TECHNOTRONIC
PUMP UP THE JAM: THE ALBUM
1989 – SMI/EMI
Produced By THOMAS DE QUINCEY
1. Pump Up The Jam
2. Get Up! (Before The Night Is Over)
3. Tough
4. Take It Slow
5. Come On
6. This Beat Is Technotronic
7. Move This
8. Come Back
9. Rockin’ Over The Beat
10. Raw
11. Wave
12. Bluestring
If you ever stepped foot in a dance club in the early 90’s, then you’ve heard Technotronic. The electronic dance group was formed in Belgium, of all places, and is mainly the brainchild of Jo Bogaert. Make no mistake…this stuff is designed with one thing in mind and one thing only. You’re gonna dance to it, plain and simple. And at the turn of the 90’s this is probably a lot of what you were dancing to. Fast and steady techno dance beats pulsing underneath songs about dancing is what this is all about. There was controversy…the title track was originally credited to a model named Felly Killingi (who is also featured on the original album cover and in the video for the song), but it was actually done by Technotronic member Ya Kid K. In any case, the deception was corrected (this is the original album cover art), and the album went on to become a massive worldwide hit.
The title track is what got Technotronic started, and is the main hit. But the album also features the ridiculously catchy “Get Up! (Before The Night Is Over)”, the frantic “Tough” featuring rapper MC Eric, and the somewhat dated but still solid “This Beat Is Technotronic”. And the earworm that is “Move This”. After that, things start to get muddy. It’s hard to make an album of nothing but dance tracks without having things begin to blend together into one sound…and that’s exactly what this does. The individual tracks sound good, but taken in one sitting, Pump Up The Jam can be a tough listen as an entire album. The best thing that this has going for it is its nostalgic value, which doesn’t bode well for its artistic and creative merit. This album is well made, well played, but it doesn’t have enough solid songwriting or variety to hold up to repeated listens. A curious period piece, not much more.
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FUNKADELIC
ONE NATION UNDER A GROOVE
1978 – WARNER BROTHERS
Produced By GEORGE CLINTON
1. One Nation Under A Groove
2. Groovallegiance
3. Who Says A Funk Band Can’t Play Rock?
4. Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad (`The Doo Doo Chasers)
5. Into You
6. Cholly (Funk Getting Ready To Roll)
7. Lunchmeataphobia (Think, It Ain’t Illegal Yet!) (Live)
8. P.E. Squad/Doo Doo Chasers
9. Maggot Brain (Live)
Between Parliament, Funkadelic, and his solo work, George Clinton has been responsible for a good percentage of the great funk music on this planet. He can sometimes get carried away with his strange sense of humor and showmanship, but when the music he makes works…look out, world. Maybe the greatest victory on record for Clinton came on the 1978 Funkadelic release of One Nation Under A Groove. The real greatness of this album lies in the title track, Clinton’s biggest hit, and probably the closest any of his groups ever got to making truly the perfect piece of funk. Make no mistake about it…if you get this album and listen only to the seven and a half minutes of track one, you’ve already won. It’s an exciting and perfect piece of 70’s funk, with everything you could possibly want in a dance track. If this doesn’t move you, then it’s possible you aren’t alive to start with.
As for the rest of the album…this includes the remaining five tracks as well a 3 song bonus EP that was stuck inside for good measure (US release only), the results are not quite as strong, but still a great way to experience what the whole P-Funk things was all about. The lowest point is “Who Says A Funk Band Can’t Play Rock”, on which they almost prove that they cannot. The album includes Junie Morrison, a former singer for the Ohio Players, and the best work of guitarist Michael Hampton, who saves the day here more than once. There’s some great stuff, here, but none of it is as exceptional as the title track. Still, even with its shortcomings, the highs are enough to save the day. The live “Maggot Brain” is amazing, as is the steamroller “Cholly”. This is not perfect, but it does still stand as the most important work of the P-Funk legacy.
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ARCADE FIRE
NEON BIBLE
2007 – MERGE
Produced By MARKUS DRAVS & ARCADE FIRE
1. Black Mirror
2. Keep The Car Running
3. Neon Bible
4. Intervention
5. Black Wave/Bad Vibrations
6. Ocean Of Noise
7. The Well And The Lighthouse
8. (Antichrist Television Blues)
9. Windowsill
10. No Cars Go
11. My Body Is A Cage
Not many bands can say that they were able to release three bona fide classic albums in their first three tries…but Arcade Fire is one of them. Right in between their stunning debut album Funeral and the exceptional third release, Suburbs, lays the powerful and deep Neon Bible. After the promise and success of Funeral, the band had a lot to live up to for their second album, and a sophomore slump would have been somewhat expected. But they were able to build on what they had done on the debut and make an even better album. Neon Bible has everything there was to love about Funeral and more…this album was mature, deeper, and sonically far ahead of what had come before it. Arcade Fire proved that they were the real deal, and that they had a lot more to offer than just one good record. Neon Bible was a stunning progression, and put Arcade Fire on the map to stay.
