If a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words, This Album Cover Must Be a Warning.

      #29 Orleans: Waking and Dreaming  (and vomiting)

Please, Do Not Damage the Audio Equipment.

They decided the front wasn't bad enough, so they added this

one.

The Album cover, the all important gateway to the music that lies within. Album covers can be a lot of things and many approaches have been taken. You can do simple, so the music speaks on its own. You can go big, for that epic concept album. Maybe a simple band photo, so the fans can connect with the people making the music. Or, you can do this, and land in the history books with one of the worst album cover ever made. According to the Salami Tsunami blog (formerly Pork Tornado), this is the 5th worst album cover ever made, right between Millie Jackson's 'ESP' and the Minister's Quartet's 'Let Me Touch Him.'  This list has been circulating the internet for quite a while now. I'm gonna take a guess and say I first saw it around late 2004 courtesy of my friend Charlie. Since the list was first blogged, it has made the rounds among my friends and coworkers. I always knew that some day, in my endless digging through used record stores, I would find one of them.  Well, that didn't happen, but thanks to my friend Nathan, there it was, placed directly in my hands. Orleans, Waking and Dreaming. He found this assault on the eyes, God only knows where, for a whole $1.00. Personally I think I would've talked them down to 25 cents, but I guess because of the album's infamy, it does command a slightly higher price. He decided that the Summer of Vinyl blog needed this. Well I try not to disappoint, so here it is. If there's one lesson we all learned in kindergarten, its that you don't judge a book by its cover. I would like to point out at this time that when I snapped a picture of the back of the album, my camera actually asked me if someone blinked in the picture. Thanks Nikon, that's awfully nice of you, maybe if I take the picture again their eyes will be open...or the album will just burst into flames. Nope, its still there, I guess I have to play it. Let's give it a spin!

Side one starts off just the way we all imagined. Its like the Bee Gee's threw up on Air Supply. This is awful, how many songs are on this record? Sweet merciful crap! Ten songs?! You have to be kidding me? Okay, song one seems to be ending now. Wait, what? The song isn't over yet? Oh okay, now we're doing it in double time. Is crap worse when its coming at you twice as fast? More importantly, does it matter? Well this isn't getting any better with song two. Song three? Either this record has skips on it, or my turntable is being proactive and trying to destroy itself. Screw it, time to move along, is there anything on this album I know?

Side two starts with..."Still the One!" This one I've heard!  However, that doesn't make it any better than side one. I can just picture the band still performing this song at state fairs. I'm gonna fill in the band bio and guess the only remaining original members are the lead singer, bass player, and some extra studio musician who is a distant cousin of the original keyboard player. The guitarist was killed in a fire when his polyester pants burst into flames while living under a bridge and trying to make soup on a can of Sterno. The drummer was murdered by his conservative father when he saw this album cover, and the rhythm guitarist decided that $6.25 an hour at Dairy Queen beats the hell out of playing this song twice a day for the rest of his life at the Airport Ramada.

Well I can't take this anymore so I'm turning it off. Every era of music has this kind of crap. There's those who will make claims like 'the 90's were awesome, everything was so good.' No, they're out there, this kind of stuff has been made in every generation, we have just chosen to block it out of our memories as a way of coping with the pain.  By no means should you attempt to resurrect the memories of this terrible music or that of any other generation, please, just let sleeping dogs lie.

Strongest Song: Regular John, because its not on this album and is in fact a song by Queens of the Stone Age
Weakest Song: 5, 7, 3, 8, 2, 9, 1, 10, 4, 6
Song You Know: Still The One, yes, you've heard it.
Why You Might Hate It: You have ears that function properly
Buy It? No, for the love of GOD, no. I would imagine the only place to find it is a yard sale, or a bin of cassettes at a car wash.

Home From Vacation, with a Tribute to the Beach.

Floppy Hat, Loud Shirt, Flip Flops, Sublime.

#28 Sublime: 40oz to Freedom

Vacation, all I ever wanted. Vacation, all I ever needed. No, this is not a post about the Go Go's, sorry to disappoint. This post is about beach music! I just spent a great week in Ocean City, Maryland, playing in the surf, fishing, crabbing, golfing and of course, skeeballin'! After returning from a week away from my stereo, I am in desperate need of some vinyl. Surfing through the collection (pun intended) I had to find something beachy because, I still have sand all over my shoes, clothes, luggage, the dog...EVERYWHERE. I would put on reggae, but 1. I don't own a reggae record and B. if I had to listen to a whole album of just reggae, I'd end up pulling my hair out and starting a small fire with it just to keep myself from dying of boredom. Sorry Mr. Marley, its true. One band that I did hear a decent amount of on the Boardwalk was Sublime. And why not? Its great beach music. Its reggae without the painful consequences! Today, I decided on Sublime's 1992 release 40 Oz. to Freedom. This album was HUGE at Senior Week. For those not familiar with this tradition, or not aware of the particular vernacular in Maryland, this is the week all the new graduates go down to Ocean City and make their best attempt to destroy their bodies and future. Since I don't drink I made my best attempt at this by living on Lucky Charms, Snapple and Slim Jim's for a week. Hell it beats reds, vitamin C and cocaine. Now, where were we? Oh yeah! 40 Oz....You couldn't throw an empty bottle of Snapple at Senior Week '98 without hitting someone that was playing this album. Sure it was six years after its release, but we're East Coast, and traveling at the speed of indy music, it took a while. Ever since that fantastic week I've made it a tradition that I will hear 40 Oz. to Freedom sometime on my trip to the beach. Well...not really, but I can make it a tradition now and just lie about it later. PLAY!

"Waiting for my Ruca" begins with a little bit of studio/dog noise. That would be Lou Dog, Brad Nowell loveable dalmatian that became the bands unofficial mascot. After that, you get BASS. Lots of booming low bass and a simple snare drum. Its so simple, yet it makes a complete song. Its a fantastic minimalist style to pull of a full sound with just two simple sounds. The lyrics are a fairly flat delivery which plays nicely with the drum beat. Eventually they get a little more urgent, but just for a second, the song pretty much remains in its subdued tone. Next up is "40oz to Freedom," a song that has a laid back delivery and is quite possibly the perfect party song. The rhythm is nicely relaxed and the vocals are just effortless. Brad Nowell was just born to play this music, his voice works seamlessly between a reggae croon and a punk scream. The chorus brings on a big crunch of distortion and a little hard core influence that quickly fades back to the reggae/ska feel. Another one of those contrast techniques that so many bands enjoy. "Smoke Two Joints" is a nice tribute to marijuana smoking. Now, I'm not a fan of songs that celebrate stoners sitting around contemplating metaphysics and one pound ultra burritos from 7-11, Fat, Drunk and High is no way to go through life. Once you're over the age of say, 22, this song should just be about the music and not really the lyrics. Musically, its really tight. This song is a great showcase for the power trio's ability to keep a tight rhythm, play as a unit, and never let anyone get lost in the mix. Not bad for an indy album. "We're Only Gonna Die For Our Arrogance"starts off with some great overdriven guitar soloing. After the verse you get a great faster beat and punk feel. With the next verse, the punk feel remains and the lo-fi sound really shines through. No, its not your turntable, this was just recorded in true punk rock style, ultra-low budget. Get used to that low budget feel, because as the album rolls on, you will hear more of it. "Don't Push" is another showcase for Brad Nowell's vocals. The words just roll out of his mouth like a skee ball up to the 100 point hole, just perfection. I have no idea what he's talking about, someone with a face with Bob Marley and a...what was that he just said? A motorbike? I guess the subject of this song doesn't shut the hell up. Maybe what this song is roughly about is having a good time. Yeah, we'll go with that. Pretty standard fare for Sublime, this was a good time kind of band. I can just hear it now, a room full of people saying 'we ain't hurtin' nobody man!' Zoinks. Anyway, my mind is really starting to lose focus on this music. Oh look at that! The side just ended so its time to flip.

