Blogcritics Author: Janine Macdonald

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Music Review: Paris Bennett- Princess P

Janine Macdonald — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 07:55:49 EDT

The Juggernaut that is American Idol has over the years churned out some talented artists, including Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Season Five introduced us to Paris Bennett, who week after week showed audiences why she was one of the top five finalists. Following in the footsteps of her fellow season five graduates Taylor Hicks, Katherine McPhee, Chris Daughtry, and Kellie Pickler, sees Paris release her debut album Princess P.After listening to Princess P’s Intro “All Hail The Princess”, I almost turned it off immediately. The intro was absolutely cringe-worthy, but I persevered, hoping that the album would get better. Thankfully, “Ordinary Love” and “Dreamin’” highlight why Americans fell in love with the pint-sized Bennett in the first place. Both tracks showcase her extraordinary vocal range, and the maturity that belies her 18 years of age. Produced by Jon Jon Traxx, "Ordinary Love" is definitely one of the better songs on Princess P. It has a Beyonce-feel to the song, which is not surprising considering Traxx has worked extensively with the former Destiny Child's star. Well-written, it's a song that Bennett seems comfortable singing, and suits her vocal style as opposed to most of the other tracks on Princess P.One of the silliest tracks on the album “Let Me Rap” sees her team up with Kevin Covais A.K.A Chicken Little - a fellow Season Five contestant. While the track is complete nonsense, and is more filler than anything else, it is probably one of the most charming. While some may think it's more irritating than charming, I see it as a song that was never meant to be taken seriously, and sees Bennett and Corvais swapping rhymes and having fun. It's sung with affection, and in a sense shows how young and carefree Bennett still is. At only just over a minute and a half it also allows Covais to showcase his own musical talents. Unfortunately there are more bad tracks than good on Princess P, and this includes her cover of The Angel's "My Boyfriend's Back", which she completely butchers. In attempting to make it her own, she updates the song. Lines such as “He’s kinda Gangsta” instead of “He’s kind of mean” made me cringe, and her announcement that “you’ve officially been princessed” reminded me why I wanted to turn the album off in the first place. It is ,without a doubt, one of the worst remakes of "My Boyfriend's Back" that I have ever heard, and one I never want to have to sit through, and listen to again. My biggest problem with this album is that, save for four tracks (“I Will”, “Ordinary Love”, “Dreamin”, and “Caught up”), the rest of the album is weak. The songs have been poorly chosen and Bennett seems to stumble through them rather than shine. This doesn’t mean that Paris doesn’t have the potential to be great, but she's not going to achieve it if she keeps producing crap like this. I give it 1/5Record Label: 306 EntertainmentYear: 2007Track Listing: 01. All Hail The Princess Intro02. Ordinary Love03. Dreamin’04. Daddy05. Let Me Rap (Featuring Kevin Covais A.K.A Chicken Little06. My Boyfriend’s Back07. Can’t Control Myself 08. Duet (featuring J. Isaac)09. I’m So Hot (Interlude)10. I’m So Hot11. Get Bizzy12. Caught Up13. B-Bye14. Burnt Up15. I Will (Featuring James Grear & Company)16. Best Friends (Featuring Ann Nesby And Jamecia Bennett)

Janine is a freelance music Journalist, who has written for several different magazines, and websites including faster louder, and xwiredonline.

