Good evening friends, I hope things find you harmonious tonight. This secular musical missal will be on the topic of the new AC/DC album, "Black Ice". This is their newest album, just released last Monday. It was a Walmart only release though I did see a few copies being sold in Record and Tape Traders.
The album starts out with their new single, "Rock 'n' Roll Train". I like this song quite a bit. Standard AC/DC fair. All the songs on here are standard AC/DC. Never leave the formula because it works too well. But there is a glaring issue with this album.
The album is 15 tracks long. AC/DC albums are normally between 5-10 tracks. They are normally concise and they pack a harder punch. I can't but help blame Walmart for this. I can't imagine Walmart saying we want the exclusive rights to your album, but you can make it however you want. I believe Walmart told AC/DC to stretch the album to be over an hour, otherwise they won't sell it for the already low price of $11.88. Some of the guitar licks aren't strong enough to carry an album. I imagine the original album looked like this:
1. Rock 'n' Roll Train
2. Big Jack
3. Anything Goes
4. War Machine
5. Smash 'n Grab
6. Stormy May Day
7. Black Ice
Then Walmart saw that was only 45 minutes and said "Oh no no no, we're about giving our customers value!" and thus AC/DC, to keep the massive distribution machine that is Walmart on board, went back in the studio and wrote and recorded some songs that are almost cliche versions of the band's style. This really broke my heart. I knew there would be something fishy with this album, but with how good the last Journey album was, which was a Walmart exclusive, I had hopes for the AC/DC album to potentially be a reincarnation of "Back in Black" or "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". but instead its a really strong AC/DC album with pop filler mixed in.
When compared to other AC/DC albums I don't think this one is as strong, but simply because its watered down. Based on the tracks above only, I'd rate it this way:
Uniqueness: 9 - no one can sound like AC/DC
Composition: 6.5 - They're missing an epic anthem, such as For Those about to Rock or Let there be Rock
Vocals: 9 - Brian Johnson drops out of his howl a few times to sing and have a more smokey, jazz voice. Its refreshing.
Instrumental: 7 - You have to wait awhile before you get a guitar solo in this album
Value: 10 - I can't argue with $11.88
But with the album in its current released, bloated state, I'd rate it like this:
Uniqueness: 6 - the style gets a bit dry.
Composition: 5.5 - some sound like they were written to fill time, not our mind
Vocals: - 9
Instrumental: 5 - You have to wait even longer for a guitar solo
Value: 6 - I'd take fewer tracks for a better feeling of completion at this price.
There you have it, the long awaited review of the new album, "Black Ice". In one week I will be seeing The Who. I know you're jealous. I'll be sure to write all about it.
Be good my friends. In the spirit of upcoming events, I quote Roger Daultry with, "Why don't you all f-fade away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
And don't try to d-dig what we all s-s-say (Talkin' 'bout my generation)"
Be good to yourself.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The ways of the young trumpet in the symphony
Hello friends. I hope you all are well as I write to you at an earlier time than normal, as I finally have some peace and quiet to concentrate with my Tomita CD of Debussy classics playing, creating an atmosphere perfect for (pro)creation.
This entry is a bit to let off a little steam from orchestra rehearsal this week, as I learn more and more not to trust the dynamic markings from the composer. We are currently working on Beethoven's Seventh symphony, as I have mentioned in previous entries in this blog. Beethoven is an interesting beast to try and tackle for the young trumpeter in a symphony. All dynamics are normally forte or fortissimo yet most of the time you shouldn't be heard above a whisper. Never mind, the first parts are normally fairly high. He lets you play out a little more than Mozart does but never really to where you feel comfortable or confident. So here's a chart I devised to translate Beethoven's dynamics to trumpet:
fortissimo - mezzo forte at most, you're part of the collective timbre, keep your bell in the stand, don't project
forte - mezzo piano, not important, you're keeping the time and place, keep your bell in the stand, don't project
mezzo forte - why bother playing, the conductor won't be able to tell if you are or not.
mezzo piano - ditto
piano or pianissimo - This means the part is soft over all and its probably more exposed than you wish and you're going to screw up this part. Also you're probably in unison with tympani, better pray they can count. Don't forget your horn is cold from sitting there for 600 bars while the strings saw their way through the development of the sonata. That section is in another key that the trumpets of the time couldn't play in. You are wishing for those days to come back.