Side two begins with "5446 That's my Number/Ball and Chain," a cover of a Toots and the Maytals song. Yeah I didn't know that either, I had to look it up. Its a good tune, with some great tremolo picking on the guitar and...whoa! What the hell was that?! There's some X rated stuff mixed in here so look out! Moving on, the song shifts to what I assume is the 'Ball and Chain' section which has another great beat. For a band that uses a reggae/punk beat for every single song, Sublime does cram a lot of substance into their music. Any other band does an album like this and its probably boring after two songs. Next up is the best song on the album, "Badfish." I LOVE this Sublime song. After hearing this song on WHFS back in the day I decided I had to have it. I didn't know the name of the song, but I just assumed it must be on the self titled album, right? Their biggest album? It must have their best song on it? Nope, I was still happy with the album, but dammit! Where's Badfish?! Fortunately when I got to college my roommate had a copy of 40 oz. and I was then in Badfish heaven. The song opens with a sublime sounding 12 string riff. See what I did there? Sublime? The overall groove of the song is very simple but maintains your interest thanks to a wandering bassline. The drums and guitar for the most part just stick to their roll. The bass provided by Eric Wilson just seems to take more of a lead roll in this one. Then you get to the break, and its guitar solo time. Using a wall of reverb and echo, the solo is a great compliment to the song and flows right back into the bridge/chorus. Great tune! Next up is "Let's Go Get Stoned." Its a song alright. Verse, chorus, verse, a bridge sounding thing. I think a sample of Eazy-E just floated by a second ago. Then, there's a break in the song, and things get far more interesting. You get a wall of wah pedaled guitar, organ and all kinds of random noise. Its a good outro that really belongs on a better song. "New Thrash" moves away from the slow groove and goes for the punk rock throat. It starts fast and only takes a short break for a little guitar soloing. It sounds like a live recording, real or faked, I'm not sure which. Probably faked, things just work too well. Next up is one for the Grateful Dead fans out there. The cover of "Scarlet Begonias" is a good tribute to the original. Sublime definitely altered their usual sound to create a more Dead like tone. The guitar is mellower, the vocals a little lighter and the overall feel somewhat looser. Listen carefully and you'll hear a little sampling of James Brown thrown in for good measure. "Live at E's" is a 80's hip-hop kind of song that allows the member's of the band to introduce themselves. Its not quite "well my name is Eric and I'm hear to say," but it does sound pretty cheesy. I guess that's the point though, kind of a tribute to old school rap. Its that time again, put the next record on for side three. Is it just me or are four sided records just exhausting?

Side three kicks off with "D.J's." a song with plenty of sampling and other random DJ effects, but it also features one hell of a hook. When the lyrics begin talking about lying awake all night, oh yes, its perfection. That alone is worth the price of admission. The song's groove is very reggae and its very apparent at the break in the latter half of the song. You get a little familiar groove that I know has to be some tribute to another song. Is that Bob Marley? It is Peter Tosh? Those are the only two reggae guys I know, so if its not them then maybe it could be the Caribbean guy from the movie 'Dr. No' as far as I'm concerned. Its definitely a something. Next comes a showcase for Brad Nowell's amp. For those not aware, he generally played a Roland Jazz Chorus. And wow, that chorus. "Chica Me Tipo" features it prominently as well as some great Spanish lyrics. Being a romance language Spanish just rolls off the tongue on its own, at a nice groove and its like butter dripping off a hot spoon.  I have no idea what that is supposed to mean, but it seems appropriate, so whatever. The song also has this great guitar riff lingering in the background that makes it feel like the soundtrack to a great crime caper. I can just picture a silent movie with a couple guys in black and white stripes and black masks climbing down a drain pipe while some fat guard sleeps his day away. The escape is on! Near the end of the song we lose the Spanish lyrics but it seems the escapees have reached their freedom as the song busts wide open for the final few bars. "Right Back" is another relaxed groove that seems like just another song on the album. Then the chorus comes along. Again, they throw in a great curve ball that takes the listener by surprise. This ain't just white boy reggae, there's more substance here. Another verse, yadda yadda yadda, get to the chorus again! There it is...yes! Big Finish! Next up on the album is "What Happened," and guess what, it starts with a reggae beat. Yes I know, you could've probably called that before it even started. Once the song gets going there's some standard up strummed chords, a sampling of 'Tequilla' and some kick ass guitar playing. Remember on their self titled album, in the song "What I Got," Bradley Nowell informs us that he can playing the guitar like a Mother F...well, you know. "New Song," is a new song for the band. Its also a slightly new style for the album. Wait for it...nope, back to the standard up strummed chords and reggae groove. Well, as Primus said, they can't all be zingers. Its not a bad song, its just not that interesting.

FLIP!

On the final side, "Ebin" gets things started out. The songs at this point start to get pretty rough. Remember, its an indy release so things aren't polished. This was recorded in either a crack house or a tin can. Or a tin can inside a crack house... yeah that's probably the case. The lyrics mention Vietnam and the CIA and all the stuff that pot heads love to sit around and pretend to understand with their limited mental capacity. It also has more kick ass guitar which I guess means, it has something for everyone.

Next up is a song that climbed its way out of indy purgatory and onto FM radio back in the day. "Date Rape," tells the story of what NOT to do on your next Friday night. Honestly you shouldn't need a cautionary tale to keep you from doing this, but hey, the world is full of idiots. The song starts out with a nice story of a guy, a girl, a few drinks, a bar in downtown hell, and an eventual plunge into some very bad times. However, there is kind of a happy ending, if there's such a thing in a story like this. After the whole story has finished unfolding Brad gives a nice little commentary about why date rape is really bad. The More You Know, The Less You Date Rape. I don't think NBC ever aired that one.

