Crabb Bits: Arista Jive and J RIP, Strokes, Albums reviews, Link of the day

A new link to tell you about.  http://burnwoodtonite.blogspot.com/

Burning Wood is the name and it gives some new and insightful reviews on the latest.  Check them out.

Big news is that RCA or Sony Music has decided to shut down the Arista, Jive, J and Zomba labels, not that anybody gives a fuck.  Can't tell you the last new Arista album I bought.  Arista, formerly known as Bell Records before Clive Davis took over and renamed it can be considered the alternative rock label of the time, signing Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, The Outlaws, Krokus, Graham Parker And The Rumour and gave a second life to The Grateful Dead and The Kinks.  Plus a certain pop artist by the name of Barry Manilow.  As the years progressed on, Arista went more R and B and got big hits from Whitney Houston, Expose and made a big splash in country with the likes of Alan Jackson, Black Hawk, Diamond Rio and Brad Paisley as well as Carrie Underwood.  I really haven't paid much attention to Arista over that much, I think the last Arista album I bought new was Nerf Herder who had a minor hit with Van Halen.  Jive Records was hip hop plus silly rock along the likes of Reel Big Fish and whatever Britney Spears was throwing out.   J Records, was the latest Clive Davis project and had some minor success with the late Luther Vandross, Pearl Jam and Say Anything.  But basically Arista has been a satellite label for RCA/Sony Music.  We'll take the memories I guess but since it's a part of the big four majors, the loss isn't that great.

How time flies.  Ten years ago The Strokes released Is This It to the world and I've been reading the self-congratulatory  kudos and ass kissing from the music mags.  When it came out, I was up in Seattle for my forgettable second go around with my X GF who was wacked out on 10 different types of medication and it was the longest week of being with anybody.  Nevertheless, we both heard things about this album which was supposed to be the album to returned everything back to good old rock and roll.  Or so it goes.  Is This It has to be the most perfect title of a album that never did much for me and my first reaction after hearing it was "is this it?"  In a way Is This It tried to steer us away from the emo-nu-metal shit of Limp Bizkit or Godsmack taking up radio time and I do admit Is This It still doesn't sound like anything that came out in 2001, unless you had a bedroom tape of a low fi band.  Looking back, Room On Fire was a better album for me but the rest seems to collaspe under all the praise Pitchfork or SPIN or Rolling Stone bestowed upon The Strokes.  It's a good album, not a great album and alongside Astral Weeks or Marqee Moon might be one of the overrated albums of the Crabb era.  I'm surprised Sony Music hasn't issued a 10th Anniversity Edition of Is This It with a bonus second disc of outtakes, live numbers and New York City Cops, which got chopped off at the last moment due to 9/11.  Give credit, The Strokes are still around although I haven't heard or plan to hear their last album Angles.    I never did get on the Strokes bandwagon myself.  Next up, 10 years ago Slipknot unleashed their album Iowa to the world, thus giving them the credo of being the best known Iowa band.  And somehow did changed the face of metal rock in their own twisted way...

It's been a busy couple weeks for new releases.  And the guy at Burning Wood scared me off on the Super Heavy album, that Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart, Joss Stone crapfest.  For myself the Jayhawks Mockingbird Time (Rounder) features the return of Mark Olson to the band after being away for about 15 years and it's great to hear the harmonies and vocals of Olson and Gary Louris and basically it's the same band that did Tomorrow The Green Grass except Tim OReagan plays drums (he also played drums and did some vocals on the post Olsen albums) which is a good thing.  However, while the harmonies are intact, the songs here are not exactly memorable and the production and recording is on the blah side.  Welcome back guys, next time make more effort to write a song with a hooks and melody.  And even give O'Reagan a song or two.

Disappointment number two: Nick Lowe-The Old Magic (Yep Roc).  He looks more Spencer Tracy with those glasses that he sports and he still is that pop country mode that goes way back to Impossible Bird.  This time out, Paul Carrack does guest star and Checkout Time might be the best thing Lowe has written that rocked in twenty years.  But his laid back pop groove makes me wish that he would inject some of that Rockpile inspired Pure Pop For Now People attitude that made me a big fan of his music.  Nothing wrong with growing old, we all grow old but God's sakes Nick add some fun to it.  You don't need to redo a Love So Fine or even Rose Of England, we'll settle for All Man Are Liars or hell, Party Of One rock fun.

I didn't hold much hope for the new Ryan Adams Ashes & Fire (Capitol) but Bruce at the pawn shop talked me into getting it and for it's worth Adams doesn't overstay his welcome like he usually does.  In fact the slow moving acoustic guitar and drums is pretty fine especially on Rocks or Invisible Riverside.  Norah Jones plays piano as well as Bemont Tench from The Heartbreakers and Mrs Ryan Adams, Mandy Moore adds female counterpoint vocals.  Can't say this would be my go to album but it's a good album to drive down the road with and I think it's his best since Cold Roses came out.

Perhaps the best album that I have heard this year may be What Do You Expect From The Vaccines (Columbia).   With gobs of echo guitar that rival the Jesus & Mary Chain, vocals recalling Morrissey and The Smiths but also a bit of a nod to pub rock of the 70s and surf music this was one album that I had to play again after hearing it the first time.    I think if there's another band to describe them it would be White Lies, whose latest album actually bombed but The Vaccines, has a kinda dopey sense of fun that has been sorely missing in the music world.  Morrissey would probably would have killed to get something called Post Break Up Sex in his songbook but my faves remain the new waveish Blow It Up, the acid surf  Norgaard, (that does sound like Rockpile in a cave) and Wet Suit which gives us the best inspirational lyric of We grow old and gray at breakneck speed, go easy on me.  Side 2 does come across as a B Side of sorts and when they go over 5 minutes they do get pretentious like White Lies or The Killers but overall it's one of the most enjoyable albums of the year.  Top Ten worthy I think.

Grades:
The Jayhawks-Mockingbird Time B-
Nick Lowe-The Old Magic C+
Ryan Adams-Ashes & Fire A-
The Vaccines-What Do You Expect From The Vaccines A-