What's that? You haven't heard of Rock Band Unplugged? Not surprising, since it was released on the PSP and who the fuck plays on the PSP or Vita anymore?
Anyway, Rock Band Unplugged was the first handheld title from Harmonix and featured no peripherals or additional purchases to play; just the UMD for the game and the PSP itself. It was actually quite a fun game that required button tapping to either guitar, bass, drums or vocal melodies and effective organisation in the form of musical plate spinning, as it was up to you and you alone to play all four charts for a song. Unfortunately, it wasn't multiplayer which was kind of a big deal for a game in the Rock Band franchise but other than that, it was decent!
However, the aim of this blog post is to look at the setlist and whether they chose the right songs for the Rock Band Unplugged treatment, similar to previous blog posts that are listed in the Guitar Hero 2 write-up. I'll be awarding each song a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down based on my personal taste of the song, whether it translates well to the Rock Band Unplugged engine and whether it deserved to be in the game over other songs by the same band/genre.
Anyway, let's get...unplugged...yeah, that was shit. Let's just read what I have to say, shall we?
"3s & 7s" - Queens Of The Stone Age
Whilst I'm not a huge fan of this song in general, I do think it's a fine choice for the game. Since the gameplay involves matching button pressing to the guitar, bass, drums and vocals, it makes sense to include songs with borderline erratic rhythms that aren't your typical 4/4 plodfests. Granted that the vocals are a little dull in this track but the guitar and drums more than make up for it. There are several QOTSA songs that could've had challenging melodies to play but if you want one that's well known...well, this or "No One Knows" but I supposed they wanted to hold onto that for an on-disc inclusion, which I'm glad they did. THUMBS UP.
"ABC" - The Jackson 5
As much as I fucking hate this song with a burning passion, I have to concede that it's kinda fun to play in Rock Band Unplugged. The bass and vocals have some fun sections but those after a challenge have a decent drum solo to deal with too. However, you know what else has some funky bass and a great drum chart (complete with drum solo)? "Funk #49" - The James Gang, another 70s song that translates well into Rock Band Unplugged. Granted that song is vastly more challenging and it's not a new song, like "ABC", but I don't care. There are enough easy songs, as we'll discuss later, and this track is terrible. THUMBS DOWN.
"Ace Of Spades '08" - Motorhead
Man, those drum rolls can eat a dick. I always fucked them up when I played this song but hey, at least it's a great song. Unfortunately, it's somewhat of an awkward chart and since "Ace Of Spades" became one of many songs that the GH/RB community joked was in every single game, perhaps a different Motorhead song would've been better. That way, we could've had more Motorhead DLC which, if the GH:WT songs were anything to go by, would've been incredible. It's with a heavy heart that I give this track a THUMBS DOWN.
"Alive" - Pearl Jam
You'll probably notice that a lot of songs on this game are borrowed from Rock Band 2, seeing as how they were made/released around the same time. However, since Rock Band 2 has a banging soundtrack, I don't particularly mind. Besides, this game introduced me to a lot of songs that I hadn't heard because I bought it before Rock Band 2...like "Alive" - Pearl Jam! The song might be quite a long one to sit through on the PSP but hey, you get that beast of a guitar solo at the end and various opportunities to play Eddie Vedder's vocals in the chorus throughout. Those reasons are enough to convince me that this song was the best pick, therefore THUMBS UP.
"Aqualung" - Jethro Tull
Another song from RB2 that this game introduced me to. It took a while for me to get into, probably because the drums and guitar in the faster section don't translate into a particularly fun chart for the inexperienced player, but at least they were cracking to listen to. In fact, hearing the amplified drums and bass in Rock Band Unplugged is awesome in this song, especially if you're only used to poor quality MP3s of this song. It may have been a little too challenging for me but hey, it wasn't a bad choice. There are a bunch of 70s Prog songs that could've been neat but aside from a slightly tricky chart that's easier to master than some of the others in this game, there's nothing bad about this song's inclusion. THUMBS UP.
"Buddy Holly" - Weezer
Meh, I never really got into this song. I kinda missed out on Weezer when growing up, although there are a couple of belters that I still listen to. Sadly, this isn't one of them. The guitar is mostly just chords over and over (which aren't tremendously fun to play or good for your thumbs) and the vocals are probably the highlight to play, even if drums and bass have some variety in the charting. I'd argue that "Troublemaker" probably would've been a more fun Weezer track for this game, although there'd be that guitar section later on where it's just strumming over and over again. I dunno, my instinct tells me to give it a Thumbs Down...so that's what I'm going with. THUMBS DOWN.
"Carry On Wayward Son" - Kansas
Another rhythm music game staple, although I knew this before Rock Band used it. Arguably one of the most iconic Classic Rock songs of all time (along with another well known hit that also appears on this game a bit later on) and with good reason; it's fucking awesome. Thankfully, this belter translates beautifully to Rock Band Unplugged with multiple vocal solos, cracking drums and fun riffs on bass and guitar. THUMBS UP.
"Chop Suey!" - System Of A Down
I fucking hate this song in Rock Band but my God, it is great in Rock Band Unplugged. The rapid alternation between two notes across all instruments works brilliantly, as do Serj's usually annoying vocals. The timing and rhythm of the note alternations stop it from being just another thumb-buggering tune and the softer sections in between allow for some great charting too. Definitely not a favourite from this game but I wouldn't mind when I had to play it, even if it did mean sitting through this godawful song. THUMBS UP.
"Come Out And Play (Keep Em Separated)" - The Offspring
OK, I'm in two minds about this one. On the one hand, it's a great song and the chart starts off really fun on each instrument. On the other, there's not an awful lot of variety to this one. Once you've played all the instruments, it's basically the same riffs until the end. Plus, there are a bunch of great Offspring songs that could've made the cut instead of another RB2 song. I'm gonna give it a THUMBS UP again because it's still one you can have fun with, especially on drums.
"De-Luxe" - Lush
Somebody at HMX must've really liked this song. It's OK, I suppose; a decent chill-out song with some catchy sounding vocals. Not too bad to play on Rock Band Unplugged either, although maybe a different 90s Alternative song with some fun charting could've been good. "There's No Other Way" - Blur might have been a good one or maybe "Heavy" - Collective Soul? Yeah, this probably should've been DLC and one of those on-disc. THUMBS DOWN to account for the generous Thumbs Ups I've been dishing out.
"Drain You" - Nirvana
Oh fuck, this one. Nirvana at their blandest. Dull song, dull to play. Why they had to use this song from Rock Band 2 instead of one of the other fun but easy songs, I don't know. As for a Nirvana song that could've been a better alternative...I mean, pick one at random? "Heart Shaped Box", "Come As You Are", "Lithium", "Mr Moustache", the list goes on. THUMBS DOWN.
"Everlong" - Foo Fighters
I've talked about how mediocre this song is way too many times on the blog before so I won't go into that again. What I will discuss is the chart and how average it is. It's not good, it's not bad. It's just a chart, much like the "Everlong" chart on GH/RB. It's as bland as it comes and takes up the space that a better Foo Fighters song could've occupied. "All My Life", "This Is A Call" or "Monkey Wrench" would've been preferable to this crap. THUMBS DOWN.