Well, we've arrived at the part of the album when most of you will probably just want to turn it off. The last few songs seem to be just kind of burning off a few recordings they had laying around. You have a good fast punk song (Hope), a couple nice acoustic in-studio appearances (KRS-One, Rivers of Babylon),  and finally a long extended thank you to everyone whose helped the band over the years (Thanx). The last few aren't too bad, the live acoustic stuff is worth a listen and does end the album on a very different note from the rest of it.

Well, there it do. A huge collection of reggae, ska, punk, and all kinds of random sampling. I must say, an album like this serves as a nice crowd pleaser. The punk kids like it, the grunge kids like it, hip hop, techno, dance kids like it, it just works. The album does fade into the background of a party nicely, and generally, that's how I've listened to it in the past. After this careful listening and analysis, I have to admit, there's plenty more to this album than I thought. I was expecting to be bored after about song six listening to this in a non-party setting. Songs like "DJ's," "5446", and many others will throw in that delightful hook that keeps you into the whole experience. Again, this is another band with a tragic end, and dammit, I'm getting tired of adding that to the end of these blogs. Okay from now on, I'm skipping those little additions. Brad Nowell lives in Southern California with his wife and kid and everyone can live happily ever after. That's what you can do when you write a blog that doesn't cite sources, woo woo!

Strongest Song: Badfish
Weakest Song: Let's Go Get Stoned
Song You Know: Date Rape, Badfish
Why You Might Hate It: You hate reggae, punk, marijuana, hippies, the beach and songs about all of the above.
Buy It? You probably downloaded this whole thing off Napster back in the day, if you still have the MP3's, you're all set.

The Heaviest Flute You Know.

I don't own a flute...so the Les Paul will stand in for it.

#27 Jehtro Tull: Aqualung

I just finished typing a very long introduction to this blog that included mentions of instruments I'm learning, intellectual stimulation, the jeopardy tournament of champions, opera's that I love, opera's that I don't love and why concept albums are the opera of rock and roll. Then I went back and read through it for editing. It was pretty boring, very random, and really, just plain bad. I can't start that way, no, not with an album like this. The concept album deserves better. The concept album doesn't include filler, it doesn't have throw away song, it doesn't have singles, it doesn't do any of that standard rock and roll album stuff. What it does is tell a story, or present a theme, or at the very least, give you something to think about. In an effort to cut out the filler, the long ridiculous story at the start of this blog has been removed, and in its place is a somewhat shorter ridiculous introduction that helps you get to the good part quicker. The only problem with all that is: its not a concept album. At least that's what Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull says about "Aqualung." Its just a collection of songs. So ultimately, this whole introduction has been an utter waste of time, just like the countless hours of 'concept album' discussion that have been thrown at this album. Well sorry Ian, but I still think its a concept album and you can't change my mind about that. PLAY!


The title track "Aqualung," starts off with a great guitar tone. Martin Barre certainly was in a tonal groove when they walked in the studio for this one. Right away, we're introduced to Aqualung, a pretty filthy creature who seems to be a homeless beggar.  Side one of this album will introduce a few characters to us, but beware, these aren't people you'll find at Bushwood Country Club. Musically the song starts off very rock and roll. To contrast that, because as we've learned: contrast = better music, the acoustic break slows things down considerably. The vocals are very distant and longing through this part, as if trying to distance itself from the unkempt subject. The piano joins in breifly with a very delicate classical sound before WHAM...on to a doubletime section of the song which eventually leads into a great breakdown. From the breakdown we get into the guitar solo played by Martin Barre with style and power. The tone used is very signature, using one of the greatest guitars ever made, the 1959 Gibson Les Paul. I have never seen one of these guitars in person, but recently, one sold at auction for nearly a half million dollars. And that's for one that belonged to Joe Shmoe. The 'keep-your-distance' acoustic section returns one last time before the final build up and crashing conclusion of the song. "Cross Eyed Mary," features the most recognizable rock instrument ever. Well, maybe not ever, but seriously try and name another rock band that featured this much flute. After the beginning build up the Les Paul is back, and its kicking ass. The guitar is at its rudest, nasally sound on this track and the riff is efficient. The lyrics features a new antihero to join Aqualung on his journey into the world of filth. Cross Eyed Mary is essentially a schoolyard prostitute who is eying her older clientele from the schoolyard. Wow, these are some despicable people here. The end features some tight flute vs guitar battling before the epic climb to the finish. "Cheap Day Return" starts out innocently enough but soon the acoustic uses a very dissonant sound. More of that locrian church mode I would say, just think of the British police siren. The Vocals are so crisp and clear it could convince any digital lover that the technology they used in 1971 to record could take down anything available today. Before you even digest that beautiful studio sound, the song is over. But what...what about the lyrics? Well its another undesirable character. This time she's disguised as a nurse, caring for Ian Anderson's father, and not being very attentive to the elder Anderson's needs. In only a few short lines, Ian seems to sum up his view of elder care in early 70's Scotland. Next up is "Mother Goose," another great acoustic track that has a campfire stomp feel to it. There's something very native in the rhythm of this track, I'd say the hand drumming is helping with that. Eventually the beat is joined with another distance voice. This time the voice is that powerful electric guitar. It doesn't fully unleash, but it does add a very primal and aggressive sound to the song. Lyrically, your guess is as good as mine, I really don't have a clue what's going on here. Wond'ring Aloud, which isn't misspelled, continues the acoustic feel. The vocals are quite subdued in the song, Ian Anderson uses just over a whisper which keeps the song in its very low key mood. Its about a couple, and singer is really wondering how well their love will hold up over the years. Or its about how irritating it is when someone spills toast crumbs in bed. Next up is a track that shows off how heavy a flute can sound. "Up To Me" is back to the rock sound but interestingly enough it doesn't rely on the electric guitar for its heavy sound. This song creates its rock tone using acoustic guitar and flute, quite an amazing feat if I do say so myself. And I just did say so myself. There's not much drumming in it, just some accents here and there. And the electric guitar! That Les Paul, that melt your soul guitar tone! Its there, in the background again, with a heavy wah and some thrashing fills, but its not on the forefront. Amazing, I've never listened to this song so closely but I gotta say there's so much crunch here its downright frustrating. I thought my Marshall/Les Paul combo was the pinnacle of heavy...now I'm being shown up by a flute and an acoustic guitar. Well played Jethro. FLIP!

