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Prymary, a progressive-metal combo based in Southern California, released their third full-length CD (their second for label, Progrock Records), The Enemy Inside in late 2009. Largely the brainchild of drummer/lyricist Chris Quirarte, the band steers well within the same territory frequented by Dream Theater or the band you might hear Quirarte moonlighting in, Fates Warning. The focus is then on strong and complex performance, sweet and dynamic vocals and thought-provoking themes. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that there are miles of new ground covered on Enemy, but as far as exhibiting a mastery of this genre, Prymary succeeds in a grand fashion.
Archive for the ‘CD and Record Reviews’ Category
Prymary – The Enemy Inside
March 9th, 2010 No Comments
Posted in CD and Record Reviews 
Tags: Dream Theater, fates warning, james labrie, kiss, paul stanley, progressive metal, progrock recordsThem Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures
March 8th, 2010 2 Comments
By now the word is out that there’s a group menacing the globe, consisting of Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal, Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters and John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin. They are referred to as Them Crooked Vultures and farmers in Lower Backwardistan are locking up their farm animals and taking away their daughters’ iPods in response. What I’m trying to say is that press has been ridiculous for this band. I’m late in telling you what to expect in anticipation of their debut album’s release, but I can examine whether or not it’s worth all the hype. Read on for a full report or merely trust the newly coined Backwardistinian phrase: “Baq’oolhie akhla q’ah”. Roughly translated, it means: “The foreigner’s suitcases are full of lobsters,” a folksy way of saying that this CD’s music won’t match what you think it will be, no matter where you’re coming from.
Posted in CD and Record Reviews Tags: al jourgensen, butthole surfers, cream, dave grohl, eagles of death metal, foo fighters, frank zappa, hendrix, john paul jones, josh homme, kurt cobain, led zeppelin, phil lesh, queens of the stone age, ric ocasek, taylor hawkins, the cars, uriah heep, vanilla fudgePublic Image Ltd – Album, 180-gram vinyl
March 4th, 2010 No Comments
Continuing on with reviews of releases in Rhino Records’ high quality, 180-gram vinyl reissue series, we visit John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd. and their collection from 1986, Album. Depending on the format in which you were listening to this recording, you heard either album, cassette or Compact Disc. Since this review pertains to the vinyl reissue, well, you get the picture.
The Pineapple Thief – 3000 Days
March 1st, 2010 No Comments
In May 2009, I was privileged to review The Pineapple Thief’s newest studio album, Tightly Unwound for ClassicRockMusicBlog.com. At that time, I emphasized that the group was well on their way to expanding their fan base by signing to the British record label Kscope, a division of Snapper Records. Now, in preparation for The Pineapple Thief’s eighth studio album due later this year, Kscope has assembled a career retrospective album in the double-disc 3000 Days. With song lyrics and notations by group leader/vocalist/guitarist Bruce Soord in a CD booklet containing characteristically beautiful art and photography, this is a package that is meant to both bring a newcomer such as me up to date with all that has gone before and also entice long time fans with alternate and rare versions of TPT songs. In short, if you’re not familiar with the group, and you’re a fan of music that pushes the prog-rock genre by incorporating a modern alt-rock approach, you need to buy this CD. TPT’s music is really that good and here’s the proof.
Posted in CD and Record Reviews Tags: john sykes, keith harrison, pineapple thief, prog rock, snapper recordsPearl Jam – Backspacer
February 26th, 2010 2 Comments
Before I begin this review, let us please dispense with the term “grunge” as a way to describe music and stuff it aside as a word for the resinous build-up inside of a weed smoker’s bong. “Grunge” has always been a media creation for lazy journalists to lump the music of all bands from Seattle into one faceless category. Can you say that Tad, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Screaming Trees have any sonic similarity aside from the fact that they like their guitars up loud in the mix? If you can, please go read an Adam Lambert review elsewhere and let the serious music fans enjoy this website on their own.
