American Alternative music reviews

These guys were an sst band in the truest sense of the word; the big muff fuzz, the ungodly heavy backbeat, and lyrics lifted from an era wherein the most punk of all human sentiments was not spastic rage but a transcendant sense of utter boredom and detatchment. Guitarist Gary Lee Conner's simple and effective power riffs are lifted straight out of the Husker Du playbook, but as soon as vocalist Lanegan hits the chorus and croons, "Ah...transfiguration, baby!" in his universally enviable grizzled-hippie baritone, you know that these guys were about to break the rules. Indeed, after two somewhat "traditional" numbers, "world painted" opens with a gary lee organ riff torn from Ray Manzanek on the doors' "Hello I Love You" and oddly transplanted into the middle of this "punk" album. And it just gets weirder from there. I can only imagine Henry Rollins' reaction when he heard this...after this record (this was their first full-length on sst), their sst stuff got a little more staightahead and there was a slight drop in quality in each record until their phenomenal "sweet oblivion" on epic. Buy this record. In fact, buy anything on sst...those guys were all about the fuzz. it's have your friends saying, "I must have this ungodly catchy buzzing sound palying out of my stereo as well!!" Five stars. Also it's way more fun than nirvana.

The Screaming Trees are now a semi-household name and have been together since the mid 80s. Most people have come to know them from their last few albums, never witnessing the early days before things started to cave in and become rather perfunctory from this vantage point. I can tell you this, the Screaming Trees of the 80s and very early 90s was one of the BEST live bands ever to grace the small club venue! I first saw them in 1987 when opening for firehose. This was the tour for "Even if and Especially When." It was the Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC and the place was abuzz in anticipation of Mike Watt's firehose. Well, let me just say that from the first note of "Straight out to any place," the crowd was IN SHOCK! The Screaming Trees EXPLODED on stage and easily were the hit of the evening, receiving the longest and loudest ovation I can remember, and this for an opening band! They did not quit until firehose came out and emptied over four cans of "silly string" over the entire band... They even played on for a few mintues more! Quite simply, if you were lucky to see the Screaming Trees in the mid to late 80s, you saw one of the best live bands of that decade.

Their first album was "Clairvoyance" released on Velvetone. With that success, SST got them going with "Even If and Especially when" which, despite what Major Tom says, is one of my favorite albums from this band. Its mixture of Gary Lee Connor's psychedelic guitar, Van Conner's walking bass, Mark Pickerel's back beat, and Mark Lanegan's "Jim Morrison" induced vocals were infectious to say the least. The songs swirl with layered textures and funky electric organ. Great cuts include "World Painted" "Transfiguration" "Don't Look Down" and "Cold Rain."

The album was actually recorded at Velvetone in the band's home town of Ellensburg, WA with Steve Fisk producing. The following album was Invisible Lantern, which had some excellent songs, even if the mix was a bit muffled. Buzz Factory followed this release but by this time, Mark Pickerel was being forced out of the band. I saw them in NYC on a barge and Pickerel was in the audience. I liked the guy and he seemed distressed that he was no longer part of the picture. I thought they went downhill from this time on, losing a bit of the feeling and innocence of the early years.

By the way, the Screaming Trees early material loses a lot of soul via CD. It's best to find this in vinyl is possible; the difference is not subtle.

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Mark Pickerel was the drummer on this album.

Although completely different, Vol. 2 has some fantastic long-lost L.A. tex-punk bands ( I don't know how else to describe them). Both Vol.1 and 2 are awesome, especially on vinyl!

Mommy Dearest put the tether on those kids! Ughh we just can't have this! awwwwwwwww. The songs of ghastly pre-marital sex and
swingin drug oblivian are not allowed, oh dear, call the National Hotline for Priggery and Prudery..

You have no right not to buy this album. It's one of the best cultural documents on those people and bands and modus vivendi
of the first wave of punk/goth. Here are three reasons:

1.) The 45 Grave material alone on this comp. makes it worth getting: these are alternate versions and the scarcity of 45 Grave stuff makes these all the more precious, and they likely are better than the versions that went on the original..