Side two starts with...whoa! "My God" this record is scratched! "My God" starts out slowly, and quietly. In fact, the first little bit of this song was hard to hear over the scratches. Wait...there's that piano. Now we're getting somewhere. And that place we're getting to, is EVIL. The overall key of the song is very minor and creepy. After the quiet start, suddenly...there it is. No longer in the background, the Les Paul is plugged in, loud, and angry. Now the flute is here to add its two cents. Wow, everyone is pissed in this song. Then we a get a nice solo break.  Guitar first, then flute, what a sound! Here's antoher flute break...with some interesting vocal additions. Suddenly the flute is being supplemented with a church choir?  Interesting, not what you'd expect on a rock album.  Wait..is this a rock album? What is this album? Oh well...we'll have to solve that mystery later. For now, the rest of the band has joined back in, and the intro pattern has returned as well. The lyrics are very Old Testament on this one, I can just see the fire and brimstone being flung around left and right. This might be the soundtrack of the final judgement for all I know. "Hymn 43" is not something you're going to find in the average hymnal, but its probably more boss than anything you'd find in there anyway. Hey, I don't mix rock and church, its just a rule I have. Rock = Guitar : Organ = Church. Now that we're clear on that, lets get back to the song. This song has a lot crammed into its three minutes and fourteen seconds, so you'd better pay attention. Lots of guitar fills, flute fills, and some very desperate lyrics. How desperate? Well, asking for Jesus to save you in a song will make things sounds desperate, especially when you're Ian Anderson. Slipstream is a brief little interlude between two amazing rock songs. After "Hymn 43" puts the fear of God in your eyes, we then get "Locomotive Breath." First, the piano serenades us. But wait!  There's that guitar again, off in the distance, very low volume. A very 'lying-in-wait' sound of the piano cues that something is about to happen. The song is about to pounce. Wait for it...ok, crank the volume on the guitar. With a quick and fractured main rhythm this song punctuates a great hard rock sound. The electric is right in the front row and very in your face. The vocals are standard Ian Anderson delivery, not too pushed, not too subdued, right where they need to be. The flute again kicks in for some soloing overtop the guitar. Once again, it fits seamlessly into this rock tune. Ian must have spent quite some time developing this flute playing style. The song fades out and leads into the albums conclusion, "Wind Up." It begins with acoustic guitar and remains fairly simple for a bit. The vocals are laid back, as if reflecting on life, the universe, and everything. Many years later, I think someone else would ponder this same question. Some of you get that, some of you won't. The answer is '42' by the way. A few minutes into the song, the feel totally changes. We're back to the rock sound. A great guitar riff, doubled by the piano and bass, anchor the song while the vocals continue to paint a picture of the stories conclusion. So what's the story? I don't know...It seems to be about seedy characters, God's intervention in our daily lives, man's intervention in God's schedule and the thought of how these horrible characters from side one fit into this grand plan.

So...is it a concept album, or just collection of really good songs. It sure feels like a concept. The first half, labeled 'Aqulung,' introduces several characters, the second side, labeled "My God," introduces somewhat of a crisis of faith when applying modern religion to these characters. How can these two sides coexist? Homeless people, schoolyard prostitutes, evil nurses, amazing Les Paul tone and God's role in our lives...how does it all fit together?!  Sure sound like a concept album to me, but Ian Anderson says it isn't, so stop analyzing it and praise it for what it is: a great collection of classic rock tunes.  And lighten up a little, not everything in life is an existential crisis.

Strongest Song: Cross Eyed Mary
Weakest Song: I don't care what Ian Anderson says, its a concept album and every song is necessary.
Song You Know: Aqualung
Why You Might Hate It: The last time you contemplated the meaning of life and your own personal faith was during the movie "Weekend at Bernie's."
Buy It? Very good one for the vinyl format as good concept album's often are.

Its a Groovy Time for a Groove Metal Lunch

A lunch rich in all the required nutrients. Even metal.

#26 Pantera: Cowboys From Hell

Old Father Blogger
Went to the cupboard,
To get himself a sandwich
When he came there,
The cupboard was bare,
And so he did the only logical thing, and went to Panera Bread.

I can usually fake my way through lunch on a Saturday. Random leftovers, grilled cheese, old forgotten cans of soup that fell behind the boxes of mac and cheese.  OOO...mac and cheese! Ahh crap! We don't have milk. I know, I know, some of you will say 'just use water, it tastes the same.' That statement is more false than 1+1=3. Kraft Mac and Cheese made with water instead of milk is terrible and basically ruins an otherwise decent box of food.With options quite limited Beth and I have resorted to the final option. The Omega Plan of lunch around here is: Pantera Bread, no...wait, Panera Bread, that's it. It's right around the corner, its consistently delicious, and it always makes me think of Pantera. A list of differences between Panera and Pantera are numerous...so numerous that to make things easy I'll just make a list of similarities instead.

Similarities between Panera and Pantera:

1. Both started in 1981.

Well, that was easy, now for a few things about Pantera. This band is not for everyone. I can admit that because, when music is this aggressive and abrasive, it doesn't find favor with every listener. I myself have to be in a pretty rare mood to listen to Pantera. Usually its a Friday night 'get cranked for the weekend' kind of mood. It also can be when I'm really tired at work and in need of a boost. Their music is better than five hour energy...with no sugar crash! Though, try to avoid singing out loud while listening, your coworkers will not appreciate this.  Originally a glam metal act, by 1989, Pantera was looking for something new with their major label debut. What they created was something called "Groove Metal." It was fast, it was loud, and it was intense and on "Cowboy's From Hell," it finally spelled platinum success for the band. PLAY!

Side One starts out with a great combo of guitars and a fairly simple but fast riff. From there, the rest of the band explodes onto the scene and you get a heavy dose of the Pantera sound. The guitar sound is very tight and controlled but still extremely intense. Dimebag Darrell certainly has his chops down. He also has his tone down. When imitating Dime's sound on my own setup, I typically reach for my solid-state Peavey amp. Dime has stated that tube amps can be a headache because of their stability issues and solid state is reliable, effective, and easily manipulated. While tube tone is often unique and individualistic, solid state is more of a blank slate, to which you can add any effect or digital sound you want. You could see him using solid state now and then, and honestly, I'm not gonna argue with his results. Vocal wise, Phil Anselmo's voice is rarely an easy delivery, often a yell and sometimes falsetto death shouting. At least that's what I'm going to call it. Rex and Vinnie Paul, the rhythm section, keep this train on the tracks with amazing precision. Dimebag's guitar playing is so fast that without a grounding rhythm it would just sound like some toolbox trying to show off by playing a lot of notes. I'm usually the type guitarist who likes a minimal style. If you can get the sound you want with only two notes, then use two notes. Dimebag is the exception, he can do whatever he wants. If it can be done with 20 notes, but Dimebag says use 200, than dammit, use 200.
"Primal Concrete Sledge"features a grinding guitar riff and an intense rolling of the bass drums. I'm not quite sure what is going on here lyrically. My best guess is this song is about someone who's messed up in the head, and he's inviting you to see what its like. Or it could be about the effects of adding chemical admixtures to concrete in order to alter its strength and flexibility properties. I'm really not sure. "Psycho Holiday" uses a somewhat slower approach, but still just as heavy. The greatest part of the song is the descending riffs at the close of the intro and a few other times in the song. The drums tumble down the toms while the guitar is running down scales very fast. Its probably half speed for Dimebag, but for most players, its at max power. The chorus has a great feel that gives us a very anomalous rhythm. It feels like its slow, but the drums are still pounding away fast on the double bass. The way they achieve the slower feel is with the guitar. The sustained powerchords draw your attention away from the drums and distract you from the fact that the tempo of the song hasn't really changed. The guitar solo is...well...its Dimebag, not too much else to say about it. Coming out of the solo, Phil is pealing the paint off walls and driving dogs insane with a high scream coming from somewhere deep within. I'd have to say that this song really fits the name 'groove metal' to a T. As you can see, three songs in and we're already off to the races. FLIP!