"Float On" - Modest Mouse
Jesus, this really is portable Rock Band 2, isn't it? I'm not a big fan of this song but as far as early tier introductory songs go on Rock Band Unplugged, this track's kinda perfect. It's got some challenging sections but it's mostly straightforward stuff; a wide range of button variety all to the song's basic rhythm, making it manageable and fun to play for beginners and skilled players alike. THUMBS UP.
"Gasoline" - Audioslave
Oh thank fuck, a new song! I feel like giving it a Thumbs Up for that alone but let's treat this fairly. It's a great tune by Audioslave that I'm glad got a Rock Band DLC release after this game's release, although I'm not certain that it was the best choice for this game. It's mostly fun on each instrument although the guitar in the verses is annoying as fuck to play. I suppose I can forgive one annoying section if the rest of the chart is great, which it is...apart from the post-solo guitar. OK, TWO annoying things. THUMBS UP.
"Holiday In Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys
Again, this song probably deserves a Thumbs Up just for the fact that it's not the shitty GH3 cover. However, it also helps that this song is great to listen to...even if it isn't so fun to play, unless you're up for a challenge. Lots of alternating notes over and over and over again. It was probably picked to be one of the more challenging songs although it's a shame they couldn't find one that was challenging and fun. Hmmm, tough call. I'm gonna give it a THUMBS UP just because it's still good to listen to, a decent choice to highlight challenging charts and even if it's not a barrel of laughs to get through, at least it's not boring.
"I Was Wrong" - Social Distortion
Whilst I didn't much care for this song in RB2, I really liked it in Rock Band Unplugged. The song translates well to the Unplugged gameplay and it's a good little tune to listen to. They should've used it in Rock Band Unplugged and picked a different Social Distortion track to be in Rock Band 2, something like "Ball And Chain" or "Story Of My Life"...mind you, their "Story Of My Life" chart is pretty dire. I'm still giving this a THUMBS UP though.
"The Killing Jar" - Siouxsie And The Banshees
I genuinely couldn't remember anything about this song until I reminded myself of the chart. I'll probably forget it again shortly after finishing this blog post, it's that ordinary. I'm not overly familiar with this band although I do know their song "Spellbound" and would've easily preferred that song to this cruddy one. Ordinary chart for a dull as fuck song. THUMBS DOWN.
"Kryptonite" - 3 Doors Down
Whilst these guys have revealed themselves to be tremendous cunts in recent years, they did give us one great song before outing themselves. It's got a decent guitar chart but it's the guitar AND drums that help this song stand out. The distinct rhythm separates it from other charts and gives it that edge, even if the vocals and bass do let it down a bit. However, it's a solid modern track (is the year 2000 still considered modern?) and it's getting a THUMBS UP.
"Laid To Rest" - Lamb Of God
Damn, this one's intense. It's also a lot of alternating buttons, translating pretty poorly from the great chart that this song has as Rock Band DLC. Drums provide a pretty tough challenge, as do guitar and bass, although vocals are a piece of piss. I guess this song makes sense for a challenge, although I bet other tracks with a little more charting variety could've been better. It's a tough call but I'm gonna say THUMBS DOWN as I doubt I would've missed this song were it not included.
"Less Talk More Rokk" - Freezepop
Another difficult song, another alternating notefest. The one advantage this one has is some musical variety, as it's not straight forward Rock/Metal. It's Electronic Pop with a decent riff that translates horrifically to Rock Band Unplugged. It may be good to listen to and be a welcome addition to Rock Band if only because it meant "Get Ready 2 Rokk" would get a DLC release but as far as Rock Band Unplugged additions go, I'm afraid it's another THUMBS DOWN.
"Livin' On A Prayer" - Bon Jovi
Back to easy Rock Band 2 tracks then. The guitar and bass may be identical at first but at least they have some note variety, along with the drums. Plus, it's hard to think of a better Bon Jovi song to get the Rock Band Unplugged treatment. I'm OK with this being an early tier track to help players get used to the feel of the game with an Arena Rock classic. THUMBS UP.
"Message In A Bottle" - The Police
This song's been in quite a few games too but not enough to reach "Ace Of Spades" or "Free Bird" territories. It's a decent chart, not a huge amount going on but the guitar in the chorus is something different. It's also probably the best choice for a song by The Police, as they're not the strongest band when it comes to rhythm music games. Other than that, it's a bog standard affair so the rating depends on whether or not you enjoy listening to this song...and I do! THUMBS UP.
"The Middle" - Jimmy Eat World
I don't think I've ever heard this song being used anywhere other than a rhythm music game from 2008 or 2009. It's a cute song but man, is it a crappy one to play in Rock Band Unplugged. Alternating notes, dull vocals and pain-in-the-arse drums. I don't know many (or any) other songs by Jimmy Eat World that would work and you all know that 2000s Pop Rock isn't exactly my wheelhouse but I'm pretty sure we could've had a better song choice than this. Hell, I'd even accept Paramore. THUMBS DOWN.
"Miss Murder" - AFI
Remember this song from GH3? Yeah, another song that got a hell of a lot of mileage from rhythm music games in the late 2000s. It's a decent track, definitely not as annoying as many other 21st Century Emo bands (like Paramore) and the rhythm allows for fun guitar, bass and drum charts that are different from the majority of songs on this list. Plus, it was a new song for Rock Band so it's a win-win-win. THUMBS UP.
"More Than A Feeling" - Boston
This is the OTHER iconic Classic Rock song I was talking about earlier. I love Boston and I love this song although I'm not convinced that it was the best choice for the game. Bass aside, the chart's a little dull and it could've been a good opportunity to introduce players to one of Boston's other great songs off their debut. Sure, "Foreplay/Long Time" was in Rock Band 1 and most of the others were released as DLC but "Peace Of Mind" or "Smokin" could've been fun, even if the latter almost certainly would've had alternating notes in the organ solo. I'm still giving this a THUMBS DOWN for being a bit of an obvious choice.
"Move Along" - All-American Rejects
I don't care for this song, even if the guitar chart isn't too bad. It also features a lot of alternating notes and that whiny American style of singing that I fucking despise. I accept that they needed some modern songs for teens to enjoy but come on, they should've set their standards a bit higher. THUMBS DOWN.
"Mr. Brightside" - The Killers
The Killers are one of the shittest "Rock" bands in recent years. Consequently, their music needs to be as far away from these games as possible, even if the guitar chart is kinda fun here but that's the only bright side to "Mr. Brightside"...I apologise for that pun. THUMBS DOWN.
"My Own Worst Enemy" - Lit
To this day, I still love making fun of the vocals during the chorus for this song. As for the translation to this game, it's not bad! It's a good song to help introduce you to alternating notes and chords without throwing too many at you, not to mention a short Pop Punk track to enjoy. All in all, it might be yet another Rock Band 2 song but this is one of the more appropriate songs they picked. THUMBS UP.
"Our Truth" - Lacuna Coil
Whilst I prefer playing this in GH:WT over RB2, I love the translation onto Rock Band Unplugged. Every instrument is fun to play for various reasons, from the great guitar/bass riffs to the catchy vocal melodies and challenging drums (not to mention the opening drum solo). Another great pick from Rock Band 2! THUMBS UP.
