My favorite albums: Neon Ballroom

1999.
What a year for me it was for me. I turned 18 that year, and as a birthday present, My Uncle Dale(yeah I know, please no jokes) took me back with him to his way home near Washington, DC. to spend a week there.

Oh the sights, the sounds, the bums!:)

And on the ride back home on a Greyhound, I listened to only two albums, back to back; Blur's "13", and Silverchair's "Neon Ballroom."

Neon Ballroom's Silverchair's third album, following Frogstomp and Freak Show, and what a album it is!

Coming in at a total of 12 heavy, blistering tracks, Neon not only follows the punk and grunge influences and beats of the previous two, but takes those influences to the next level. For my money, outside of the Best Of....album, Neon is Silverchair's most heaviest, punk/grunge-ish album to date. Believe me when I say that just about every track is absolutely dripping with piss and vinegar!

Starting off with "Emotion Sickness", you get the feeling the band at the time, and specifically lead singer Daniel Johns, had an agenda, and that agenda was pointing out and criticizing the ruling class/powers that be about their abuse of power and people. All the songs on this track seem to have a message to them, and Emotion Sickness is just the starting point. I love how the group includes an orchestra with most of the songs, especially first seen here.

"Anthem for the year 2000" is not only classic Silverchair material from this period, but as the title says, is an anthem for the disaffected youth of that time, Johns and the group included.

Here's a sample of some of the lyrics:

"We are the youth 

We'll take your fascism away 
We are the youth 
Apologize for another day 
We are the youth 
And politicians are so sure 
We are the youth 
And we are knocking on death's door 
Never knew we were living in a world 
With a mind that could be so sure 
Never knew we were living in a world 
With a mind that could be so small 
Never knew we were living in a world 
And the world is an open court 
Maybe we don't want to live in a world 
Where innocence is so short 
We'll make it up to you In the year 2000 with... "

Whew!

And the hits keep coming with "Ana's Song(Open Fire)"

This is one of those songs that is super personal to Johns, as it's about his own struggle with Anorexia, and the toll a disease like that takes on one's physical and mental health. It's a beautiful song, especially with that heavy orchestral sound.

And yeah, a guy with Anorexia, I know, I know:)

"Spawn Again" seems to be primarily devoted to calling out the Meat Industry for its fucked up and inhumane practices, with an angry, punk-driven furor.

Did I mention Johns is a Vegan? Well you know now, and if not, this song really hammers that fact home as well. 

I love the part at the end, where it just looks like he's so fed up and pissed off he breaks a TV or something.

And hey, I feel him on his views towards the Meat Industry. Not so much on the Vegan front, because I'm a very proud carnivore, but as far as the mistreatment of livestock, and all the fucking chemicals they pump the meat that we eat with, well, while it doesn't stop me from chomping down on a tasty Whopper or Double Cheeseburger, I do know my risk for Diabetes and other health-related illnesses go up every time I eat one of these tasty fuckers. 

Oh well, whatta' gonna' do right?

"Miss you love", "Satin Sheets", and "Paint Pastel Princess" are all fine songs, though they do tend to all sound the same. That's not so much a diss, as it is an observation.

I do like songs like "Do you feel the same", "Point of view", and "Black tangled heart", even though I'm personally convinced they pretty much helped influence bands like "My chemical romance, Dashboard Confessions, and Chevelle to even pick up an instrument and sing there little emo songs. Hey to each his own, but like the lead singer from Salvia said, "I'm tired of all the bitching and crying on everyone's cd."

 I do like "Dearest Helpless" though. Very, very good song.

And finally the last track on the album, is "Steam will rise."

Now don't ask me why specifically I really dig this song, but I do. After an entire album of railing against corrupt politicians, governments, industry leaders, and diseases, the band takes a well-deserved breather/rest, and softens things down a bit.

Here's the lyrics:

"Contain yourself 
I will compress 
What I am to 
Replace yourself 
With what you have 
Your substitute 
Only wanted a piece of myself 
Steam will rise 
Esteem will rise 
Steam will rise 
Esteem will rise 

Refrain, confess 
Contain, repress 
Pretend I'm dead 
Abuse myself 
Confuse myself 
I won't be led 

Only wanted a piece of myself 
Only wanted a piece of myself 
Only wanted a piece of myself 
Steam will rise 
Esteem will rise 
Steam will rise 
Esteem will rise"

How do you pull off being quietly intense? Just like that it seems. Damn, what a song huh?

As popular as Neon Ballroom is, Johns himself really digs it, going so far as to consider it Silverchair's first, true album.

