God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

[therussian]

Funkadelic is better, but still, a quality review of a classic album.

[God]

I think this is better than 'Maggot Brain' at least, despite that solo. This is one of my top 5 albums ever.

[bomberboy]

I think the remastered version of the album solved muchof the problem. I think the muddyness/murkyness of the sound is more important. And yeah, I love Sly. Are you a fan at all?

No not a fan its the first time I ever listened to them.

[God]

A rehash of a review I wrote before this thread existed. Original: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...07#post2883307

Comus ~ First Utterance (1971)
acid folk/prog

When most people think of folk music, what comes to mind is usually calm, mellow and relaxing music like Nick Drake or Iron & Wine. In 1971 though, Comus created something completely unique and amazingly ahead of its time, mixing folk with progressive rock and psychedelia. Instead of being gentle and mellow, First Utterance is frantic, haunting and just plain evil sounding.

First Utterance is hard to compare to anything else really. There is some influence that can be heard in the unsettling atmosphere of Current 93's style of 'apocalyptic folk', but the only album that really sounds remotely similar is Spirogyra's St. Radigunds which was released in the same year, though that is not quite as experimental and is not nearly the same quality.

Comus use violins, acoustic guitars, flute, hand-drums, oboe and bass, the only electric instrument to appear, to create their unique sound which could probably be best described as sounding like a very demented sped-up version of Jethro Tull. The complex, energetic drumming gives the album a tribal feeling that along with the twisted folk melodies creates a perfect dark atmosphere. First Utterance sounds like the music that should be played at a bizarre pagan ritual in the middle of a dark forest, complete with human sacrifices.

Despite the grim atmosphere, the music is actually very upbeat and catchy which helps bring to life the images of pagan festivals, almost making it seem as if the listener is at one himself. All of the melodies, often played on violin or flute are completely memorable and brilliantly written. The songs are mostly lengthy and complicated, but the music still manages to be very accessible if you can get past the bizarreness of it because it is all very catchy.

The lyrics, partly inspired by John Milton's masque also named 'Comus', don't disappoint at all, fitting in perfectly with the theme. They are definitely not for the faint-hearted or easily offended though, describing such pleasant things as rape, murder, more rape, being imprisoned in a mental asylum, and hanging a Christian. Despite the dark subject matter, the lyrics are always well written and gripping. Opeth fans would recognise the lines 'As I carry you to your grave my arms your hearse' and 'And she knows by the sound of the baying, by the baying of the hounds' as that is where they got some of their album/song titles from.

The lead singer, Roger Wootton sings in a quite high pitched and unique style. The singing fits the music, sounding equally as demented and sinister, but the odd style could mean that it's an acquired taste for some. However, there are some very catchy vocal melodies that you could even sing along to – at least if you want to sound like a psychopath to anyone close by.

Several other singers sing back-up vocals, most noticeably Bobbie Watson, who's ethereal and ghostly singing contrasts perfectly with Wootton. She also sings lead vocals on one track, 'The Herald', which is different to the other tracks as it is slow and atmospheric, containing none of the violence that can be found in the rest of the album. However, thanks to Watson's haunting vocals and an unsettling slide bass, the song sounds tense and unnerving, fitting in with the album's dark mood perfectly. The only song that really sounds at all weaker than the rest is the short instrumental, 'Bitten', although even this is still quite good and is too short to be a real problem.

Overall, First Utterance is a brilliant album, though it may be too strange for many, which is why it never sold well on release and the second Comus album was a disastrous attempt at making commercialised folk-rock. For anyone interested in some very experimental and unique music though, First Utterance is a must have.

/ 5

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Diana


The Prisoner


The Bite

[bomberboy]

Thats bizarre. The Prisoner reminds me of classical music with guitars.

[God]

The Chameleons ~ Script of the Bridge (1983)
post-punk/dream pop

At what point does a band become so popular that it should no longer be described as 'underrated' or 'unappreciated'? The Chameleons are one band that stand exactly on that line. Despite being unknown in the mainstream, the band have gathered a large cult following and released a trio of albums that many of their fans consider all to be masterpieces and some of the best the 80's have to offer. The Chameleons' influence outweighs their popularity, especially with modern post-punk revival bands like Interpol, often accused of being a Joy Division clone actually owing just as much, if not more, of their sound to The Chameleons.

Script of the Bridge, arguably The Chameleons' best album, also shares many similarities with Joy Division. However, the band never merely mimic Joy Division's sound, but instead add enough of their own style to keep their music sounding original and unique. Like Joy Division, The Chameleons use quite simple yet catchy riffs and hypnotic drumming to create a gripping dark atmosphere, though the bass isn't as prominent here. The Chameleons add to this style though by bringing in mellow dream pop influences and calming melodies, giving the album a lighter mood.