"Painkiller" - Judas Priest
The final song in Rock Band 2 and Rock Band Unplugged. For that reason, it's a little uninspired even though it is an incredible song. But hey, if you want a challenge, this is the song for you...apart from the vocals, they're easy to play on this but everything else is tough. However, rewatching the guitar solo play out on Rock Band Unplugged, I can't help but feel like this is wasted potential. Sure, "Painkiller" will always be tricky to master but reducing the solo to just a series of alternating buttons is a little bit shit. At least you get a chance to play the drum solos in the intro and outro. Meh, what the hell. THUMBS UP.
"The Perfect Drug" - Nine Inch Nails
I don't particularly care about Nine Inch Nails but if you have to use one of their songs, this seems like a decent choice. The alternating notes in the drum chart are fast enough to make them slightly more fun than others in this list and the general sound of the song is different to your typical Rock track on the setlist. For these reasons, I give it a generous THUMBS UP even though I probably wouldn't care to play or listen to this song again.
"Pinball Wizard" - The Who
I don't really like this song but I can't say I object to it being in Rock Band Unplugged. The fast paced guitar is quite fun to play, as are the drums and bass. Thankfully, vocals aren't dull so there's a solid balance between all instruments. However, despite the song sounding unfinished and a bit shit at the end, it doesn't make too much of a difference when the rest of the track is fun to play. I didn't care for this in Rock Band 2 but it gets a THUMBS UP for Rock Band Unplugged.
"Rock Your Socks" - Tenacious D
I'll always welcome Tenacious D in Rock Band but...really, this song? I mean, it's good but hardly a standout track on the album. "Wonderboy" would've been good although I'm guessing this was chosen due to the nature of the chart. There are guitar and vocal solos and semi-interesting melodies on guitar/bass, along with a few fancy drum fills. Plus, it's fun to play on console and the inclusion of Tenacious D meant we got "Tribute" as DLC. THUMBS UP for The D.
"Show Me The Way" - Black Tide
Again, I'm all for the inclusion of any Black Tide from their Light From Above album but I can't say I particularly care for this track. It's good but it's one of the album's weaker "good" tracks, if that makes sense? Ah well, it's still a solid track and it pisses all over a lot of modern American Metal so I suppose it's a decent track to include. Plus, the backbeat on the drums is decent to play when combined with the faster guitar/bass riff so I give it a THUMBS UP.
"Spoonman" - Soundgarden
Damn fine Soundgarden song and one of the more fun guitar charts in Rock Band 2 (which is saying something). It's also quite fun to play until you get to the guitar solo but at least there's a good drum solo and bass riffs afterwards. There could've been many fun Soundgarden tracks to choose from for Rock Band Unplugged like "Rusty Cage" or "Fell On Black Days" but I'm OK with this song making the cut, even if it is yet another RB2 song. THUMBS UP.
"Today" - The Smashing Pumpkins
I often forget that this song was in Rock Band 2, probably because I'm so used to it from GH:WT. Either way, it was dull as fuck in RB2 but it works pretty well here. It's not challenging on any instrument but it makes for a solid chart across all fronts, provided you don't mind a slower tempo 4/4 rhythm. RB2 should've got a more interesting Smashing Pumpkins song like "Rocket" or "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" and "Today" should've been released as DLC. THUMBS UP.
"The Trees (Vault Edition)" - Rush
All praise the sacred Vault! I previously gave this song shit for having terrible lyrics that even English Literature students would cringe at but hey, it's pretty damn fun on Rock Band Unplugged. There's a fun little drum solo and the guitar is decent too. Bass is always fun on Rush, even on Rock Band Unplugged, so there's no surprises there. There are many Rush songs that could've been picked but I'm glad they took a weaker one of there's and made it better through this unique gameplay. THUMBS UP.
"What's My Age Again?" - Blink-182
Back to the new songs. It's funny how the most fun sections of this song are some of the most dull in an actual instrument chart and vice versa. Usually, the song's main riff on guitar is fun to play but it sucks here, whilst the chorus and guitar solo are pretty damn great in this game. If a Blink-182 song had to be picked for the game, I'm glad they went with one of the more fun ones on guitar that has a proper riff instead of just chords and strumming so THUMBS UP, although maybe a Sum 41 song would've been better.
"Where'd You Go?" - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Back to Rock Band 2 songs. This one's pretty fun on guitar in RB2 and that does not translate into this chart in the slightest. The main reason to play this in Rock Band Unplugged is for the vocals, although they only really pick up after the halfway point. The other instruments are alright but nothing you haven't played already. This probably should've been DLC and a different Alternative song picked for the game, maybe even "The Impression That I Get" so we wouldn't have had to wait until Rock Band 4 to play it on RB. THUMBS DOWN.
"White Wedding, Part 1" - Billy Idol
The last Rock Band 2 song in the game; they probably should've called this game Rock Band 2.5 with all the repeats but hey, at least there were tracks that translated well...like this one, sort of. It's a basic chart across all instruments but I like how the bass isn't just the same repeated note; they tried to do something fun with it. This is an acceptable RB2 repeat, although maybe "Dancing With Myself" would've been fun too...or "Rebel Yell". Still gets a THUMBS UP though.
"Would?" - Alice In Chains
The final song of the game (alphabetically speaking). Not a big Alice In Chains fan but hey, at least it isn't "Man In The Box" from RB2. Sadly, this song isn't much better. The bass is kinda fiddly and the drums are annoying as hell. Guitar's pretty good but vocals are as dull as they come. I couldn't tell you a better Alice In Chains song as I'm unfamiliar with most of their work although Stone Temple Pilots may have had better Grunge or 90s Alternative songs. THUMBS DOWN.
Out of all 41 songs, there were 26 Thumbs Up and 15 Thumbs Down; another success for the Rock Band franchise! Looking back over previous charts, I'd love to play this game on Nintendo Switch but I don't see that happening any time soon. Shame as it was actually pretty fun.
Monday, 30 April 2018
Sunday, 29 April 2018
Family Tree - Black Stone Cherry
I know I said I probably wouldn't listen to this album but I keep hearing radio adverts for it so I'm taking that as the universe's way of telling me to not only listen to Family Tree but also to review it!
Unless it's prefixed by "Dr", I generally can't stand the term "feel good". I usually find that things carrying that term don't make me feel good in the slightest BUT I'm going to make an exception on this occasion. Family Tree by Black Stone Cherry is a feel good Rock album, not because it contains families owning brand new puppies or old people being the recipient of charitable acts but because it contains a tight collection of energetic, footstomping Blues infused Southern Rock from start to finish.
Unfortunately, much like many modern Rock albums at the moment, the highlights are in the first third of the album. "Bad Habit" is a great album opener that could very well open live Black Stone Cherry gigs for many years to come, although it's a shame they had to go and ruin it with a terrible guitar solo needlessly slowing the entire song down. Luckily, "Burnin'" is able to recover some of the momentum with its catchy chorus and *shudders* feel good vibe. It helps that it sounds like one of your typical Black Stone Cherry songs, albeit a bit more upbeat.
As I said 86 words ago, these songs that come early on in the album are easily the best. They're the kind of songs designed up ramp up crowds at live venues or create a positive atmosphere in pubs/comfort dining restaurants; non-threatening but still punchy, kinda like Nickelback without the negative stigma. This is fine if you're picking and choosing individual songs but when experienced as an entire album, things start to get a little samey. The same drumbeats, the same guitar tones and the same basic structure for 13 songs...well, OK, not all 13. There are some anomalies.