Side Two starts with "Heresy." The song begins with a great harmonic riff on the guitar before going right into what Pantera does best. Fast double bass, precise riffing and finally, high/low vocal delivery. The vocals even start with that falseto death shouting! Woo! The basic structure of the verse is a very well structured powerchord riff that follows the pulsing of the bass drums perfectly. The chorus switches to a thrash drum beat for a few bars before going into very fast double bass rolling. The chorus is very reminiscent of 80's Slayer. The solo is slower with what sounds like a harmonizer on the guitar. Does Dimebag have a digitech whammy pedal? I'm thinking he does. Next up is the best thing that Pantera has ever done...ever. "Cemetery Gates," starts very quietly and is one of the few 'ballad' style songs Pantera has done. The song includes several guitar tracks, acoustic is prominent in the beginning, but then the electric comes in very strong with some cathedral like harmonic notes hovering above the mix. Soon, this descends into the heavy part of the song. First it uses a great pinch harmonic riff before going into the main heavy groove. It doesn't last long before the verse returns. This time the acoustic is gone and a clean electric takes its place. Back to the heavy part! At this point its worth noting a few of the lyrics. I don't usually pay much attention to lyrical meaning with Pantera, generally I'm here for the riffs. However, this song is the exception. Phil really has something to say. Its not very happy, but it seems to be like a suicide note. Someone close has died and now the 'narrator,' is that the right word? Whatever, the guy singing is considering joining them in the afterlife, sooner than later. The song ends on a high note, literally. The guitar and vocals both show off their range. Okay, making a guitar play really high notes is not hard, especially with a suspected digitech whammy bending the pitch even higher. However, vocally, its a little harder. Phil hits what has to be his absolute peak on falsetto vocal death screaming, and its impressive. It shouldn't be noted that Dream Theatre has covered 'Cemetary Gates' in their concerts and that is a national tragedy. I can only imagine how irritating they could make this awesome song. Straight up speed metal is the only way to describe the next track. "Domination" is just that, a dominating track that is just fast, start to almost finish. I remember a band played this song at the middle school talent show. I honestly can't remember how well they did, I don't think anyone payed attention to those metal guys, playing their metal music. Once again, this song uses that excellent metal technique of powerchords intimidating the beat of the double bass drums. The solo is...well again, here am I trying to type about a Dimebag guitar solo. It can't be done, so I'm just gonna say, its pretty boss. The song ends with an interesting grinding drum beat with rhythm guitar crunching away. The lead guitar over the top is just firing out notes at machine gun pace. Finally, after the slow grind has crunched along for about a minute, the song and side concludes. FLIP!

Side Three jumps right back into it with "Shattered." At this point I'd like to mention that on occasion my record player has a tendency to play all records at 45 rpm, even when the speed switch is set to 33. I'm not sure why this happens, but usually you know instantly when its going down. Power it down, wait a second, tap the switch and it should be ready to go again. This song came on, and I seriously thought my turntable was stuck on 45. The drumbeat was so fast, and the vocals were so high...no way this is 33 rpm. Wait, what the hell is going on? Nope, its not my turntable, its just that fast and Phil's vocals are just that high. After the initial assault of high notes Phil does come down a little bit later in the song, but not much. As far as guitar goes, the one extra feature is a wah/volume swell trick that Dimebag throws in right before the solo. Its an interesting sound and something I'm definitely gonna have to attempt. The song continues on its merry way before finally coming to a big grand conclusion of fast guitar, fast drums and shattered glass. Next up is "Clash with Reality," a song that really reminds me of some early Megadeth tunes. Interestingly enough, Dimebag was offered a chance to join Megadeth, but turned down Dave Mustaine when he was told his brother couldn't come along on drums. Wow, what would've that sounded like? This song continues to roll along and continues to sound more and more Megadeth. It might be the reason why I like the song so much. Stop/start drums, intense guitar riffs and a nice stressed out sounding solo all add to the Megadeth dynamic that is created here. "Medicine Man" follows the similar formula of the album. Double Bass, heavy riffs, Phil screams, and Rex does what Rex does. Rex plays bass. I'm not saying this song is bad, but this far into the album, if you're not in a metal mood, you're kind of wondering if maybe you're missing something on TV.  Hey look! Beverly Hills Cop is on!  Oh man, its the good scene too! Axel has just ordered a bunch of food for Taggart and Rosewood while they wait for him outside the fancy Beverly Hills Hotel. Wait for it...wait for it...banana in the tail pipe! BURN! I haven't seen this movie in like 10 years, at least and I gotta.... FOCUS...BLOG...NOW!  Sorry, but this is just a lot of metal in one place. FLIP!

The final side of the album starts with "Message in Blood." The song is about a message, that has been written in blood. Okay, now that we're clear on this, lets discuss the music. Riffs, double bass, screams, Rex. Is anyone else tired of hearing about this album? I really hate to give Pantera the "wrap it up" music like they do at the Grammy's when Milli Vanilli has used up their alloted time in thanking everyone that actually made their album, but this is 57 minutes of metal on a day when I really only wanted 34 at most. Two more songs, might as well finish.  The last two songs are "The Sleep" and "The Art of Shredding." The first offers some acoustic guitar for the second time on the album. Well, at least it did for about 20 seconds. Now we're back into Panteraing. See that? There's a word for it now. All these riffs are awesome and I really should learn a few of them at some point, but listening to them all at once, its pretty intense. Oh yeah, the last song on the album is pretty cool too.

Well there it is. One hour of fury on two LP's or one compact disc. I gotta say I wasn't sure if I wanted to listen to Pantera today, but I figured, hey, why not. Plus, Beth pointed out the fact that I love calling Panera Bread, Pantera Bread. That was all the reason I needed to play this album. I enjoyed the first half of this one. It sounds awesome, its so heavy, so riffed, so double bassed. My only issue with the album is I started to fade somewhere after halfway. Its just too much. I know there's an army of Pantera fans out who want to beat the crap out of me for saying that, but honestly I don't care. I like metal, but not JUST metal. There's other stuff out there. There's other metal out there. However, I can talk about repetitiveness and bludgeoning with guitar riffs until I'm blue in the face, it doesn't change the fact that, this is what Pantera does. This is groove metal. There's no sense in complaining about Pantera being Pantera. They're damn good at it. It'd be like complaining that Nirvana is too grunge, or AC/DC is too AC/DC, or Mumford and Sons sucks too much. There's no sense in making that point, because everyone knows that's the way it is. 

