It’s taken some doing, but here it is. With 30 tracks across 65 minutes, there should be something here for almost everyone. I hope so anyway.
This’s been an especially good year for music so, obviously, I couldn’t include everything great from 2009. The Slew, Russian Circles, Mamer, Broadcast, The Heavy and Efterklang are just a few that didn’t made it onto the mix, but that’s not to say they didn’t release solid albums this year. Overall, I’d say the mix is a reasonable indicator of what my albums of the year are likely to be.
Well, enough of my yakkin. Whaddya say? Let’s boogie!
The PR attached to the 2009 remaster of Nirvana’s 1989 recording, ‘Bleach’, states, ‘This record is important’. Put into historical context, that certainly makes for a fair statement.
When Nirvana and producer Jack Endino took up residence in Seattle’s ‘Reciprocal Recording Studios’ at the end of 1988, shifting millions of records was probably not the primary thought of 21-year-old Kurt Cobain. Nonetheless, after ‘Nevermind’, ‘Bleach’ went on to achieve platinum sales, making it only one of two platinum selling records for label Sub Pop (the other is Flight Of The Conchords’ eponymous 2008 record). Not bad for an album that cost just £400 to make.
The two decades since the record’s release have seen Cobain’s rise to fame, his suicide and a derided resurrection in Guitar Hero 5. Licensing tracks to rhythm games brings with it great financial reward, so (without wishing to excuse the act) it’s easy to see why the choice was made. It also means that songs appearing in the game are remixed to allow each instrument to sound individually. Beyond this, songs are levelled using compression, to ensure there are no glaring differences in volume.
Similarly, the remastering of ‘classic’ albums is often intended to exploit a fan’s willingness to complete the collection of their favourite band. The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Def Leppard are amongst those who had remasters out in 2009.
Now joining that selection is Nirvana and, specifically, their debut album for Sub Pop Records, ‘Bleach’. Some of the questions for people that already own the original album ask are: Is it worth buying? How different does it sound? What have they done to it?
Remastered by the capable George Marino at Sterling Sound, let’s look at how the remaster sounds in comparison to the original.
I ripped two tracks (‘About A Girl’ and ‘Blew’) as WAV files and analysed them in Wavelab. Here’s the original of ‘About A Girl’.
About A Girl (Original)
As can be seen by simply looking at the wave, there is room for dynamic movement within the song, but there are a number of high peaks, particularly around the 2 minute mark (level gauge indicates that these peak at -0.02db just shy of the flat 0db). Any increase in volume to the overall file would mean result in those peaks exceeding 0db causing the file to clip (distort).
About A Girl (Remastered)
In comparison to the wave and level indicator of the remastered version, it’s immediately apparent just how much louder the overall recording is. Not only that, but the peaks are a lot more uniform which implies that the whole file has been compressed to give it more gain, and the top of those original peaks have been, to all intents and purposes, lopped off.
As soon as the drums come in on this laid-back, and naturally more dynamic number, the peak volume (as indicated by the meters) hits 0db and stays there throughout. The original, however, retains dynamic level changes so the volume rises and falls as the band play harder or softer respectively.
The equalisation of the track has also changed, with the remaster favouring less treble across the hi-hats, ride and tambourine – and generally making for a less exciting listen. Bass-light headphones (Sennheiser HD 280s) indicate the remaster contains more bass and greater lower mid-range frequencies giving the recordings more grind to bring them into line with present day rock records. A good stereo system will highlight the reduction in sound quality, but, on an average system, the most discernible change is increased volume.
Blew (Original)
Moving to full-on rock song, ‘Blew’, and more of the subtly nuanced bass-string noises can be heard on the intro to the remaster, but this is probably due to sheer volume than anything else. Again, the levels sit at 0db throughout with Kurt’s vocal sitting high in the mix as the presence of those splashy cymbals have been vastly reduced. There are less peaks in danger of clipping on this track, with only a couple at around 43 and 44s.
Blew (Remastered)
With the development of technology, the way we listen to music has changed drastically. As an MP3 amongst the collection on an 80GB iPod (or equivalent), the remastered tracks from ‘Bleach’ are going to stand up against the others in terms of volume, so you won’t have to turn them up that extra 3db. Whether that trade-off is worth the overall loss of quality is up to the listener and their individual preferences.
