This week I had a short week to listen as I'm leaving on vacation on Monday and will be on the road for three days, so this post is being written on Sunday. So I didn't quite get as many listens in to the new CDs as I'd like...
New Additions:
Tori Amos - Night Of Hunters
Label: Deutsch Grammaphon
Released: 9/20 2011
Genre: Classical
Tori is moderately predictable, most of her albums have a very similar vibe musically. Including this one, which isn't a bad thing, you know what you're in for - some amazing classical piano, though this one is much more classical than previous albums. Up to the point where many songs are reworkings of actual classical pieces. It's all very stripped down, no percussion at all, no guitars and bass, just some strings and wind instruments occasionally accent her piano playing. It's actually a very relaxing album, despite some of the lyrics being the opposite. The opening line is classic Tori "That's not my blood on the floor" .... which really gives the album its life. If you're a Tori Amos fan you'll definitely like this offering, if you're just getting into her this is a good starting point.
Adding To The Collection
16 Volt - American Porn Songs // Remixed
Label: Metropolis
Released: 2009
Genre: Industrial
OK, so I wasn't impressed with American Porn Songs, and sometimes the remix albums hold a lot more interesting things going on. Sadly, no. The complete lack-luster of APS carries right over into total boredom here. Somewhere in here is an acoustic cover of one track, but honestly I couldn't be bothered to even look up which one or who did it. I should probably have given this a more thorough listen through, but honestly it kind of bored me the first time through. Only get this if you're a die-hard 16 Volt fan.
The Mission (UK) - Carved In Sand
Label: Mercury
Released: 1990
Genre: Gothic Rock
Like most Gothic Rock coming out of the 80s, this is just as much punk rock and straight rock'n'roll as it is Gothic. Which is how I like it, really. And The Mission never fails to deliver a good album, so when I found this sitting in the used bin at a local record store I immediately picked it up. I don't remember ever getting to hear this one back in the day, but it sounds familiar, that kind of good familiar that brings you back to a good place, hanging out with friends, in a bar or all night diner, knowing there was nothing to do the next day so one am became three before finally shuffling off into the dawn for sleep. And that's what this does for me. It's a good album, I won't say from a better time, but a different time, when things felt simpler musically. Fans of The Mission will immediately love this album and probably already have it in their collection, as 1990 was the year of hanging on the precipice of musical oblivion before the 90s swallowed up so much of the previous three decades.
Rough Guide To African Guitar Legends (with Bonus Syran Mbenza & Ensemble)
Label: World Music Network
Released: 2011
Genre: Guitar, Rock
With a name like African Guitar Legends I'm afraid I set myself up for a little bit of disappointment. I love guitar driven music, especially some good serious blues, rock, country, and roots. And while every band here has an awesome guitar player in it, and are excellent bands, this is not guitar driven work. This is a collection of people who are known for their excellent guitar work, and are out of Africa, but it's not really Guitar Driven. They just happen to be really awesome guitar players, with a backing band. Nothing truly spectacular, just something really good. And thus my disappointment, which was completely a personal expectation I should probably have placed to the side. Because this is some good music, uptempo, and different from what I get in the US. The bonus CD is a tribute to a great guitar legend who passed away, and feels like a good tribute album, but again the guitar work is not stand out, it's seamlessly integrated into a band work. You can hear the solo work behind everything else, and it's very good. In the end it's two CDs of good music, just not guitar focused work.
Bonus CD
KMFDM - Live Boston 2011
Label: none
Released: Sept 2011
Genre: Industrial
KMFDM recorded as many shows as possible through their 2011 North American Tour, and released them as digital downloads on the world. Sadly, my city (Denver) was not recorded so while I was at the show I didn't get to take it home with me. Luckily their set was pretty much the same throughout the tour (or exactly the same really), and I randomly picked Boston to download to check out the recording quality. It was an awesome show this year, and the live recordings capture that well. 90 minutes of classic KMFDM, most of the WTF?! album and lots of 2000s era stuff, and a few bits from the 90s, and only Godlike from before that. While I love that they play the new albums nearly in their entirety, I wish they'd select from a wider range of albums, they have over 25 years of experience and I think in a live show only one song from a previous album is needed, especially since they took two from Blitz (one of their weakest albums ever) and two from Tovuvabohu, a track of Xtort, Money, WWIII, or earlier would be neat. Still - good recording, clean and clear, and the crowd noise made it through - which occasionally doesn't happen on soundboard recordings. If you saw the shows, this is an awesome souvenir, if you didn't this is a good way to get it second hand.
Next week, I'm on vacation, actually the next two weeks. So I won't be getting anything new - but I am pre-adding two weeks worth of music to listen to while on vacation. If I can post from the road I will, otherwise the next Audio-Bomb will have a lot of Additions to report, and the week after that will be all the New Stuff I missed out on listening to while away - because I have new CDs on order, I just won't be around to receive them.
Until then - Listen Hard!
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