Strongest Song: Cemetery Gates
Weakest Song: None are all that 'weak,' just repetitive.
Song You Know: Cowboys From Hell
Why You Might Hate It: You hate Pantera. There's not too much grey area in liking Pantera
Buy It? Anyone who will like this album, probably already owns it on CD. For those who don't, you've made it this far into life without it, why rock the boat now? Okay, look up Cemetery Gates on YouTube, then go back to your regular Pantera-less life.

Epic Gold Medal Battle of the 60's Classic Albums: Part II

Part 2: #25 The Beatles: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

Where the Olympics really gets their gold medals.

Part one of this posting ended with a gripping cliffhanger. Do the Beach Boys own the title of greatest album ever? Or, do the Beatles get the credit, even though the Beach Boys influenced them? Will Sam and Diane patch up their rocky relationship? Was Newhart really just a dream? And most importantly, who shot J.R.? Okay, a couple of those might not have been mentioned in part 1, but that's not important right now. What IS important is: lists. Thanks to the VH1 network, I'm painfully aware of the fact that most Americans, including myself, LOVE television shows that count things down. For some reason its very satisfying to hear that a panel of arbitrary 'experts' agree with your claim that ZEPPELIN RULES! And who among us hasn't pondered where Supertramp's 1970 self titled debut would land on a list of best album's ever. For those actually wondering the answer is 154,748. My list may not be as long as one that Rolling Stone or VH1 might put together, but who cares. My own person title of 'greatest album ever' varies constantly. Its impossible for me to crown the Beatles and ignore Nirvana or any of the countless bands I like so much. However, this is the Olympic season, and someone has to win. I would also like to this that I'm giving a little more thought to the question when debating which album is better, instead of just presenting the list and saying 'that's the way it is.' Hopefully I'll be able to hand out the Gold in a unanimous decision, but its looking like it will be a close one.  PLAY!


Side one starts off, in a way, where 'Pet Sounds' left off. The wall of sound shows up immediately on the title track, with big orchestration, drums, and this time...overdriven guitar.  Its a bit of a welcome change from 'Pet Sounds.' Being a blues/rock guitarist, I live and die by the bite of my overdrive. The vocals are much higher and not quite as angelic, however they're here to announce that this is, in fact, a rock first album. The album seamlessly moves into the Next track "With a Little Help From my Friends." In part one of the blog you'll remember my frequent mention of bass lines grounding a song. Well, here it is again. Paul uses a bass line that follows the melody that is so prominent in this song.  Ringo takes the vocals and songwriting credit on this tune, and its certainly one of his top five Beatle moments. Next up we get the first visit of 60's psycadelic sound. "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds," is no real secret, though people will still try to amaze you with their trivia knowledge. 'Hey, did you know this song is about LSD?' Hey thanks, did you know the Soviet Union doesn't exist anymore? Well, instead of responding with that little zinger, you can respond with this instead: 'No, its not about LSD.' That's right folks, Lennon himself said its not, the whole LSD thing is just a coincidence. Musically the bass line is back again but the instrumentation is primarily about a sitarish sounding thing, probably a sitar. It also uses guitars that seem to rock power chords along the bassline during the choruses. Its a good rootsy almost bluesy feel to it, and this certainly is a strange place to find that kind of sound. "Getting Better," is a McCartney song that really demonstrates his efforts to step up his game. Using droning piano, heavy guitars and of course, that bass. The vocals are mainly Paul, but also features some fantastic chorus punctuation with harmonies. The sitarish sound comes out again in the bridge, but after a short visit it quickly gives way to the guitars. The album moves into "Fixing a Hole," and now the Brian Wilson influence is quite apparent. Using a Harsichord the song is quite reminiscent of the instrumentation of several "Pet Sounds" tracks. The guitar also gets a strong nod, it helps again to keep the rock label firmly applied to the overall sound. Next up, "She's Leaving Home," leaves the guitars behind and uses full on orchestration for its sound. The wall of sound gets a thrilling update with a harp added to the mix. Its an interesting choice for such a rock album, but it works fantastically. The lyrics are pretty straight forward, its a story about a girl running away from home as told by the parents. Its a very sad song, and the strings and harp just add to the desperate pleas of the parents to see their daughter again. Turns out, the song was inspired by a true story, just a brief newspaper article on a girl who left home never to be seen again. "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite," is a Lennon song, that shows us, McCartney wasn't the only one taking cues from Brian Wilson. Musically and Lyrically the song has a very circus feel. A stuttered drum beat which effectively uses the hi-hat, creates the novelty sound. Instrumentally, you literally get all the bells and whistles. The song also includes...wait for it...a glockenspiel! I'm proud to say I didn't even have to spell check it this time. Amazing, in two days I have typed the word glockenspiel two times...wait, three! Thanks wall of sound! It is starting to feel like McCartney and Wilson have been shopping at the same yard sale.


Side two begins with an obvious George Harrison contribution. This song is about as far from good ole' rock music as you can get. The song is primarily Indian instruments that I don't really know how to spell. I'm gonna guess; there's a sitar, tabla...umm...swarmala, isn't that a something? I don't know, if you're so concerned with the instruments used just go down to your neighborhood Indian musical supply store and I'm sure someone can help you. The song really doesn't do much for me. Its definitely wall of sound, just not a sound I'm particularly interested in hearing right now. Its not that its a bad song, its just a bad rock song. For all I know this could be the greatest piece of Indian music ever known. Oh well...less talk, more rock. "When I'm Sixty-Four," is a great track, that once again, isn't pure rock...but its still got a very infectious sound. The clarients in the song really anchor the overall sound. The clarinet is pretty under appreciated in rock music, but its a fantastic sound and in this case it works like a charm for developing the almost juvenile sound. Now, about that juvenile sound...notice Paul's voice. Sounds kinda high, doesn't it? No, he didn't breathe in helium prior to recording his vocals. The song was recorded in C Major, then sped up to produce the final version in Db major. The power of the studio. "Lovely Rita" gets back to the strong wall of sound using piano, lots of guitars, drums and another perfectly phrased bass line. You also get some vocal percussion sounds near the end, with a really big echo effect added on for...umm...effect.

