Blogcritics Comments on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Comment by Josh Hathaway on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Fri, 2 May 2008 16:23:07 EDT

It was an amphitheater, but then that couldn't really matter less, could it? He's not a naturally great vocalist and age has robbed even some of that, but they were great live in the summer of '05. Their sound, not just Joe, has been more of a studio thing. I agree.

Comment by Tom Johnson on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Fri, 2 May 2008 15:52:12 EDT

I think seeing the band in an arena where some natural filtering of his voice occurs is a better situation than watching them on TV or video. He's been a spotty singer for a long time, however - he has a very weak voice, it seems. The Classic Albums: Hysteria (absolutely fascinating, by the way) has him and Phil singing a few songs acoustic and he handles it quite well - but it's also low volume and low-key. He's just not well-suited to the demands of touring nor the microscope provided by televised performances. To me they're just more of a studio band. As for Vivian, I don't think it has ever once crossed my mind while listening to a Campbell-era DL song "this is the dude who provided that great stuff for Holy Diver and Last In Line." It just does not equate. Such a shame that they've got that in their pocket and they don't use it.

Comment by Josh Hathaway on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Thu, 1 May 2008 14:51:25 EDT

You know, it's funny about DL on TV. I saw them on the VH-1 Honors show a few years back and they sounded awful. I was hesitant to go see them on the Yeah tour because of it. What a night and day difference actually seeing them live a few months later! They sounded much, much tighter and stronger. Joe doesn't have the same range he used to but he was quite excellent that night.

Comment by Glen Boyd on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Thu, 1 May 2008 14:16:29 EDT

I don't know how many of you caught Leppard on Kimmel last night, but it was most definitely live and Elliot's voice was shot. -Glen

Comment by Brian aka Guppusmaximus on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Thu, 1 May 2008 13:36:39 EDT

Let me get this straight, you watch "Dancing with the Stars"?! Nope...But, when my wife screams from the other room that Def Leppard was performing then it's kinda like watching a car crash. And believe me, it was like a 12 car f*ck*ng pile up! EVERYBODY NOW: "Blame it on the Rain.." There goes your street cred. I wouldn't be too concerned with me losing "cred". However, now I can laugh with utter confidence that my point has been proven... Def Leppard is just as much a joke as that SNL performance from Jessica Simpson's sister! HA! Tom, It is quite a shame, Vivian Campbell is a better guitarist than Steve Clark ever was. His work with DIO on the album "Holy Diver" is f*cking awesome. Def Leppard went from NWOBHM to Hard Rock to "Arena Rock"?.So.. WHAT F*CK*ING HAPPENED?!? This country has really turned into a bunch of pansies when it comes to good 'ol blistering,NO Apology, talented Rock.... F*CK!

Comment by Tom Johnson on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Thu, 1 May 2008 12:54:02 EDT

Oh yeah, no doubt it was faked - Blabbermouth has video of "Pour Some Sugar on Me" from Dancing With The Stars. Straight off of Hysteria. Wow, that's brave. They could have at least re-recorded it with the Vivian Campbell version of the band if they're going to do this kind of thing. Contrast that with the Ellen performance earlier in the day of "Hysteria" which actually was live. Yikes - on both counts.

Comment by Tom Johnson on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Thu, 1 May 2008 12:45:30 EDT

Is anyone surprised that Def Leppard would lipsync on a TV show? Joe Elliot has not been a particularly strong live singer in ages. I didn't see it, however - was it a complete mess, did they screw up? I still haven't decided if I can part with $10 for this new album of theirs or not. What I've heard has not filled me with a need to own it. I'm pretty sure it would get about three spins from me and then get filed away permanently. I've probably got better places to spend my money.

Comment by Glen Boyd on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Thu, 1 May 2008 02:35:46 EDT

I'm not sure what the guys in Quicksilver are doing these days JC, but that John Cipollona was sure one hell of a guitar player wasn't he? And for the uninitiated...I can't recommend the album "Happy Trails" highly enough. Thanx for the quick reminder Skeeter (oh, and thanks for the CD too...which I got today). -Glen

Comment by El Bicho on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Thu, 1 May 2008 02:20:37 EDT

Let me get this straight, you watch "Dancing with the Stars"?! There goes your street cred.

Comment by JC Mosquito on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:29:01 EDT

Mudcrutch album is good, but their version of Shady Grove made me dig out my Quicksilver Messenger Service version. A great band - whatever happened to them? Are any of them still alive and playing?

Comment by Brian aka Guppusmaximus on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:56:40 EDT

Did anybody else see that poor ass "Milli Vanilli" that Def Leppard pulled on Dancing with the Stars?? I mean, WTF was that?! Two words...Washed Up!

Comment by Josh Hathaway on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:35:07 EDT

Let me throw in a word for Mudcrutch here (review forthcoming) and concur with Tom on Portishead. What a record!

Comment by El Bicho on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:48:36 EDT

Tom, I would blame Glen and Mark and their one-sentence paragraphs. Really, why should you suffer because they can't flesh out an idea any farther? Don't seem right.

Comment by Glen Boyd on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:25:04 EDT

Damn Tom, ya' just cant win for losing can ya'? -Glen

Comment by Pico on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:24:49 EDT

I got both the Mudcrutch and Winwood yesterday. I haven't heard the Winwood yet, but I read that it sounds a lot like his prior release About Time, which was a great little overlooked record by him. The Mudcrutch is Petty getting back in touch with his pre-Heartbreaker self with some nice band interplay. Very laid-back and touches on a lot different styles--all rootsy--while sounding very much like a record they could have recording back in their early 70's days. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Comment by Tom Johnson on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:08:56 EDT

Argh! I sacrificed myself for the page break last week and what does the page break do to me this week? It slices me in half! That'll teach me. Mark, it's funny, I'm not the biggest Zappa fan in the world, but I also remember exactly where I was when I found out he died. I had a drawing class at ASU and we went to our teacher's house to see some of his work (since we don't have finals in art classes - it was something to take up the 3-hour class time.) He had an altar still up in his home for Dia de los Muertos, and on there was a picture of Frank, and he said he's just added that because he'd just died. I was shocked - not because I was a huge fan but because I had literally just bought my first Zappa-related anything about two days before (Zappa's Universe.) Strange timing - I knew next to nothing about the guy, and I'm not even sure I knew he was ill. I just bought it because I saw that Steve Vai was involved and it had funny song titles. Sterfish, that new Gnarls Barkley is really great - it's a grower, but I think it might actually be a better album overall than St. Elsewhere.

Comment by Sterfish on New Album Releases 04/29/08: Madonna, Steve Winwood, Portishead, The Roots, Def Leppard, Mudcrutch, Zappa Plays Zappa & More

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:38:10 EDT

This is the first week since September 11 of last year that I am likely going to pick up at least two albums. I'll probably get the new albums from The Roots and Portishead along with Estelle's debut. Once you add that I haven't picked Gnarls Barkley's new one yet, and it makes for an expensive week in music for me.