2.) What is nothing less than enraging is the amount of talented bands THAT NEVER really made it: this comp shows that bands like Modern Warfare (with their excellent cover of the Stones' Street Fighting which has a superb shift in tempo and is entirely an original song but for the lyric) got unjustly ignored in the sweepstakes; the SuperHeroines also are great, and Seattle's 7 Year Bitch stole clearly the melody from the last song on this comp, though the SHs themselves sound a bit like the Slits; those who hold Social Distortion as too Pop need to hear what they sounded like in these days---they were a punk band, and Christian Death is probably the greatest thing ever to come out of Orange County, though this version of Dogs sounds identical to the album's, Only Theater of Pain; Rhino's work here is good, too, and more is available on the Dangerous House comps. vol 1 & 2, which are also MANDATORY to anyone wanting to know what happened betweem 1977--1981 in the Wild West.

3.) This comp. shows at least indirectly how Goth or Death Rock evolved from punk with its juxtapositioning of 45 Grave and Christian Death with the more straight out punks like the Conservatives (yet another reason to buy this cd).

Bye Bye, & let your children play...

I first bought this on an LP in about 1982, when I was 12 years old, at 'Zeds Records' in the middle of long beach, along with a 45 featuring 'Modern Warfare'. I have no idea what happened to my album, but still have the 'Modern Warfare' single. While playing this CD I realised the original album contained songs by 'Bad Religion', or am I mistaken? The music on this CD is absolutely great, and I was completely stoked to stumble upon this great, unique relic, as I had forgotten this album existed. I have many memories that come up listening to it, like getting arrested at an old 'Alpha Beta' grocery store off Redondo street in Long Beach, shoplifting liquor, to drink while watching 'Secret Hate' play a backyard party. Anyways, my opinion boils down to this: The bands on this cd are fantastic, unique, buy it, you will not be dissapointed!

This Live-CD has a good sound and provides a good overview of Gun Clubs work. Regarding the songs, it features the style of Mother Juno and Fire of Love. As Gun Club is a live band, this CD can be recommended for it's added atmosphere alone. And there's a great Cover song also. So I would prefer this Live-CD over any Greatest-CD (given the same song selection).

Personally I'm very wary of live Gun Club albums, the early eighties glut of lo-fi semi-offical bootlegs being the cause (and yeah I know they sound better on cd but that's not the point)-anyway all I really want to say about this is HAVE NO FEAR-this is simply a really stunning record-great sound quality (obviously, since it's a radio broadcast), and a great line up-JLP/Congo/Romi and Simon Fish-the band is superb throughout.

I would reckon that if you've got to the point of searching for this album you already love The Gun Club and don't need me to tell you how great they are. This album (however much you eventually wind up paying for it) is worth it alone for the version of Yellow Eyes, and great as the original versions on the Ramblin' Jeffrey Lee album are, Go Tell The Mountain and Stranger In My Heart are different beasts on this record, but that's beside the point-it's all great, and your record collection needs this album !

Yea, this appears to be the same recording that was also released as Ahmed's Wild Dream....a gig recorded for a Dutch radio broadcast by VPRO-radio in March 1992. A late Gun Club recording and it was a good gig...Jeffrey was on form and the guitar work on 'Go Tell The Mountain' is superb.

Bottom line is that a lot of poor live recordings got issued by various disaffected GC members over the years but this isn't one of them. Buy it!

If you dig Ginn it's a no-brainer. Sick, dissonant, all-over-the-place guitar is complimented by extra tight rhythm section (Cain/Weiss). Screwy instrumental rock that's more together than Flag's "..Weeding Out" album. Easily some of the most perverted riffs ever invented by Ginn, which is saying something. I don't know of more than 4 people besides myself that flip for this album.

Well, I must be the 5fifth person who's really into this album. (See comment below.) This is Ginn's best solo ablum, IMHO and I have em all. This album is one of the high points post-punk music. It can stant more repeated listennings than just about any album I know. It is a fascinating exploration of hooks, jagged orbit leads, monster riffs, and free-jazz meanderings--all at once. Here Ginn proves himself to be the most interesting and innovative guitarist in rock since Hendrix. (Ok, I admit, I can get a bit obsessive sometimes.) In Gone II, Ginn moves farthest away from some of the monotony that compromises Gone's first album and industrial sounds that compromise the later one's. This album shows how good it can be when you fuse the right parts of jazz and rock (in contrast to most fusions that do exactly the reverse).

well some time bands dont realise good second albums but for greg ginn and the sim cain /andrew weiss band this is could be exception. GONE has returned with there 2nd assult of criminal insane instrumenatal music .a mix of everything under the sun . but unlike my review of the first album i forgotten how much these guys where really jazz influenced in these jamms . its some where in between king crimson and mahavishnu orchestra(in spirt not sound ) i guess. but the best thing of it all is that it greg ginn instead(thats enough for sure).i think all in all that black flag had disbanned at the right time because ginn would not of been able to make this kind of music with those guys.but wait you dont know who black flag is than maybe you should cheak out the 'process of weeding out' before this album because thats almost the first chapter in all this instrumental mold breaking ludichrist dissodent untimely stuff here.......just music to get the lead out..