The next track brings in the crazy sound effects like those heard at the end of "Caroline, No." "Good Morning" uses big horns, and some rapid fire lyrics to achieve its somewhat quick paced sound. Based on the lyrics and musical structure, the song has a feeling of waking up in the morning. You're late for work, you can't get your crap together and you really just want to get back in bed. Near the end of the song its just pure madness. The animals get more and more random until finally you've got elephants and monkeys running through your living room. If I were you, I'd just give up and go back to bed today. The next track is a reprise of the opening song. This time we're going double time on a fabulous drum beat by Ringo. The guitars still rock, but instead of the slow grind of the first listening, this time they are flying through their riffs. Its a quick revisit and a nice way of closing out the show of Mysterious Sgt Pepper and his Lonley Hearts Club Band. Well, because every good show ends with an encore, we now get one more song. "A Day in the Life," is a Lennon song that is quite possibly the best song on the album. The song starts off quietly enough with acoustic guitar and eventually piano. Eventually the song moves through several different phases. I'd like to think that this song would be a little touch of foreshadowing for what was to come on Abbey Road. Its several snippets of songs that are spliced together perfectly to form one coherent thought. Of particular musical note in the song is Ringo's drumming. It really shows off exactly what he's capable of as a player. The relaxed and jazzy style is an excellent performance for the song and is some of the best drumming in his Beatles career. Eat your heart out Pete Best. After the first couple verses we suddenly get to a huge building crescendo. After the strings build us up, they abruptly stop leaving just the solitary pulsing piano that was there the whole time. Now Paul takes the lyrics and details another early morning routine before descending into a beautiful dream sequence. The instrumentation of the song slowly trails off while the orchestra gets louder and louder. But wait! The verses aren't done. The standard instrumentation returns, and now the lyrics are counting holes in the Albert Hall. This probably means something, but I have no clue what its referring too. The building orchestra crescendo returns and this time it is building up to a HUGE...EPIC...TRIUMPHANT FINISH and the biggest sounding E major chord ever.

Here ends my version of the album. Now, some of you might have a version with a little backwards tracked piece of noise that seems to be counting up a scale. My record doesn't have that because it is the American pressing. From what I can gather, if you have the CD, early British LP or some other compilation versions, there is a few seconds of backwards studio chatter at the end of this song, placed in the 'run-out groove' of the LPs.

At the conclusion of the competition, its quite obvious to me who the winner is.  The winner is us...the listener, for we get to listen and cherish both of these wonderful albums. Yeah right, do you really think I'd end this double post like that? When have the fans ever gotten a gold medal at the Olympics? 'For amazing acheivement in potato chip consumption while watching a human being run 26.2 miles, that guy!'  FALSE.

Hey, who let Rush on the medals podium?!

The gold medal in the competition of Wilson (USA) vs McCartney (GBR) is... McCartney! Sorry U.S.A., but Sgt. Peppers is taking the win here. "Pet Sounds" is a great album and I have a lot of appreciation for what the album represents. However, appreciation doesn't really equal 'best ever.' I 'appreciate' the beauty of Jackson Pollock's art but that doesn't mean I want a print hanging in my living room, it just doesn't fit. Sgt. Peppers always fits, whatever the scenario, whatever your mood. In the brief time between the albums, McCartney seems to have decided that the only thing lacking on Wilson's album was that rock edge provided by loud guitars. He also had John Lennon on his side, not a bad combo of songwriters. Wilson didn't even use the Beach Boys to play the music on "Pet Sounds," the instruments are almost all studio pro's filling in. The final case for Sgt. Peppers is the fact that he who laughs last, wins the competition for best album ever. That quote might be miss stated, but it seems to fit here so I'm not gonna argue against my own writing. After Sgt. Peppers was released Wilson essentially 'gave up' with music for a long time. He abandon his next big project, he removed himself from the public eye and basically became even more loony than he already was. That's how good Sgt. Peppers was, Wilson took the musical equivalent of Bobby Fischer resigning in a chess match after the 6th move. I would be really curious to see if this competition had gone on for a couple more albums what else could've been accomplished. Wilson didn't have much output after "Pet Sounds" and even the Beatles wouldn't last much longer after Sgt. Peppers, but can you imagine even two more records in response to these two? Like getting to the center of a Tootsie pop, the world, may never know.

Strongest Song: A Day in the Life, even if it does feel like an encore.
Weakest Song: Within You, Without You
Song You Know: Most of the album
Why You Might Hate It: You're too punk rock for this mainstream crap.
Buy It? YES, worth every penny, also, I would highly advise listening to "Pet Sounds" and "Sgt. Peppers" consecutively. Its almost like hearing two LPs from a double album.

Epic Gold Medal Battle of the 60's Classic Albums: Part I

Special Two Album Review!

Part 1: #24 The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
Part 2: #25 The Beatles: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

U.S.A! U.S.A!

Unless you've been living somewhere in the mountains of Bhutan training to be a caped crime fighter, you're probably aware that the Olympics are taking place in London. How exciting! The best athletes the world has to offer, all coming together to show us who is capable of winning a gold medal. This year's summer games have delivered some exciting moments. Phelps is winning gold medals again, a gymnast nicknamed 'the flying squirrel' dazzled the gym mats, dozens of sob stories that end in triumph have been chronicled.  Hell, we even had a badminton scandal! The bottom line of the Olympics, is competition. Phelps and Lochte, even though they both represent the U.S.A. and seem friendly on dry land are still very much rivals in the pool. Well how about music? In the mid 60's there was a similar rivalry in music that turned out some of the greatest albums ever recorded.

I don't own Union Jack, so this will have to do.

 Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney, who very much respected the others craft, would each try to outdo each other with songwriting, production technique, and overall concept through the course of several albums. In December 1965, The Beatles released "Rubber Soul," an album that would mark a radical change in the Beatles style. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys took notice of the album almost immediately. The production quality, the song writing, and the concept that kind of made the whole thing 'hang together,' sort of like a nice old rug. Am I wrong? Wilson took what he heard and decided to top it. After about 6-7 months of recording, the new Beach Boys album was complete. "Pet Sounds," would change popular music forever. It essentially resets the musical calender. BPS, APS...before and after Pet Sounds. While it didn't make a huge dent in the market when first released, musicians everywhere took note of what was happening. Suddenly the instruction manual for making a great pop record was horribly outdated and in need of a revision. Shortly after "Pet Sounds," The Beatles released "Revolver," another masterpiece that even outdid "Rubber Soul." For Paul McCartney, though, "Revolver" wasn't good enough. He had to top "Pet Sounds." This meant the arms race was truly on. A little over a year later, The Beatles would release "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band." The little musical one-ups-man-ship of the last 3 years was over. How over was the competition? Wilson, working on his response to "Revolver," had been working on his next masterpiece to be known as "SMiLE." After hearing Sgt. Peppers, he essentially had a nervous breakdown, scrapped the "SMiLE" project, and slowly started slipping away from reality and control of his beloved band. However, since everyone loves declaring a champion in honest competition, which album gets the gold medal? Only one way to find out. PLAY...