On the other side of the spectrum, we are also working on Finlandia by Jean Sibelius. This we almost can't be too loud. My only fear is that I'm playing second, so I'm trying not to over step my stand my stand partner so she can learn to build up her volume and power. Shes got it, just needs to not be shy about it. So heres a chart for Finlandia:
fortissimo - as loud as you can be to blend with the trombone, looking for a pipe organ sound
forte - is the signature fanfare that repeats, tastefully in the front
mezzo forte - not existant
mezzo piano - n/a
piano - n/a
pianissimo - Only there once, so you can crescendo to fortissimo in 4 beats to fortissimo with the low brass.
Well as I sit here on the eve of AC/DC's new album and a quick jaunt to the beach by myself to get my wits together, I'm now listening, to Keane's new album. I'm a bit disappointed as I don't like the 80's pop sound their new producer gave to them, I liked their older more raw piano and drums sound. They have a fuller sound to them now. But don't get me wrong, I still like them and I like this album, and I'm glad Tom Chaplin seems to have gotten his life back together after his stint in rehab. The thing though is I have a feeling these guys are a little younger than me, so I am doubting they are old enough to have experienced 80's music when it happened, and I think that is where the rub is with this album. I'm not saying I am old enough either, since I was born in 1980, I was like 3 with Michael Jackson's Thriller, so I couldn't do an 80's sound either without it sounding more like a mocking. This album puts me in fear with the Killers new album considering they hired the same producer and will also have an 80s touch to it. Though the Killers did pretty well, I think, with the Springsteen inspired "Sam's Town".
Have a good weekend my pals, and I will catch you on the other side of my mini vacation.
This entry is a bit to let off a little steam from orchestra rehearsal this week, as I learn more and more not to trust the dynamic markings from the composer. We are currently working on Beethoven's Seventh symphony, as I have mentioned in previous entries in this blog. Beethoven is an interesting beast to try and tackle for the young trumpeter in a symphony. All dynamics are normally forte or fortissimo yet most of the time you shouldn't be heard above a whisper. Never mind, the first parts are normally fairly high. He lets you play out a little more than Mozart does but never really to where you feel comfortable or confident. So here's a chart I devised to translate Beethoven's dynamics to trumpet:
fortissimo - mezzo forte at most, you're part of the collective timbre, keep your bell in the stand, don't project
forte - mezzo piano, not important, you're keeping the time and place, keep your bell in the stand, don't project
mezzo forte - why bother playing, the conductor won't be able to tell if you are or not.
mezzo piano - ditto
piano or pianissimo - This means the part is soft over all and its probably more exposed than you wish and you're going to screw up this part. Also you're probably in unison with tympani, better pray they can count. Don't forget your horn is cold from sitting there for 600 bars while the strings saw their way through the development of the sonata. That section is in another key that the trumpets of the time couldn't play in. You are wishing for those days to come back.
On the other side of the spectrum, we are also working on Finlandia by Jean Sibelius. This we almost can't be too loud. My only fear is that I'm playing second, so I'm trying not to over step my stand my stand partner so she can learn to build up her volume and power. Shes got it, just needs to not be shy about it. So heres a chart for Finlandia:
fortissimo - as loud as you can be to blend with the trombone, looking for a pipe organ sound
forte - is the signature fanfare that repeats, tastefully in the front
mezzo forte - not existant
mezzo piano - n/a
piano - n/a
pianissimo - Only there once, so you can crescendo to fortissimo in 4 beats to fortissimo with the low brass.
Well as I sit here on the eve of AC/DC's new album and a quick jaunt to the beach by myself to get my wits together, I'm now listening, to Keane's new album. I'm a bit disappointed as I don't like the 80's pop sound their new producer gave to them, I liked their older more raw piano and drums sound. They have a fuller sound to them now. But don't get me wrong, I still like them and I like this album, and I'm glad Tom Chaplin seems to have gotten his life back together after his stint in rehab. The thing though is I have a feeling these guys are a little younger than me, so I am doubting they are old enough to have experienced 80's music when it happened, and I think that is where the rub is with this album. I'm not saying I am old enough either, since I was born in 1980, I was like 3 with Michael Jackson's Thriller, so I couldn't do an 80's sound either without it sounding more like a mocking. This album puts me in fear with the Killers new album considering they hired the same producer and will also have an 80s touch to it. Though the Killers did pretty well, I think, with the Springsteen inspired "Sam's Town".
Have a good weekend my pals, and I will catch you on the other side of my mini vacation.
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