For starters, "My Last Breath" stands out as having slightly higher production values than the previous tracks. There are backing vocals and non-Hard Rock instruments like electric piano in the introduction that separate it from your typical Black Stone Cherry footstomper. There's also "James Brown", a track that contains a pinch of Soul to carry the weight of the song's name and lyrics, once again using the brass musical accompaniments and gospel-like backing vocals to enhance it, and "Southern Fried Friday Night", another slow song but with more of a heavier, gritty feel to it.
However, you could argue that the small differences in these songs are mainly there to mask the fact that they're still generic Black Stone Cherry numbers...or that they were included to spice up what the band believed were pretty decent tracks, it depends on how cynical you're feeling. But even if the band were being genuine, that doesn't redeem the fact that a lot of songs are similar and therefore forgettable if you're not absolutely in love with their brand of Southern Rock. The album sounds like it's aimed at fans and general audiences but the minute differences between each track are arguably too subtle for the casual listener, not to mention borderline pointless in some cases.
"Dancin' In The Rain" makes a somewhat big deal of the fact that Warren Haynes (Southern Rock guitarist) is featured on - you guessed it - guitar...except Black Stone Cherry aren't faltering in the guitar department and what Warren brings isn't any more impressive or significant than anything else the band have already thrown at you. Then there's "You Got The Blues", a song with a bizarre introduction like something out of 80s New Romantic before returning back to your regularly scheduled sludgy Southern Rock. If you've read my reviews before, you're probably waiting for the part where I say "these songs needed faster drumbeats" and whilst I would've preferred many of them with slightly higher tempos ("Carry Me On Down The Road" is a perfect example), I'm hesitant to say that the album "needed" them.
The drummer (John Fred Young) has a couple of moments towards the end of the album where he's allowed to let loose but there aren't any fast paced tracks with furious riffing and driving rhythms...but that's OK! That's not what Black Stone Cherry are about; they're not a Hard Rock outfit, they're modern Blues based Southern Rock. It's about the quality of the music and, to a lesser extent, lyrics; the percussion is merely the skeleton from which the fleshy guitar riffs and solos songs hang. Besides, the band do an incredible job of maintaining the energy and.......
Sorry, let me try that again.
The band do an incredible job of maintaining the energy and...........feel good atmosphere of the album all the way to the finish line so increasing the speed of a couple of tracks to add more energy would be a hat on a hat, generally speaking. However, that being said, there are a couple of filler tracks that bring nothing of value to the table and possibly should've been rewritten to sound a little bit faster to the majority of what we'd already heard up to that point, just to give listeners more to enjoy ("I Need A Woman", "Get Me Over You").
Overall, Family Tree is decent. It might not be my favourite album by any means but it's not a bad collection of tunes, so long as you don't mind the occasional bit of Rock monotony around the middle. I'm welcome to be proven wrong but the biggest problem with this album is that it lacks that one great track, increasing the likelihood that it'll fade away into the band's back catalogue over the years to come. Sure, "Burnin'" is decent but it's no "Blind Man" or "In My Blood"...or even "Remember Me". Consequently, I rate it a 7/10. Strong effort and good delivery but a little too bland at times and not enough risks taken, seeing as this is the band's 6th album which is usually where bands start to innovate and..............
Fuck, I can do this, hold on.
Where bands start to innovate and.....*gags in mouth*.....experiment.
Unless it's prefixed by "Dr", I generally can't stand the term "feel good". I usually find that things carrying that term don't make me feel good in the slightest BUT I'm going to make an exception on this occasion. Family Tree by Black Stone Cherry is a feel good Rock album, not because it contains families owning brand new puppies or old people being the recipient of charitable acts but because it contains a tight collection of energetic, footstomping Blues infused Southern Rock from start to finish.
Unfortunately, much like many modern Rock albums at the moment, the highlights are in the first third of the album. "Bad Habit" is a great album opener that could very well open live Black Stone Cherry gigs for many years to come, although it's a shame they had to go and ruin it with a terrible guitar solo needlessly slowing the entire song down. Luckily, "Burnin'" is able to recover some of the momentum with its catchy chorus and *shudders* feel good vibe. It helps that it sounds like one of your typical Black Stone Cherry songs, albeit a bit more upbeat.
As I said 86 words ago, these songs that come early on in the album are easily the best. They're the kind of songs designed up ramp up crowds at live venues or create a positive atmosphere in pubs/comfort dining restaurants; non-threatening but still punchy, kinda like Nickelback without the negative stigma. This is fine if you're picking and choosing individual songs but when experienced as an entire album, things start to get a little samey. The same drumbeats, the same guitar tones and the same basic structure for 13 songs...well, OK, not all 13. There are some anomalies.
For starters, "My Last Breath" stands out as having slightly higher production values than the previous tracks. There are backing vocals and non-Hard Rock instruments like electric piano in the introduction that separate it from your typical Black Stone Cherry footstomper. There's also "James Brown", a track that contains a pinch of Soul to carry the weight of the song's name and lyrics, once again using the brass musical accompaniments and gospel-like backing vocals to enhance it, and "Southern Fried Friday Night", another slow song but with more of a heavier, gritty feel to it.
However, you could argue that the small differences in these songs are mainly there to mask the fact that they're still generic Black Stone Cherry numbers...or that they were included to spice up what the band believed were pretty decent tracks, it depends on how cynical you're feeling. But even if the band were being genuine, that doesn't redeem the fact that a lot of songs are similar and therefore forgettable if you're not absolutely in love with their brand of Southern Rock. The album sounds like it's aimed at fans and general audiences but the minute differences between each track are arguably too subtle for the casual listener, not to mention borderline pointless in some cases.
"Dancin' In The Rain" makes a somewhat big deal of the fact that Warren Haynes (Southern Rock guitarist) is featured on - you guessed it - guitar...except Black Stone Cherry aren't faltering in the guitar department and what Warren brings isn't any more impressive or significant than anything else the band have already thrown at you. Then there's "You Got The Blues", a song with a bizarre introduction like something out of 80s New Romantic before returning back to your regularly scheduled sludgy Southern Rock. If you've read my reviews before, you're probably waiting for the part where I say "these songs needed faster drumbeats" and whilst I would've preferred many of them with slightly higher tempos ("Carry Me On Down The Road" is a perfect example), I'm hesitant to say that the album "needed" them.
The drummer (John Fred Young) has a couple of moments towards the end of the album where he's allowed to let loose but there aren't any fast paced tracks with furious riffing and driving rhythms...but that's OK! That's not what Black Stone Cherry are about; they're not a Hard Rock outfit, they're modern Blues based Southern Rock. It's about the quality of the music and, to a lesser extent, lyrics; the percussion is merely the skeleton from which the fleshy guitar riffs and solos songs hang. Besides, the band do an incredible job of maintaining the energy and.......
Sorry, let me try that again.
The band do an incredible job of maintaining the energy and...........feel good atmosphere of the album all the way to the finish line so increasing the speed of a couple of tracks to add more energy would be a hat on a hat, generally speaking. However, that being said, there are a couple of filler tracks that bring nothing of value to the table and possibly should've been rewritten to sound a little bit faster to the majority of what we'd already heard up to that point, just to give listeners more to enjoy ("I Need A Woman", "Get Me Over You").
