Archive for the 'CD Reviews' Category

CD Review: Clutch – From Beale Street to Oblivion

Chet May 31st, 2007

Let me first thank the sponser of guitHelp’s 2nd CD Review for providing the CD. You see, without guitHelp’s #1 reader (my fiancee), I’d probably be reviewing Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger or anything else on its way down to the program director at your local Golden Oldies station. In short, thanks Liz!

Onward.
Clutch

If you like Clutch you may already have this one but if you’ve never heard of them, surf on over to pro-rock.com because you, my friend, are in for a treat. You can also listen to them at Clutch Radio.

After I first scanned the tracklisting and gave it a preliminary listen I wasn’t keen on the fact that they re-recorded and released One Eyed Dollar. Sure the Hammond Organ assimiliates nicely but it doesn’t sound much different than the original version. I can tell you though that by my third consecutive listen of the album (on long solitary road trip(even longer story)) I caught myself playing air guitar to the song’s concert ending. Clutch will make you like their songs even against your own will. Upon reading an explanation of why they re-recorded the song it all makes perfect sense. Now when I hear it, I’m thinking, “Good idea!”

From Beale Street to Oblivion, like the rest of the Clutch catalog, is exciting, inventive, and unique. It follows a path the band has forged since releasing Blast Tyrant and Robot Hive/Exodus. It’s still the classic, riff-oriented Clutch you’ve come to know and love, but their riffs are getting smarter, loopier, and bluesier by the minute.

What I like about Beale Street is the texture and balance they create. The syncopated cyclical verses contrast nicely with driving straight-eighth choruses. It takes you down a winding country road to the driver’s seat in a 110 mph Mac Truck on the highway (downhill, no brakes) . Highlights for me are Child of the City, Rapture of Riddley Walker, When Vegans Attack, and Mr. Shiny Caddylackness. Pick up this album and you’ll hear a rock band in its prime and find yourself checking the rear-view mirror for angry vegan bicyclists before you know it.

guitHelp score: YES.

CD Review: Tom Petty – Highway Companion + CD Review disclaimer

Chet April 24th, 2007

This is my inaugural CD Review on guitHelp. A few points before I start:

  • The reviews will be highly biased and subjective.
  • They will not be timely in any manner.
  • A three point rating scale will be used and shall range from highest (YES) to the lowest(NO) with MAYBE in between.
  • I’m aware that “music is art and you cannot truly judge art because its a matter of taste” however using this argument to defend a favorite album will result in a rating of DEFINITELY NOT which is worse than NO by a magnitude of ten million.
  • As with most reviews of any variety, please remember
    Levar Burton: “Don’t take my word for it!”

So on to the subject of review Tom Petty’s “Highway Companion”. I received several albums for Christmas last year and this by far is still my favorite of that bunch. Basically the whole album is a metaphor for growing older with Petty travelling down a lonely highway considering mistakes he’s made and commenting on the people and friends he knows. Some of my of my favorite tracks are Saving Grace, Flirting with Time, and Night Driver.

On top of the lyrical content being great, smart instrumentation and mixing really help to capture the mood of each song. Sparse acoustic guitars and the occasional “ding” of a triangle nicely punctuate the contemplative Square One. The triple meter used in Goodbye Golden Rose gives me the feeling of being adrift at sea. The only song I didn’t particularly like was Jack. Maybe it was the repetitive chorus. Maybe it was the repetitive chorus. Barring that song everything else was great. Well written, played, recorded, mixed, and even packaged.

guitHelp score: YES.