Syd Barrett: Barrett

Syd Barrett: Barrett

1970

Harvest/Capitol Records

Format I Own it on: Vinyl and Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. Baby Lemonade  2. Love Song  3. Dominoes  4. It Is Obvious  5. Rats  6. Maisie  7. Gigolo Aunt  8. Waving My Arms in the Air  9.  I Never Lied to You  10. Wined and Dined  11. Wolfpack  12. Effervescing Elephant

Barrett's second (and final) solo album, released shortly before his lifelong exile from music and public life...This album seems a little more fleshed out and listener-friendly than "The Madcap Laughs" but the unexpected zigs and zags are still everywhere...

The album opens with one of the best songs Barrett ever recorded...After a cool spy guitar intro, "Baby Lemonade" blooms into a wide-eyed psychedelic pop song.  It instantly struck me that this is the type of material that was missing from "The Madcap Laughs." Same goes for "Gigolo Aunt." It showed that he could still write an effective pop track.  His earlier Pink Floyd material always had these types of oddball hooks...It's not as adorned with lavish production like  "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" is but I actually prefer this to most of the Pink Floyd tracks...There's just something so unguarded about it...It also helps that Syd had such a likable voice...

The tone of this album doesn't seem as visceral and emotional as "The Madcap Laughs" as Syd somehow sounds even more out of it...dead-eyed, reeling off long lines of abstract text and nursery rhyme melodies...This all culminates in the slippery, mysterious "Dominoes." Which, like I stated yesterday, reminds me of the bleak throb of mid 70's Floyd...but I like this even more...

Syd even tried out a couple of blues numbers...but  it goes without saying that "Rats" and "Maisie" are utterly unlike any blues songs you've ever heard before. He moans "Maisie" in some bizarre, yet-disinterested deep voice...and "Rats" is just zonky.

Despite some of the tracks stretching on a wee bit long after the vocals have ended, this album is a much more pleasant listen than "The Madcap Laughs" but I can't bring myself to say I like it more...Honestly, you've got to check out both of them...I flip back and forth over which one I prefer...

On a personal note, I bought a red vinyl copy of this album at Eastside Records in Tempe, Az. Eastside Records was one of my favorite places in the world... The place was so absolutely jam packed with punk vinyl that you could hardly move...and the guys behind the counter would let you bring in beer and drink it while you shopped, as long as you shared with them! I'm telling you, the place was irreplaceable...I was so distraught by their closing that I wrote and recorded a  song about the place and my undying love of the red vinyl copy of "Barrett" that I bought there... There's even a photo of the record inside the album cover...I just put a TA-80 label over it...

The song's called "Red Candy Vinyl." My wife Amy wrote the music and I wrote the words...You can check out our song here...

But I was very happy to find out they re-opened! Yay!

Alright...Let's listen to "Baby Lemonade" by Syd Barrett...Enjoy...

Syd Barrett: The Madcap Laughs

Syd Barrett: The Madcap Laughs

1970

Harvest/Capitol Records

Format I Own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. Terrapin  2. No Good Trying  3. Love You  4. No Man's Land  5. Dark Globe  6. Here I Go  7. Octopus  8. Golden Hair  9. Long Gone  10. She Took a Long Cold Look  11. Feel  12. If It's In You  13. Late Night

I can still recall my first encounter with the music of Syd Barrett. I was a teenager and listening to the classic rock radio station on a Sunday night. I remember they used to play this program that would feature  live performances by bands and on this night they were playing a live recording of an old Pink Floyd show from the 60's. Like most kids in the Midwest I loved Pink Floyd and was very familiar with their 70's albums. But Pink Floyd music from the 60's?! I was dimly aware they had been together for that long but had never run across any of it on the radio. So I sat by the radio that night listening intently as I was treated to some of the most intense, brain-scraping psychedelia I've ever heard in my life... It certainly turned my head around, but I just couldn't seem to get my hands on any of it for the longest time.

Eventually,  sometime during the late 90's I was able to procure a copy of Pink Floyd's "Piper at the Gates of Dawn," and grew to love it, even though it seemed (for the most part) tamer than the live recording I had heard. But even after I had become familiar with "Piper at the Gates of Dawn," hearing "The Madcap Laughs" was still a startling experience. It's pretty well documented that by the time "Madcap" was recorded, poor Syd was already well out of his mind due to schizophrenia. There's lots of debate whether releasing the audibly troubled Barrett's recordings constitutes as exploitation of a mentally handicapped person, but I'm not getting into all that...I don't care who made this record...Hell, it could be the new release by Justin Timberlake for all I care...I still think it's totally worthy of its place in the pantheon of rock history...



