aka, Jade doesn't do any work when she's the only one in the office.
1. Immigrant Song - destroyed by Karen O
I'm a bit of a sad case and I'm a big Zepplin fan (when I was in primary school, I called a local radio station to request D'Yer Mak'r - they played it. Score. Love a good dad joke / sad pun) and I've never liked Karen O / The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. In fact, their very moniker shits me to tears.
That said, the music on this track is killer, but the whole thing is ruined by her horrible voice.
2. Linoleum - Tweaker
Ok, I've been reading Paul's blog forever and I've never bothered to check out tweaker. This song is pretty swoonworthy. Am I alone in getting a bit of a Scott Weiland channelling moody, 80s future-industrial? Anyway, A+, would recommend, check out more of their stuff.
3. Growing Up - Peter Gabriel
You know, I am not a Peter Gabriel fan. In fact, I'm the antithesis of a Peter Gabriel fan, that song with the digging in the dirt and the bugs crawling and the sheer utter twattery of sledgehammer? Yeah, NOT a fan.
I like the slow burn on this one, but Gabriel is just so boring. Is he counting ducks? Without the bassline, well, he would have put me to sleep.
4. Madame X - Robbie Robertson
Buzzword for this mixtape: Haunting.
I haven't seen the film, but the opening of this track sounds SO familiar to me, like someone smashed up The Bee Gee's How Deep is Your Love and Sealed with a Kiss by anyone by Jason Donovan.
5. Pleasant Smell - 12 Rounds
No. Just no. Aural assault at 7 in the morning.
6. Banged & Blown Through - Saul Williams
I'll be honest, you nearly lost me at 'slam poet'.
I take issue with your use of the word 'rap', unless this track is an anomaly on the album, but I dig, I dig. Frankly, his voice is horrible and I think he needs to maybe take a lesson or two in things like... well.. tone and pitch, but yeah, really thought provoking. Very strongly Reznored, but it really adds something powerful in this instance (in every instance).
7. On the Wing - How to Destroy Angels
Ok, so I get the impression that Atticus Rose is to the Rez what Warren Ellis is to Nick Cave, no?
This chick doesn't seem to have a powerful enough voice to not be entirely swamped by the music, but it's not bad.
8. Heartbeats - Sono Io
I'll admit that I thought this one was going to be a dirty sexy version of the Jose Gonzales song.
It's not, so I'll contain my disappointment.
I find the vocals really compelling, and find it a bit surprising that he's an Italian, because he definitely sings with a mad brit tone. Me likey.
9. No Fair Fights - Prick
I think I must be overtired, because I can only hear David Bowie in this one. But, like, David Bowie doing spoken word for 7/8ths of a song and then David Bowie doing Trent Reznor karaoke for the rest.
10. Victory - Puff Daddy et al
LOL. Where you at?
Nah, I don't hate it. Completely misogynistic, but I can get over that. When they get a bit overexcitied, I just remember the classic Luda lyric: 'watch out for my medallions, my diamonds are reckless, feels like a midget is hanging from my necklace' and then I laugh. A lot.
Oh Luda, you so crazy.
11. I'm Afraid of Americans - David Bowie
I'm just putting it out there that I don't like David Bowie (other than as the Goblin King, but that shouldn't need clarification).
Actually, so far this is the first song that I recognise, so it must have been EVERYWHERE at the time.
Don't hate it.
12. Chip Away - Jane's Addiction
I saw Jane's Addiction in my formative years, life changer, and this version isn't so different from the ridgy didge. Certainly, that marching band drumming is wonderfully familiar. Definitely see the electronic influence, but it's funny, because I had always thought of NIN being influenced by JA, rather than the other way around.
You didn't write this one up, but I'm guessing there's more of a connection than them touring together?
13. The Reflecting God - Marilyn Manson
I just...nah. Can't get beyond the try-hardiness.
Although... does he round it out by shouting 'shoo, shoo, shoo, motherfucker'?
14. Passive - A Perfect Circle
I actually love this song, I've always loved this song.
No one ever gives James Iha any credit, so I'm going to put that out there. I really like Tool, I think I've mentioned that here before, but this just seems like it fits seamlessly into their cattle dog.
15. Forgotten - TV on the Radio
Nice background noise.
16. Shit Stories - Trent Reznor
Yeah, sorry, don't have time for ten minutes of poop stories right now.
All in all, the album feels really cohesive with that underlying dirty drum / synthy goodness that is such a Reznor trademark.
A few of these songs will find their way into my permanent rotation, so cheers for that.
*WHIPCRACK!*
ReplyDeleteWay to go, Jade.
And now...some comments..ON your comments...
1. I feel the same about Karen O. If she weren't backed by what she's backed with here, I wouldn't have ever heard her voice.
2. Very glad you dug this. This MIGHT be tweaker's most accessible track as a lot of it gets a bit...well, tweaker-y.
The vocalist here is David Sylvian, who shows up on their second album as well.
Here's a list of some other great tweaker songs:
From TATATU:
Swamp
Happy Child (feat. Will Oldham)
Take Me Alive
Microsized Boy
From 2 a.m. wakeup call:
Everything except for Movement of Fear, basically.
GREAT for nighttime listening.
From CTTE:
Ponygrinder
Hoarding Granules
Grounded
This Is Ridiculous
Wasted Time
5. Yeah. I totally wasn't kidding.
6. Most of this album can be described as Saul Williams rapping/speaking/singing/whatever over Nine Inch Nails. And his voice does take some getting used to, although I love it now. If I believed for a second that he was faking it or phoning it in, it would be intolerable, but he really means every word, and that comes through for me. The music on B&BT was all written by Reznor.
7. This isn't the typical HTDA as far as Mariqueen's vocals, they're definitely muffled here. If you're interested, you can here all their stuff over at www.howtodestroyangels.com
10. Agreed. Rap is 97% silly.
12. Yeah, totally forgot to write this up for some reason... And, yes, Reznor was a HUGE fan of JA. I posted the missing write-up, if you're dying of curiosity.
13. Again, I understand. Out of the original context and in the current context of MM as an "artist", this is quite awful. What can I say? Give all of ANTICHRIST SUPERSTAR a listen, maybe?
14. What James Iha doesn't get in credit, he gets in money and Grammys. I'm sure he'll be okay.
16. Jade. Please. When you have a moment. It's totally worth it. Trust me.
And, I'm glad you found some stuff you dug here. I felt like I was walking a thin line at times, but it seems to have paid off...with you anyway. Let's see if anyone else listens to/reviews/notices this is here.
Thanks a bunch, my Ab-Original Aussie chum!
You know me, if I don't do something straight away, it becomes invisible.
DeleteIt was actually a really cracker start to the morning, amped me up but good.
Anecdote: We have this music tv show on the ABC here called Rage. It's on from 11pm Fri & Sat nights until about 6am. One night a week, they have guest programmers.
Once, I remember watching it when Alice Cooper was the guest and he pretty much just ragged on MM the whole time, like, he played the Eurythmics version of Sweet Dreams and the Soft Cell version of Tainted Love.
Supergoodburn, Alice.
Ha.
ReplyDeleteTake that, you wang!
Phil Donahue actually burned him by saying he looked like AC.
Zing!