The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 129

@Fuck You Aurora and I traded recently and he gave me a fun one:

T. Rex: Electric Warrior (1971) Fly Records(UK) Reprise Records (US)

Disclaimer: This is going to be a different type of review. I am going to give a brief history and background on the album, followed by the review and then finishing up with influences, which I am sure a lot of you will be interested in.

Background:
T. Rex are an English rock band formed in 1967 Marc Bolan. They were initially called Tyrannosaurus Rex and released four albums under that name in the Psychedelic Folk genre. The first album under T. Rex, that was a self titled, was a rebirth for the band and change in sound to include electric guitars. Their hit single off of that album, Ride a White Swan, launched them into a successful band and one of the pioneers of the emerging glam rock scene, amongst you guessed it: David Bowie. From 1970 to 1973 the band had become as popular as the Beatles in the UK with 11 singles in the top 10. In 1977, Marc Bolan died in a car crash at the young age of 29. In their short tenure as a band they made a huge impact on the music scene that continued to influence bands to this day.

Electric Warrior was the second album released by the band under the name T. Rex with a sound more in tune with the scene of glam rock. Throughout the album, you can feel this sense of pop mixed with rock and the eccentricity the genre was so known for. Some sources state that this album created the birth of the genre. The only single off the album to get radio time in the U.S. is Get it On which was changed to (Bang a Gong) Get it On to distinguish it from the U.S band Chase's song Get it On.


Review:
I really had no idea what I was going to expect going into this album only because I had only briefly heard their single Get it On a handful of times. I was really surprised that by the end of the album I was ready to hit repeat. It is great pop rock record mixed with the classic rock that we know from the US from bands like Aerosmith, The Eagles and The Allman Brothers just to name a few. I personally preferred the tracks that we a little more upbeat like Jeepster, Bang a Gong (Get It On), Girl and The Motivator. The one song that really stuck out to me is Cosmic Dancer, as I could picture David Bowie rocking out to this song and loving it. Honestly, there isn't a bad track on here and I would have this playing all day in the background while I was doing things. It just has this funkiness to it that makes it instantly likeable.

Influences:
T. Rex are specifically referenced by David Bowie in the song All the Young Dudes

The lyrics "glimmers like Bolan in the shining sun" is on My Chemical Romance's song Vampire Money, taken from their album Danger Days.

Videos:

I know @Fuck You Aurora has been looking forward to this review from me and I hope I did it justice. If anyone is interested, the Apple Music version has a 20 minute interview with Marc Bolan they did on their tour for the album here in the U.S. He was very into space, aliens and mythical things and was known to write a book or two.

RIYL: Classic Rock, David Bowie

9/10

 

Damn it, you nailed it ! I loved this review, him and Bowie were actually close friends ! When ever you get a chance listen to the Slider album. You can definitely see wear his style of playing had a influence on a hand full of musicians

 

Nice! I am definitely going to dig into their discography. Thanks for giving me a really cool recommendation!

 

I'd highly recommend you check out live footage as well. But no problem ! Dad rock isn't so bad ha.

 

Looooooove seeing T. Rex up in here!

 

Roar

 

@Joe4th and I will be teaming up for the next session !

I'll be listening to:
Bomb The Music Industry - Scrambles

They will be listening to:
Strike Anywhere - A Change Of Sound

 

Scrambles is top tier Bomb the Music Industry, enjoy that

 

This week I spent time with some super interesting albums recommended by @Cody. Neither of these albums are at all in my comfort zone, nor anything I would expect to be recommended on this site, and that’s the beautiful thing about this club. I am really glad to have been exposed to these and appreciative of @Cody for expanding my horizons a bit. I enjoy stretching and challenging my tastes from time to time, and these recs did just that.