(Here's the alternate cover...I don't like this nearly as much as the regular cover...It doesn't fit the vibe...The original cover captures the stark vibe of the album perfectly...)

I don't feel like this falls in the same category as Wesley Willis or Wild Man Fischer, where it's "Ha Ha, listen to the funny crazy guy..."  "The Madcap Laughs," despite its sometimes whimsical qualities, is a pretty harrowing listen...The vocal performance on "If it's in You" alone is enough to disturb you. The tempos are sea-sick, constantly going in and out of time...I literally have no idea how the backing band played along to this...it gives the tracks with the more-fleshed out arrangements a particularly odd (and instantly recognizable) gait...But despite these unbalanced qualities there's a distinct talent that's undeniable, and once you get the hang of it, addictive...I could listen to the wordplay on "Octopus" and "Dark Globes" all day...

"Dark Globes" is emblematic of the more stripped-down side of the record. There's a batch of songs where it's only Syd on acoustic guitar and these tracks, more than anything, I think,  are responsible for the enduring appeal of Syd Barrett...You've never heard anything like this...and that's a hard thing to pull off when it's just one guy and a guitar...He creates a new alien language that sounds like he's desperate for communication, which he totally gets across but not in any of the usual expected ways...when he sings:

"Please, please, please lift a hand, 
 I'm only a person with Eskimo chain, 
 I tattooed my brain all the way, 
 Won't you miss me?
 Wouldn't you miss me at all?"

His words make no literal sense but his voice and performance speak volumes...that's why it's so unsettling...and it's why it's so relateable... It seemed like the guy had something to say...and the most honest way to say it was a jumbled mess...It's also kind of strikes me at how similar he sounds to Roger Waters when he sings the line "Wouldn't you miss me at all?"  But it's a vocal tone Syd had never used before and Roger never used until waaayyy later... but it's undeniable. I feel the same way about "Domino" from Syd's next record...it seems to foreshadow Pink Floyd's later direction somewhat...Like he was still an influence on Pink Floyd even after he had left that band...

But it's not all psychic turmoil, like I said there's some lighter material that evens things out while you're listening...The first half of the record sounds like Syd is having  a good time. He sounds like he's barely able to contain himself on "Love You," and album opener "Terrapin" is a lightly drifting psychedelic cloud of a song...Understated and very catchy..." Octopus" is also a fun, if a slightly nightmarish, fairy tale romp, somewhat similar to "Piper at the Gates of Dawn," except a bit more urgent...not quite as pastoral...A bit of a mental shift but still familiar...but ultimately, when you take the record off the turntable these aren't the moments that stick with you...

So yea...I love this record, I've listened to it regularly in the 10 years I've had it now, and I suspect it's never going to lose its power...I wouldn't casually recommend this to folks who spend their lives listening to nothing but Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" on classic rock radio, but I'd say if you're a little bit adventurous in your listening habits you're going to get a lot out of this...

That said, let's check out "Dark Globe" by Syd Barrett...

Baroness: Yellow & Green

Baroness: Yellow & Green

2012

Relapse

Format I Own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing: 

Disc One:  1: Yellow Theme  2. Take My Bones Away  3. March to the Sea  4. Little Things  5. Twinkler  6. Cocainium  7. Back Where I Belong  8. Sea Lungs  9. Eula 

Disc Two: 1. Green Theme  2. Board Up the House  3. Mtns. (The Crown & Anchor)  4. Foolsong  5. Collapse  6. Psalms Alive  7. Stretchmarker  8. The Line BetweenThe Line Between  9. If I Forget Thee, Lowcountry

Writing about this kind of reminds me of a few months back when I was writing about Herb Alpert...It's just not in a genre I listen to very often. It's a current Heavy Metal album, of which I own very few. Mainly because...well..I can't especially stand modern Heavy Metal.