Music Review: John Waite - Figure In A Landscape

Janine Macdonald — Sat, 9 Jun 2007 20:46:21 EDT

I can still recall the first time I heard “Missing you” by John Waite. It was around 1984, and I was nine years old. Waite’s voice really stuck with me, and every time I would hear “Missing You” on the radio, I would fall in love with the song all over again. Fast forward to 1989 and Waite formed Bad English, captivating me yet again, this time with the haunting “When I See You Smile.” The band disappeared as quickly as they arrived, but yet again I was left with a lasting impression.“Missing You” and “When I See You Smile” remained two of my favorite songs, but in all honesty, I didn’t expect to hear anymore of Waite’s music. That was until I chanced across Figure In A Landscape in a local record store. I bought it, unsure of what to expect, but instinctively knowing I would love it from beginning to end. And you know what? I was right. It’s one CD that I’ve had in constant rotation since I bought it two months ago. I love the stripped down feeling to Figure In A Landscape. It highlights the earthiness of Waite’s voice and the genre his music has switched to. While he may have once been classed as rock, he is now more adult contemporary. It’s a genre-switch that suits Waite’s style well and is as appealing to me as it was 24 years ago. Figure In A Landscape has a consistency that allows the songs to smoothly follow each other. Each song is strongly written and there’s a maturity to each that suits Waite. It is almost as if he has finally found his niche and the smooth vocals show his comfort in doing so. Each song has straight forward melodies, performed with a group of tight musicians that showcase Waite’s strengths and vocal range. “NYC Girl” is the real gem on Figure In A Landscape and it’s a track I could listen to over and over again. The lyrics provoke an imagery and it really takes you to where Waite is at. You can almost imagine yourself in that coffee shop with Waite as he waits for his “NYC Girl.” I don't think there's any song on this album that I would skip over and it's been a pleasure listening to Waite again after all these years. Yet again, he has left a lasting impression.Songs not to miss: “Keys To Your Heart”, “NYC Girl”, “Fly”, and “Whenever You Come Around”.I give this 4/5John Waite-figure in a landscapeRecord Label: Gold Circle recordsYear: 2001Track listing:1. Keys To Your Heart 2. Always Be Your Man 3. Thinking 'Bout You 4. NYC Girl 5. Fly 6. New Thing 7. Special One 8. Whenever You Come Around 9. Touch 10. Godhead 11. Masterpiece of Loneliness

Janine is a freelance music Journalist, who has written for several different magazines, and websites including faster louder, and xwiredonline.

Music Review: Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Janine Macdonald — Sat, 9 Jun 2007 09:14:33 EDT

Miranda Lambert burst onto the music scene four years ago as one of the finalists from Nashville Star. Since then she has not looked back. Her debut album, Kerosene, peaked at #1 on the U.S country charts and showed the world what she was made of. Her sophomore album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend continues from there. Yet again, Miranda pulls no punches with tracks such as “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”, and “Gunpowder And Lead” all about seeking revenge and raising some hell. Lambert has built her new album around the tough-chick persona with lines such as “his fist is big but my gun's bigger/he'll find out when I pull the trigger” from “Gunpowder And Lead”. It’s a move that may hinder her career if she strays too far from the persona she has developed for herself. But for now it’s doing just the opposite; her tough-chick persona drawing in new fans.The fact she not only has a beautiful voice to go with that gutsy attitude, but is also a talented songwriter, doesn’t hurt either. At only 23, Lambert has co-written every track on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, bar three. It’s a standout achievement for someone so young, especially with lyrics that have meaning and are strong and intelligent. This hasn’t stopped her from appreciating the writing talents of other big names though, such as Gillian Welch (“Dry Town”) and Carlene Carter (“Easy From Now On”.)While Lambert has the ability to inflict a gutsy tone to “Gunpowder And Lead,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” and “Famous In A Small Town,” she can just easily switch to sincerity and a poignancy for “Love Letters” and “More Like Her.” The only negative aspect I can see to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is that while the songs are beautifully sung and well-written, a few of them remind me of other country hits.“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” is reminiscent of Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” and her stellar track “Gunpowder And Lead” reminds me of The Dixie Chicks' tale of revenge with “Goodbye Earl.” Despite this, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is probably one of the best country CDs to come out so far this year. It showcases a multitude of talents and I look forward in seeing what else she can produce.Tracks not to miss: “Gunpowder And Lead,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Famous In A Small Town,” and “More Like Her”.I give it 4/5Year: 2007Record Label: SonyTrack Listing: 01. Gunpowder And Lead02. Dry Town03. Famous In A Small Town04. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend05. Love Letters06. Desperation07. More Like Her08. Down09. Guilty In Here10. Getting Ready11. Easy From Now On

Janine is a freelance music Journalist, who has written for several different magazines, and websites including faster louder, and xwiredonline.

