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Critiques from our Archives |
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Led Zeppelin
How The West Was Won/DVD
John Bonham
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Media Type: CD/DVD
RATING: 10
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Frankly, this review could be nine words long: There?s new live Zeppelin?go get it right now.
But let?s stretch out and get comfy.
In case you?ve been living under a rock, here are the basics: Atlantic Records has released two irresistible new collections capturing Led Zeppelin in concert. How The West Was Won, a three-CD set taken from two raging 1972 Los Angeles performances and sequenced like a single show, reminds us that this was once the most frightening band on the planet. The simply named two-disc DVD, featuring gigs from ?70, ?73, ?75, and ?79 and clocking in at over five hours, spotlights the band?s remarkable evolution over practically its entire career. If the only live Zeppelin you?ve heard is the somewhat flat soundtrack to the film The Song Remains The Same, you?re in for the time of your life. Even if you?re a bootleg collector, the force and clarity of these releases are a revelation. Plus it?s just plain inspiring to see new footage of John Bonham behind that amber Vistalite kit. |
Leroy
Leroy
Matt Sherrod, Vinnie Colaiuta (dr), Luis Conte (perc)
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 7
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Leroy's sound is a hip mixture of the past and the future. Vinnie Colaiuta makes a guest appearance on the last track, "Make It Hot," and that he does. It's nice to hear Vinnie rocking out in a contemporary setting. Drummer Matt Sherrod does an excellent job making the rest of the twelve songs funky rock-solid. Check it out. (Hollywood) |
Little Feat
Kickin' It At The Barn
Richie Hayward
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 8
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?The Barn? is Little Feat?s own homegrown studio, and its relaxed vibe reaps big benefits. Sounding ?live? and organic again, Feat?s signature feel is allowed to flourish. And RICHIE HAYWARD is its pillar. You?ll hear fewer trademark complex linear patterns, but the ?straighter? grooves still ooze that undeniably great feel. Check out Richie?s nasty half-time pocket on ?I Do What The Telephone Tells Me To Do.? This is a strong, sunny batch of tunes. Following these sessions, Hayward departed for a red-carpet tour with Dylan. But it?s clear from these tracks that home for Hayward is always with Feat. |
Live
V
Chad Gracey (dr)
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 7
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Chad Gracey?s uncluttered drive walks the fine line between a solid yet open and airy drum feel. ("Transmit Your Love" provides a sharp example of Gracey's quick mode-switch abilities.) Dropping into a mellow Beatles-esque vibe on "Call Me A Fool," Gracey trades the sticks for brushes, tickling the snare with delicate yet precise patterns. Just one song later, on "Flow," he?s bashing the crash on all fours on the chorus. Chad might not be the most inventive drummer out there today, but he always plays for the song, rather than just along with it. (Radioactive) |
Living Colour
Collideoscope
Will Calhoun
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 6
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On Living Colour?s first album in a decade, WILL CALHOUN plays?time? Yes, the man who brought over-the-top drumming to the pop charts in the late ?80s has stripped away his gigantic fills to focus on groove. It?s hard to argue with the punchy beat to "Flying" or the creative hi-hats on "Nightmare City," but old fans might wish for more of Calhoun?s signature outbursts. Otherwise, the band continues exploring current events?there?ve been plenty to write about?and has updated its sound with jungle rhythms. Corey Glover remains one of rock?s gutsiest singers, and Vernon Reid finds his inner Hendrix on "Holy Roller." |
Llama Farmers
El Toppo
Brooke Rogers (dr)
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 7
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A slow, 12/8 drum beat with displaced hi-hat accents, soon joined by swirling guitars, opens the Llama Farmers? latest and marks Brooke Rogers as a drummer with some imagination. While not loaded with gymnastics, much of the drumming here has a little something extra that shows thought behind the playing and takes the music to a more interesting place. (Beggars Banquet) |
Local H
Whatever Happened To P.J. Soles?