Half Japanese is a great band... they're definitely not for everyone, but they're still great.

The reason they're great is they broke down rock culture and recreated it in a simple, completely idiosyncratic form. Most music lovers are amateur cultural critics too, so that sort of introspective diy music is pure heaven.

Yeah, compared to most other musicians, they can't play. But rock and roll is about making your shortcomings so obvious and in-your-face that they're aesthetically pleasing. And they manage to do that.

Not recommended for mainstream rock fans. Watch the documentary about them, "The Band that Would Be King" first. Essential for lo-fi and indie fans.

For me, and I acknowledge that this is purely subjective on my part, my preference tends to be for rock music - my favorite musical genre - which doesn't necessarily contain too much unnecessary technical prowess. I think I've been listening to so much punk, as well as post- and proto- punk (and/or what was for a time rather meaningfully called "alternative rock," until, perhaps around the time that Pearl Jam hit the charts), for so long now that it has irreversibly altered my aesthetic sense. I suppose that taste is also subjective. I find, for example, that I can only take so called "classic rock" particularly anything recorded from the mid 70s on, in at most, small doses, if at that. I find most of what Eric Clapton did following his Derek and the Dominoes phase tedious and uninspired; a song like "Free Bird" makes me exhausted, even though I acknowledge that many hear it as a near sacred anthem; I think, for example, that Daniel Johnston, whose musical instrument of choice is a Fisher Price children's keyboard, is a much better musician than, say, Ted Nugent or Joe Satriani; in many ways, I think that Jimi Hendrix - whose music I really love -, as well as Eric Clapton, whose earlier stuff I generally appreciate, were nevertheless perhaps two of the worst things to happen to music, because they both inspired too many rock guitarists, in the 70s and beyond, to want to be soloists, and in my opinion, most rock instrumental solos, especially those that go on for more than 20 seconds, are boring; which is also why I would rather listen to marginally capable musicians - such as the Shaggs, the New York Dolls, or � Japanese, than to very competent musicians like Van Halen, Rick Wakeman, or Emerson, Lake and Palmer. In fact, I'd argue that Half-Japanese were probably 20x greater overall than a band like Van Halen, and that Jad Fair is a greater and more important musician than David Lee Roth or Eddie Van Halen. I also think that much of what passes for contemporary mainstream rock is completely lame and a big waste of time.

I recognize, of course, that mine is probably a minority opinion. I tend to dislike things in rock music the more popular they are and to appreciate stuff that most people would think is bad/weird/incompetent, particularly when it expresses a passionate originality, which is why I appreciate stuff like the Shaggs, Daniel Johnston, Pere Ubu, Half-Japanese, The Throbbing Gristle, the Velvet Underground, and many many others. My idea of a great rock show is probably not 50,000 people at a baseball stadium responding to some big name act (after paying $80.00 for tickets) but rather, something like 80 people in a tiny club grooving on some obscure alt.rock band, particularly if they are the only ones left remaining after others were driven away by the inherent weirdness of the performers or, alternately, a group of folks of widely varying ages inside a gym dancing their hearts out to the unintentional polyrhythms of the Shaggs.

I guess, then, that beauty certainly is in the eyes of the beholder.

Anyway, to get right to the point, this is my roundabout way of saying how much I love Half-Japanese. They are truly a unique entity in the world of music. I think that Jad and David Fair are truly artists, with a vision, and I enjoy and appreciate that I can share with them in their vision. This, then, is a fine place to begin to explore the world of Half-Japanese.

Someone did go over their albums sensibly and pick the best songs. Plus, there's 5 unreleased songs added. It's an excellent way to start with this group. I have all their albums and couldn't resist getting this, used, because, well, because I love this band since they play music in a way that no one else does. Actually, I prefer the packaging of the 3xLP better than the 2xCD only because I prefer most LP packaging better just because its larger. However, the advantage of CD's being mobile and not breaking down over time into scratches and pops and sometimes skips, its worth it having on CD.