Posted in CD and Record Reviews Tags: AC/DC, Black Sabbath, eagles, jimi hendrix, johnny guitar watson, kiss, led zeppelin, nirvana, pearl jam, pete townshend, screaming trees, soundgarden, tad, talking heads, television, the knack, van halen, weed smokerBill Leverty – Deep South
February 15th, 2010 No Comments
Bill Leverty is the guitarist in the formerly hairy hard rock band FireHouse. Before you get the wrong idea, I am not a fan of FireHouse in any way and was thus very apprehensive about further listening to or reviewing Bill’s 3rd solo album, Deep South. In all honesty, I’d put the CD on and gave it a spin before I knew who this Bill Leverty guy was. As I was marveling at this odd, left field collection of cover tunes, I looked Leverty up online and had to fight an urge to put something that I was more familiar with on in its stead. But I can’t deny it anymore. This CD is solid throughout and Bill is a complete master of a wide variety of guitar styles. I challenge any of ClassicRockMusicBlog.com visitors to put aside any preconceived notions and also give Deep South a listen. You’re likely to be as intrigued as I was following the first few bars of track one.
Posted in CD and Record Reviews Tags: bill leverty, FireHouse, grateful dead, hairspray, hard rock band, harmonica, Jerry Garcia, Moby, Percy Mayfield, Pigpen, ray charles, virginia nativeLynyrd Skynyrd – Gimme Back My Bullets
February 10th, 2010 No Comments
Gimme Back My Bullets represents something of a transitional album for Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd. Guitarist Ed King had departed, and Skynyrd pared down to the twin-guitar attack of Gary Rossington and Allen Collins. The songs on Bullet are shorter slabs of blues-country-rock with some fine moments beyond the title track.
Ronnie Van Zant was one of rock music’s great lyricists, able to put his good ‘ol boy stamp on everything, with smarts that went far beyond the street. And who else in rock at the time was singing songs about the environment? His “All I Can Do Is Write About” could be an Earth Day theme song. “Double Trouble” is a self-effacing look at Van Zant’s brushes with the law and others, while “Every Mother’s Son” is a warning to those who didn’t follow his advice in “Simple Man.”
Angel – Angel and Helluva Band
February 8th, 2010 No Comments
The Washington, D.C., hard-rock quintet Angel took its fair share of abuse from the music press back in the day. It’s not hard to see why: Big hair and matching white outfits gave the band a beefcake image, while critics wanted bundt cake. Fans, however, didn’t care. I count myself as one and find myself going back often to BGO Records’ two-fer reissue of Angel’s first two albums, Angel and Helluva Band. The self-titled debut is a forgotten hard rock classic and features a set of brooding min-pomp-rock epics. Vocalist Frank Dimino sings his lungs out, and guitarist Punky Meadows lays down fiery licks around Greg Giuffria’s grandiose keyboard parts. Check out “Tower,” “Long Time” and “Mariner” to hear what all the hype was about.
Posted in CD and Record Reviews Tags: ace frehley, bgo records, epics, frank dimino, greg giuffria, hard rock, helluva band, mariner, music press, pomp rock, punky meadowsMiles Davis – The Cellar Door Sessions 1970
February 5th, 2010 No Comments
I know many jazz purists cringe remembering trumpeter Miles Davis‘ journeys into the unknown on his late 1960s and early ’70s albums. That period of Davis’ career is my favorite, however, and there’s a lot to explore from this period on the six-CD box set, The Cellar Door Sessions 1970.
The collection captures Davis and band (Gary Bartz, saxophone; Keith Jarrett, keyboards; Michael Henderson, bass; Jack DeJohnette, drums; Airto Moreira, percussion [discs 2-6]; and John McGlaughlin, guitar [discs 5-6]) during four nights at the Washington, D.C., Cellar Door club.
King Crimson Mark III – 1972-1974, The Return of the King
February 2nd, 2010 No Comments
“The King Crimson in 1973-74 was not a balanced group, or perhaps it was balanced in disarray. It was sometimes frightening and not a comfortable place to be. Increasingly it needed improvisation to stay alive. But that didn’t show much in studio albums. In concerts, it stepped sideways and jumped. This team looked into the darker spaces of the psyche and reported back on what it found. The 1969 Crimscapes were bleak and written, the 1973-74 Crimscapes were darker, and mainly improvised.” – Robert Fripp, The Great Deceiver Box Set.