Music Review: Various Artists- Shrek The Third Soundtrack

Janine Macdonald — Fri, 8 Jun 2007 07:18:47 EDT

An important aspect of any film is the music incorporated into it. It’s often carefully selected to suit the mood or theme of the movie. The music selected helps to make it work, or in some cases bomb. Shrek The Third mixes the old with the new, as well as throwing in some impressive covers.The Eels kick off the soundtrack with “Royal Pain”. A cute little ditty that has bounce, it’s delivered in E’s recognizable raspy voice. It’s not the first time that the Eels have appeared on a Shrek soundtrack. In fact, apart from Eddie Murphy, they are the only band that has appeared on every soundtrack. This time they appear twice, also performing “Losing Steak”, which is another stellar performance.From there the soundtrack takes a welcoming step back in time with The Ramones’ “Do You Remember Rock N Roll Radio?”, Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”, and Wings’ “Live And Let Die”. It was a surprise to hear such classics on a Shrek soundtrack, since the others have been more pop albums than rock, and more about newer bands, rather than older ones. However, after listening to the rest of the soundtrack, the songs meld within the soundtrack, especially “The Immigrant Song”, which compliments Wolfmother’s classic rock-sounding “The Joker And The Thief”. Both tracks have such a similar style of sound, that it’s hard to separate the two from each other. Fergie’s version of “Barracuda” was another surprise. I’d heard, before buying the album, that she had covered Heart and was prepared to skip through the song. Although vocally, she has always had the strength to produce great music, I didn’t think she would be able to give “Barracuda” the justice it deserved. I was wrong. Fergie’s cover of “Barracuda” is one of the best songs on the soundtrack. She really nails each line, delivering it with the same oomph Ann Wilson delivered the first time around. In honesty, hearing the first couple of lines delivered with such strength, I thought it was Ann Wilson singing. Fergie has updated the classic rock track for a whole new generation to fall in love with all over again.What Shrek album would be complete without Eddie Murphy belting out a tune? Yet again he teams up with Antonio Banderas (Can anyone really ever forget their version of "Mi Vida Loco"?) This time around they cover Sly And The Family Stone’s “Thank You”. It’s a cute version, but I prefer their cheekier version of “Mi Vida Loco”.I’m a little surprised that Prince Charming himself, A.K.A Justin Timberlake didn’t add anything to the soundtrack. But in saying that, it takes nothing away from what this soundtrack is, very worthy.Tracks not to miss: “Royal Pain”, “The Immigrant Song”, “Barracuda”, “Do You Remember Rock N Roll Radio?” and “The Joker And The Thief”I give it 4/5Record Label: Geffen RecordYear: 2007Track Listing:01. Royal Pain- Eels02. Do You remember Rock N Roll Radio? –The Ramones03. Immigrant Song- Led Zeppelin04. Barracuda- Fergie05. Live And Let Die-Wings06. Best Days-Matt White07. Joker And The Thief-Wolfmother08. Other Ways-Trevor Hall09. Cat’s In The Cradle-Harry Chapin10. Losing Streak-The Eels11. What I Gotta Do-Macy Gray12. Thank You (Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Again) - Eddie Murphy13. Final Showdown - Rupert Everett14. Charming's Plan - Harry Gregson-Williams

Janine is a freelance music Journalist, who has written for several different magazines, and websites including faster louder, and xwiredonline.