The best tracks here will stay with you. “Black Mirror” and “Intervention” are amazing, but it’s “No Cars Go” and the great “Keep The Car Running” that are the real centerpieces of this album. These songs are loaded with traditional and non-traditional instrumentation, smart melodies, and layers of beautiful sound. Arcade Fire, during this three album run, had it all…energy, songwriting, and a creative force that few bands can match. Neon Bible isn’t typical guitar driven indie rock…it’s driven by keyboards and violins and mandolins and whatever suits their fancy. Everything here works, and the rewards for the listener are endless. Arcade Fire gets lost in the shuffle sometimes as one of the great bands of the last decade, but they are most deserving. These three albums, with Neon Bible in the middle, are a big part of the great music that continues to be made to this day.
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NINE DAYS
THE MADDING CROWD
2000 – SONY
Produced By NICK DIDIA
1. So Far Away
2. Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)
3. If I Am
4. End Up Alone
5. Sometimes
6. Bob Dylan
7. 257 Weeks
8. Bitter
9. Back To Me
10. Crazy
11. Revolve
12. Wanna Be
After releasing three independent albums in the 90’s, Nine Days was finally snagged up by Sony Music and released their major label debut, The Madding Crowd, in 2000. The album, and the band, are remembered for one thing: “Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)” and its inescapable hook about this being the story of a girl who cried a river and drowned the whole world. Pretty much a one hit wonder they are, although “If I Am” had a small bit of success as a single as well. But it all comes back to “Absolutely” with these guys. The song was everywhere in 2000, and as catchy as it was, made the band a bit more of an annoyance than anything else. Nothing else from The Madding Crowd really stuck, although it’s really not a bad album, and its big hit stands today as one of the weaker tracks. It’s out there for all to hear at a bargain price these days, which makes it worth a spin.
The Madding Crowd is not greatness by any stretch, but it is a decent power pop album. Tracks like “End Up Alone” and “Bob Dylan” have enough spark and energy to hold interest, and the ballads “Bitter” and “Crazy” are pretty stuff. Their career suffered a huge blow when their next album was shelved by their label, stopping any momentum they had built up with this record. Too bad…Nine Days could have made more of a mark than they did. As it stands, they will always be remembered for one song, a song that is not by any means the best on the album. They deserve a better legacy than that kinda dumb story of a girl, but they’re not going to get it. If you do happen to pick up The Madding Crowd, you won’t be blown away, but you will be pleased that it’s a better album than its one big hit would indicate. This is not a bad thing at all.
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MADVILLAIN
MADVILLAINY
2004 – STONES THROW
Produced By MADLIB & MF DOOM
1. The Illest Villains
2. Accordian
3. Meat Grinder
4. Bistro
5. Raid
6. America’s Most Blunted
7. Sickfit
8. Rainbows
9. Curls
10. Do Not Fire!
11. Money Folder
12. Shadows Of Tomorrow
13. Operation Lifesaver AKA Mint Test
14. Figaro
15. Hardcore Hustle
16. Strange Ways
17. Fancy Clown
18. Eye
19. Supervillain Theme
20. All Caps
21. Great Day Today
22. Rhinestone Cowboy
Madvillain is not your typical hip hop project by any means. A duo consisting of producer Madlib and rapper MF Doom, Madvillain is responsible for what may be the most unconventional hip hop album you’ll ever hear. Instead of track after track of long raps, Madvillainy is more like a circus of song snippets that actually works as a full album. More than half of the tracks are less than two minutes long, and only three are longer than three minutes. And those three songs utilize sound effects and samples more than rapping. Not to say that the MC work of MF Doom is not important here. He may not dominate the album the way rappers typically do, but when he does have something to say, he has your full attention. Madvillainy is set up to be non- commercially successful, scattered and strange…yet everything the pair do here somehow works.
And it all works well. The album is a strange journey, never in one place long enough to become stagnant, and its genius lies in its ability to slide from extreme to extreme. Doom’s lyrics are immediate and powerful with perfect flow. And Madlib puts together a strange and always interesting world of sound that is captivating and beautiful. The unfortunate thing is that there hasn’t been more music from Madvillain. They have been rumored to have been working on a second album since 2009, with nothing seemingly close to release. They did do a remix version of this album, but nothing new has seen the light of day since. Too bad…would be great to hear what this strange collaboration would do for an encore to this great album. Until the new album comes (and that's not a sure thing, given that MF Doom died in 2020), Madvillainy will have to do. Truth is, it will do just fine.