That's not to say that Script of the Bridge is a happy sounding album though. These melodies are calm yet melancholic, often played in a distinctive and influential dual guitar style. Synthesisers are also added occasionally in the background. Don't expect any Keith Emerson style solos though, the keyboards are only here to add another layer to the sound when necessary. Likewise, don't go into this expecting any incredible technical guitar work. The music is simple and minimalistic, but this really helps the hypnotic atmosphere. Saying that, a guitar solo here and there probably would have sounded great in this.

The whole album is covered with a huge amount of reverb and echo effects which work perfectly with the sad dreamy melodies, giving it a deep, rich nostalgic atmosphere that is very easy to get lost in. While this production works well for the album, it could be criticised for sounding slightly too dated. This isn't too noticeable though, and only really effects the more upbeat songs, especially the opener, 'Don't Fall'. Despite sounding great by itself, 'Don't Fall', and also 'Up The Down Elevator'', sound perhaps slightly too upbeat for the rest of the album. This also isn't a huge problem though. While sounding slightly less dreamlike and focused more on the 'punk' aspect of the music, these songs do add some variety to the album and don't move too far from the album's atmosphere.

Bassist Mark Burgess provides the vocals. While not the most technically impressive singer ever, his voice fits the mood of the music fine, singing in a clear, gloomy and haunting style that is never at all too harsh for the calm music, though is easily strong enough for the more energetic punk songs. The singing is sometimes slightly buried by the reverb, but this is not a problem at all as his voice blends in with the music and helps the atmosphere. His lyrics are also very good, with often quite cryptic, introspective songs that fit the album's mood perfectly, staying quite gloomy even during the rare upbeat moments of the music.

Overall, Script of the Bridge is a fantastic album which manages to stay accessible yet have a deep atmosphere that is easy to get lost in, and manages to be gloomy but not overbearingly depressing. Occasionally it can sound slightly dated, but it has aged much better than most albums of the decade. Plus the cover art is fantastic. A must have for any fan of post-punk, and especially for Joy Division fans.

1/2 / 5

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

View From a Hill


Second Skin


Don't Fall

[bomberboy]

The band sounds nothing like Joy Division.

[God]

I think there's a definite influence. Both great bands though. (Along with Wire my top 3 post-punk bands)

[bomberboy]

So what are you doing next.

[God]

The second Chameleons album! This review was harder to write than I thought it would be. Not one of my best. Next up will be Kingston Wall II. I don't think I'll bother doing the 3rd Chameleons album, at least not yet. Musically it's more like the 1st and just as good.

The Chameleons ~ What Does Anything Mean? Basically (1985)
post-punk/dream pop

The strangely titled What Does Anything Mean? Basically is the second Chameleons album, released in 1985. What Does Anything Mean? Basically shows The Chameleons moving away from the mellow Joy Division influenced sound of their debut, Script of the Bridge, becoming heavier and much more synth orientated.

The success of Script of Bridge was mainly due to the calm yet melancholy dreamy melodies and strong use of reverb and studio effects to add to the atmosphere and mood. On What Does Anything Mean? Basically The Chameleons make even more use of these effects. Reverb and echo cover the entire album, but unlike on the debut where this was used to make the album sound fluid and dreamy, helped by the laid back and distant riffs and melodies, the effects are used to create a totally different sound here.

The music is still quite dreamy to an extent, but because the dual guitar melodies that the band are perhaps most known for are pushed to the front of the mix and the sound is more bass and synth heavy, with the synthesisers used to create most of the atmosphere. Instead of sounding mellow and relaxed like the debut it instead sounds almost claustrophobic, much denser and more bold but less aggressive. Unfortunately, in doing this the album loses what made the debut so successful, losing much of the gripping atmosphere, instead sounding overbearing and, at the very worst, difficult to listen to for too long if unaccustomed to it. What Does Anything Mean? Basically sounds far too overproduced, and while the songwriting is often just as good as before, the best melodies are often hidden under layers of effects so the album can take repeat listens to fully appreciate.

Despite all this, the new approach works quite well at times. While not quite as subtle as that of the debut as slightly more dated sounding, there is still a strong atmosphere here due to the synthesisers. The synths are never used to play complex melodies themselves but are used exclusively to add to the atmosphere.

The production works especially well for the more obviously catchy sounding punk sounding songs such as ‘In Shreds’, but even this sounds overproduced after listening to the much more restrained but sill aggressive enough demo version from the remastered version of Script of the Bridge’s bonus tracks. The problem here, and for all of the tracks on the album is that it sounds far too clean, with all the rough edges taken off. Many of the songs are so good though, this problem can be ignored. The riffs are all as good as ever, and there are plenty of genuinely beautiful melodies scattered throughout.