Graham Central Station – Graham Central Station


I am not very familiar with pre-‘80s music with the exception of the inescapable artists/hits. This album is 40 minutes of badass ‘70s funk/soul. It kicks off with the minute-long handclap singalong “We’ve Been Waiting” before the funk begins in earnest with track 2, “It Ain’t No Fun to Me.” This track has it all - soulful singing, a backup choir, Hammond organ, horns, guitars, electric piano, drums, and bass. Speaking of bass, a bit of research informed me that Graham Central Station was founded by Larry Graham, formerly of Sly and the Family Stone and credited as the inventor of slap bass. As a bass player myself, this album was a long overdue history lesson. Each song has very active and tasteful bass parts, played in a variety of styles. One track after another features standout bass performances, which were refreshing as bass playing like this isn’t featured much in contemporary music. It was a real treat to listen to the bass guitar groove on this thing.

The guitar work on this album is similarly excellent, with standout guitar songs including “Hair” and “Tell Me What It Is” (where the guitar and bass playfully dance around a straightforward, driving drumbeat). The album makes liberal use of the wah pedal to give some added character to the guitar performances. “People” features a classic infectious vocal hook and an extended guitar solo. Different vocalists keep the record fresh, with strong female leads on “Why” and “We Be’s Gettin’ Down.” Everything is drenched in harmony; there seem to be three or four voices on every vocal.

The album ends with “Ghetto,” which slows down the tempo with a kind of plodding beat. The lyrics really stood out here, as they make a statement about systemic discrimination and black Americans ending up in the poorest parts of cities. “I’m still trying to find out how we got here, ‘cause I know it wasn’t on our own.” These lyrics are powerful and unfortunately still pertinent 40+ years later. Overall, this is an awesome example of classic ‘70s funk. Listening to this felt really welcoming and familiar even though I’m not too well-versed in this genre.

Juana Molina – Segundo


I will admit off the bat that I didn’t expect to enjoy this album. It clocks in at an hour and nine minutes, and I saw it classified in different places as Latin alternative, avant-garde, world, ambient, and folktronica, none of which are styles of music that I’ve had much exposure to. Molina is a celebrated Argentinian artist and former actress, and despite my preconceptions this ended up being a riveting listen.

I usually focus a lot on lyrics and melodies when actively listening to music, so I thought that the language barrier here, with all of the lyrics sung in Spanish, would detract from my ability to enjoy the album. However, the result was that Molina’s soothing and breezy vocals became another instrument. I ended up listening to this a number of times while working, as it served as very pleasant background “instrumental” music that was not distracting.

The first track “Martín Fierro” begins with a detuned synth that is manipulated in a variety of ways throughout the song. It is soon joined by electronic percussion, and later some natural percussion (what sounds like handclaps and foot stomps). The vocals are hypnotic, with Molina’s soft and sometimes droning voice harmonizing beautifully with a male vocalist.

The second track, “¿Quién?”, introduces an altogether different soundscape, featuring a more standard, acoustic guitar-based structure. The album, for the most part, is a mix of more experimental songs like “Martín Fierro” and acoustic tracks like “¿Quién?” The songs are pretty minimalist across the board, with usually only an instrument or two accompanying the percussion and Molina’s vocals.

The percussive elements throughout the album are really impressive. In addition to the aforementioned electronic and manual beats, I also identified shakers, tambourines, traditional drum sets (performed at times with both sticks and brushes), and one compelling rhythm made up of sampled metallic sounds reminiscent of dropping change into a metal bucket (“Quiero”). “El Perro” is built on a backbone of synths and layered electronics that evoke The Postal Service, along with samples of a barking dog.

To get a more complete understanding of the album, I ran the lyrics through Google translate, which obviously detracted from any poetic value, but did give me a decent idea of the subject matter. Standouts from the my limited interpretation of the lyrics include “¿Quién?”, which appears to be about Molina’s motherhood, and “El Pastor Mentiroso,” a seeming indictment of organized religion.

I can pretty much guarantee I would have never heard these albums if it were not for @Cody's recommendations, so thanks again for great experiences getting acquainted with both of these!