You see, I actually do theoretically like Heavy Metal...it's just that there's only a small amount of modern heavy bands that I consider worthwhile. I'm a huge fan of Clutch, and Ghost. Hell, I'll even throw on some Mastodon every once in awhile, but the genre seems to have stagnated on forms that came into vogue around the 90's that drove me away from Metal in the first place. Namely Black/Death metal, which I find to be extremely dull, and the Alice in Chains-like drudging active-rock.  You see, Death Metal should be exciting, since it's usually played at fast tempos, but it feels slow to me...usually because the vocalists sing quarter-notes...Compare this to the spit-fire vocal delivery of many hardcore punk bands like the Bad Brains for example...it makes it sound a lot more lively...But I guess the goal of something called "Death Metal" isn't to be lively. Oh yea...there's also the matter of melody...which has almost been completely abandoned in the Metal World...For some reason there's this stubborn idea that something can't be melodic and heavy...Man, what bullshit...

Most modern Metal sounds like Wrestlers should be walking down an aisle to it...

So yea..I love heavy metal, but ever since the genre downplayed the more melodic aspects I've almost completely abandoned the form. But I'm always on the lookout for bands that might be able to breathe some new life into it for me...And I kept hearing the name Baroness thrown around  as an example of a melodic, heavy metal band that wasn't afraid to take risks...Apparently, they used to be much heavier, but with each color-coded album they released, they stretched themselves further and further. So after having this recommended to me so many times, I finally decided to check it out after I found a copy of this for a very low price...

My first impression walking away is "this is what metal fans find to be experimental?" It's not too far removed from something  like the Foo Fighters or Mastodon...It's mostly straight-forward Arena Rock with giant leather-lunged choruses...I haven't listened to the  radio in years, but it wouldn't surprise me at all to hear "Take My Bones Away," "The Line Between" or "Board Up the House" there...Actually, if "Board Up the House" and "The Line Between" both aren't on your local rock station right now, it's a huge injustice...They're of a much higher caliber than most other bands on there...Though I find the vocals a bit colorless, the instrumentation and the songwriting are definitely way above average...

And they actually do show a bit of range, which is encouraging, and makes the double-album running time a breeze...I love when they bust out the Moog-sounding keyboard on  "Sea Lungs." Now this feels different and exciting!

I'm encouraged by the fact that there's been a recent increase in listenable Heavy Metal...who knows...Maybe one day it'll be a genre I'll listen to regularly again...Now let's really get our shit together and work on some listenable new punk (that isn't by bands that have been around for a decade plus!)

Okay, so since we're discussing Heavy Metal today, let's use this as an excuse to look at some more pictures from a RIP magazine I scanned in...

 

Great White/Warrant bukkake...

 

I showed my friend Russ this picture and he said in a wacky voice, "Hyuk! We're eating funny food!" You gotta hear him say it...I tell you what...I'll record him saying it next time and I'll post an audio clip  for you....

 

Here's an ad for some bitchen L.A. metal clothes...

"Spectres of Yngwie." This is just the most pompous picture that it's possible to take..Maybe if he was playing video games against himself it might be cool...but chess?!

Sorry to put you guys through all that...Anyway, let's check out"Board Up the House" by Baroness...

Band of Horses: Mirage Rock

Band of Horses: Mirage Rock
2012

Columbia Records

Format I Own it on; Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. Knock Knock  2. How to Live  3. Slow Cruel Hands of Time  4. A Little Biblical  5. Shut-in Tourist  6. Dumpster World  7. Electric Music  8. Everything's Gonna Be Undone  9. Feud  10. Long Vows  11. Heartbreak on the 101

It sounds like a cloud has lifted. Band of Horses had always operated in a permanent fog of reverb, with Ben Bridwell's voice serving as a beacon, but now all that's gone and the production is clear as a bell. In fact, the record sounds great. They've totally nailed the classic rock vibe they've always flirted with, and Glyn Johns production sounds completely authentic, and to boot there's a genuine sense of fun on almost every track.

On the other hand, I think there's a slight shortage of great songs. I don't hear much that stands up to the best moments on their past albums.  Although, I think I might hold this band in a slightly higher regard than most people do...I'm dead serious in the fact that I'm having a hard time recalling albums I've enjoyed and played to death as much as the band's last two albums...They weren't mere My Morning Jacket knock-offs like I had originally pegged them...They transcended all that and put out masterfully understated albums that I still can't get enough of...So every time I see a Band of Horses album on the "Upcoming Releases" board at the Record Store, I 'm always excited, and always expect the world...