Here's his explanation for that:

"To me, I honestly feel like our first record was Neon Ballroom. I've never felt any different. I don't feel like our first two albums were Silverchair: that's our teenage high school band. I don't like them at all. I listen to them and go, 'That's cute', especially the first one, because Frogstomp we were 14. But the second one we're like 16, I'm like 'You're getting older. You're running out of chances'"

I guess he has a point there, but that doesn't the first two albums were utterly shit or anything. Hey, as a singer or group, you have to start somewhere, and grow over time, But yeah, Neon is a hell of album, and they should all be proud of it.

Tomorrow, a fresh new skit for ya' kiddies, so see you all then:)

My favorite albums: Young Modern

Ahh Silverchair.

I first became aware of this band from down under(and probably one of Dan's favorite bands then) with their first hit single "Tomorrow" in '95, and pretty much checked in on them, from time to time.

I have at least 3 of their albums, well two studio albums and a Best of compilation , but trust me those are some good choices. I have Neon Ballroom from 1999, and the latest one, 2007's Young Modern, both of which I'll be covering either this week or next.

Silverchair, like most bands that came out around 1992, were automatically lumped into the Grunge categorical, or instantly compared to Grunge. As unfair as that is, it's still not too bad of a group to be included in, when you consider the company of bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Seven Mary Three, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden.

But while Silverchair does, or did have a hard edge to their sound when they debuted, they have since really changed things up, making sure they weren't boxed into constantly sounding like the same thing over and over again.

I'll have to pick up 2002's Diorama because I really like a good bit of songs on there, as 2007's Young Modern seems to pick up where that album left off. Thus today's review.

Young Modern has 13 tracks on the album, and I honestly love all of them. Well most of them.

My favorites are of course the title track, "Young Modern Station", with that classic Daniel Johns vocal. Well they all do, but this one really does. I've listened to a lot of albums, and I do appreciate the groups or solo acts that have their albums follow a linear path. As in, when you listen to the songs, they seem to flow together coherently, as opposed to just sounding like a bunch of tracks thrown together in a random, Hodge-Podge order.

Not so here, as the album starts right from "YMS" and follows all the way through to "All across the world."

Here, take a listen to "Young Modern Station"

"Straight Lines" is next, and as I mentioned earlier, I love all, if not most, of the tracks on this album. And such is the case with "Straight Lines." Between the lyrics, the vocals, the instruments, and basically the whole presentation, I just love it all:)

It's the type of  music, especially towards the end, that makes you feel like you're having a good time, like a soundtrack to your life sort of thing. What? Don't look at me like that. You know you do it too:)

That takes us to "If you keep losing sleep", which to me, sounds like a cool book or movie title to me.

Again, the whole production on this thing makes it a good, kick-ass song.

"Reflections of  a sound", is really good as well, and to me, seems to mark it, and the album in general as a more upbeat version/reflection of Neon Ballroom. Where Neon Ballroom was all about pain, angst, and anger channeled through a punk-like raging sensibility, Young Modern, is like a calmer, more emotionally re-adjusted album. It's like if Silverchair got all that anger out in therapy, and now is content to just rock and have a good time.

But then, that's just probably how I see it.

I love, LOVE "Those thieving birds parts 1 and 2."

This includes "Strange Behavior" also, as not a two songs in one, but three. Yes three.

Yes it seems like they're going back to be emo-ish and angsty, but they're not. This is to me, the major epic masterpiece production section of the album, and if you listen to the whole thing, which isn't too long, you'll hopefully see why.

Oh God, that's some good stuff!

Here's the lyrics just to drive home how kick-ass and epic this song is:

"Those thieving birds

Hang strung from an empty nest
This swan plagued pond
Foresaken and under whelmed

Those leaving words
Hang strong from an emptiness
Hang strong from an emptiness
Those thieving birds
Hang strung from an empty nest

Those theiving birds

This is tearing me apart
If the Sun won't shine
Forever will never be fine
Underneath the hollow ground
Lies a night time sky
For only a desperate eye

When I'm paranoid I see walls behind walls behind walls
When I'm over joyed I see falls over falls over falls
When I'm all alone I'll be wary and careful to
Only eat with uncles
Never talk to strangers
God is in the kitchen
Faking baby dangers
Not only liked but loved as well

If this streets air ain't up to par
I'll take my clothes and take this strange behaviour
Not only liked but loved as well 

Change whatever karma means
For the only things that end never truly begin
If this streets air ain't up to par
I'll take my clothes and take this strange behaviour

