams‘ soulful, powerful vocals grab you by the ears and don’t let go and Derrick McIntyre‘s bass roots down the whole thing. You think that’s funky? Wait until you hear “Wanna Come Down,” a track that mixes Max Grunhard‘s synths with his saxophone and Tony Hayden‘s trombone and Scott Baylis‘ trumpet so well that you’re not sure where one of the them ends and the other begins.

The title track (also known as “Tell Me”) could be an LCD Soundsystem cut if LCDSS were even funkier. “I Know That You’re Thinking About Me” brings in more soul smoothness to seduce you. “I Will Run” is a synthwave love song that makes you want to make out on the dance floor. “Just Go Forward (Ka I So)” is a call to action (“Just go forward, don’t look back!”) that everyone needs to hear – and follow.

“She Work Very Hard” has some of Alfred “Kari” Bannerman‘s most interesting guitar work on the record, sounding at times like he’s in a funk band, other times in a krautrock band, and other times like he’s in a shoegaze band. “Nyak Mien” is pure afrobeat joy. “Kuka” is even a bit psychedelic.

“Guess We Found a Way” is a trippy slow jam that, if you play it in the presence of a potential lover, you had better be prepared for something to happen. The album ends with “Basquiat” – a fittingly funky tribute to the funky artist who left us far too soon.

Acrobatic afrobeat, indeed.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: The Damned – Final Damnation (1989)

Recorded live at London’s Town & Country Club on June 13, 1988, Final Damnation is a time capsule of The Damned‘s reunion concert. All of the original members of the band are here: Dan Vanian on vocals, Rat Scabies on drums, Captain Sensible on bass and guitar, and Brian James on guitar. They also bring in Bryan Merrick on bass and Roman Jugg on keyboards for songs on which those guys played on Damned albums featuring them. The band had just been dropped by their label before cutting this record, and the unhinged chaos of that moment in the band’s timeline can be felt and heard.

Starting with “See Her Tonite,” the band barely has time to say hello before launching into furious punk riffs. “We’re not doin’ it for the money!” Captain Sensible yells to the crowd afterwards. The crowd replies with, “Oh, yes you are!” and soon Sensible is chugging out the always thrilling bass line of “Neat Neat Neat” and the crowd is going bonkers. “Born to Kill” hits like a metal rockabilly.

I’m not sure if Sensible or Scabies is playing hardest on “I Fall,” as they’re both going nuts throughout it (Scabies has the slight edge, I think.). “Fan Club” has a great swagger to it, and a great solo from James, too. “Fish” is a fast fan-favorite. Their cover of The Beatles’ “Help” is almost unrecognizable as it hits like repeated punches to the face. “New Rose,” of course, gets the crowd into a frenzy, and their cover of The Stooges‘ “I Feel Alright” is stunning.

The “second half” of the album / show starts with their classic tune “I Just Can’t Be Happy Today” – a song that’s still resonant decades later. “Wait for the Blackout” has Sensible wailing on his guitar for the back of the room. Jugg’s opening piano chords on “Melody Lee” are like a fake jab before the hard cross of the guitars and drums.
“Noise, Noise, Noise” is as raucous as you hope it will be, as is “Love Song” – in which it sounds like Scabies destroys his kit.

The opening chords and beats of “Smash It Up” give you some time to catch your breath before you want to join the band in smashing everything in sight, and they end the show with two snarky covers – “Looking at You” by MC5 and The Rolling Stones‘ “The Last Time.”

Thankfully, this wouldn’t be the last time The Damned played a show or even released an album, but Final Damnation is a great recording of a great show. There’s also a DVD of the entire performance out there (which can also be found on YouTube) to help capture the madness.

Keep your mind open.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wBu6SrLobk

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Rewind Review: Protomartyr – The Agent Intellect (2015)

Recorded in a week in a small studio in Benton Harbor, Michigan, Protomartyr‘s third album, The Agent Intellect, is almost bursting at the seams with powerful energy.

Opening cut “The Devil in His Youth” feels almost like an early New Order track with its urgent guitars from Greg Ahee. His riffs on “Cowards Starve” take on a slight shoegaze touch as Joe Casey sings about the dangers of social pressures (“If you think about them all of the time, you’re gonna find that your head’s been kicked in.”). I once read a YouTube comment that described Protomartyr as “Three guys playing post-punk riffs, and a guy with some cans of beer in his pocket walks onstage and just starts talking, and band keeps playing.” That’s not a bad little description of their live shows, and not a bad description of the sound of “I Forgive You.”

“Boyce or Boice” seems to be a tale of coming to grips with aging and past sins. Then again, “There’s no use bein’ sad about it. What’s the point of cryin’ about it?” Casey chants on “Pontiac 87,” perhaps the most post-punk track on the record (judging from Scott Davidson‘s bass riff alone). “Uncle Mother’s” guitar fuzz is quite good, and I like the way it’s complimented with a slight distortion of Casey’s vocals. “Dope Cloud” is hazy, yet a bit frantic (a style that Protomartyr can pull off seemingly without effort).

“The Hermit” catches you off-guard with its soft start before Alex Leonard unleashes his drums and the rest of the band almost scrambles to keep up with him. “Clandestine Time” sounds like an out of control clock with its weird beats, Leonard’s cymbal crashes, Davidson’s bass notes that sound like heavy bells, and Ahee’s guitar acting as the whirling gears within it. Casey’s voice is the alarm.

The trembling beats of “Why Does It Shake?” match the simmering panic in Casey’s lyrics about trying to hold onto sanity while the U.S. (in 2015) was on the verge of madness as it approached an election that would turn the country upside-down. Casey’s vocals are pulled back (in terms of volume, not depth) on “Ellen,” while his bandmates move forward in a track about waiting for a love that might not ever show up. The closer, “Feast of Stephen,” has, as far as I can tell, nothing to do with Christmas and everything to do with big riffs and vocals that bounce off the walls behind you and flatten you twice.

It’s a record you can get lost in and probably find different nuances in the instruments and meaning in the vocals every time you hear it. Not many bands can do that. Then again, not every band is Protomartyr either.

Keep your mind open.