For a change the uptempo stuff is the best material here.  The fun, whoo-hooing first single "Knock Knock" was stuck in my head the moment I first heard it... Same goes for the catchy indie-pop of "A Little Biblical" and "Feud," which were  love at first listen.  I also dig "Electric Music" which is just straight-forward sun-kissed classic-rock...

(I've been waiting awhile to use that joke but I couldn't wait until next week's Beach Boys posts...)

There seems to be a lot of hate directed at the "Heavy Metal" touches on "Dumpster World."  I don't know...I kind of think that's probably the best part of the song...If anything it's the jazzy first half that I have a problem with...I also think people are taking the lyrics too literally... I seriously doubt they're advocating letting every one out of prison...Listen to it again...

So yea, a tad disappointing on first listen, but it has grown on me, and I can see it now as a cool, loose album...I enjoy this when I put it on, but still..another absolute  killer song or two wouldn't have hurt...But it is encouraging to see the band try on new genres and new voices (what is that deep, gravelly voice on "Heartbreak on the 101?) They may not have reached their past heights here, but they're also not stagnating...
So let's kick back and listen to "Feud" by Band of Horses...

Band of Horses: Infinite Arms

Band of Horses: Infinite Arms

2010

Brown Records/Fat Possum/Columbia Format I Own it on: Compact Disc Track Listing: 1. Factory  2. Compliments  3. Laredo  4. Blue Beard  5. On My Way Back Home  6. Infinite Arms  7. Dilly  8. Evening Kitchen  9. Older  10. For Annabelle  11. NW Apt  12. Neighbor The band's third album is even folksier and more laid-back than before. Indie-rock is further de-emphasized as the country, classic rock, and soft rock touches become even more prominent. My first couple of listens to this album were a little underwhelming, and it seemed somewhat dull compared to the first two albums, but I kept playing it and now I like it as much, if not more than "Cease to Begin." I can't even fathom what I had initially heard, there's so many excellent songs and beautiful harmonies...Man, is "Older" gorgeous. Same goes for the lush "Factory" and unassuming indie-rock of "Laredo," which would have fit in beautifully on "Cease to Begin." Hell, "Blue Beard" is nearly yacht-rock in its smoothness...the harmony tag at the end ("Take a little time, gonna roll the dice...") sounds like Wilson-Phillips, but I love it anyway...Do I have some deep-seated love of Wilson-Phillips I was previously unaware of? Perhaps... I did always have a thing for big luscious shoulder pads...It's pretty unfair they put the hot chicks on a rock up front and tried to fool the world by dressing Carnie up as a man and making her stand in the back...She does cut a dashing figure though...A sort of John Wayne ruggedness... Actually, listening to "Blue Beard" makes me think the band has been studying the Fleet Foxes lately...especially that harmony at the beginning. "On My Way Back Home" betrays the same influence. But it's not all slow stuff, the band also tries on some more uptempo pop-rock on "Dilly" and "NW Apt" that help keep things moving...   Oh yea...And what do you serve  your guests while you're listening to Band of Horse's "Infinite Arms?" Why, what else but... ...Now & Laters... ...and some Bartles & Jaymes...(cos they don't need no first names...) Like I said, I enjoyed the hell out of this album. I know there was some sort of backlash against the band right around this time, but I wouldn't worry about that.. I think it just finally sunk in with everyone that they were listening to the modern equivalent of  the Eagles or something and it freaked them out...but really the band was just doing what it had done all along...They never claimed to be some edgy indie-band...They've always been smooth and hummable and the band delivers another solid album that makes for some great late night listening...Here, take another quick look at the front cover...   There! That's about the time of day to listen to this! It's probably their quietest yet, but a few patient listens reveals what is probably their sweetest batch of great songs... So let's stay up until the crack of dawn, sipping wine coolers, shooting the shit, growing our beards and listening to"Laredo." Ejoy... ("Ejoy" is "Enjoy" spelled incorrectly...I just thought I'd liven things up around here....)

Band of Horses: Cease to Begin

Band of Horses: Cease to Begin

2007

Sub Pop Records

Format I Own it on: Vinyl and Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. Is There a Ghost  2. Ode to LRC  3. No One's Gonna Love You  4. Detlef Schrempf  5. The General Specific  6. Lamb on the Lam (in the City)  7. Islands on the Coast  8. Marry Song  9. Cigarettes, Wedding Bands  10. Window Blues 

I must have played this album at least 200 times since its release and I can honestly say I've never once been sick of it...Just the opposite...as soon as it's over I want to immediately flip it over and play it again...

