album reviews
Reviews of albums old and new from iconic artists and up and coming musicians alike.
AC/DC's PWR/UP Album Review
Powering Up Again AC/DC is a band that will soon embody the Ship of Theseus (or grandfather’s axe, if you prefer). I have my own theories on what the future of the band might hold as time is clearly winding down for them. Of course, I'm not positing that the end is near to try and be cynical, but Brian Johnson is the oldest person in the world doing what he does, unless you qualify Yoko Ono as a heavy metal rock star. Unless you believe Johnson, who has nearly been forced into retirement, at least once by medical issues, is immortal than modern medicine all but guarantees that the countdown is on. With that said it’s easy to swap realism for ageism, and simply write them off - I don't think that’s necessarily fair to do but it isn’t something that can be neglected as we get ready to delve into this album, afterall it was Kenny Rogers who said:
By Sabrina Johnson6 years ago in Beat
GAGA DISCOGRAPHY REVIEW
Can we please just talk about Lady Gaga for a moment, and then her music video for 911? Amanda Kauffman, a woman with whom I attended beauty school, told me about Gaga in 2009. "She's weird, but I like her." I bought The Fame that same day. It played in my Mercury Cougar, with a 6 slot CD magazine in the trunk, for at least three straight years. At one point in time, at least 3 of those slots were designated to Gaga like parking spots.
By Jilly McWhorter6 years ago in Beat
In Defence of "Self Portrait"
“What is this shit?” Greil Marcus would later take back his comments on Bob Dylan’s album “Self Portrait” in the future, acknowledging its important in the realm of Bob Dylan’s narrative because we all know, it is not a linear narrative at all. Bob Dylan has never been known to do the same thing over and over again. For example: when we look at the gospel era, it is followed by albums such as “Infidels” and “Empire Burlesque” which are nothing like the gospel era albums at all. After the acoustic folk albums, we get electric folk rock, again a progression but not in any way the same thing. After “Love And Theft” we seem to get some jazz covers for some time before Dylan returns to folk in “Tempest” over ten years’ later. So, we can understand why Bob Dylan would make “Self Portrait” if we are already familiar with the Bob Dylan discography. But, if the way in which you are introduced to Bob Dylan is through “Self Portrait” then where actually are you and how did you get there? No, seriously.
By Annie Kapur6 years ago in Beat
Novelist - 'Quantum Leap': Cavernous space grime from South London's answer to Scott Bakula
Much like its cinematic namesake, Quantum Leap transports you into another dimension. Its whirring synth melodies and leadenly drum patterns plunge listeners into a vast interstellar expanse in which the only reliable form of spatial navigation is a juicy sub bassline peaking through a complex percussive soundscape. All but devoid of vocal interjection and named after a cult 80s sci-fi time travel series shaped around the concept of leaping between historical moments in order to right wrongs, this EP represents a definite stylistic shift for the Brockley MC and producer.
By Fred Garratt-Stanley6 years ago in Beat
A Man on the Street: The "Time Out of Mind" Experience
Whilst I was on my postgraduate degree, as you know, I did not have many friends. That was not due to bullying or malice on someone else’s part towards me but instead it was because I chose to. I chose not to befriend these people because I found them snobby, especially the way they talked about literature and how it ‘was not intelligent’ to read popular novels etc. They were very arrogant about the community of people who like to read things like beach reads, YA and mainstream Sci-Fi and would make jokes about it. They would make jokes about people who were less well-off than them and honestly, it made me feel uncomfortable and sick even though may parents had to pay to send me to school. I still cannot fathom how people can be so nasty. When I was studying poetry, I would like to choose a random Bob Dylan album to inspire me in order to get my mind off other people. The album I chose here was “Time Out of Mind”.
By Annie Kapur6 years ago in Beat
Review: Disturbed - Asylum (2010)
Artist: Disturbed Album: Asylum Genre: Heavy Metal Released: August 2010 Album length: 52:54/13 tracks Background Disturbed was formed in Chicago in 1994. Three of the founding members were in another band at the time, and auditioned for a vocalist. This is where they found David Draiman, and they became Disturbed after a name change. Disturbed deal with heavy topics in their music, with everything from war to miscarriage. Asylum is their fifth studio album.
By Victoria (@fodmapfeasts)6 years ago in Beat
My very 1st (album) review
I would like to start this venture into personally uncharted territory by expressing extreme gratitude and give a major hat tip to one of my favorite cousins, who is a friendly rival of sorts and unquestionably a dear brother. Without his recommendation and whatnot, I feasibly may have left this path to be pondered only in hindsight.
By Nefarious Darrius6 years ago in Beat
Taylor Swift "Speak Now" Review
It has been quite some time since Taylor Swift stepped into the music scene as a country singer at 16 years old. She had set a precedent for starry-eyed female country singers struggling to overthrow the beer and pickup truck fad set by their male counterparts. Swift established herself as a force to be reckoned with through the release of her self-titled debut album. Swift has long since moved on from dreaming of a Romeo and Juliet love story and has struggled to prove to critics that age did not define her ability to write musical masterpieces that could dominate the charts.
By Keira Brown6 years ago in Beat