Musically, you get a broad selection from their various albums. I'd say its worth owning all their albums except the live BOO! which has a small number of musicians playing and just doesn't have the full sound their other albums do. Heck, there's a Japanese release Greatest Hits 2 out there somewhere as well with about 2/3rds the number of trax. I believe it was originally a 2xLP. Probably now a single CD. These guys make music from what seems to be an untrained direction yet it really swings. I particularly love it when they have a saxaphone joining them which is maybe in about a third of their songs. Whew. Obviously, this will never be radio friendly music. All the more reason to buy the CD's. Of course, you need to listen to the song snippets on amazon.com first to see if this is for you. If it is, you'll probably end up like many of us HALF JAPANESE fans, head over heels in love with the power and complexity and chaotic yet blended musical style they have. chrisbct@hotmail.com

It seems that the more creative a band seems to be, the worse they get along. By fusing this tension with a love of 60's garage rock, the Screaming Trees managed to produce some of the most consistantly exciting music of the many Seattle bands during (and years before) the grunge movement. Because the guitars are layered over each other, it's hard to believe they were a one-guitar outfit.

"Lantern" is a low-budget recording from their time on the legendary/notorious SST Records, home of hardcore punks Black Flag and the mighty Husker Du. Fans of the Nuggets-era rock bands of the Sixties, the Trees inject punk's power chords into the mix. Lyrics are a bit more psychedelic and less-meaningful than on later on in their career but still damn catchy. After a couple of listens, the highlights of this record will stick with you. Every song seems to have a distinct sound to it and each track can be complimented in different ways.

I would recommend anything from this band's catalog.

One only has to hear the Screaming Trees finale two albums (Sweet Oblivion & Dust) to know that this is one of the finest groups ever to record. In early works like Invisible Lantern, the group has not yet established their groove, but there is certainly an audio seed for the incredible works to come. The riff that explodes out of feedback at the very beginning is a perfect opening to the unique and beautiful garage-psychedelia yet to come. "Grey Diamond Desert" is purely haunting, "Even If" is a clean song that features Lanegan's enchanting voice and demonstrates the Trees' gift for subtle riffing. The Conner brothers are very charged musicians as demonstrated throughout the album, and the drumming of Mark Pickerel leaves little to complain about. Although not as astounding as their more mature works, Invisible Lantern is a great album, that documents the early days of one of America's greatest underrated rock and roll bands.

Take a little stroll down forest backroads and, with a little luck, you will witness the Mushroom Celebration and the Breathing Frond Reverie. Night-drift through the desert and, if you possess a strong soul, you will hear Mescalito's howls and the Powerwalking Ancients. Glide on solar winds and, bereft of everything, you will sing the Novae Illuminatio Conundrum and dance in the Umbra Pegasii Tabernae. Or let yourself be transported by this little magic carpet of a record and you will experience the rush and the glee.

I love this lp though to me it sounds like the production could've been better by being a little less glossy. I find that the music has a great psychedelic glow and the guitar is the best that 2 people sans great chops could get to QMS/Television.
My Dreams is one of my favourite tracks ever. (...)I think there are extras due. Meanwhile I'd go for the Kalinda Danse Boom cd which is some of this material played live

One of my favourites all time this one from the Gun Club.
It's a mysterious and alternative bluespunkrock record. Hail the guitars and the punk-singing of JL Pierce which results in one the best bands ever from the 80's!

And now ladies and gentlemen: after long waiting there is a re-issue with bonus track. Enjoy.

Oh my God - no one's reviewed it and it's out of stock. This is arguably the best album of the 80s. Buy it, if you can find it...

This is a really great "Bad Brains" album, with a good live performance, and even better song selection. Included is "Right Brigade", "I Against I", "Re-Ignition", and the cover of "Day Tripper". I could listen to this punk reggae forever. But, even though this and "Spirit Electricity" are great live albums, neither is as good as "The Youth Are Getting Restless". That's 17 tracks of furious perfection. Too bad they don't play like it anymore.

Bad Brains have to have been at this time, the tightest band I have ever heard play live (which I did on numerous occasions 1988-1993). And this recording captures their tight, high energy performances perfectly.

While I like "Youth Are Getting Restless", I think this recording better captures the sound and fury of the "I Against I" era of Bad Brains (my favorite point in their career). This is one of my top 3 personal favorite live recordings....it definately does the band justice !