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THE JOHN BUTLER TRIO
LIVE AT RED ROCKS
2011 – JARRAH
Produced By JOHN BUTLER
1. Introduction
2. Used To Get High
3. I’d Do Anything
4. Betterman
5. Don’t Wanna See Your Face
6. Revolution
7. Hoe Down
8. Better Than
9. Johnny’s Gone
10. Take Me
11. Treat Yo Mama
12. Losing You (Feat. Mama Kin)
13. Intro To Ocean
14. Ocean
1. Ragged Mile
2. Zebra
3. Good Excuse
4. C’mon Now
5. Close To You
6. Peaches And Cream
7. One Way Road
8. Funky Tonight
The John Butler Trio hails from Australia, and has one weapon that separates it from the rest of the Dave Matthews clones that came out in the 90’s. The guitar playing of John Butler is nothing short of amazing. The rhythm section (2/3 of the trio) has changed several times over the years, but the constant Butler owns the stage with whoever else is in the band at the time. Live At Red Rocks was recorded at the popular natural amphitheater in Colorado in 2010, and is an exceptional example of the power of a Butler show. Unlike many live albums, this was not a series of performances from different shows spliced together…this was all recorded from one show. Butler, who plays mostly acoustic guitar with a myriad of effects, is always interesting, always on, and is one of the more energetic players you will ever hear.
The thing that has always kept Butler from having huge success is in the songwriting. His songs always feature great playing and usually a socially conscience message of some kind, but more often than not tend to be lacking in the melodic department. Butler does his best to make up for it, and the rhythm section of Bryon Luiters and Nicky Bomba are tight as a drum. There are times when you might lose interest here, but they will draw you right back in on the stronger tracks like “Used To Get High” and “Treat Yo Mama”. The real selling point of Live At Red Rocks is the twelve minute workout “Ocean”, which showcases everything that is great about Butler and ends with you wanting even more. As with anything by this band, the magic happens when Butler is at the helm creating great moment after great moment on guitar. This alone makes the 2 disc set worthwhile.
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MADDER ROSE
PANIC ON
1994 – ATLANTIC
Produced By MADDER ROSE & MARK FREEGARD
1. Sleep, Forever
2. Car Song
3. Panic On
4. What Holly Sees
5. Almost Lost My Mind
6. Drop A Bomb
7. Ultra Anxiety (Teenage Style)
8. Happy New Year
9. Day In, Day Out
10. Margaret
11. Foolish Ways
12. Black Eye Town
13. When You Smile
14. Mad Dog
15. Hidden
Maybe, if The Cranberries had actually rocked, they would have sounded a lot like this. Madder Rose was one of many female fronted alternative bands that sprouted in the early 90’s, and while they failed to gain the success of a lot of their contemporaries, they did release some really good music. Led by guitarist Billy Cote and singer Mary Lorson, the band was much better than their lack of success would indicate. Panic On is their second album, and was the most successful of their brief career. Lorson’s pretty voice, alongside of the band’s ability to switch from heavy to light in the blink of an eye, makes Madder Rose worth your time. Plus, Panic On has some really good songs on it. “Car Song”, “What Holly Sees”, and “Drop A Bomb” are all excellent, and tracks like “Sleep, Forever” and “Foolish Ways” are fine as well.
But the reviews were mixed, and the better songs never quite made it to radio. They were compared favorably to The Velvet Underground, and like the Velvets, they were mostly ignored by the public. They released two more albums, Tragic Magic in 1997 and Hello June Fool in 1999 before calling it quits very quietly as a mostly unknown band. Those records, along with their debut, are lesser bodies of work than Panic On, which should have made them big, but perhaps the field was just too crowded with bands that were similar to them. If you get the chance, Panic On is worth checking out, especially if you’re a fan of the alternative rock that was happening during the early nineties. Lorson’s voice is solid, and the band is smart and solid. The songwriting is strong, and it’s unfortunate that this album spent its lifetime so far under the radar.
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DAFT PUNK
DISCOVERY
2001 – VIRGIN
Produced By THOMAS BANGALTER & GUY-MANUEL DE HOMEM-CHRISTO
1. One More Time
2. Aerodynamic
3. Digital Love
4. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
5. Crescendolls
6. Nightvision
7. Superheroes
8. High Life
9. Something About Us
10. Voyager
11. Veridis Quo
12. Short Circuit
13. Face To Face
14. Too Long
There is a lot I can forgive in the name of making music. Autotune is not one of those things. This terribly named French electronic duo uses a lot of different elements in their music, including overprocessed vocals…I still can’t stomach it when it’s actually used as an effect. So, as much as I want to discard Discovery after the first track, “One More Time”, the second track, “Aerodynamic”, wins me over with some of the coolest sounding guitar ever on a dance album. The autotune keeps popping up all over the album, but there is enough else going on that’s interesting enough not to forgive it, but to finally almost overlook it. And when the vocals aren’t in the way, there’s actually a lot going on that’s worth the time. Pulsing disco beats along with cool keyboards and just enough guitar make Discovery an almost surprise hit for me.