Overall, Family Tree is decent. It might not be my favourite album by any means but it's not a bad collection of tunes, so long as you don't mind the occasional bit of Rock monotony around the middle. I'm welcome to be proven wrong but the biggest problem with this album is that it lacks that one great track, increasing the likelihood that it'll fade away into the band's back catalogue over the years to come. Sure, "Burnin'" is decent but it's no "Blind Man" or "In My Blood"...or even "Remember Me". Consequently, I rate it a 7/10. Strong effort and good delivery but a little too bland at times and not enough risks taken, seeing as this is the band's 6th album which is usually where bands start to innovate and..............
Fuck, I can do this, hold on.
Where bands start to innovate and.....*gags in mouth*.....experiment.
Wednesday, 25 April 2018
Shout Out: Miracle Of Sound
Jesus, I've really let myself down with the lack of posts lately. Time to get right on that!
Kicking the rest of the posts off this month is a brief shout out to Miracle Of Sound, a one-man band who doesn't sound dreadful and look like a robot made of terrible musical instruments. The man in question is Gavin Dunne and he writes/plays a variety of songs that belong to Rock, Pop, Metal and other musical genres all related to video games, TV shows and/or films. However, the main difference between Miracle Of Sound and those bands that write Legend Of Zelda tributes that rip off melodies from those games and feel like the lyrics were compiled by an AI algorithm full of generic Zelda references is that this guy's music can stand on its own feet.
Some of the songs feature heavier lyrical references to the games than others (e.g. "Nord Mead" and "Another Round Of Gwent" relating heavier to Skyrim and The Witcher than, say, "Jet Fuel Heart" to Ratchet & Clank) but even then, the songs are great to listen to and don't feel as uninspired as many of the others literally Spotify and Youtube. However, the greatest aspect of Miracle Of Sound's music is the ability to capture the essence of the game/show without using melodies ripped straight from them. The song "My Shooting Star" comes pretty close with the use of slide guitar from Firefly but at the end of the day, it still sounds like a damn fine song.
If you're an active gamer who seeks out new titles rather than simply replaying the classics, you should probably check out Miracle Of Sound on Spotify or Youtube, as he has eight different albums full of original tunes and he's probably written about something you love. I mean, you should go ahead and check out the ones about games/shows you don't watch as they're incredible well written, but you know what I mean. Normally, I'd post a tracklist and highlight songs I really like from the album I gave a shout out to but since there are too many songs to write about here, I'm just gonna leave it with you to find this guy and give the songs that you're interested in listening to a try.
Yeah, I know this is a short and relatively unsatisfying post but if it introduces just one more person to Miracle Of Sound, it's done its purpose.
COMING SOON: Rapid Fire and video game posts!
Kicking the rest of the posts off this month is a brief shout out to Miracle Of Sound, a one-man band who doesn't sound dreadful and look like a robot made of terrible musical instruments. The man in question is Gavin Dunne and he writes/plays a variety of songs that belong to Rock, Pop, Metal and other musical genres all related to video games, TV shows and/or films. However, the main difference between Miracle Of Sound and those bands that write Legend Of Zelda tributes that rip off melodies from those games and feel like the lyrics were compiled by an AI algorithm full of generic Zelda references is that this guy's music can stand on its own feet.
Some of the songs feature heavier lyrical references to the games than others (e.g. "Nord Mead" and "Another Round Of Gwent" relating heavier to Skyrim and The Witcher than, say, "Jet Fuel Heart" to Ratchet & Clank) but even then, the songs are great to listen to and don't feel as uninspired as many of the others literally Spotify and Youtube. However, the greatest aspect of Miracle Of Sound's music is the ability to capture the essence of the game/show without using melodies ripped straight from them. The song "My Shooting Star" comes pretty close with the use of slide guitar from Firefly but at the end of the day, it still sounds like a damn fine song.
If you're an active gamer who seeks out new titles rather than simply replaying the classics, you should probably check out Miracle Of Sound on Spotify or Youtube, as he has eight different albums full of original tunes and he's probably written about something you love. I mean, you should go ahead and check out the ones about games/shows you don't watch as they're incredible well written, but you know what I mean. Normally, I'd post a tracklist and highlight songs I really like from the album I gave a shout out to but since there are too many songs to write about here, I'm just gonna leave it with you to find this guy and give the songs that you're interested in listening to a try.
Yeah, I know this is a short and relatively unsatisfying post but if it introduces just one more person to Miracle Of Sound, it's done its purpose.
COMING SOON: Rapid Fire and video game posts!
Sunday, 8 April 2018
Showdown: Back From The Dead - Spinal Tap
Last year, I wrote about Mock Rock band Tenacious D in a Rapid Fire post for April Fool's Day. Whilst I might be a week late, the first blog post for April will continue the celebration of Mock Rock by looking at a series of rerecords from 2009 by quite possibly the most famous and beloved Mock Rock band of all time; Spinal Tap.
This Is Spinal Tap is a classic mockumentary about the British Rock/Metal band Spinal Tap. It's also the name of the film's soundtrack and collection of most (if not all) of the band's memorable songs:
Yep, the famous black album cover from Smell The Glove is the album cover for the soundtrack, naturally. The soundtrack/album was released in 1984 (and a poorly received follow up album entitled Break Like The Wind was released eight years later, presumably to tie into an appearance on The Simpsons) but the aim of this post is to compare the classic original recordings with the rerecords off Back From The Dead, a 25th anniversary compilation album containing a few new tracks and fleshed out versions of tracks mentioned in the film like "Saucy Jack" and parts of the 20-minute free form "Jazz Odyssey".
However, I won't be talking about those new songs in this post. I'll just be looking at shared songs from both records. Also, no Spotify playlist for this post since it's just songs off the two albums rather than a compilation of various Rock/Metal/Pop covers that'd be harder to source.
So, time to turn it up to 11 and some other hacky reference from the film!
ROUND ONE: Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight
This Is Spinal Tap - I'm surprised this wasn't the 1984 record's album opener, considering how prominently it featured in the film. However, it's a fucking great track. It manages to blend awesome riffs with amusing vocals ("you're too young and I'm too well hung" is a line KISS were probably a year or two away from writing non-ironically). It's a shame the backing vocals are kinda shitty but hey, it's still a top notch song to listen to even if you didn't care for the film.
Back From The Dead - I guess Spinal Tap found a drummer as the percussion for this song is definitely better than the original. It also helps that the song's main riff still sounds awesome although I can't say the same for the vocals. Backing vocals from Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) are still too comical but sadly lead vocals from David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) are a lot worse. It's almost like he's parodying his younger self which makes one of the few awesome Hard Rock songs on the album a little bit worse.
VERDICT - Got to give it to This Is Spinal Tap here. It might be a good rerecording overall with some small improvements but sadly the negatives outweigh the positives. If the vocals were identical in terms of silliness, it probably would've won.