Music Review: Prince - 3121

Janine Macdonald — Thu, 7 Jun 2007 18:37:29 EDT

Prince took another step towards his comeback last year with the release of 3121. Although he'd stayed out of the spotlight for a period of time, musically he never really left. He still continued to churn out album after album throughout the 90s until 2000, obligating his contract with Warner Records, the label he had an on-going feud with. However, the albums were never heavily promoted. Many believed that Prince was stretching himself thin attempting to finally cut ties with Warner. 3121 sees Prince signed to Universal Records. Released in 2006, there was much hype about the album. Many believed Prince would return to the sound that made him a star. To me, Prince is a musician that is able to continually evolve, while still managing to keep his own unique sound. Listening to the album I can see similarities but I also see Prince experimenting heavily with new sounds while remaining true to himself.“Lolita” certainly has aspects of his Purple Rain era with the heavy usage of synthesizers and that same old rock-funk that we associate with Prince, mixed with modern technology. Prince’s distorted vocals on the psychedelic track "3121", remind me of his alter-ego Camille, who was appeared prominently on "U Got The Look". Even “Fury” has shades of old Prince, reminding us that while Prince is well known for his vocal capabilities, he can also hold his own with an electric guitar. A highly energetic track, it is reminiscent of the guitar-playing style of Hendrix. The album also sees Prince experimenting with pitch-correlation effects, Latin-inspired tempos and beats, and a touch of Jazz. So, while he does keep in touch with his old-school style, Prince continuously looks for new ways to experiment and entertain.It’s no surprise the album’s main themes are sex and religion. They’ve been constant themes for Prince throughout his thirty-year career. He's been successful with them and he knows it. He is up to his same tricks with “Black Sweat” delivering the first line, “I don’t want to take my clothes off/but I do” and “Lolita” in which he proclaims, “Lolita, you’re sweeter/but you’ll never make a cheater outta me”The tracks are in your face, sex-fuelled, and simply two of the best on 3121, not just for their well-delivered lines but for their rock-funk sound. While “Black Sweat” and “Lolita” are the strongest on the album, “Te Amo Corazon” is the weakest. A Latin-tinged ballad, it is more of a filler, sandwiched between the two latter tracks. Prince has never really been great with ballads, and this one is no different. In fact, the song is just plain dull.“The Word” has religion written all over it. While it mentions repeatedly about “getting saved”, there's nothing new and inspiring about it. In honesty it’s more likely to put you to sleep rather than inspire you. Despite some of the weaker tracks, there is a true feel of Prince strutting and pouting, as he delivers his lines. It is pure sex delivered through honeyed lines in the form of “Incense And Candles”, “Black Sweat” and “Satisfied.” In essence, it is Prince well… being Prince and that’s when he is at his best. I’m the first to admit I would prefer to listen to Purple Rain, or even Diamonds And Purples, but this album is more than a decent attempt by the Purpled One.Tracks not to miss: “Beautiful, Loved And Blessed”, “Black Sweat”, “3121”, “The Fury” and “Lolita”.I give it 3/5

Janine is a freelance music Journalist, who has written for several different magazines, and websites including faster louder, and xwiredonline.

Music Review: Ozzy Osbourne- Black Rain

Janine Macdonald — Mon, 4 Jun 2007 07:53:57 EDT

Ozzy Osbourne released his last studio album six years ago, and it's been even longer since he released one that was half-decent. While previous albums such as Down To Earth were good they weren't earth-shattering and lacked one main ingredient, passion. It was almost as if Ozzy was going through the motions without feeling anything. Black Rain sees Ozzy return to form, bringing forth an album that is worthy of his title of Godfather of Metal. He throws down the gauntlet with the first three tracks, “Not Going Away”, “I Don’t Wanna Stop” and “Black Rain”. With stomping beats and snarling vocals, the songs reflect Ozzy’s anger and mistrust at the world. His delivery is not only powerful but has clarity, and more importantly, the lyrics actually make sense.Produced by Ozzy and Kevin Churko, Black Rain has been finely crafted and manipulated to enhance the Prince of Darkness’ voice without taking anything away from it. It’s not uncommon for Producers to tweak musicians work, and the only real fault on this album, is that sometimes Ozzy’s voice sounds too enhanced. “Not Going Away” clearly indicates this. While the growling effect produced in the chorus is pure Metal, no one can actually believe that it’s Ozzy’s natural voice. He doesn’t have the vocal range to produce such a guttural sound.Ozzy’s decision to use his touring band-Guitarist Zakk Wylde, Bassist Rob “Blasko” Nicholson and Drummer Mike Bordin, may have been a safe move, but it was also a wise one. He has managed to avoid the pitfalls of session musicians, by using musicians who are aware of his strengths and weaknesses, as well as their own. In doing so, he has produced songs that are performed with a familiarity and smoothness, that may not have been achieved quite as effectively if he had used hired guns. Zakk Wylde co-wrote eight of the 10 tracks, and adds his own signature that is pure Wylde. In the past he has been more of a hired gun, that has produced some fairly decent solos. But they have been performed emotionlessly, almost in a mechanic style precision. Like Ozzy, it was as if he was going through the motions on previous albums.On Black Rain he has been given more freedom to explore his own abilities. While his music style has not changed and his solos aren’t that much different, they impact more heavily on the album. There is an added depth to his guitar playing, and he produces some blistering fretboard solos especially on "Not Going Away", "Almighty Dollar" and "11 Silver"Lyrically, Ozzy’s music hasn’t changed. Black Rain is an album about hate, war, rock n' roll, and of course, his love for Sharon. It’s never going to be rocket science, but it’s pure Ozzy. To be honest, if he started singing about anything else, it may just scar his fans for life. One of the reasons they love Ozzy is because he has not changed in the 40 years that he has been in the music industry. Naturally an Ozzy album isn’t an Ozzy album without the obligatory ballad about his wife, Sharon. In this case there are two- “Lay Your World On Me”, and “Here For You”. They're songs about Sharon’s battle with cancer, and see Ozzy reaching out to be her pillar of strength. It’s a move some would say is a role reversal, since Sharon has always been Ozzy’s strength.It never fails to surprise me how easily Ozzy can sing a ballad, and do it as well as he sings heavier songs. His voice is at its clearest singing ballads, and he injects the right emotion, so that the pain and frustration he feels, is also your pain and frustration. To me, it shows that while many may mock him for his distinct voice, and sometimes, incoherent ramblings, the man is as diverse as he is unique. Ozzy reportedly confessed recently, that this is the first album that he has recorded sober. Considering his 40-odd career, it’s a scary thought but not a staggering one. If this is his first attempt sober, then it should be interesting to see what he does next.Tracks not to miss: “I Don’t Wanna Stop” “Lay Your World On Me”, “11 Silver”, “Not Going Away” and “Black Rain”.I give this album 4/5