I don't know why this album hits me this way...It took a few listens too...But manoman, it hit me...The minute "Is There a Ghost" kicks into it's tower of guitars after its more atmospheric into, everything about it is startling bigger than their first album. Then it goes onto "Ode to LRC" which is just as catchy and powerful as the opener, and it continues this path...Every song on here is incredible...I just don't' want to listen to it...I want to grow a beard and live in it...

I think a few of the band's best songs are located here...the anthemic desperation of the alt-waltz "Cigarettes and Wedding Bands," and I'm insanely in love with "The General Specific." I wish I could convey to you how much time and money I've spent on the jukebox at the local bar "The Palo Verde"  listening to this song over and over...

 The breezy country melody and exaggeratedly rural vocals are so appealing and re-playable...I'm calling it one of my favorite (and most played) songs of the 2000's...

I even  like the power-ballad "No One's Gonna Love You," but by all means, avoid the overly auto-tuned cover by Cee-Lo at all costs...It was so bad it spoiled the song for me for the longest time... I've heard Cee-Lo sing in the 90's...he sounded fine...Why auto-tune the shit out of him? And if he can't deliver a proper performance, why doesn't he hire someone who knows how to use the program properly? I mean, almost everybody uses it now, hell, I even caught glimpses of it on "Infinite Arms" by Band of Horses but when used properly it can be close to imperceptible..but the Cee-Lo cover was just so ridiculously noticeable and detrimental...ugh...

Anyway...enough complaining about Cee-Lo...Instead let's order another pitcher of beer and a quarter glass of Red Bull form the Palo, throw a few coins in the jukebox and listen to "The General Specific" again...

Band of Horses: Everything All the Time

Band of Horses: Everything All the Time

2006

Sub Pop Records

Format I Own it On: Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. The First Song  2. Wicked Gil  3. Our Swords  4. The Funeral  5. Part One  6. The Great Salt Lake  7. Weed Party  8. I Go to the Barn Because I Like The  9. Monsters  10. St. Augustine

Whew...it seems like I've been discussing nothing but punk and hardcore albums for a couple of months straight now...So what's a better way to come down than the debut album by the laid-back indie-country rockers the Band of Horses.

I can still remembering hearing these guys for the first time. I bought their album  because, well...it was on sale for $5.00 and I'm generally a big fan of Sub Pop releases...When I first put this on I was kind of put off by how much it sounds like an amalgamation of My Morning Jacket and the Shins. Now, this was in the days before ripping off My Morning Jacket really took off, so it was really shocking to hear at the time... The deep valleys of reverb,  high yowling vocals...it sounded like classic rock as heard in the next room... But I stuck with their albums and soon learned to love this band too...

They don't have the flights of weirdness or the endless jamming of My Morning Jacket, or the sense of irony and intelligence of the Shins... Musically, they're a big warm fuzzy sweater...Comforting in the same way as your favorite well-worn, easy-going 70's country rock album.

A lot of people point to this as the band's best album. Hell, there's also a popular opinion that it's their only good album...but I don't quite agree...It still feels like they're searching a bit,  but  when they find it...My God! 

The highlights are numerous...the catchy indie-rock of "Wicked Gil," the grand warmth of "The Great Salt Lake" and the catchy "Weed Party." It's such a perfect blend of 90's alt rock and 70's album rock that you can't help but fall in love with it...

The only tracks I'm not wild about are the overly slow and mawkish "Part One" and "St. Augustine."



I also have to address "The Funeral." Man, I'm so sick of this song...Every time I turn on the TV and there's a "funeral episode" it's mandatory for some reason to play "The Funeral."  It now gives me the same queasy feeling that I get whenever I hear the similarly overused "What a Wonderful World." I mean, it's just so damn...literal! It seems like they'd get a better effect by using a song that doesn't  scream "Look! Funeral!" Like maybe something that has a more funereal tone but doesn't literally say it... Now when I hear that famous tinkly guitar line I kind of groan...It's odd too, because I can recall originally hearing this song and enjoying it... And I must have heard "Wicked Gil" just as many times as I've heard "The Funeral" but I'm not even remotely sick of that song...huh.

