Sound Bites: Music Reviews
Contains CDs from Oasis, Joshua Redman, Smog, Bruce Dickinson, Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez, Head of Femur
By The Associated Press
Selected audio reviews:
Oasis, "Don't Believe The Truth'' (Epic)
Their sound is still a bit bombastic, operatic even at times, but Oasis is so seasoned and full of heart the British band pulls off their sixth album "Don't Believe The Truth'' without too many missteps.
Yes, the lads have a tumultuous history and, yes, lead singer Liam Gallagher will likely tweak someone's nose to garner a few headlines in time for this release.
But ignore the usual sideshow that is Oasis-the-rock-stars and crank up the speakers. They are, again, worth a listen.
It's smooth sailing once you get past the wall-of-sound monotony of the first two tracks.
Who can remember what "Turn up the Sun'' is about when all that's ringing in your ears is the repetitive refrain "Love one another?''
The chorus rings a tad disingenuous, even from the kinder-and-gentler Oasis.
Things pick up quickly with the beautiful track "Lyla.'' "I waited for a thousand years for you to come and blow me out my mind,'' Liam wails.
It's a strong with a marching-paced cadence, sure to have fans arm-and-arm and frothing as the band lands stateside for their tour beginning in mid-June.
Top track honors, however, go to "Let There Be Love,'' described in the band's press notes as "...a defining moment in Oasis history.''
It certainly is a departure from the raw braggadocio that we're used to on even the most romantic and heartfelt past offerings from Oasis.
The light piano and soft guitar strums don't feel contrived when they're backing one of the best vocalists in rock.
"Don't Believe The Truth'' is just as solid for tried-and-true Oasis fans as it is for newcomers.
_ Ron Harris, AP Writer
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SFJAZZ Collective, "SFJAZZ Collective'' (Nonesuch)
Joshua Redman Elastic Band, "Momentum'' (Nonesuch)
Saxophonist Joshua Redman, the Spring Season Artistic Director for the SFJazz organization, offers a striking contrast to his East Coast counterpart, Wynton Marsalis of Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Both share a deep reverence for the jazz tradition, but unlike the more purist Marsalis, Redman embraces fusing jazz with pop music - and he is open-minded about incorporating hip-hop, rock and funk elements, as well as electronics - samplers, sequencers and rhythm machines - into his sound.
After spending the last decade recording for Warner Brothers, Redman makes an impressive debut on the Nonesuch label with the simultaneous release of two strikingly different CDs - an acoustic recording with the all-star SFJAZZ Collective and an electronic session with his Elastic Band - that highlight the breadth of his musical vision.
The multigenerational SFJAZZ Collective draws on highlights from its inaugural 2004 season dedicated to performing music by free-jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman as well as original compositions by the collective's members.
Redman intended that the collective would have ample time to rehearse and perform its repertoire, and that shows in this recording as the octet mixes notated music with freewheeling improvisations and plays intricate arrangements with multiple themes, sudden tempo shifts and key changes.
The four original tunes include saxophonist Miguel Zenon's polyrhythmic "Lingala,'' inspired by his visit to Zaire, with some dazzling vibes and marimba solos by veteran Bobby Hutcherson, and pianist Renee Rosnes' emotionally wide-ranging "On This Day's Journey, which begins as a slow-tempo waltz, shifts into a more uptempo midsection with saxophone and muted trumpet solos, and closes with the full octet powerfully restating the original theme.
Gil Goldstein's arrangements of thre Coleman tunes bring out their melodic strengths: the blues-rooted "When Will the Blues Leave'' featuring a whimsical solo by trumpeter Nicholas Payton; the Tex-Mex-flavored "Una Muy Bonita'' that gets funky at times, and the reflective "Peace,'' with the horn players taking turns soloing and dialoguing among themselves.
Redman also chose to include a Coleman tune, an ethereal other worldly version of the ballad "Lonely Woman,'' on "Momentum,'' which also includes tunes by Sheryl Crow ("Riverwide'') and Led Zeppelin ("The Crunge'').
The Elastic Band's core includes organist Sam Yahel, who plays more synth and Rhodes here than on the band's debut album, and Brian Blade or Jeff Ballard on drums.
Redman's diverse musical tastes are reflected in such guests as bassists Meshell Ndegeocello and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, drummer ?uestlove of The Roots, and such jazzmen as trumpeter Payton, vibraphonist Stephon Harris and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel.
The result is a CD that updates the best of the jazz fusion tradition represented by Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul, and Miles Davis.
Redman and company lay down funky grooves, but the music never sounds formulaic as much smooth jazz does. Redman cooks with some fiery solos on original numbers as "Greasy G'' and "Sweet Nasty,'' using the electronic effects to enhance his sound, creating music sure to evoke good feelings and get the feet tapping.