Janine is a freelance music Journalist, who has written for several different magazines, and websites including faster louder, and xwiredonline.

Music Review: The Dixie Chicks- Taking The Long Way

Janine Macdonald — Fri, 1 Jun 2007 18:26:42 EDT

A lot has changed since the Dixie Chicks last studio album, Home, in 2002. In between having babies, they found themselves in the face of controversy when they announced during their Home tour, they were ashamed of their President.It was a bold move that backfired. Record sales dropped, death threats were made, and in between convincing fans to burn Dixie Chicks albums, radio stations also stopped playing them. But if that was a move to destroy Dixie Chicks, then it didn’t work. They returned with Taking The Long Way -- which quickly became a number one album -- and an attitude that showed they had matured.Produced by the legendary producer Rick Rubin -- who has produced many big name acts including Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Johnny Cash and U2 -- this is the Dixie Chicks at their finest. When Rubin described his vision for Taking The Long Way to Martie Maguire he said “I think this should sound like a great rock act making a country album, not a country act making a rock album.” Taking The Long Way is not a country band playing rock, but more a rock band playing country. There are the usual fiddles that come with a country album, but this time around something is different about the Chicks. They have a heavier sound with more oomph to both their vocals and music. Their lyrics are an emotional roller coaster that range from anger in “Not Ready To Make Nice”, to the loss of family in “Silent House” and ”Favorite Year”.Taking The Long Way is as hard rock as Country can get, and clearly shows how they dealt with the political backlash they received in 2003.“Not Ready To Make Nice” clearly asserts that the attack on their freedom of speech, still stings. And, as they sing in the song, they could “never kiss all the asses they told me to”, and walk silently through life accepting decisions made, that they thought were wrong. This song can be interpreted as a kiss-my-ass to all of those who treated Dixie Chicks like vermin, simply for voicing what many other Americans were feeling.Dixie Chicks contributed lyrically to every song on Taking The Long Way, and as such it is an autobiographical journey for them through that political backlash, and their own struggles with infertility, and loss. It’s almost as if singing about what has happened in their lives will help with their healing and allow them to move forward.John Mayer contributes to “Baby Hold On”, however the Dixie Chicks originally hadn’t planned on having Mayer contribute to their album. As the story goes, Mayer was recording next door and heard the Chicks recording their album came down and started playing guitar. “Baby Hold On” has Mayer’s familiar guitar playing written all over it, and for Mayer fans who know his music well, it is instantly recognisable.“I Like it” is an upbeat song, which has a Californian feel, and works well into the album. It is easy to see that this was a band influenced by the likes of Tom Petty, and The Mamas and the Papas. I don’t think there is a song on Taking The Long Way that I dislike. All songs stand alone, and are strong both lyrically and emotionally. Favorite songs: “Not Ready To Make Nice”, “Favorite Year”, “I Like It”, “Lubbock Or Leave It”I give this album 4/5