But other than that, this is a very enjoyable record...I don't quite hold the popular belief that this is the band's best album (it's maybe my third favorite) but that isn't a knock on the quality of this record, it speaks more of the high quality of their later output...But this is probably the most indie-rock sounding of their albums so I can see how someone who is into indie-rock could enjoy this over the more overt classic-rock touches of their subsequent albums...Either way...check it out...

So let's listen to  "Wicked Gil" by Band of Horses...Enjoy...

Balzac: The Birth of Hatred

Balzac: The Birth of Hatred

2011

Misfits Records

Format I Own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing:  Disc 1: 1. The Shadows of Daybreak I  2. Distraction  3. Swallow the Dark  4. Dakedo Sonna Hibi-No Nakade Boku-Wav  5. Momentary Degeneration  6.  Hurt  7. Paranoia  8. Frankenstein's Walk  9. Maybe True  10. Destruction = Construction  11. Justice, Pity and Hatred  12. The Howling Wolf  13. Pray  14. The Shadows of Daybreak II  15. Hikari Naki Sekai  16. Unfeeling Blood  17. Dakedo Sonna Hibi-No Nakade (Alternate Take)  18.  I Must Do It Anyway  19.Pray (Alternate Version)

Disc 2: 1. Balzac  2. Go Against With My Monster  3. Nothing  4. Diabolic  5. Goddamn Son of a Bitch  6. Scapegoat I  7. Scapegoat II  8. Diabolos  9. Violent Paradise  10. Thirteenth  11. God of Mercy  12. Monster  13. Eeba  14. Who Will Survive  15. The Final Day  16. Break Down  17. Final Freedom  18. Night of the Blood Beast  19. God of Mercy II  20. Fiendish Ghouls  21. 13 Ghosts  22. Atom-Age Vampire In 308  23. A Taste of Blood

Oh my God, this is a lot of Balzac... With two  70 minute discs of music and a third disc featuring the  band''s  videos, you're looking at over 200 minutes of unrelenting horror-punk...I wasn't sure if I could handle sitting down and listening to this all in a row after spending the last couple days listening to nothing but the other two Balzac albums I own, but it turns out this was pretty easy...

The first disc is comprised largely of their 2008 album "Hatred: Destruction=Construction,"

It actually finds the band stretching out even further...It's still largely  consists of hooky pop-punk tracks, but they seem to distance themselves even further from overtly emulating the Misfits, with the notable exception of \ "The Howling Wolf" (which bears a bit of a similarity to "Wolfsblood.")

 It says a lot that some of the standout tracks aren't even punk songs. "Hikari Naki Sekai" isn't unlike some bloated Guns N' Roses "Use your Illusion" era ballad...the only difference being I can stand to listen to this...This song actually gets stuck in my head all the time, but since the lyrics are in a different language, I normally just sing nonsense along with it...:"ADEEEEE DYYYYY...."

Another great one is the unlisted track "Tomorrow Never Comes," that follows some silence after the hardcore-screamer "Destruction = Construction." It's a pop-song based around a nagging keyboard hook that burrows its way deeper into my brain each time I hear it... I'm really dying to check out what the band comes up with next!

The second disc contains re-recordings of the band's earliest demos called "The Birth of Evil..."

This is some of the most blatant Misfits-worship in the band's catalog... The sing titles "Goddamn Son of a Bitch" and "Violent Paradise" say it all..."Goddamn Son of a Bitch" has the exact same guitar part and even some fo the same lyrics from "Where Eagles Dare." A lot of this reminds me of  "American Psycho" era Misfits, however the cover clearly states that these songs are from 1992-1994, which predates the Misfits reunion...So could it be that the Misfits have been influenced by Balzac? Jury's out here, since I haven't actually heard the original versions of these songs...But it's all fun,  solid pop-punk, with virtually none of the hardcore and industrial noise metal that sometimes pops up on their albums...If you're purely into the band for the pop-punk aspect, this is the place to go...If nothing else, check this out for  the awesome track  "The Final Day"

All in all, this thing is an incredible bargain...3 and a half hours of Balzac and it usually sells for around the $12.00 mark. Everything here is good to great...So if you're into Jerry Only-era Misfits, well...you probably don't need me to tell you to check this out...I'm sure you're already well aware of this...but I think fans of the darker side of punk in general (and don't mind the language barrier) will be well into this...