First, we'll look at "Pet Sounds." The album begins with "Wouldn't It Be Nice," a song that I'm guessing you may have heard a few times. It kicks off with an interesting instrumental sound. The only question is, what the hell is it? Theories vary, and it seems that no one except Brian Wilson seem to know what it is. Twelve string guitar? Electric Mandolin? Your guess is as good as mine, and honestly, who cares, the proof is in the pudding. Once the song kicks in, you get a little taste of what 'Pet Sounds' is all about. The wall of sound, which has been mentioned numerous times on this blog, is a production technique pioneered by Phil Spector and perfected by Brian Wilson. Apparently the wall of sound has a tendency to drive people insane, but anyway... The technique is basically accomplished by having multiple instruments playing the same part, lots of guitars, lots of horns, lots of reverb. It creates the signature pop sound that is still being used today. As the song moves on we get to the bridge, and wow, listen to that strong bass line. Its so well done, it perfectly paces around the vocals and gives the song a great pulse. One song down, and they're just getting warmed up. Next is "You Still Believe in Me," a song that uses another large compliment of instruments. Its mainly a harpsichord, timpani and yet another strong bass line. There's also a bike bell in there, one of the many little Easter eggs hidden in the wall of sound. The vocals are really the key to this track. Its all about harmony, and you'll hear somewhere between three and 10,000 vocal tracks on the song. I don't know the exact number, but we'll just say 'many.' The OOOs and AAAs of the vocals at one point begin to merge with an organ in the background. At first, it seems as if it is just another vocal track, but oh no, that's an organ under there. Its just yet another signature of the wall of sound, pay attention or you might miss something! "That's Not Me," begins with immediate vocals and the same organ sound heard on the last track. This time though, its joined by a tambourine. More instruments soon join in, twelve string guitar, wood blocks, standard electric guitar. Lyrically, the song is Wilson looking at his own life and possibly everything people are demanding of him. The ship had already started showing signs of leaks and Wilson's mental state had become quite fragile. With everyone telling him how to fix it and how he should act, this song seems to reply by simply saying 'that's not me.' The track is also a popular music oddity in that it doesn't seem to have a clear cut verse and chorus, it simply builds and builds, but never really reaches the release point. Serenity NOW! Next up is a very sad sounding track, "Don't Talk, Put Your Head on my Shoulder." Its a beautifully done song with organ, strings, very simple ride cymbal pulsing and...the bass. That's some amazing analog bass, its very deep and going through my 60 pound Cerwin Vegas, its currently shaking the walls of the house. An MP3 just won't cut it in replicating this sound. "I'm Waiting for the Day,"kicks off with drums, then brings in that organ again. This uses another interesting dynamic that has been seen many times in the 'Summer of Vinyl' blog. The Loud/Quiet/Loud feel of this song kind of makes me wonder, is this the birth of grunge? Well probably not, but it definitely has that characteristic. I'd try to list all the instruments in this song, but honestly, I don't have the time, or words to make a list that long. It reminds me of Jethro Tull a little...well...not really, it just has a flute, the similarities end there. That's like saying a Maserati and a Pinto are similar just because they're both cars. "Lets Go Away for a While," is the first instrumental track on the album. It mainly uses vibraphone, strings, and a horn section. You also get some great echoey sound effects that add to the somewhat spacey feel of the whole song. To a lesser producer, this would merely be a piece of soundtrack filler. To Brian Wilson, it becomes a musical masterpiece. The seventh and final song of side one is "Sloop John B," a traditional tune, arranged here by Wilson. Once again, the bass line grounds the song musically. The song should be noted because it includes a glockenspiel. That's not really anything of interest, but to be honest, name another time in my life when I'll be able to use the word glockenspiel in an capacity. Go ahead...just try. The song has endless vocal tracks and features both Wilson and Mike Love alternating on vocals for the verses. One thing of interest on this song is the rhythm. It changes a few times and goes between half time, double time and some interesting Caribbean like shuffles. Well, seven songs in under 20 minutes and its time to flip.

Side two begins much like one, with a song that just about everyone in the English speaking world has heard many times. "God Only Knows," is just about the perfect pop song. It uses an accordian intro, which has to be a first of some kind for this style.  The great lyrics along with the great vocal delivery equals one very satisfying song. Again, it uses a somewhat strange song structure, it does have a chorus, but there isn't much variation in musical theme to really notify the listener, 'oh by the way, here's the chorus.' That's right Brian, make them think when they listen to your music. "I Know There's an Answer," seems to tag along with the lyrics of "That's Not Me." Wilson is once again responding to those around him who are telling him what's up. Again, Wilson doesn't want to hear it. He seems to think everyone should take a long hard look at themselves before they decide to judge others. Truer words were never spoken, however, based on Wilson's mental state, they may have been on to something. Musically, you know what its got, another classic "Pet Sounds" arrangement. "Here Today," is a lyrically cynical song about how love is always so close to being gone. Instead of enjoying a good thing, it takes the pessimistic route of 'it could all end tomorrow.' Well, thanks, that's uplifting. The song uses another strong bass line anchoring the harpsichord, organ, and other instruments. The one piece of the song that I think stands out is the saxophone, lingering in the background. There are two baritone saxophones on this track and they create an interesting boom which isn't the typical low end sound you get in most songs. Next up is "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times," another song that has that alienation feel to it. Its not that subtle on this song, just read that title...yup, someone doesn't feel at home. The instruments are fairly standard, until you get to the interesting Electro Theremin solo. I guess you can call it a solo, whatever it is, its pretty boss. Of course the theremin's most popular use was in the song "Good Vibrations," but here it has the slight variation of being controlled by an accompanied keyboard. That helps makes the randomness of the theremin a little more tamed and controllable. The next track is the other instrumental on the album and the title track. "Pet Sounds" is a psychedelic and spacey sounding tune that this time uses a highly effected electric guitar and coke bottle percussion. Yes, coke bottles. The guitar seems to have a vibro-chorusy sound to it. Its almost a liquid kind of sound, like bubbles rising through water. I think if I wanted to create the sound now, I'd put my Boss Phaser's rate knob all the way up and maybe add some echo. Perhaps I'll test this theory later and see if it works. The final track on the album "Caroline No," uses some interesting sounds. Utilizing random echoey drums and a harpsichord, the song is a satisfying conclusion to the album. Quiet and reserved, it never reaches the wall of sound used on the rest of the album. Then you really get to the randomness at the end. Dogs bark, a train flies by and you're left wondering...what was that all about?

Well...there it is. "Pet Sounds:" the first entry in our Gold Medal contest. Its clearly a great album, but its up against Sgt. Peppers...can it really take down the mighty Beatles? I'd have to say at this point "Pet Sounds" is the #2 seed, but everyone loves an underdog. You'll just have to wait to find out the epic conclusion of the match of the century.  Its the U.S.A  VS. Great Britian...Cliffhanger!

Strongest Song: God Only Knows
Weakest Song: Maybe the instrumentals, but even they're interesting in some way.
Song You Know: Wouldn't It Be Nice, God Only Knows
Why You Might Hate It: Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. I don't know what that means in this case, but there's a point there, I'm sure.
Buy It? If anything else, its nice to know the template of how to record pop music. On vinyl the bass lines sound a lot deeper and really shake the walls.