Janine is a freelance music Journalist, who has written for several different magazines, and websites including faster louder, and xwiredonline.

Music Review: Disturbed - Believe

Janine Macdonald — Fri, 1 Jun 2007 06:40:45 EDT

I first heard David Dramian sing in 2002, and instantly fell in love with his voice. I'd bought the "Queen Of The Damned" soundtrack, and from the beginning was hooked on "Forsaken" and "Down With The Sickness". Although I loved those two songs, I wasn't quite prepared to venture out and get one of Disturbed's albums, in the fear of bitter disappointment. That was until recently; after friends of mine insisted I would love it, I succumbed and bought 10,000 Fists. I played the album nonstop for about a week before deciding to seek out more Disturbed. That led me to BelieveWhat is it about David Draiman's voice that I love so much? There is a unique quality about it, in which you would expect the music to be much heavier than alt-metal, but in discovering it isn’t, there is no feeling of disappointment. Draiman also has this ability to sing aggressively, and then just as quickly switch to singing softly. In some Metal vocalists it is a move that can not be pulled off successfully, but Draiman does it perfectly. This time around there are none of the 'jungle noises' that he made on their first album. His voice is less aggressive, and there is a calmness and mellowness, which may come from the fact Draiman's constant gutteral singing caused him to injure his vocal chords. While Disturbed's music tends to be mixed with messages of nonconformity, self-empowerment and individuality, it also contains rage, disgust, menace and passion. This time around there is also a spiritual and religious theme to the album. The album cover is a combination of different religious symbols including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The cover art depicts a Star of David, a Pentagram, a Crescent Moon, and a Cross all superimposed on each other. Believe is a lot softer and melodic than their debut album, but that may come from the effects that were 9/11. An indication of this come from the song "Liberate", which is about the war in the Middle East. "Prayer", is without a doubt one of the best tracks on the album. It was also one of their most successful. Inspired by the death of Draiman's grandfather, the song is supposedly a conversaton between Draiman and God. Fans of Disturbed may find this album a little too mellow, and there is "No Down With The Sickness", on the album. They seem to have lost their darkness, but there is still much angst, and Draiman’s voice is as haunting as ever.It's not a path fans expected Disturbed to go down - without the hardcore agression or growling vocals, but it's not a bad thing. The band is growing. Instead of sticking to the same style of music, they are experimenting with acoustic guitars and emotional vocals.It's a move that works well for the band.Tracks not to miss: "Liberate", "Prayer", and "Rise"

Janine is a freelance music Journalist, who has written for several different magazines, and websites including faster louder, and xwiredonline.