Bassist Mark Burgess sings on the album in the same haunting style as on the debut though the style is altered slightly to fit in with the ‘poppier’ music. While he is hardly the most skilled vocalist ever, his voice fits the music perfectly. Lyrically, the themes here are the same as on the other Chameleons albums. The songs are usually poetic and introspective, often focusing on themes of childhood, but political topics are also covered, including some vicious criticism of Margaret Thatcher.

While What Does Anything Mean? Basically is the weakest of the original three Chameleons albums, it is still an excellent album full of great riffs, melodies and lyrics, and avoids sounding cheesy even if it is slightly dated at times. It also shows The Chameleons moving away from their influences, especially Joy Division, into a sound of their own.

1/2 / 5

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Perfume Garden


Nostalgia

[bomberboy]

God, you put a Comus song with the Chameleons songs.

[God]

So I did, thanks for pointing that out. Fixed. What do you think of The Chameleons then anyway?

[bomberboy]

I think they're alright I haven't totally listened to them a lot though. I really like View from a Hill.

[bomberboy]

I just found out they were from the same area as me and Joy Division are from. They're from Middleton I'm from Manchester.

[God]

I think they're alright I haven't totally listened to them a lot though. I really like View from a Hill.

Yeah, that's my favourite.

[cracks2]

Great thread. Great work, cheers.

EDIT:
Some funky stuff man, Ill make the time to go though them and drop a few lines.

I'm loving, The Chameleons. View From a Hill.... I normally listen to Stone rose's, Joy div, Hppy Monday's and inspiral carpets and that sort thing so this goes down a treat!

[God]

Thanks for reading. I really need to check out The Stone Roses.

[Garrigan]

Loving Dont Fall, God.

[bomberboy]

Thanks for reading. I really need to check out The Stone Roses.

In my opinion the happy mondays are better.

[God]

I might check them out too then later. No idea what review's coming after this one.

Kingston Wall ~ Kingston Wall II (1985)
progressive rock/neo-psychedelia

Releasing all 3 of their albums on their own label and only playing outside of Finland once (in Estonia), Kingston Wall never gained that much popularity during their lifespan, but have since gained quite a large cult following due to the high quality of their music and unique sound. Kingston Wall II, released in 1993, is thought by many to be the band's best work.

Kingston Wall mix their psychedelic and prog rock influences, most noticeably Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, into their own more modern style. Despite the obvious influences though, Kingston Wall II still sounds totally unique. This is because of the modernised sound and, as the cover implies, the inclusion of Eastern musical styles. Guitarist, singer and composer Petri Walli was fascinated with Eastern cultures, spending a lot of time in India, and it shows. His fantastic Hendrix inspired guitar playing is accentuated with the inclusion of Eastern scales and the lyrics often deal with Eastern themes.

The opening track, 'We Cannot Move', an energetic heavy psychedelic track which demonstrates much of the Eastern influences, is easily one of the album's best. While at this point it would appear that the album would all be in this style it suddenly changes by the second track which introduces new acoustic folk influences to the band's style that hadn't been heard previously, including a violin. The entire album is full of surprises like this, with all of the songs sounding completely different to each other, mixing genres and influences. 'Shine On Me' is another highlight, a mellow song emphasising the band's Pink Floyd's influences, complete with a saxophone. There is even a cover of Donna Summer's disco song 'I Feel Love'.

Despite the huge variety, the album never lacks consistency. Many of the songs flow into each other, and it can even be hard to tell when one ends and another begins at times. Petri Walli's guitar playing is one of the best things about the album and is focused on a lot throughout. As mentioned before, he is clearly very much influenced by Jimi Hendrix, even to the point of some claiming that Walli is just mimicking him, but Walli manages to play in this style well with plenty of memorable riffs and excellent solos that bring the different musical styles together, and the acoustic guitar sections are also very impressive. His singing does not quite reach the same quality, sometimes sounding a bit too weak for the music and occasionally with slight Finnish accent but this isn't too noticeable, partly because much of the music is instrumental.

The other musicians are also hugely talented, especially the drummer, Sami Kuoppamaki, who has gone on to perform session drumming, most noticeable for metal bands such as Stratovarius and Apocalyptica. Kuoppamaki manages to play in whatever style he needs to easily, even playing bongos on a few tracks such as 'You', and the often quite complex drumming always sounds impressive. Bassist Jukka Jylli is also great, contributing with some fantastic and also often quite complex bass-lines, especially noticeable on the mellower songs such as 'Shine On Me' and the amazing instrumental 'And It's All Happening'.

Overall, Kingston Wall II is an excellent album featuring some incredible musicianship and many different styles melded together to create something original and unique. Highly recommended to any fans of classic 60's psychedelia or progressive rock.

/ 5

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

We Cannot Move


Shine On Me