Bare Jr. “Brainwasher” Immortal
Records
Most rock bands don’t have a full-time dulcimer player.
Most rock bands don’t begin their albums with an
intentionally cheesy and overdone “Overture” that lasts
well over a minute. Thus be forewarned: Bare Jr. is not the average
rock band. “Brainwasher,” its second major label
release, jokingly works its way through the typically serious
topics of unemployment, cheating on a girlfriend and feeling
mistreated. With its decidedly tongue-in-check lyrics that have an
irresistible, sing-along quality, Bare Jr. has a little Weezer in
its music, which never hurt any band. Starting off with
“Overture: Love Theme from Brainwasher,” the
group’s message is clear: don’t take anything too
seriously, because it doesn’t. It quickly moves into the
infectious pop punk song “Brainwasher,” which
introduces the listener to the entertaining, deceptively simple
lyrics. Goofy lines like, “My mind is so dirty I got
mud/Runnin’ out of my ears,” the likes of which run
throughout the album, add to the fun. The tempo slows down for the
next few songs, starting with “If You Choose Me,” about
what the singer will do if his potential girlfriend chooses him
over another man. The best part is how tortured and panic-stricken
he sounds at the end of the song, as he finally promises,
“I’ll quit cussin’ and lose 10 pounds/I’ll
swear you’re skinny when you get round.” “Why Do
I Need a Job,” which follows, recognizes the band’s
blues and country roots ““ it is, after all, from Nashville
““ without succumbing to them completely. Heavy-sounding
guitars still back the singer in the chorus. A few tracks later is
the quiet and sad “Miss You the Most,” the only serious
song on the album. It’s beautiful and thoughtful ““ a
real reversal for this band. Apparently realizing the risk of
taking itself too seriously, however, Bare Jr. follows with
“Kiss Me (Or I Will Cry),” which picks up the humorous
lyrics and fast pace again. The funniest song on the album is
“Dog,” with its opening line, “I wish I was your
dog “˜cause you treat him better.” It’s tracks
like these that make “Brainwasher” great.
Unfortunately, the last two songs are disappointing. Their lyrics
still exhibit the spunkiness of the rest of the album, but the
musical accompaniment isn’t pleasing enough to match.
Overall, however, the songs on “Brainwasher” are some
of the most fun that can be found in music today.
Mary Williams Rating: 8
Miles Davis “Live At the Fillmore East ““
March 7, 1970″ Columbia
Warning ““ this live concert features electric instruments.
While this statement may not seem odd now, it was pretty much
unheard of 30 years ago. When trumpet legend Miles Davis first
presented his group of musicians for the “Bitches Brew”
sessions, including an electric bass and a synthesizer, people in
the jazz world were shocked. The live performances on the latest
Davis release highlight Davis and his band at their peak, just
weeks before he dropped “Bitches Brew” onto the
unsuspecting jazz elitists. Not only did Davis have the audacity to
blasphemize jazz music, but the noise coming from the band
didn’t even seem to sound like jazz. In fact, what these two
albums encompass is part of the creation of funk. Sadly, the crowd
at the concert does not realize the significance of what Davis is
presenting on stage, and needless to say the audience’s
response sounds less than enthusiastic. Well, if the audience of
the ’70s didn’t appreciate the performance, the
audience of today assuredly will. Listening to the album is like a
who’s who of the contemporary jazz world. Alongside Davis is
sax player Wayne Shorter, whose flurry of notes seem to fit
perfectly with the experimental phase that Davis was going through
at the time. In addition, piano wiz Chick Corea, the acclaimed
pianist whose compositions include the standard
“Spain,” displays his keyboarding skills. While the
songs are generally improvisational in makeup, there are also some
gems on the album. What were soon to be “Bitches Brew”
classics appear in an even more raw form than they do on the album.
These songs include “Directions,” “Spanish
Key” and “Miles Runs The Voodoo Down.” Twenty-one
years before this concert, Davis released “Birth of the
Cool.” With this awe-striking concert, Davis has fathered
something new ““ funk.
Antero Garcia Rating: 8
Earth, Wind & Fire “Spirit”
Columbia
So, Philip Bailey may have one of the most high pitched voices
in show business, but the guy can’t complain ““ chicks
dig it. On “Imagination,” the third track of Earth,
Wind & Fire’s rerelease “Spirit,” Bailey
serenades his gal by singing, “It’s not hard to
conceive/love ecstasy imagining you with me.” Alright, so the
lyrics may seem a bit old and clichéd, but then again this
album was made way back in the day, in 1976. The album opens with
the smooth sounds of “Getaway,” a song about people
leaving their troubles behind them. The song is also a primer for
things to come later on the album. Included on
“Getaway” are the standard background vocals and slick
horn and rhythm arrangements that have become a signature of the
EW&F sound. While the album overall is solid, it doesn’t
exactly have the EW&F classics that soul fans have come to
adore. For this reason, the album is one of the most underrated the
group has put out. In addition to some incredibly sweet unknown
songs, “Spirit” is newly remastered and includes four
previously unreleased tracks. The remix of
“Imagination” is stunning. Barely over a minute in
length, the remix shows the utter beauty behind the vocals of the
band. The final and most impressive of the bonus tracks is a brief
instrumental song titled “African Symphony.” While the
song is very short, it is intense and is not as upbeat and cheerful
as the rest of the album. The song presents a more melancholic side
of EW&F that is not normally heard in the band’s music.
Overall, the album is solid, but never seems to reach the intensity
of the group’s other releases, such as
“Gratitude” and “That’s the Way of the
World.”
Antero Garcia Rating: 7