Oh yea, what do you serve your guests while you're headbanging to Balzac!

Halloween Pocky! Everyday is Halloween with Balzac! 

Man, I want this Pumpkin Pocky so bad!

So let's celebrate Halloween in March with  "The Final Day" by Balzac...

Balzac: Out of the Grave and Into the Dark

Balzac: Out of the Grave and Into the Dark

2005

Misfits Records

Format I Own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1.The Grave - Dreizen  2. Zetsubou-No-Ano-Basyo-E  3. Season Of The Dead  4. Inside My Eyes  5. Shi-Wo-Yubi-Sasu  6. The Pain Is All Around  7. Came Out Of The Grave  8. Beyond Evil 308  9. Art Of Dying  10. The World Without End, The Pain Is Not Around (reprise)  11. I'm Losing You  12. Beware Of Darkness (2004 version)  13. I Know  14. Gimme Some Truth (bonus track)  15. Beyond Evil 308, Pt. 1  16. D.A.R.K.  17. Blood Inside '68  18. Beyond Evil 308, Pt. 2  19. Gyakusatsu-No-Mukougawa  20. XXXxxx  21. I Can't Stand It Anymore  22. Yami-No-Hikari-E

This is the second compilation release from Misfits Records. This time we have tracks from the band's Japanese albums "Came Out of the Grave" and "Dark-Ism."

It's a little less "Woah oh oh-ey" as the band cuts down on the pogo-punk and ups the hardcore/industrial screaming quotient, "Zetsubou-No-Ano-Basyo-E" being  particularly scary...but don't worry...there's still plenty of catchy pop... See "Season Of The Dead" and "Yami-No-Hikari-E"  for proof...

You start to hear the band step away from the overt Jerry Only worship here, "The Pain Is All Around" is even a pop-punk song with lots of "Woahs" but there's a more distinct personality behind it...I can't ever really make out the lyrics, but it still gives off a dark vibe without the monster matinee feel of the Misfits...

I hate to bring up the Misfits so much when I'm supposed to be discussing Balzac but it's pretty difficult to do...the influence is so strong, still it's important to note that it really only is influence...despite all outward appearance they never really "rip-off" the Misfits...They bring their own feel and culture to their music and besides, it's great shit to blast when you're in the mood to jump up and down and shout some "Woah oh ohs"...

Man, I can't believe I haven't made a single "Ballsack" joke yet...Amazing...

I love this kind of Horror-Punk stuff...The great ones always put so much thought and energy on the visuals, packaging,  presentation and merchandise...It's always eye-catching...A Horror-rock band with a shitty album cover is just doomed...

Anyway, let's check out some more of the band's merchandise....This time we're going to look at their "Hello Kitty" stuff...

Mystery and weird!

Yellow Hello Kitty

Balzac/Hello Kitty mug...

This is probably my favorite one! A black Hello Kitty!

Now let's check out "Season of the Dead" by Balzac...

Balzac: Beyond the Darkness

Balzac: Beyond the Darkness

2003

Misfits Records

Format I own it on:  Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. Thirteen  2. Day The Earth Caught Fire  3. Wall  4. Into The Light Of The 13 Dark Night  5.Black Light Shines In '99  6. Nowhere #13  7. Yami-No Mukou-No Subete-Wo  8. Out Of The Blue II  9. In Your Face  10. The Silence Of Crows  11 .Tomorrow  12. Vanishes In Oblivion  13. The End Of Century  14. Monster II  15. Beware Of Darkness  16. Violent Paradise  17. Bleeding Light  18. Diabolos (live bonus track)  19. 13 Ghosts live bonus track)   20. Day The Earth Caught Fire (live bonus track)

This is (as far as I know) the first US release by the Osaka, Japan Horror-Punk band Balzac. It's was released in 2003 on Misfits Records and consists of re-recordings of songs from the band's extensive Japanese  back-catalog. 

Musically (and visually) it's very reminiscent of punk legends the Misfits, being an especially close relative of that group's post-Danzig output. They replace the Heavy Metal aspect of the Misfits' sound with slightly different influences, namely Scream-o and rackety industrial noise, but otherwise the dark subject matter and catchy "Woah oh oh's," are unmistakably Misfits. I swear every single song is loaded with "Woah oh ohs." This record is pretty much "Woah oh oh" porn.