Of course, Bleach is a great album. Not only is it fun to listen to, it contains some of Nirvana’s best songs. In addition to this straight remaster, however, is a remastered recording of their oft bootlegged performance at the Pine Street Theatre (Portland, Oregon). With a remastered DVD and CD of their 1992 Reading headline show (Nirvana’s final UK performance) scheduled for release later this year, this is easily the better concert of the two. Though it may not contain any material from ‘Nevermind’, Kurt’s performance and passion is far more evident here than the shoddy Reading show. You have to hand it to Sub Pop, they know their audience is not simply going to buy a straight remaster of ‘Bleach’. By including the extra concert (and glossy inlay book, no doubt), they will ensure a sizeable chunk of Nirvana’s audience make a repeat purchase.
To anyone who already owns ‘Bleach’, and doesn’t necessarily want to have to buy this reissue, you can achieve the same (and better) results by simply turning up your amp the next time you listen to this important record.
Releases this year from the likes of Kyza, Juice Aleem and even Speech Debelle demonstrate that UK hip-hop is alive and well. Skuff and Inja (who have been together for 10 years now as part of Cambridge crew, Delegates of Culture), continue to dazzle with taut verbal delivery and lyrical content.
Like any good hip-hop, ‘The Skuff And Inja Show’ carries with it a solid social conscience. Where Juice Aleem’s philosophy seems to stem from a nascent sense of imagination, Skuff and Inja like to deal in everyday observation. ‘United Kingdom’ for example is a four-minute address about the state of the nation: “I’m not talking about the Government, I represent the scum and the underage mothers in the U.K.” states the strangely languid Skuff whose delivery makes for an unusual juxtaposition against Inja’s prolonged machinegun flows.
Familial UK Brit-hop squad Taskforce appear on ‘Famslam’ with former Scratch Pervert, Mr Thing, cropping up on ‘Witness’. Though ‘The Skuff And Inja Show’ makes for a good 40-minute showcase of the MCs’ skills, the quality of production is not a consistent enough fit. Nevertheless, Skuff and Inja’s styles slot perfectly into the two dubstep remixes on offer here (‘Side Effects’ and ‘Hat Low’).
It’s OK to diversify. It’s all right to have choice. As adult individuals, we can have almost anything we want. When it comes to playing music, The Heavy like to play everything they like in a fashion they can’t help but choose. This debut should be the archetypal album for these eager young turks, and yet The House That Dirt Built sounds more like an oversimplification, a distillation of iPods smelted in a deep cauldron of love. Which is a shame, because this is a band with promise and taste.
The first four songs of the album find the band ripping it up on the ghoulish rockabilly of ‘Oh No! Not You Again!’; then funking it up on ‘How You Like Me Now’; before waltzing it out on ‘Sixteen’ and then shooting up (no, not like that) on the Spaghetti Western styles of ‘Short Change Hero’. Should I continue? Why not. Let’s mention the Led Zeppelin riffing on ‘No Time’ that comes before the floaty retro-rock balladeering of ‘Long Way From Home’ and gives way to the spacious dub reggae of ‘Cause For Alarm’ which, incidentally, is the best darned track presented here.
Of course, the band hold the music together well and vocalist Kelvin Swaby capably serenades invisible devils all the way through but, as can be seen from just that short list of songs there, the band are completely incapable of delivering a coherent album. There’s nothing wrong with citing influences and using them to drive forward a combined, communal vision, but taking a piece of many different pies to make one giant, new pie just doesn’t work because it’s cheating and distasteful.
The Heavy are probably a massive hit live, but on record they just can’t carry it off. Not yet, anyway.
It’s Jay-Z! Does anyone really think that he will ever release anything truly awful? Not now that Jay-Z is no longer a man. By selling more than just a few million CDs during his career, he has catapulted himself into the stratosphere of rap, overseeing a multi-million dollar empire whilst laying claim to be a small part of the reason Obama is now President. If you thought Kanye West could talk a boastful game, you’ve obviously never heard ‘The Blueprint 3′.
