Peter Gabriel - Scratch My Back

Peter Gabriel
Scratch My Back
Real World/Virgin
LP/CD/2xCD

For the most part, this tribute of Gabriel's is an itch better left unscratched. As a huge admirer of the man with the remarkably unremarkable yet amazing pipes, I was disappointed from the get-go with the knowledge that there were no guitars on the album. The pleasant surprises don't come often enough.

Scratch My Back kicks off with its most well-known track and probably its best in "Heroes," originally by the inimitable David Bowie. The vocals and instrumentation are very low in the mix to start and gradually builds like the character of the song steadily gaining the confidence to become the hero, at least for one day.

What starts so meek and builds to a crescendo begins to fade instead of continuing to soar. The majority of the album could be funeral processionals. Gabriel's voice normally excelling in sadness and shining through it is instead weighed down by the moroseness of the arrangements, which are beautifully performed but would work better as the soundtrack to the largest budget Lifetime movie ever. Among these dirges, there are a few signs of life. His take on Arcade Fire's "My Body Is A Cage," occasionally awakes Gabriel from his slumber. "The Book Of Love," sounds as if The Magnetic Fields could have intended it for Gabriel.

It is my hope that this is not the last we will hear of Peter Gabriel. He has done some amazing works and is one of the finest talents in rock in the last 40 years. If this is his time to reflect on his place among his idols and his contemporaries, let him get through it. There is yet a gem for him to uncover, but Scratch My Back is not it.

Track Grades:

1. Heroes - 8.9
2. The Boy In The Bubble - 6.3
3. Mirrorball - 7.0
4. Flume - 7.8
5. Listening Wind - 7.2
6. The Power Of The Heart - 6.5
7. My Body Is A Cage - 8.0
8. The Book Of Love - 8.8
9. I Think It's Going To Rain Today - 5.3
10. Après Moi - 7.5
11. Philadelphia - 6.7
12. Street Spirit (Fade Out) - 6.4

Overall Grade = 7.20

High On Fire - Snakes For The Divine

High On Fire
Snakes For The Divine
E1 Music
CD

I was only recently indoctrinated with High On Fire and I heard enough to want to check out this album. I'm not entirely sure what I was thinking as, generally, metal with vocals like this make me shrug and leave the room (I'm lookin' at you, Dimmu Borgir). The music here only occasionally make up for the limits and shortcomings of the vocals but that is not the norm.

I appreciate just how heavy this is. I really do. There is just something here that lies flat whereas bands like Slayer stick to the script but still make things exciting. It is no surprise to me that the best track on here is the one minute plus instrumental "The Path,". I know that there are a lot of people out there that prefer these growly "vocals" but I don't understand why. Each song trudges along but goes nowhere, which is where I am going to leave this review.

Track Grades:

1. Snakes For The Divine - 6.9
2. Frost Hammer - 6.6
3. Bastard Samurai - 6.3
4. Ghost Neck - 6.4
5. The Path - 7.7
6. Fire, Blood & Plague - 7.3
7. How Dark We Pray - 6.2
8. Holy Flames Of The Fire Spitter - 6.0

Overall Grade = 6.68

Quarter Century Review: All Rise

Naked Raygun

All Rise
Homestead
Produced by Iain Burgess

This album's release date is unknown other than the year. This is was kind of the beginning of the end of the unquestioned excellence of Naked Raygun. Their apex reached with their 1984 sophomore effort, Throb Throb, Jeff Pezzati and company saw their power being to wane with this album.

That being said, it just means that they were a mortal band after all. Few punk bands could match the fury of, and undying loyalty to, Naked Raygun in the mid-eighties. Every show was a sing-along. It speaks to their songcrafting and overall appeal. They didn't have the most fans but they inspired the best of the ones they had. The classic lineup combination of Pezzati's powerful vocals and John Haggerty's guitars are on great display here. There was no true classic lineup of Naked Raygun but their heyday is clearly the combination of Pezzati and Haggerty. The recently deceased Burgess was a huge influence on the Chicago post punk scene of the mid-eighties, helping create the buzzsaw guitar sound used by Raygun and Big Black. While not their greatest overall collection of songs, there are still at least three real punk anthems ("Home Of The Brave", "Knock Me Down", "I Remember") as highlights. And there are far more great tracks than mediocre ones. And you can find few better ways to end an album than the Santiago Durango-penned "New Dreams,".

Overall Grade=8.31

Quarter Century Review: King Of Rock

Run-D.M.C.
King Of Rock
Profile/Arista Records
Produced by Russell Simmons

Simply one of the most influential albums in hip-hop history. Rap rock, for better or worse, would not have existed without Run-D.M.C. and the meddling of Rick Rubin. Before he was a reality TV star, Run was the premier MC in the land and D.M.C. brought the thunder. They bridged the gap between the urban underground and the mainstream.

The opening track is a bit of a throwaway as it is merely just a sampling of what is to come. You should always feel good about skipping ahead to the trio's calling card track, "King Of Rock,". The only real issue with this album is that it gets repetitive but that was very common in early rap music. "You Talk Too Much," may go about 2 minutes too long but the enjoyment of aping this song is timeless. In fact, enough of this. I'm going to find my A.D.I.D.A.S. and stand outside in a b-boy stance.

Overall Grade = 8.09

Shearwater - The Golden Archipelago

Shearwater
The Golden Archipelago
Matador
LP/CD

I had to do a double take when first listening to this that I didn't accidentally put an Andrew Bird album on. After the opening cut, I no longer wondered because I suddenly felt like going into the garage and start punching a side of beef , training to get my revenge on the Soviet boxer that killed my friend. All joking aside, Shearwater is actually more enjoyable to me than Jonathan Meiburg's previous band Okkervil River. Now with all of his focus on this project, there are some interesting results. This album should be played in zoos for best effect as the rhythms and themes remind me of the monkey house or aquatic centers.

Though I won't likely have this in my year-end top 25 album list for content (barring a disastrous last 10 months), The Golden Archipelago is the leader for my favorite album title, so that's something.

Track Grades:

1. Meridian - 7.7
2. Black Eyes - 7.5
3. Landscape At Speed - 6.3
4. Hidden Lakes - 4.7
5. Corridors - 3.9
6. God Made Me - 6.7
7. Runners Of The Sun - 7.0
8. Castaways - 6.5
9. An Insular Life - 4.2
10. Uniforms - 6.9
11. Missing Islands - 3.2

Overall Grade = 5.87