Mark Prindle Speaks On Some Of The Music Of 2012
Mark Prindle Speaks Via Facebook.
I don't have a web site anymore, but here are a few quick opinions of the latest releases by some really old bands.
The new Bad Brains album -- Not nearly as bad as I'd thought it was on
first listen. Still too much dub reggae for my tastes, but a lot of the
loud guitar songs kick some solid butt! If you like their last one,
this one should be right up your alley as well.
The new
Aerosmith album -- Ruined by awful power ballads. The rockers may not
be the best they've ever written, but they're also not bad at all for a
bunch of elderly gentlemen. It's also great to hear Steven Tyler sing in
a lower register again instead of just shrieking. The first two or
three songs are in fact downright fantastic. But good god do the ballads
stink. And they comprise a full third of the CD! It's possible to write
a great ballad -- "Dream On" was basically a ballad, remember. "Seasons
of Wither" and "You See Me Crying" were terrific songs too. But this is
just generic "Crazy"/"Amazing"/"Crying"-alike garbage, as if Stephen
truly came to believe that the garbage music he heard on American Idol
had true artistic value. It's a real shame. They really stink up an
otherwise not-bad-at-all rock and roll record. I'd probably give it a
5/10.
The new Kiss album -- I absolutely loathed it on first
listen, which is weird because it sounds exactly like Kiss. Like '70s
Kiss. No classic riffs you'll be humming for years, but it sounds
EXACTLY like '70s Kiss. So if you think the world needs a new '70s Kiss
album in 2012, go for it!
That new Beach Boys album that came
out some time ago -- Starts strong! Then starts sounding like
late-period Beach Boys. But then ends strong again! As mediocre as it
is as a whole, it's still a better record than anything they've done
since probably "Love You."
The three Guided By Voices albums
that came out this year -- So many great tunes! Some throwaway Bob
Pollard bullshit too, of course, but oh my god so many great tunes!
Tobin Sprout in particular was on fire this year, with loads of
wonderful melodies.
The two new Neil Young albums - "Americana"
is fantastic jogging music, because every song has a fairly upbeat,
steady 4/4 tempo. And it's fun to hear Neil screw around with these old
classic songs. My only complaint would be that some of them are far
too long and repetitive. This was the first album he ever recorded
while not drunk or high though, so that's kind of interesting.
"Psychedelic Pill" is an interesting, frustrating mixture of classic
emotional/moody Neil and dopey-ass late-period goofballness. The first
song is like 26 minutes long and he made up the lyrics as he went! I
love Neil Young. Long may he run to the studio and record another
album.
The new Swans album - I've only listened to it once so
far. The songs seemed far too long at that time, but first listens
cannot be trusted. I shall listen again!
The two new Public
Enemy albums - Surprisingly not bad at all, on first listen. Some nice
"beats," some interesting lyrics - and it sounds like Public Enemy
alright!
The new Neurosis album - On first listen, it sounded a
lot like Neurosis. First listens cannot be trusted though. I predict
that on second listen it will sound like Demetri Martin.
The new Killing Joke album - I love it, even if two or three songs have no reason to exist. I just love this band.
The new Flaming Lips album - I hated it with a passion on first listen,
but having listened a couple more times, I've grown to quite enjoy it.
Even the stupider songs (like the one with Nick Cave) have interesting
music/moods. I doubt "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" will ever
grow on me though.
The new Iggy Pop - More easy-listening French crooner covers. Come on, Ig. Nobody wants to hear this bullshit.
The new Public Image Ltd. - Has a few really good melodies near the beginning, but too much of it sounds completely half-assed.
The new ZZ Top - They've dumped the eccentricity of "Mescalero" and
retreated to what they feel they do best - blues-rock. It's decent
though. No surprises, but beats the hell out of everything between
Recycler and XXX.
The new Bob Dylan - His voice has never sounded worse. I can't even comment on the music because his voice sounds so bad.
The new Soundgarden - Only listened once so far, but it seemed to start
off surprisingly strong before taking a turn for the dull about halfway
through.
The new Joey Ramone - Don't blame Joey for the
hit-or-miss quality of the songs. If he were alive, it probably
wouldn't have been released! It's wonderful to hear his voice again,
but a lot of these tunes are just 'whatever.'
The new Sebadoh EP - I like it! Sounds like good strong melodic Sebadoh!
The new Rush - On first listen, I thought the riffs sucked. On second
listen, they sounded much better but Geddy's voice got on my nerves.
Could it be that I've grown to hate Geddy's voice again?
I know
I'm missing some other recent releases, but they aren't coming to mind
at the moment. I still haven't heard the new Pig Destroyer, though I'd
like to. I didn't bother with the new Everclear. I'm looking forward
to the new Bad Religion and Nick Cave.
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