Music Review: Dire Straits- Brothers In Arms

Janine Macdonald — Thu, 31 May 2007 18:43:31 EDT

Have you ever found yourself listening to an album that you first bought years ago, and haven't listened to in a while? Did the memories of why you love the band, and the album just come rushing back? This happens to me every once in a while. Take Kiss' Creatures Of The Night or AC/DC's Back In Black.This time around it was Dire Strait's Brothers In Arms. I have had this album since I was eight years old in some form or another. Listening to this CD tonight, the memories just came flooding back. Not just the memories of "Money For Nothing" - the very bad video-clip that was very good at the time, but the memory of how much I love this album. I remember when I first bought it on cassette, I played it over and over and over again until my dad threatened to throw the cassette in the bin if I continued to do so. So what's so special about this album? Is it Mark Knopfler's gruff vocals or brilliant guitar playing? (Not in the same brilliance that I would class Hendrix, Frehley, Vai, or Satriani but definitely right up there.)Maybe it's the memories of how "Money For Nothing" was the 'it' video-clip at the time, despite the fact it was taking a major swipe at MTV, and mocking the way we are obsessed with an evolving popular culture. I think, perhaps, it is all of these things and more that makes this album so special. Each song on this album is diverse and eclectic from the Caribbean-feel instruments in "Ride Across The River" to the sax in "Your Last Trick". Then there are the much-used synthisers in songs such as "Money For Nothing", and "Walk Of Life". Who but Mark Knopfler could write an album in the Caribbean filled with such desolation, war, love gone wrong and the blues?Probably one of the standouts for me on the album is the title track "Brothers In Arms". From the beginning of the song it captivates. With the thunderstorm opening, to the haunting guitar solos and whispery vocals. As Knopfler sings an ode about ancient Scotland and war, there is a strong interplay between his vocals and his guitar. If you close your eyes, you can almost imagine them becoming one. The imagery Knopfler weaves is that powerful. This is an album that all lovers of fine guitars and even finer lyrics should have. It was the most successful studio album for Dire Straits, and it's not hard to see why it was also one of the biggest selling albums of the 1980's. There is no point saying which song should not be missed, because none of them should be. Brothers In Arms has stood the test of time and is arguably one of best rock albums in history. Listen to it loudly, and enjoy it as much as I have. I give it 5/5

Janine is a freelance music Journalist, who has written for several different magazines, and websites including faster louder, and xwiredonline.

Music Review: Elton John- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Janine Macdonald — Wed, 30 May 2007 09:07:32 EDT

If you were going to have any Elton John CD in your collection, from an era, when he was simply at his most creative and best, then this is the one to go for. Considered one of his masterpieces, it came out at a time when Elton and his writing partner, Bernie Taupin, had already begun to establish themselves as a formidable writing duo. Blasting us from the first track, "Funeral For A Friend/Loves Lies Bleeding", it shows us straight away why John and Taupin had such an influence in synthesizer rock. Just listening to the song, with it's frenzied piano pounding and its mix of classical and rock components, it makes you think that it would make one hell of an opener to an Elton John concert during this period, and how amazing it would have been to see Elton in his prime. The whole album comes off as a very pop-savvy album, that takes many twists and turns into different genres, suiting the name Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. There are so many different genres infused on this CD that it has a little something for everyone.Originally the album was supposed to be recorded in the Caribbean, but political unrest changed this. However, that did not stop Elton from infusing some lush tropical influences into the album, especially on "Jamaica Jerk-Off", with its reggae inspired beats and melodies and steel drum grooves. Elton then switches genres to R&B with his number one hit, "Bennie And The Jets". It is a jaunty little number, which has strong beats, and is strengthened by John's extraordinary piano skills. Ironically, John felt that the song was too boring, and didn't think it would become a hit. It was his producer Gus Dudgeon that added the whistles, and the audience clapping to give it that live feel. Then there is the Stones influenced music style "Dirty Little Girl", before the album switches to rock with tracks such as "Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting" and "You Sister Can't Twist"But while Elton John and Taupin experimented with many different music genres, two things did stay the same- the strong lyrics, and wonderful melodies. Two things that always seemed to work well for John and Taupin.The fact is none more evident than on the Marilyn Monroe tribute, "Candle In The Wind", which makes your heartbreak just a little over the tragedy that was Marilyn Monroe. The lyrics say it all “and it seems to be you lived you life/like a candle in the win/never knowing who to cling to/when the rain set in/…your candle burned out long before/your legend ever did.""Saturday Night..." was written after Elton and Taupin decided they were writing in too much an American style, and wanted to write something purely English. It became their first hit single, peaking at number one in the UK top ten. This album is a must-have for your collection, and I would consider this probably his best album of all time. It's a sentiment that many Elton John fans feel, and Rolling Stone ranked it as number 91 on their top ranking 500 albums. Considered a double album with its 17 tracks, you will not be sorry to have this in your CD collection.Songs not to miss: "Saturday Night’s Alright", "Bennie And The Jets", "Harmony", "Candle In The Wind", and "Funeral For A Friend".I give this album 5/5

Janine is a freelance music Journalist, who has written for several different magazines, and websites including faster louder, and xwiredonline.