ROUND TWO: (Funky) Sex Farm
This Is Spinal Tap - Wow, that opening riff stopped itself from being identical to the previous track, didn't it? Yeah, this is a fairly forgettable song from a Rock fan's perspective. Lyrically, it does a great job of lampooning forced metaphors and sexual language in Glam/Shock Rock but musically, there's something off about it. It sounds like one of those "shreds it" videos with riffs that sound incomplete or guitar harmonies that don't quite work.
Back From The Dead - So for some reason, the band decided to make this song sound less like a parody of bad Glam Rock and more like a parody of bad 70s Funk Rock, complete with added brass and softer guitar. I have to say, whilst I'm not a fan of the song, the corny Funk style definitely works better with the lyrics than the Rock style. I even prefer the brief Hip Hop interlude to the terrible guitar solo in the original.
VERDICT - Back From The Dead wins it for taking a chance and producing something that's still pretty poor but better as a parody track. I don't particularly like either but if I was forced to pick one to listen to again, it'd definitely be the rerecording.
ROUND THREE: Rock 'N' Roll Creation
This Is Spinal Tap - I guess this was their attempt at parodying Black Sabbath and other Heavy Metal/Hard Rock bands who use generic Biblical themes in their songs...it's OK, I guess. However, it needed to be taken a step further. It's not quite "bad" enough to be a good parody, if that makes sense? The lyrics needed to be just a bit more on-the-nose, although the music wasn't bad.
Back From The Dead - I actually quite like the music in this rerecord. They've amplified the better aspects (the chorus) and lessened the worse ones (guitar solos). Part of me would've liked to hear a version of this song where they actually changed the middle and made it sound more like an Arena Rock anthem than the original but at least this version isn't as bad.
VERDICT - It's another win for Back From The Dead for taking a mediocre parody and making it into a semi-decent song, although it still could've been improved with slightly more amusing lyrics.
ROUND FOUR: Gimme Some Money
This Is Spinal Tap - If I remember right, this is supposed to be one of Spinal Tap's earliest songs when they were a 60s guitar band like The Beatles or The Animals and God damn, it is fucking on point. It's lame, tepid Blues based "Rock" just like The Rolling Stones. It might not be a great song to listen to (unless you haven't heard Rock music before) but as a pastiche of Rock's early days, it's masterfully done.
Back From The Dead - A decent attempt at rerecording the original although the fact that it sounds so clean kind of works against it. The point of the song is to sound like a naff 60s Blues Rock track and this doesn't quite work. It would've been cool to hear a tarted up version of this track as a different period piece, like 90s Grunge or something. However, if you like the song, it's a great rendition of it.
VERDICT - Whilst the rerecording does have better sound quality, this is one of the few times where less is more. This Is Spinal Tap takes the win for being the perfect 60s Rock parody.
ROUND FIVE: Heavy Duty
This Is Spinal Tap - This is pretty damn close to Judas Priest for comfort! However, musically speaking, it's kind of plain with a poor mix. I don't remember this song from the film but I'm assuming it's supposed to showcase Nigel's guitar playing, as that takes centre-stage in this weak track. If the lead guitar tone was different, maybe I'd like the track more. As it stands, I'm not a huge fan.
Back From The Dead - Yeah, this is what I'm talking about. Better mix whilst retaining the better aspects of the track, plus some added keys from Keith Emerson during the solo. If I had to find flaws, I'd say that the vocals are a little too clear for a song that needs a grittier feel to it (and was previously ruined by the clean guitar in the original) but the track still works.
VERDICT - Another win for Back From The Dead. Could it be that Spinal Tap have pulled a Saxon and recorded a far greater collection of music 25 years after their original material?
ROUND SIX: America
This Is Spinal Tap - Songs about British bands travelling to America are a niche subject to parody and the film already covered the clashing of sensitive music with vulgar lyrics or themes with "Lick My Love Pump" (a song I would've loved to hear fleshed out as a precursor to Sensitive Axl Rose's material for 90s Guns N Roses albums) so I'm not really sure what purpose this song serves other than just a general Rock song. If that's the case, I guess it works. It's got some good riffs and great drumming, although it does sound a little like the band entered the studio after the first draft. A proper Rock band could've taken this material and done something great with it.
Back From The Dead - A relatively faithful rerecording but with far superior aspects; notice a theme emerging? Everything about this song is improved in the rerecording from the percussion to the passion of the vocals in the final verse. However, since they're rerecording the original material, it still suffers from sounding like they didn't do the necessary rewrites between verses to make crappier riffs sound better. At least this sounds like a good Alice Cooper song, unlike some of the originals.
VERDICT - I guess Spinal Tap really did resurrect what with all the wins Back From The Dead is getting!
ROUND SEVEN: (Listen To The) Flower People - Reggae Stylee
This Is Spinal Tap - Aaaaaand a perfect Psychedelic Rock parody from the late 60s now! It's almost scary how much I can imagine this song being used in some Vietnam flashback in a hacky action/comedy film with Seth Rogen and James Franco, if not for the lyrics...but I guess that's what makes the song work so spectacularly. If not for the forced Mozart riff, this would've been 10/10 on the Parodometer.
Back From The Dead - Remember how I said "Gimme Some Money" should've been rerecorded in a different style? Well, Spinal Tap did exactly that with this song! They rerecorded it as a Reggae song and once again, it works perfectly. The vocals are bang on the money and the music couldn't be better; if you were going to pick a new genre to mock with a song about the "Flower People", Reggae's a solid choice.
VERDICT - This is actually a really tough one. Both the original and rerecording do a spot on job of lampooning their respective genres so I'm going to have to give it to the song I preferred to listen to...which means This Is Spinal Tap gets the win because I will ALWAYS vote for Psychedelic Rock over Reggae.
ROUND EIGHT: Hell Hole
This Is Spinal Tap - This is one of few tracks Spinal Tap have released that could actually be a proper Rock song without being held back by silliness (which presumably explains why they made a music video for it). My biggest problem with Spinal Tap is that they're too far on the comedy side, meaning a lot of their music sounds like scrapings from the floor of Alice Cooper's recording studio. However, this song has a collection of great riffs, some ace backing vocals in the chorus and a sweet guitar solo. All in all, a strong song to start the original album.
Back From The Dead - A valiant effort but I guess the band were feeling a little insecure about this rerecording too, seeing as how it's been pushed way down the tracklist. At least the solo sounds great although none of that matters when you compare the backing vocals in this version to the original. Fuck me, they're terrible. Like, shite-awful. That alone is enough to give the win to This Is Spinal Tap.
VERDICT - Weren't you reading? This Is Spinal Tap get it for the superior backing vocals in the chorus and that alone, even though it has other positive attributes too.
ROUND NINE: Big Bottom
This Is Spinal Tap - A parody of bands that think they're lyrical wordsmiths when really they're talking out their arse, so to speak (once again, this film/soundtrack came out three years before Appetite For Destruction). Unfortunately, since its purpose is to showcase silly lyrics, the music is pretty dull and uninspired. So dull and uninspired that there's not much to say except it's a shame the percussion is the only thing lifting this song up.
Back From The Dead - Props to the band, they found a synth tone that was more comical than the one used in the original. At the end of the day though, it's still a dumb song that exists as a mediocre punchline. Whilst the elevated production values make the song quite amusing, it would've been funnier if they went even further with it. Imagining Def Leppard or even Michael Jackson level production values complete with 40-piece choir and orchestral accompaniments applied to a song called "Big Bottom" is funnier than what we got.