Not only liked but loved as well
If this streets air ain't up to par
I'll take my clothes and take this strange behaviour
Not only liked but loved as well

When I'm paranoid I see walls behind walls behind walls
When I'm over joyed I see falls over falls over falls
When I'm all alone I'll be wary and careful to
Only eat with uncles
Never talk to strangers
God is in the kitchen
Faking baby dangers

If this keeps tearing me apart
The walls come down won't stop this empty feeling
For everything apart from this (x3)

Lonely in life
Dead or alive
If the truth had incursions
No more goodbyes
No more big lies

If the truth had versions
As long as you and I are together
I'll hold onto the jewellery
Like staple strapped clenched fist and tongs

Hang strung from an empty nest
Those thieving birds (x3)

Hang strung from an empty nest"

"The man that knew too much" is a pretty good rump through imagination land. I don't know if Johns and the group consciously took inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock's classic movie with the same name, or not, but hey, not too shabby if they did.

"Mind reader"'s pretty good, as is "Insomnia", but I really seem to enjoy the last three tracks.

"Low" is general is really good, but what sells it for me, besides the lyrics/vocal package, is the country-sounding twang near the end, that would have sounded so odd and out of place on earlier Silverchair albums, but seems to fit so perfectly and complimentary here on this track.

And then there's "Waiting all day", which is sung and produced in a similar manner to "Those thieving birds: and "Reflections of a sound." 

Just listening to the piano parts, which again, gives the track a slight country music feel, but fits amazingly in there, makes the song very appealing to me.

Here, listen to it:

And that's why besides those Those thieving birds, this is probably my favorite song on the whole album.

And then to the last track, "All across the world." No, this isn't a cover of  an Oasis song with the same title, but it does share a similar vibe, in that's hopeful and positive.

It's very positive song, that was lacking on Neon Ballroom, and Frogstomp, but is included here for the whole world to digest.

Just listen to these lyrics man!

"Underneath the shelfCracks appear in thick enamelIn this lapse excuse for wasting timeI wait for signals shooting starsI'd scrape through every branch'Cause I need to come down

Underneath the homeI lived in, I was a page in someone's bookAnd no one asked me whyThe page is fifteen storeys highI'm underneath that home, I'm wondering why

All across the worldThere are things we need to forget and forgiveSometimes we have to tryAnd shed the damage we don't needOh justice, shake your headI'm wasting my time

We can break this droughtsWanna tell you that I love youI need you in the night, sometimes I get so fullI wanna tell you I'm feeling alrightI'm shaken to the bone and on my way home

Adjust an omen at the doorSinging, baby, won't you please get a hold without it?And while you sit there on the phoneTellin' me, baby, I'm a liarYou don't seem to care what I care aboutAnd, baby, it's a shame to be wasted

All across the worldThere are things we need to forget and forgiveSometimes we have to tryAnd shed the damage we don't needOh justice, shake your headI'm on my way home"

Nice huh?

So that's my review in a nutshell. I hope you were entertained, and more importantly, learned something and were influenced enough to go check out this album, or just check out Silverchair in general.

Sadly the band itself broke up last year, after being around for 20 years, and came to the conclusion that the band members were all going in different directions, as is the case with a lot of bands sometimes. I myself, hope return someday, and continue to put out albums worth there well-deserved reputation.

"Everyone's a critic"

What's up people?

Well it took me forever to figure out why I couldn't get last Thursday's post published. Trust me, I went over every spelling error and mistake I could find before finally figuring out it there was error with the Commodores video link.

So with that all behind me, here's today's skit for your entertainment.

Enjoy!

Captain America: "Batman! How the hell are you son? Long time no see."

Batman: "Yes, yes it has been a long time."

Both: "So, what'd you think of my movie?"

Both "Ha, ha, jinx!"

Captain America: "No, I think mine went did pretty darn well at the box office."

Batman: "Yours? You mean yours and the Avengers' movie right?"

Captain America: "Uh, yeah that's what I meant soldier. Our, as in the Avengers and I's movie."

Batman: "Huh, I bet."

Batman: "Well I don't mean to brag, but my movie topped your movie's box-office debut!"

Captain America: "Poppy-cock!"

Batman: "Oooh, you must be pissed since you used the word Poppy-Cock."

Captain America: "Damn straight, it's go time!"

Both men prepare to go at it........

Spidey: "Hey guys, what's up? Sooooo we talking about my new movie yet?"

Batman: No, we were talking about our movies. And for the record, your's was so horrible I was going to track you down and demand my money back.

Spidey: "But why? It was pretty good, well compared to the last one it was."