They have the songs too! "Wall," "Violent Paradise," and "The Day the Earth Caught on Fire," stand up next to their forbear's best tracks, and for Misfits die-hards this is probably the best album to start with, since it's the one that resembles that band's output most closely. This band is always ridiculously generous with their output too...I think every Balzac album I own runs about the 80 minute mark, some of them feature multiple discs and usually a DVD of videos...The length and relative same-ness of the material sometimes make it hard to digest it all in one sitting, but for those moments where you've played all your Misfits albums to death, you're going to be thankful  that there's so much of this...

In Japan the band is famous for their marketing, which includes limited album pressings, toys and clothes...I love this kind of stuff...Let's check out some of their merchandise...

Balzac Figure Collection....

 "Atom age Vampire in 308" Vinyl model...

"Paradox" Color Vinyl

 

"Bag-Head' figure...This guy probably has a name...if so, I don't know it...

Misfits/Balzac split single vinyl cover...

Skull-Shaped picture disc...

Balzac picture disc...

"Ogon Skullman" figure...

Alright...Time to put the toys away and  listen to "Wall" by Balzac...Enjoy...

Bad Religion: True North

Bad Religion: True North

2013

Epitaph Records

Format I Own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. True North  2. Past Is Dead  3. Robin Hood in Reverse  4. Land of Endless Greed  5. Fuck You  6. Dharma and the Bomb  7. Hello Cruel World  8. Vanity  9. In Their Hearts Is Right  10. Crisis Time  11 .Dept. of False Hope  12. Nothing to Dismay  13. Popular Consensus  14. My Head Is Full of Ghosts  15. The Island  16. Changing Tide

Bad Religion's 16th studio album. To me this album feels like the spiritual follow-up to "Against the Grain." It's fast, lean, catchy and surprisingly breezy. After listening to all the Bad Religion albums in chronological order these last couple weeks there's an effortlessness to this album that makes its immediate predecessors feel a bit belabored in retrospect.

And oddly enough for such an enjoyable album, it takes a few tracks for it to click with me, the first few seem solid but somewhat unremarkable, but once the album reaches "Fuck You," almost every single track works for me in a major way..."Fuck You" is a lot of fun...Graffin delivers a hilariously eloquent explanation as to why it's so satisfying to "fuck you."

Other highlights on an packed with them are the stair-step harmonies of "In Thier Hearts is Right," and the freakin' "Hell Yes!" break during "Nothing to Dismay," where the bass drops out, and the drums pound as Graffin shouts , "No! No! No Security!" So awesome! We also get a solo vocal performance from Mr. Brett in "Dharma and the Bomb." His voice is a little colorless compared to Greg Graffin's but the variety is always welcome...I can never understand why more band's don't trade-off vocals...I mean, all the great band's swapped vocals...the Beatles...the Kinks...the Stones..Kiss...O-Town...

 There's been lots of speculation that this is going to be the final Bad Religion album, although the band themselves have not confirmed this...Boy, I hope that's wrong...It just seems wrong to live in a world where Bad Religion aren't still  playing sweaty live shows and periodically serving us a new batch of  intelligent punk rock...Intelligence is something sorely lacking in music right now...the world, whether they know it or not, still needs these guys...But if this really is their last album, they definitely went out on an incredible high...To be honest it kind of blew past me the first time I heard it, but by the third listen I was hooked...Check this out and make sure you give it a chance...There's a ton of great stuff here....

Now, let's take a look back at the important events of 2013, the year Bad Religion released "True North...":

Well, yesterday I ate an egg for breakfast...

...and a piece of toast...It was a little dry because I was out of butter, which was a little disappointing but sometimes you've just got to pick yourself up off the ground and tell yourself, "You know, life is sometimes full of devastating setbacks, and just because you experience this insurmountable adversity you can't just roll over and die...I mean, there's starving kids out there who have never even seen butter, and...Oh nevermind...there it is..behind the  bottle of 1961 Chateau la Mission Haut Brion Pessac Leognan...whew...Crisis averted...

I also went to the local Hardware store and had copies of my keys made...You can never have enough copies of your keys...Sometimes at the end of the year, I hand out the extras as Christmas gifts...

Wow, what an exciting year! Let's listen to "Fuck you" by Bad Religion to calm ourselves down...