Packed to the gills with sassy beats and glossy production, the inevitable superstar collaboraters include Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Kid Cudi etc. In fact, of the 14 songs, the rapper only makes four solo appearances. But, really, none of this matters, simply because this is Jay-Z we’re talking about! Fans are going to buy the album because they’re the fans and that’s what fans do, whilst everyone else judges the album’s merits after hearing lead single ‘Run this town’. And what of it? Well, it’s not a terrible song: it’s cheesy, it’s got a massive video to back it – it’s plain, mainstream rap with a vocal hook that can easily double as a ringtone.
Everything on BP3 is generic: there is little progressive, philosophical, or particularly interesting to be found anywhere. Much like the cover, it’s a mostly colourless affair, toploaded to grab the listener’s attention and tailing off in the final third. Perhaps if the album had ended at the very American ‘Already Home’, The Blueprint 3 may not have been such a divisive blip in the megastar’s career. But,sadly, it doesn’t end there and neither, one suspects, does Jay-Z’s career.
Let’s get something straight: a heart beats with muscular contraction, and a drum must be beaten in order to sound. So to say that your heart beats like a drum is absurd, as well as just plain old wrong. Imagine if your heart sounded like a snare drum. That’d be rubbish. Especially on a treadmill at the gym. If each heart were a different drum sound, the world’s populace could walk around this cacophonous planet where human beings made music; a bit like one giant flashmobbing ad for a thirsty mobile phone company.
Upon hearing the title track of Nathaniel Pearn’s second album for uber-hip Brighton-based label Tru Thoughts, the insipid line “My heart beats like a drum, the drum is like my heart,” got stuck in my throat as I gagged on its amateurish, rambling incoherency. Unfortunately, things get worse as Pearn and co-vocalist Elodie Rama bang on about giving us soul as the drum runs through their veins. Pardon me, while I vomit upon your unborn children.
That said, Pearn graciously supplies a mere three opportunities to hang himself, and it’s on the entirely dreadful ‘Every Day’ dedicated to “All the makers, the beat-breakers, the risk-takers, the soul shakers,” along with “All the people who keep it tight, keep it right and keep it moving along,” where the noose squeezes most of the life out of the record. Sorry, but is this 1989? The lyric sounds like something from a Right Said Fred record, but delivered with less bald charm.
Back in the real world, and Pearn’s remaining instrumental tracks are, thankfully, a mix of inoffensive, downbeat melodies that rely on a workable combination of sweeping basslines, atmospheric twinkles and pleasing horn arrangements. Allowing himself to get swept up with nostalgic memories of jazzy boom-bap hip-hop, ‘My Heart Beats Like A Drum’ becomes an enjoyable Sunday afternoon record, particularly when Pearn bans himself from the vocal booth and delivers grouped three-part female harmonies at will, and just allows the music to do the talking. Like a drum.
Nic Dawson Kelly carries a name that will conjure up images of three songwriters entwined under one moniker like Crosby, Stills and Nash; but Old Valentine is created by one artist and plays out like a very real homage to inspirations from the ‘50s and ‘60s. Though Dawson cites country bluesmen such as the legendary Son House as an additional influence, there is little evidence of that here.
His tremulous vocal style sounds much like a bleating Bryan Ferry, and will either entice or irk listeners. Kelly’s material is created primarily with acoustic guitars that are frequently combined with diatonic harmonica meanderings, and the train-like shuffle that made Johnny Cash famous. It’s hardly original stuff, and lacks the crossover quality that Amy Winehouse was fortunate enough to muster. Old Valentine is likely to find fans amongst the musically nostalgic, and with history such as it is, its affection will be hard to ignore.