 

Two 70’s albums in row! Wow! This is really cool that this club allows us exposure to these artists we most certainly would have missed. Definitely check out that T. Rex album I reviewed when you have time. Great reviews.

 

Thank you @SaveTheEarth for this.

Inkwell - Rivers Of Blood And Sadness, Or Maybe Happy

Energy.

Energy was one of the first words that connected for me in describing music, the phrase “raw energy” specifically. It represented this clear idea that bands create and explore a sonically candid depiction of themselves, throwing it out into the world in hopes of finding kindred souls. The early 2000’s emo, post-hardcore, pop-punk and indie scenes had a privileged claim to this in my mind. There was, more often than not, this blatant rejection of the composure and sanitation of Pop music that automatically granted a status of authenticity. It was the simple idea that being messy was real.

Writing their junior effort at the tail end of this decade, Inkwell seemed determined to send this era of music off right. Borrowing from its long-winded naming conventions, Rivers Of Blood And Sadness, Or Maybe Happy succeeds at being an equally exhaustive love letter to the best the 00’s had to offer and a masterpiece because of it. Many bands try earnestly to weave together other influences and quickly become a tired parody of themselves. Inkwell avoids this entirely by defiantly tying all of these inspirations to their core.

The dissonant, strained and slothful character of the dual vocals placed throughout the album is the best example of this. In each instance they are placed against foreign soundscapes. In ‘The Whale The Whale The Whale!!!’ the band croons between heartland rock and a tribute to Deja-era Brand New. In ‘Part Time Martyr’ they belt between fuzzy pop-punk power chords and crescendoing guitars. Again, their dedication to their voice instead of attempting to change it to fit the mold they’re emulating makes for their success here.

Thematically the albums orbits around the dark promise of adolescence. The loss of or sought after redemption through love and friendship as well as the struggle with identity are consistent throughout the album. These are standard but the pure emotional weight behind the construction of the songs keeps the themes fresh.

All in all, Rivers Of Blood and Sadness, Or Maybe Happy is a collection of songs with an infectious energy. It demands to explored while being immediately enjoyable.

FFO: Brand New, I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful, Yet So Unaware Of It, The Postal Service, Tell All Your Friends, Saves The Day, Nirvana, Driver Friendly

 

@Nate_Johnson gave me Anderson East - Encore for my album the past week.

I had never heard of this artist before, so I honestly had no clue what to expect going in. I was pleasantly surprised when I listened to it my first go-through. I definitely wasn't expecting such a soulful album. Soul-sounding/country albums aren't something I'm very familiar with, so it was awesome to get out of my comfort zone with this one. Vocally this album is magnificent. His voice is so soothing and relaxing to listen to. Finding out that Chris Stapleton co-wrote King for a Day made a lot of sense too.

One of my favorite aspects of this album is the use of all the horns. They work so well in context of every one of these songs, and added so much to it. I think my only big complaint about the album is that lyrically it felt a little weak to me. It's very simple lyrically, which isn't a bad thing.

Standout tracks included King for a Day, which had a huge country flair to it, but in a unique way thanks to the horns. Another standout was Somebody Pick Up My Pieces.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable album, and was something I haven't heard much in my listening experiences.

 

Agreed! I will give that T. Rex album a spin.

 

T Rex is incredible as were your reviews. Very insightful and spoken as if you were much more familiar than you claimed. Thanks for listening! Glad you enjoyed. Will have something for ya in a day or two

 

Working my way through my current selection. First up, @Zac Djamoos recommended:

Carissa's Wierd - Songs About Leaving



This is an album by a band surrounded by everything I really love about music: members of bands I listen to frequently (Band Of Horses), early-2000s indie rock, produced by Chris Walla. So, it should be an album I listened to long long ago much nearer to when it was released. Naturally, I wasn’t disappointed once I started hearing the delicate layered vocals have their back-and-forth on “You Should Be Hated Here” and being met with a sound that reminded me of everything I adore about that era of music. I travelled around California when I was 19 pretty much on my own for 3 months, living in hotels or family friends places and just “being” in a place that was very distant from grey Britain. Near every day I would want to go to a local Tower Records in Newport when I first got there and spend hours just browsing. At that time a lot of the more indie CDs were harder to get imported to the UK, so it was my goldmine. I had arms full of American Analog Set, Pinback, Death Cab For Cutie, Ugly Casanova, The Jim Yoshii Pile-Up...you name it, a suitcase worth of CDs to travel back with. The point is, that very specific time in American indie holds such a dear place in my heart, it was a real companion for someone who was travelling on a very romanticised, televised idea of teenage-California and Songs About Leaving would have been right at home in that haul.

Lyrically, everything is such a beautiful snapshot that is so accurately devastating in its delivery, detailing small moments and the intricacies of a situation, moment or relationship where the smallest components are highlighted and end up being the most heartbreaking. It’s often the case in real life as we all know - a scent, a colour, an inanimate object - the minutiae is where a whole devastating memory of a moment can be brought back.

The real hit to the gut comes with “So You Wanna Be A Superhero” where feelings and thoughts, ones that we often find all-consuming and hard to control and that I’m sure a few to many of us have experienced, are crafted into such a frail song. Unfortunately, suicide and thoughts surrounding the notion are more often than not ones dealt with in solitary, all boxed up in your own skull for you to loop over and deteriorate with and Carissa’s Wierd put that experience perfectly into song here. If anything, it should be a reminder that those thoughts are not exclusive and should not be dealt in solitary, there’s respite in sharing. This song alone, is beautiful proof of that.

As the album finished, I really felt attached to it. It’s the perfect late night record to get lost in when alone, one that I would delve into lyrically whilst laying on the floor with the lyric book, headphones and a drink. Songs About Leaving is incredibly affecting lyrically and its tone is a reflective one of the lyrical content, so it’s not something I would necessarily keep on my phone as something to listen to for every day commutes, it’s too special a record for that and those are often the best. I’d forever return to it on those particular nights and be transported back to California as a teenager. A real companion for loneliness.

Recommended Tracks: "So You Wanna Be A Superhero", "September Come Take This Heart Away", "Farewell To All These Rotten Teeth"

 

@Wall Of Arms so glad you like it so much! One of my favs. I wasn’t sure if it would be too dour and depressing a listen, haha, so happy to hear it wasn’t. Nice Jim Yoshii namedrop in there too - one of my other fav underrated bands from that era

 

I loved it man, it was a really weird time travel back to such a big time in my life. It was so specific, really great to be taken back there. I'm even now sat Googling the old places I stayed and ate at in Newport and San Diego!

Man, I loved Picks Us Apart, it's the only album I had of theirs but bought it on one of those exact Tower Records trips.

 

This club has been the best part of my experience of music this past couple of months, I hope it continues strong!

 

Also, I'm on a bunch of meds right now so apologies for a less concise review/forthcoming reviews. But love this club too xo

 

Tis the season. Feel better!

 

I am so happy and appreciative to hear this man

 

@Fuck You Aurora @Nate_Johnson @Cody I'm diving into Electric Warrior right now and this shit is groovy. The '70s strike again.

 

Good man !

 

What compelled you to check it out ?

 

I reviewed Graham Central Station yesterday thanks to @Cody and really enjoyed it. @Nate_Johnson had just posted his review of T. Rex, so he suggested I check it out to keep with the '70s theme. Very glad he did!

My dad played trumpet in cover bands in the '70s and '80s and played all of this stuff that was current at the time. I think I kind of grew up with this music, but was too young to remember much of it. The sound on these '70s albums just feels familiar/comfortable/nostalgic in a way I didn't expect. Very cool. Going to have to call him later and talk some music.