This is a really good cd, it shows the Bad Brains could play great concerts in front of little crowds. The songs are all good choices, and sound even better than the album versions. My personal favorite is I and I Survive. H.R.'s voice is really energetic on songs like At The Movies and Secret 77. This was of a concert from around 1988, when they were really into metal. Bad Brains were original, and you can hear their performing talent.

The only negative thing about this CD is that it consists of one single track. Yes, the whole show is one long track, defeating the "skip" button on your cd player. This is a hassle if you jump in your car and want to hear "Sex Bomb" (the last song) right away. You have to sit there with your finger on the fast forward button until you reach the song that you're looking for.
But this being a live Flipper show, you shouldn't want to skip anything here. Every microsecond of noise, feedback, and guitar abuse should be consumed greedily by your ears, because only Flipper can be this chaotic and this disciplined at the same time. The show starts off with "Billy Sacrafice and the Little Italians" singing "If It Don't Fit, Don't Force It", and then the wheels of the might Flipper machine go into motion. For the next hour, listeners are put in the center of a live Flipper show, and frankly, there are no words to put it into true perspective. The music is thick and massive, often sounding like it's sucking the oxygen out of the room. The vocals are harsh and fit the music like an abused leather glove. Their chemistry comes through on this recording, and you can tell that they're all on the same level musically and not just playing riffs that they wrote together. It's no wonder why some of the top "modern rock" icons give so much credit to Flipper. They were ahead of their time (I was only 8 when this show took place), and their music still stands up to the garbage that is being released today.
Face it...if you're reading this review, then you must have an idea who Flipper is, and take it from a true fan...you can't afford to go through life without this album. Here's a free tip...the listening experience goes nicely with a case of beer while playing Grand Theft Auto 3. You're welcome.

Flipper were a drugged out, feedback drenched,impossibly slowed down ultra unorthodox hardcore band. This cd documents them at their live peak. The cd is all one track. Its the concert as is. It takes you back to an era when as someone I knew said, "you could catch a quality indie band at CBGB's ever night". This cd documents one of these shows. Guaranteed Kurt Cobain and many other followers heard Flipper. So should you.

As a liner note states, this is " BEAUTIFUL CHAOS."

I almost blew out my speakers and the sub-woofer. You have to play it loud. The house shook and the dog is nowhere to be found.
I can't wait until I have a few beers and do it all over again.

I wish I had been at the May 14, 1983 show at CBGB's. I know I would have been screaming into the microphone along with the other fans. Whoever sang " Hopelessly in Love," did an amazing job. At times, I thought it was the lead singer for the Butthole Surfers. I guess we'll never know.

The sound quality is great. I do wish it was in surround sound. Oh well, I shouldn't snivel.

For me, " Sex Bomb" is the stand out song; but, don't worry, this entire CD is great stuff. That is assuming you love Flipper. There is no middle ground. You get it or you don't.

If you get it, buy it.

If , like me , you're a big fan of Ian, and you're expecting rip-roaring, flat out rockin' versions of classics like 'merseybeast' and 'fire inside my soul', you won't find them here. This is just Ian and an acoustic guitar. I love his 1st 3 albums, but found this a little monotonous, i'm afraid.

This is a great live album from big Ian,he seems very relaxed in the solo setting and it's just Ian and his acoustic guitar and harmonica. He kicks off the show with the classic Icicle works song "Hollow horse".It's also nice to hear"Great dreams of Heaven and "head like a rock" stripped down to just voice and acoustic guitar.McNabb is fantastic live and in a recent concert in Glasagow played for three hours.He does a very intense version of "What she did to my mind",which is probably the angriest song he's ever performed.All the classics are here ,including "Merseybeast" and "Why are the beautiful so sad"
McNabb has to been one of Britain's finest songwriters,alongside Richard Thompson and as well as being a good writer is also a good vocalist.
If you like the unplugged albums,this is for you,or if you want to hear him rock look out for "Head like a rock" with Crazy horse backing him.

Ian McNabb's recent releases have been few and far between and, while he has never sold particularly well, solo or with Icicle Works, his talent remains undiminished. In a time when good pop hooks are hard to come by, it seems as if McNabb can't help but write catchy, anthemic pop songs.

Live at Life is a solo acoustic showcase for McNabb and his back catalogue, before an appreciative hometown Liverpool audience. His songwriting talent shines through. His lack of chart success is mystifying but he keeps plugging away. Those who cherish high-quality songwriting should appreciate Live at Life.