_Charles J. Gans, AP Writer
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Smog, "A River Ain't Too Much To Love'' (Drag City)
Though today's music scene is a smorgasbord of wistful singer-songwriters, a casual cruise down the aisle of your local record store might not reveal it.
Smog, like many band names, is really a cover for Bill Callahan.
It's been a decade and a half since Callahan's scratchy, lo-fi debut.
The conventional wisdom is that his group peaked around 1999 with "Knock Knock'' and "Dongs of Sevotion'' the year after.
But on "A River Ain't Too Much To Love'' Callahan's voice is too rich and the lyrics too wry to pass it off as a mere afterthought.
Though he often sounds like an imitation (albeit a good one) of the Silver Jews' David Berman, Callahan mostly sings morbid and bemused tales over a simple acoustic guitar.
True to folk form, he manages to mention "brambles'' in not one, but two songs here.
The tune that really snarls you, though, is "Rock Bottom Riser,'' a vivid description of love providing the buoyancy to a lost soul in the murky depths of a river.
Joanna Newsom also adds piano to this, as good of a song as Callahan has penned.
The other main attraction is a version of the old blues traditional "In the Pines,'' famously covered by Kurt Cobain during Nirvana's "Unplugged'' session.
Some might consider it blasphemy, but it's certainly a unique - almost scoffing - take on the usually passionate cry of betrayal.
Regardless, "A River Ain't Too Much To Love'' should serve well as a solid, if belated, introduction to Smog for those of clean lungs.
_ Jake Coyle, AP Writer
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Bruce Dickinson "Tyranny Of Souls'' (Sanctuary)
On "Tyranny of Souls,'' Bruce Dickinson's sixth solo album, the Iron Maiden vocalist blends the familiar harmonic twin-guitar riff attack of his full-time band with a darker, more nu-metal thrash style courtesy of guitarist/producer Roy Z.
The album opens with a very Spinal Tap-like "Mars Within'' that would sound exactly the same with David St. Hubbins and Nigel Tuffnel trading riffs as the bass player struggles to break out of a plastic cocoon.
But things get serious on "Abduction,'' a rip-roaring rocker that would be at home on any Iron Maiden album, alongside "Power Of The Sun.''
Much of this album deals with a trip through hell, and while it's been done many times before, most recently on Alice Cooper's "Dragon Town,'' Dickinson draws on classic metal elements to get the mood just right.
The opening chords and lyrics to the title track are more than a little evocative of "Black Sabbath,'' and "Devil On A Hog'' is built around a very Iommi-ish guitar riff.
But Dickinson adds his own unique touches throughout, including his trademark soaring multi-octave vocals, and an exquisite sense of when to be restrained and when to go all-out.
This should whet fans' appetites for Maiden's appearance on this year's Ozzfest summer tour.
_Wayne Parry, AP Writer
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Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez, "Red Dog Tracks'' (Back Porch Records)
When the final tune ends on "Red Dog Tracks,'' Carrie Rodriguez laughs and asks, "Were we recording that?''
The entire album has the same casual vibe, which makes it fun.
It also helps that Chip Taylor brought to the session first-rate songs addressing matters sensual and spiritual.
He and Rodriguez recorded them in three days, mostly in one or two takes, and "Red Dog Tracks'' makes up for any lack of polish with plenty of personality.
Taylor's nonchalant, Willie Nelson-style singing matches the mood, and Rodriguez's amiable twang and fiddle provide ballast.
The supporting cast includes stellar guitarist Bill Frisell, who has worked as a sideman on a lot of albums recently _ all good.
_ Steve Wine, AP Writer
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Head of Femur, "Hysterical Stars'' (spinART)
"Hysterical Stars'' has a tuba and other horns, a glockenspiel, a banjo, strings, humor and great tunes with inventive arrangements.
All Head of Femur needs now is a bigger audience.
Here's hoping the group's second album finds its way to the masses.
"Stars'' reflects influences ranging from Neil Young and the Band to the Flaming Lips and Polyphonic Spree, and the resulting ambitious mix is a unique delight.
The group started in Chicago as a trio of Nebraska natives.
The stage act now includes eight musicians, and 28 played on "Hysterical Stars'' - including members of Bright Eyes, The Glenn Miller Orchestra and other groups.
Miraculously, given the heft of the instrumentation and often inscrutable lyrics, they still rock a bit: "Percy,'' "Do
The Cavern'' and "Easy Street'' are toe-tappers.
The album's 13 songs include two with three parts, and there are frequent shifts in meter and mood.
But such titles as "The Sausage Canoe'' and "Elliott Gould Is In California Split'' are an accurate indication that the mood never stays serious for long. Cue the tuba.
_ Steven Wine, AP Writer - AP
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