VERDICT - It's hard to say as both tracks are a bit shit so I'm giving it to This Is Spinal Tap for being a whole seven seconds shorter.
ROUND TEN: Stonehenge
This Is Spinal Tap - This is the song everyone knows, even if you haven't seen the film. It's also a perfect blend of funny lyrics and great music AND actually progresses the plot of the mockumentary in its own hilarious way. Whilst some lines ("No one knows who they were...or...what they were doin'") will always be funnier than others ("where the dew drops cry and the cats meow"), the highlight of this song is certainly the mandolin solo before the outro. It might get cut down in the film but hearing it fleshed out on the album is a real treat.
Back From The Dead - I think it's fair to say that I'm more familiar with this rerecording than the original due to my excessive playing of it on Rock Band but after comparing both, I definitely think this is the better version of the two. Tufnel's vocals in the intro sound perfectly clueless and the Rock elements are appropriately heavy. But hey, does the song master the mandolin solo? You bet your fucking arse it does. The original might be slightly more complex but the rerecording tightens up the imperfections into the perfect little melody. Fun fact: I learnt how to play this solo on the keyboard years ago. I doubt I can remember it now but it was still fun to play, even on a different instrument.
VERDICT - Back From The Dead, hands down.
ROUND ELEVEN: Cups And Cakes
This Is Spinal Tap - I really need to rewatch This Is Spinal Tap as I feel bad for being unable to remember any of these songs from the film. Anyway, it's a short little tune that's mostly strings. Probably not worth including on the soundtrack but here we are.
Back From The Dead - Oh...it got a rerecording too. That seems fair, I guess. It's basically the same as the original but with piano instead of strings so it makes sense to use as a fun little album closer, I suppose.
VERDICT - For the reason above, I'm giving it to Back From The Dead as it's the kind of song that would've been a hidden track on an album until digital distribution made those obsolete. It's a shame to end this Showdown post on such a meh song (especially after "Stonehenge") but that's the way the cupcake gets frosted!
FINAL SCORES:
This Is Spinal Tap - 5
Back From The Dead - 6
Well, there you have it. It's a close score but ultimately, Back From The Dead came out victorious! As for individual album ratings, I give This Is Spinal Tap a 6/10 (mostly for the parody aspect of it over musical quality) and Back From The Dead a 6/10 too, since there are a couple of new songs on it that I didn't discuss that are hit and miss. It's almost as if both albums are as good as each other and collectively, they come together to make the ultimate Spinal Tap album...you know, after Break Like The Wind, of course.
This Is Spinal Tap is a classic mockumentary about the British Rock/Metal band Spinal Tap. It's also the name of the film's soundtrack and collection of most (if not all) of the band's memorable songs:
Yep, the famous black album cover from Smell The Glove is the album cover for the soundtrack, naturally. The soundtrack/album was released in 1984 (and a poorly received follow up album entitled Break Like The Wind was released eight years later, presumably to tie into an appearance on The Simpsons) but the aim of this post is to compare the classic original recordings with the rerecords off Back From The Dead, a 25th anniversary compilation album containing a few new tracks and fleshed out versions of tracks mentioned in the film like "Saucy Jack" and parts of the 20-minute free form "Jazz Odyssey".
However, I won't be talking about those new songs in this post. I'll just be looking at shared songs from both records. Also, no Spotify playlist for this post since it's just songs off the two albums rather than a compilation of various Rock/Metal/Pop covers that'd be harder to source.
So, time to turn it up to 11 and some other hacky reference from the film!
ROUND ONE: Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight
This Is Spinal Tap - I'm surprised this wasn't the 1984 record's album opener, considering how prominently it featured in the film. However, it's a fucking great track. It manages to blend awesome riffs with amusing vocals ("you're too young and I'm too well hung" is a line KISS were probably a year or two away from writing non-ironically). It's a shame the backing vocals are kinda shitty but hey, it's still a top notch song to listen to even if you didn't care for the film.
Back From The Dead - I guess Spinal Tap found a drummer as the percussion for this song is definitely better than the original. It also helps that the song's main riff still sounds awesome although I can't say the same for the vocals. Backing vocals from Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) are still too comical but sadly lead vocals from David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) are a lot worse. It's almost like he's parodying his younger self which makes one of the few awesome Hard Rock songs on the album a little bit worse.
VERDICT - Got to give it to This Is Spinal Tap here. It might be a good rerecording overall with some small improvements but sadly the negatives outweigh the positives. If the vocals were identical in terms of silliness, it probably would've won.
ROUND TWO: (Funky) Sex Farm
This Is Spinal Tap - Wow, that opening riff stopped itself from being identical to the previous track, didn't it? Yeah, this is a fairly forgettable song from a Rock fan's perspective. Lyrically, it does a great job of lampooning forced metaphors and sexual language in Glam/Shock Rock but musically, there's something off about it. It sounds like one of those "shreds it" videos with riffs that sound incomplete or guitar harmonies that don't quite work.
Back From The Dead - So for some reason, the band decided to make this song sound less like a parody of bad Glam Rock and more like a parody of bad 70s Funk Rock, complete with added brass and softer guitar. I have to say, whilst I'm not a fan of the song, the corny Funk style definitely works better with the lyrics than the Rock style. I even prefer the brief Hip Hop interlude to the terrible guitar solo in the original.
VERDICT - Back From The Dead wins it for taking a chance and producing something that's still pretty poor but better as a parody track. I don't particularly like either but if I was forced to pick one to listen to again, it'd definitely be the rerecording.
ROUND THREE: Rock 'N' Roll Creation
This Is Spinal Tap - I guess this was their attempt at parodying Black Sabbath and other Heavy Metal/Hard Rock bands who use generic Biblical themes in their songs...it's OK, I guess. However, it needed to be taken a step further. It's not quite "bad" enough to be a good parody, if that makes sense? The lyrics needed to be just a bit more on-the-nose, although the music wasn't bad.
Back From The Dead - I actually quite like the music in this rerecord. They've amplified the better aspects (the chorus) and lessened the worse ones (guitar solos). Part of me would've liked to hear a version of this song where they actually changed the middle and made it sound more like an Arena Rock anthem than the original but at least this version isn't as bad.
VERDICT - It's another win for Back From The Dead for taking a mediocre parody and making it into a semi-decent song, although it still could've been improved with slightly more amusing lyrics.
ROUND FOUR: Gimme Some Money
This Is Spinal Tap - If I remember right, this is supposed to be one of Spinal Tap's earliest songs when they were a 60s guitar band like The Beatles or The Animals and God damn, it is fucking on point. It's lame, tepid Blues based "Rock" just like The Rolling Stones. It might not be a great song to listen to (unless you haven't heard Rock music before) but as a pastiche of Rock's early days, it's masterfully done.
Back From The Dead - A decent attempt at rerecording the original although the fact that it sounds so clean kind of works against it. The point of the song is to sound like a naff 60s Blues Rock track and this doesn't quite work. It would've been cool to hear a tarted up version of this track as a different period piece, like 90s Grunge or something. However, if you like the song, it's a great rendition of it.
VERDICT - Whilst the rerecording does have better sound quality, this is one of the few times where less is more. This Is Spinal Tap takes the win for being the perfect 60s Rock parody.