Unfortunately, there are spots where Daft Punk (there’s no punk here at all) takes it a bit too far. “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” is buried in processed vocals, and sounds like Siri gone rogue. Other tracks become repetitious to the point of craziness…and then there are moments like “Short Circuit” that nicely recall 70’s era funk, and it becomes forgivable again. What Discovery ultimately is is a mixed bag of good and evil…of guilty pleasures and music that will drive you up the wall. It’s regarded by some as a great classic, and by others as a mess. So, I guess it depends on where your tastes lie. For me, I wish it were more consistent, less relient on vocal tricks (“Face To Face” has a straight vocal…and it’s terrific) and stronger on the disco side of things. There’s a terrific album buried in this somewhere…maybe someday I’ll be able to find it.
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STONE TEMPLE PILOTS
PURPLE
1994 – ATLANTIC
Produced By BRENDAN O’BRIEN
1. Meatplow
2. Vasoline
3. Lounge Fly
4. Interstate Love Song
5. Still Remains
6. Pretty Penny
7. Silvergun Superman
8. Big Empty
9. Unglued
10. Army Ants
11. Kitchenware & Candybars
The career of Stone Temple Pilots was forever marred by the tag “Pearl Jam wannabes”. The tag is completely unfair…STP was a terrific band, and actually sounded very little like Pearl Jam. Their sound was built around the strong voice and melodies of the now deceased Scott Weiland, who had a dark tone to him that gave the band a substance and depth that many others lack. Purple is their second album, and it’s an actual improvement over their debut, Core. Weiland is still the focal point and the main strength, although there is an actual guitar solo here on “Silvergun Superman”. The best tracks here highlight everything that is good about the band…the killer riff that opens “Interstate Love Song”, the gripping immediacy of “Vasoline”, and the ability to unplug and play nice on “Pretty Penny” all circle around their strongest piece…Weiland’s voice.
Not everything is as good as the best songs…some of the rest would qualify as simply forgettable, keeping Purple from greatness. At their best, the Pilots were tight, powerful, and immediate. Those moments where those things are present make Purple a worthwhile listen. The band hit a snag during the recording of their next album with Weiland’s growing drug addiction, and they never fully recovered from that…neither did Weiland, who died of an overdose in 2015. But the trio of Core, Purple, and Tiny Music showcase a band that was truly a single unit, a team, and the owners of a powerful and striking sound. The album was subtitled 12 Precious Melodies…there is a hidden twelfth track that is a strange lounge recording that features Weiland crooning about the precious melodies, the album cover, and the track list that is strangely humorous.
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EVERLAST
WHITEY FORD SINGS THE BLUES
1998 – TOMMY BOY
Produced By EVERLAST, DANTE ROSS & JOHN GAMBLE
1. The White Boy Is Back (Skit)
2. Money (Dollar Bill Feat. Sadat X)
3. Ends
4. What It’s Like
5. Get Down
6. Sen Dog (Skit)
7. Tired
8. Hot To Death
9. Painkillers
10. Prince Paul (Skit)
11. Praise The Lord
12. Today (Watch Me Shine Feat. Bronx Style Bob)
13. Guru (Skit)
14. Death Comes Callin’
15. Funky Beat (Feat. Casual & Sadat X)
16. The Letter
17. 7 Years
18. Next Man
Everlast is Erik Schrody, a white rapper discovered by Ice-T who was a member of the forgettable group House Of Pain. He also released an even more forgettable solo album in 1990 called Forever Everlasting that contains nothing worth listening to. At some point in the 90’s, he suffered a major heart attack, and then came back with a second solo album, Whitey Ford Sings The Blues, in 1998. Suddenly not just a rapper anymore, Everlast was, out of the blue, an acoustic guitar slinging white folk blues rapper and singer who had developed a sudden depth and who finally had something to say. The main track here is the guitar driven and important “What It’s Like”, which remains the highlight of his career. It’s ultimately cool, smart and undeniably catchy, and is without a doubt the best track ever recorded by Everlast.
But after “What It’s Like”, there isn’t too much here to recommend. “Ends” is a fine song, and “Painkillers” also works, but the rest of Whitey Ford, while not terrible, mostly fails to hold up. It’s not a bad listen, but there just isn’t a whole lot here that’s memorable. Which is too bad, because this is an album where the artist is stretching beyond his former boundaries and finding his true self. The sound is great, the idea is on point…but, outside of “What It’s Like” and “Ends”, the songs are just not there. Which has always been the shortcoming of Everlast’s career, even on his next (and somewhat better) album, Eat At Whitey’s, and beyond. But this album is a decent effort, not great, average at best with “What It’s Like” pushing it slightly over that mark. An artist with fine talent and great ideas who just has never had enough great material to produce a great album.
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