(’89 Intro)
De La Soul – Transmitting Live From Mars
Biz Markie – Just A Friend
EPMD – It Wasn’t Me, It Was The Fame
Boogie Down Productions – Hip Hop Rules
The DOC – It’s Funky Enough
Bizzie Boys – Droppin’ It
Special Ed – Think About It
Kool G Rap & Polo – Truly Yours
(Mary Jane Girls – All Night Long)
Big Daddy Kane – Smooth Operator (All Night Gone)
De La Soul – Plug Tunin’
De La Soul – Potholes In My Lawn
Digital Underground – Underwater Rimes
(Edwin Starr – Easin’ In)
Tone Loc – Loc’ed After Dark
Ice T – High Rollers
London Posse – Live Like The Other Half Do
Demon Boyz – Lyrical Culture
Soul II Soul – Ambition Rap
Eric B & Rakim – In The Ghetto
MC Lyte – Poor Georgie
MC Lyte – Stop, Look, Listen
Special Ed – I Got It Made
Young MC – I Come Off (Southern Comfort Remix)
Def Jef – God Made Me Funky
NWA – Express Yourself (Remix)
Queen Latifah – Evil That Men Do
Heavy D & The Boyz – You Ain’t Heard Nuttin’ Yet
K Solo – Your Mom’s In My Business
Chill Rob G – Court Is Now In Session
(De La Soul – Buddy (Remix))
Nice & Smooth – Early To Rise
3rd Bass ft KMD – The Gas Face
EPMD – So Wat C ha Sayin’
EPMD – The Big Payback
Digital Underground – The Humpty Dance
Slick Rick – Children’s Story
Slick Rick – Mona Lisa
Slick Rick – Teacher Teacher
De La Soul – Ghetto Thang
De La Soul – Say No Go (Say No Dope Mix)
Beastie Boys – Shake Your Rump
Kool G Rap & Polo – Poison
Ultramagnetic MCs – Chorus Line
Redhead Kingpin & The FBI – Do The Right Thing
Chill Rob G – The Power
Kid Frost – La Raza
Big Daddy Kane – Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now
LL Cool J – Jinglin’ Baby (Still Jinglin’ Remix)
LL Cool J – I’m That Type Of Guy
She Rockers – On Stage (Broad Beans Mix)
Young MC – Know How
(Big John Hamilton – Big Bad John)
Big Daddy Kane – Warm It Up, Kane
Masta Ace – Letter To The Better
Jungle Brothers – What U Waitin’ 4?
Digital Underground – Doowutchyalike
De La Soul – Jenifa Taught Me
De La Soul – Me, Myself & I
Silver Bullet – 20 Seconds To Comply
Hijack – Badman Is Robin
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – The Groove (Jazzie’s Groove)
(’89 Interlude)
Public Enemy – Fight The Power
(Bill Nunn & Spike Lee – Love Vs Hate)
Those of a delicate mental disposition may not find ‘Let The Night Roar’ to be a particularly helpful record. Etched out by a man obsessed with ragga rhythms, King Cannibal (aka Dylan Richards) mashes the techno of The Prodigy’s ‘Music For The Jilted Generation’ with the sonic edge of Drum n’ Bass to an almost unbearable level of industrial paranoia. The superb ‘Aragami Style’ welcomes the listener to this world of uneasy listening with warped dancehall beats and a vocal snippet that states, “I wanna slice your face”. Clattering hi-hats and a distorted bassline reminiscent of ‘Their Law’ follow along with a chorus chant of “Kill it, Kill it, Kill it!”
This element of menace spills into ‘Murder Us’, as a hypnotic techno beat underpins a throbbing bassline, and yet, as the track dynamically develops, it offers droplets of twinkling synth to invite us to a more accessible realm before cruelly returning to aural oppression. Enjoys playing with styles as much as the listener’s imagination, Richards steps successfully into the dubstep arena with ‘So…Embrace The Minimum’ and ‘Flower Of Flesh And Blood’ which feature half-step beats and snappy snares buried in reverb.
A fan horror movies, Richards adds detuned harmonies to vocals, which lend the album a cinematic air. ‘Colder Still’ and ‘Dirt’ bear this quality and the former is viciously set upon by intermittent breakbeats, whilst the latter seems to feature a ferocious monologue delivered by a comedy Rasta in an episode of Red Dwarf.
Though genuine, too much of ‘Let The Night Roar’ sounds like it is trying hard to be…well, hard.
Get 3 songs: Aragami Style, So…Embrace The Minimum, Flower Of Flesh And Blood.
Dig it? Dig deeper: The Bug, Ed Rush and Optical, The Prodigy.