ROUND FIVE: Heavy Duty
This Is Spinal Tap - This is pretty damn close to Judas Priest for comfort! However, musically speaking, it's kind of plain with a poor mix. I don't remember this song from the film but I'm assuming it's supposed to showcase Nigel's guitar playing, as that takes centre-stage in this weak track. If the lead guitar tone was different, maybe I'd like the track more. As it stands, I'm not a huge fan.
Back From The Dead - Yeah, this is what I'm talking about. Better mix whilst retaining the better aspects of the track, plus some added keys from Keith Emerson during the solo. If I had to find flaws, I'd say that the vocals are a little too clear for a song that needs a grittier feel to it (and was previously ruined by the clean guitar in the original) but the track still works.
VERDICT - Another win for Back From The Dead. Could it be that Spinal Tap have pulled a Saxon and recorded a far greater collection of music 25 years after their original material?
ROUND SIX: America
This Is Spinal Tap - Songs about British bands travelling to America are a niche subject to parody and the film already covered the clashing of sensitive music with vulgar lyrics or themes with "Lick My Love Pump" (a song I would've loved to hear fleshed out as a precursor to Sensitive Axl Rose's material for 90s Guns N Roses albums) so I'm not really sure what purpose this song serves other than just a general Rock song. If that's the case, I guess it works. It's got some good riffs and great drumming, although it does sound a little like the band entered the studio after the first draft. A proper Rock band could've taken this material and done something great with it.
Back From The Dead - A relatively faithful rerecording but with far superior aspects; notice a theme emerging? Everything about this song is improved in the rerecording from the percussion to the passion of the vocals in the final verse. However, since they're rerecording the original material, it still suffers from sounding like they didn't do the necessary rewrites between verses to make crappier riffs sound better. At least this sounds like a good Alice Cooper song, unlike some of the originals.
VERDICT - I guess Spinal Tap really did resurrect what with all the wins Back From The Dead is getting!
ROUND SEVEN: (Listen To The) Flower People - Reggae Stylee
This Is Spinal Tap - Aaaaaand a perfect Psychedelic Rock parody from the late 60s now! It's almost scary how much I can imagine this song being used in some Vietnam flashback in a hacky action/comedy film with Seth Rogen and James Franco, if not for the lyrics...but I guess that's what makes the song work so spectacularly. If not for the forced Mozart riff, this would've been 10/10 on the Parodometer.
Back From The Dead - Remember how I said "Gimme Some Money" should've been rerecorded in a different style? Well, Spinal Tap did exactly that with this song! They rerecorded it as a Reggae song and once again, it works perfectly. The vocals are bang on the money and the music couldn't be better; if you were going to pick a new genre to mock with a song about the "Flower People", Reggae's a solid choice.
VERDICT - This is actually a really tough one. Both the original and rerecording do a spot on job of lampooning their respective genres so I'm going to have to give it to the song I preferred to listen to...which means This Is Spinal Tap gets the win because I will ALWAYS vote for Psychedelic Rock over Reggae.
ROUND EIGHT: Hell Hole
This Is Spinal Tap - This is one of few tracks Spinal Tap have released that could actually be a proper Rock song without being held back by silliness (which presumably explains why they made a music video for it). My biggest problem with Spinal Tap is that they're too far on the comedy side, meaning a lot of their music sounds like scrapings from the floor of Alice Cooper's recording studio. However, this song has a collection of great riffs, some ace backing vocals in the chorus and a sweet guitar solo. All in all, a strong song to start the original album.
Back From The Dead - A valiant effort but I guess the band were feeling a little insecure about this rerecording too, seeing as how it's been pushed way down the tracklist. At least the solo sounds great although none of that matters when you compare the backing vocals in this version to the original. Fuck me, they're terrible. Like, shite-awful. That alone is enough to give the win to This Is Spinal Tap.
VERDICT - Weren't you reading? This Is Spinal Tap get it for the superior backing vocals in the chorus and that alone, even though it has other positive attributes too.
ROUND NINE: Big Bottom
This Is Spinal Tap - A parody of bands that think they're lyrical wordsmiths when really they're talking out their arse, so to speak (once again, this film/soundtrack came out three years before Appetite For Destruction). Unfortunately, since its purpose is to showcase silly lyrics, the music is pretty dull and uninspired. So dull and uninspired that there's not much to say except it's a shame the percussion is the only thing lifting this song up.
Back From The Dead - Props to the band, they found a synth tone that was more comical than the one used in the original. At the end of the day though, it's still a dumb song that exists as a mediocre punchline. Whilst the elevated production values make the song quite amusing, it would've been funnier if they went even further with it. Imagining Def Leppard or even Michael Jackson level production values complete with 40-piece choir and orchestral accompaniments applied to a song called "Big Bottom" is funnier than what we got.
VERDICT - It's hard to say as both tracks are a bit shit so I'm giving it to This Is Spinal Tap for being a whole seven seconds shorter.
ROUND TEN: Stonehenge
This Is Spinal Tap - This is the song everyone knows, even if you haven't seen the film. It's also a perfect blend of funny lyrics and great music AND actually progresses the plot of the mockumentary in its own hilarious way. Whilst some lines ("No one knows who they were...or...what they were doin'") will always be funnier than others ("where the dew drops cry and the cats meow"), the highlight of this song is certainly the mandolin solo before the outro. It might get cut down in the film but hearing it fleshed out on the album is a real treat.
Back From The Dead - I think it's fair to say that I'm more familiar with this rerecording than the original due to my excessive playing of it on Rock Band but after comparing both, I definitely think this is the better version of the two. Tufnel's vocals in the intro sound perfectly clueless and the Rock elements are appropriately heavy. But hey, does the song master the mandolin solo? You bet your fucking arse it does. The original might be slightly more complex but the rerecording tightens up the imperfections into the perfect little melody. Fun fact: I learnt how to play this solo on the keyboard years ago. I doubt I can remember it now but it was still fun to play, even on a different instrument.
VERDICT - Back From The Dead, hands down.
ROUND ELEVEN: Cups And Cakes
This Is Spinal Tap - I really need to rewatch This Is Spinal Tap as I feel bad for being unable to remember any of these songs from the film. Anyway, it's a short little tune that's mostly strings. Probably not worth including on the soundtrack but here we are.
Back From The Dead - Oh...it got a rerecording too. That seems fair, I guess. It's basically the same as the original but with piano instead of strings so it makes sense to use as a fun little album closer, I suppose.
VERDICT - For the reason above, I'm giving it to Back From The Dead as it's the kind of song that would've been a hidden track on an album until digital distribution made those obsolete. It's a shame to end this Showdown post on such a meh song (especially after "Stonehenge") but that's the way the cupcake gets frosted!
FINAL SCORES:
This Is Spinal Tap - 5
Back From The Dead - 6
Well, there you have it. It's a close score but ultimately, Back From The Dead came out victorious! As for individual album ratings, I give This Is Spinal Tap a 6/10 (mostly for the parody aspect of it over musical quality) and Back From The Dead a 6/10 too, since there are a couple of new songs on it that I didn't discuss that are hit and miss. It's almost as if both albums are as good as each other and collectively, they come together to make the ultimate Spinal Tap album...you know, after Break Like The Wind, of course.
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