Brian St. Clair
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 6
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Chicago?s dynamic duo Local H, featuring Scott Lucas on vocals and guitar and powerhouse drummer BRIAN ST. CLAIR, are back with a new CD. St. Clair?s energetic punk-rock drumming is right on target once again, as he displays clarity and force. Brian?s playing is up front and in your face, and of course we drummers like that approach. Equally strong, however, is the songwriting, which betrays influences like Foo Fighters and The Offspring. Standout tracks include ?Everyone Alive,? ?California Songs,? ?P.J. Soles,? ?Heaven?s On The Way Down,? and ?Heavy Metal Bakesale.? |
Lola Ray
I Don't Know You
Alex Smolinski
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 6
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Lola Ray?s brand of punk-pop-rock is loaded with catchy harmonies built on a no-nonsense foundation. Drummer ALEX SMOLINSKI keeps things solid with a straightforward style that supports their songs from the ground up. The band?s rhythm guitars contrast and complement his playing, first with a great melody, and then by just plain rocking along. Check out the opening tune, ?Plague,? where Smolinsky smoothly transitions to a half-time feel, highlighting the chorus. He also sets up the sections effectively on the slower ?Charlit Movie Star.? A solid debut album with plenty of strong songwriting and playing. |
Long Beach Dub Allstars
Wonders Of The World
Bud Gaugh (dr)
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 7
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Long Beach Dub Allstars sound like the kings of garage-dubbers to my ears. Born from ?80s punk and ?90s ska-core, LBDA?s SoCal members stick to their roots by laying down pop-inflected reggae-punk. Bud Gaugh?s backbeat is absolutely killer, whether he?s punk-slamming or dub-drumming, and Marshall Goodman?s percussion and turntable-scratching is subtle and seamless. (Dreamworks) |
Los Lobos
The Ride
Ruben "Cougar" Estrada
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 8
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Celebrating their thirtieth anniversary with The Ride, East LA roots-mixers Los Lobos invite stellar guests on tunes old and new. The result is a deep-grooved joy. Contributions from Caf? Tacuba, Bobby Womack, Ruben Blades, Dave Alvin, and others are all heart, and ?Someday,? sung by Mavis Staple, is a killer. Relative newcomer drummer RUBEN ?COUGAR? ESTRADA lays it down. Cougar employs flashier chops with The Estrada Brother Latin Jazz Sextet, but in this seat he socks in the swampy elemental grooves with stone authority. And on tracks like ?Is This All There Is?? Cougar gets trickier with a nod to Clyde Stubblefield. It?s a sweet ride. |
Los Straitjackets
Damas Y Caballeros!
Jimmy Lester (dr)
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 7
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Hard-rocking, 21st-century surf with a sneer is Los Straitjackets? bag. The priceless stage banter (in rapid-fire Spanish, with an intentionally awful accent) and rip-roaring cover of the Titanic theme (no kidding) are just icing on the cake. The rest of the record is packed with twangy guitar hooks and meaty 2 & 4 beats. Jimmy Lester perfects the profile of the slammin? surf drummer dude, kicking the energy up a big ol? notch and hanging ten on tidal waves of snare-drum strokes and tom bombast. (Cavalcade/Yep Roc, www.yeproc.com) |
Louie Bellson
Matterhorn
Louie Bellson, Billy Cobham
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 8
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LOUIE BELLSON and BILLY COBHAM trading fours! What more could one ask for? How about Bellson and Cobham playing with jingle sticks and brushes, driving a band through great charts, and playing extended solos! Originally recorded in 1978, this reissue features The Louie Bellson Drum Explosion, Bellson?s big band, playing his four-movement drumset concerto for two drummers. While Cobham originally went un-credited due to contractual reasons, there?s no mistaking his powerhouse style, creating a nice match for Bellson?s impeccable chops and rhythmic invention. Hearing these two innovative jazz masters together is immense fun. |
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