album reviews
Reviews of albums old and new from iconic artists and up and coming musicians alike.
Yultron & Jay Park - ‘On Fire’ EP Review
Yultron and Jay Park are hardly strangers to each other. The former, an EDM artist and DJ, has worked with Park, a Korean hip-hop mogul, on the fan-favourite track “Forget About Tomorrow” back at the start of 2018, as well as on songs like “Bo$$” and “Thuggin 4 My Baby.” It was the clichéd match made in heave; a collaborative pairing that provided Park with an opportunity for his soulful, sleek vocals to be partnered with irresistible beats and huge, anthem-like production.
By Nathan Sartain5 years ago in Beat
Twilight Force - 'Dawn of the Dragonstar'
Hey to all those who take the time to read my reviews. It has been a long while since I had written one of these, hopefully this will mark a return to semi-regular reviews again. Either way, thanks for reading and let's get into this!
By Rip Mitchell5 years ago in Beat
'Tormato' - The Sum of Ten True Summers Long
After touring for Going for the One, the Yes lineup of Jon Anderson (vocals), Steve Howe (guitar), Chris Squire (bass), Rick Wakeman (keyboard), and Alan White (drums) set out to record their next album. It was meant to be named after the peak, Yes Tor. There are different accounts of who actually decided to throw a tomato at the cover art, but whatever the case, it resulted in the album title changing to Tormato. Released ten years after Yes' formation, the album actually has eight tracks like their first two albums, Yes and Time and a Word. So it does feel a bit like coming full circle, which is appropriate given that the album was followed by a tour "in the round" on a rotating stage that included a 25-minute medley of Yes songs. Tormato was somewhat more eclectic than Going for the One, and listeners over the years have had mixed opinions on the album, especially when it comes to the mixing of it. Still, people are able to find what they love about Tormato.
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Beat
'Going for the One'—Songs Cast a Light on You
In 1976, after much touring for Relayer and working on solo albums, Yes took the time to record their next album, this time in Montreux, Switzerland. Though keyboardist Patrick Moraz was involved initially, he was let go from the band. Rick Wakeman was invited back as a session musician, eventually being persuaded to be a full member again. And so, the Tales from Topographic Oceans lineup of Jon Anderson (vocals), Steve Howe (guitar), Chris Squire (bass), Rick Wakeman (keyboard), and Alan White (drums) put out Going for the One. Released in July 1977, it was a bit more of an eclectic album, but the material presented made the album a good listen after nearly three years of no new studio albums from Yes.
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Beat
'Relayer' - A True Fruition
Tales from Topographic Oceans was an album that was the pinnacle of Yes music in the eyes of some, and an example of over-indulgence in the eyes of others. After the tour, Rick Wakeman left the band, and Yes were in need of another keyboardist. They ended up with former Refugee member Patrick Moraz, who added his own unique flavor to the album that became Relayer. Released November 28, 1974, Relayer was the seventh album released by Yes within a span of a little more than five years, which is an impressive feat. Indeed, any band with that much output within so small of a span should feel proud to have an album like Relayer at the end of that span.
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Beat
Viini - ‘Dimension’ EP Review
To call the route that Kwon Hyun-Bin has taken to get to where he is right now unconventional feels like an understatement. Originally beginning his career as a model back in 2015, the artist became well-known after appearing on Produce 101 Season 2, a show in which he placed 22nd. From there, he joined the six-member project group JBJ; and within seven months was a solo artist once again, due to the group’s disbandment.
By Nathan Sartain5 years ago in Beat
Offshore Explorer Stories
Offshore Explorer looks at culture and history through the mariner's eyes. We travel from port to port looking at the state of life today. How they got that way is part of the endless fascination of life. These articles are useful tools to understand the interpreter. My views are influenced by the experiences I have accrued over a lifetime. By understanding those points of inflection in my life the arm chair traveler can fully grasp the beauty and glory of the human endeavor. It is like walking with the artist in his canvas as he explains, shows, and experiences the subject and colors of that moment.
By Scott Dodgson5 years ago in Beat
Gregory Fuentes Presents 'Watching Movies with the Sound Off'
Foreword The following is a collection of short stories and reactions to a well-loved album. This should be read for inspiration and entertainment purposes. Like the album it was inspired by, I take particular pride in the introspective nature of this article. There is a central theme in this work that I shall leave to the reader to determine. I will try and impose this theme the best way I can without blatantly writing it out. I like puzzles. The events below may and may not have actually transpired. That is also up for the reader to imagine. Credit to the late Malcolm James McCormick, Easy Mac (But My Mackin’ Ain’t Easy), AKA Mac Miller for inspiring the work below. Rest in peace and swim forever friend.
By Gregory Fuentes5 years ago in Beat
'Close to the Edge' - Taste the Fruit of Yes Recorded
Following Fragile and subsequent touring, the Yes lineup of Jon Anderson (vocals), Bill Bruford (drums), Steve Howe (guitar), Chris Squire (bass), and Rick Wakeman (keyboard) returned to the studio in 1972. For The New Age of Atlantic, they recorded a 10-and-a-half-minute cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "America" (previously over 16 minutes on The Yes Album tour, where it had a tiny bit of what would end up in "Roundabout").
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Beat
A Lukewarm Defense of EXO-SC's 'What a Life'
2019 has ushered in a plethora of changes for “Nation’s Pick” supergroup EXO and it’s fluctuating member line-up. Members D.O and Xiumin are currently completing their mandatory service in the South Korean army, lone Chinese member Lay is on a run of solo projects and concerts in mainland Asia, subunit EXO-CBX members Chen and Baekhyun released solo albums of their own earlier this year—it’d be an understatement to say the group is spread thin and wide across the entertainment spectrum as of lately.
By Elle Janay5 years ago in Beat
'Fragile'—Agile Yes Music
After The Yes Album (which was certified silver in the UK and platinum in the US) advanced Yes music, the band toured successfully, even playing shows in America for the first time. Following that tour, keyboardist Tony Kaye was asked to leave the band, and Chris Squire called Rick Wakeman of The Strawbs late at night to ask if he wanted to join the band. After speaking to Yes manager Brian Lane, Wakeman decided to play with Jon Anderson (vocals), Bill Bruford (drums), Steve Howe (guitar), and Chris Squire (bass), and the rest was history.
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Beat
8th of August, 1964: 'Another Side of Bob Dylan' by Bob Dylan Was Released
After the success of the albums The Times They Are A-Changin' and The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan had really made a name for himself as the singer of the protest song or the bard of the 60s. He then went on to create this severely underrated masterpiece. Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964) was the guitar-strumming, nasal-singing, poetic-balance that met the previous albums with a slightly less serious sound and yet, has some songs on it that are considered a few of Bob Dylan’s greatest masterpieces. This is also where Bob Dylan experiments with sounds that he’ll revisit on Bringing it All Back Home (1965). I mean just listen to the song “Black Crow Blues” from Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964) and then listen to the songs “On the Road Again” and “Outlaw Blues” from Bringing it All Back Home (1965). I mean the latter songs may be electric, but they have the same basic bluesy concept. What I’m going to do in this article is explain to you five things about the album Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964) that I love in celebration of its birthday. I feel like sometimes this album is overlooked because of the success of Freewheelin’ and the iconic status of The Times They Are a-Changin’. But it is the first album that really begins the myth of the ever-changing Bob Dylan and here are the five things I’ve chosen to go through today.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Beat