Batman: "No it wasn't, and they're both bad. Now that Emma Stone's completely bang-able , and Martin Sheen was wasted, but the rest? Epic Fail!"

Captain America: "Wait, that was Martin Sheen? Really? I thought that his drug-addled son, Charlie Sheen."

Batman: Ooh, sick burn!"

Spidey: "I really hate you guys!"

Extras:

"Night Shift"

Because I said I would, and usually always try to keep my word, here's today's brand new skit.

Enjoy!

Dr. Midnight: "Owlman."

Owlman: "Dr. Midnight I presume."

Dr. Midnight: "Yeah, like that one never gets old."

Owlman: "Fuck you man....."

Dr. Midnight: "So, I guess we got chosen for the late shift because of our names right?"

Owlman: "Yeah I guess so, the lazy bastards! I mean just because my name is Owlman, they automatically assume I'm a night owl or something that loves working the graveyard shift."

Dr. Midnight: "Hey I hear you. And just because my name's Dr. Midnight doesn't mean I don't like to be in bed by 9pm."

Owlman: "So go to bed then Grampa, I got this one covered."

Dr. Midnight: "No, I'm staying. That's the problem with today's youngsters; they just don't like to stick around and see the job through."

Owlman: "Maybe because back in your day the world looked like it was filmed in black and white, so it's not like anyone had anything else better to do. Ha ha!"

Dr. Midnight: "That's very funny coming from a guy dressed like a college mascot on steroids! What's the matter, Penn State not have an opening?"

Owlman: "That's funny coming from a dumb, blind queer who sounds like Tim Gunn, but looks like Michael Caine's dead grandfather's ass."

Dr. Midnight: "It's come down to gay bashing huh? Now who's being lazy? You know who you are?"

Owlman: "No Jimmy Stewart, tell me who I am?"

Dr. Midnight: "You're nothing more than a spoiled, rich kid,  who also happens to be an amoral asshole with delusions of grandeur, or as I like to call you, Mitt Romney!"

Awkward silence.......

Owlman: "So we're doing political jokes now huh?"

Dr. Midnight: " *Sigh*, sadly yes."

Owlman: "Goddamn, this blog's really starting going to down the toilet!"

Dr. Midnight: "Uh huh."

Speaking of working the night shift, here's a song I haven't heard in awhile, but recently did today on the VH1 Classic channel.

                                          It's the Commodores and their hit "Night Shift"

My favorite albums: Alice In Chains:Live

........And then there was Alice. Alice In Chains, that is.

Today I'll be blogging about one of my favorite live albums ever, Alice In Chains: Live.

Nice cover huh?

Released in 2000, this album is a collection of popular Alice In Chains songs performed live in various venues and cities. 

Now usually for me, live albums are something of a mixed bag; you either like/love hearing the live versions of these songs, or you don't and would prefer to listen to the studio versions. I usually go for the latter, as in certain cases for me, the live version either doesn't sound as good, or I'm not in liking the improvisations made while said singer or group is singing the song. And hey, I know the singers sing these songs hundreds, probably thousands of times, and want to change things up so to keep from either hating or becoming bored with the song. I get it, and it's their prerogative to do that. I guess if I was them, I'd do it too.

But with that being said, I'm usually 9 times out of 10, in favor of the studio versions.

Thankfully that's not the case here. Not there's anything wrong with the regular studio versions of these songs, because there isn't and if you haven't, I implore you to listen to them. It's just that for a good number of these songs included on the album, I heard the live version first, and then the studio versions later. And trust me, comparing the two is like night and day.

Coming in at 14 tracks, this album kicks major, major ass, and showcases just how much of an awesome band Alice In Chains was, especially live. Now of course the band's still chugging along, and god bless them for doing that, because in this day and age of computer-simulated pop, returning boy bands, and the largely homogenized sounds of a lot of singers/bands, its nice to have a heavy, rocking sounding band like Alice still out there, showing the kids how it's done.

Sadly the band just doesn't sound the same without lead front-man Layne Staley, and for that the rock, and music world in general are missing out on a hell of a singer and performer. I still can't believe Layne died of a drug overdose just twp years after this live album came out:(

But back to the topic on hand......

Here's the track listing for the album:

1). Bleed The Freak

2). Queen of the Rodeo

3). Angry Chair

4). Man in the box

5). Love, Hate, Love

6). Rooster

7). Would?

8). Junkhead

9). Dirt

10). Them Bones

11). God Am

12). Again

13). A little bitter

14). Dam that river

What a set-list huh?

As I mentioned earlier, I heard a lot of  these songs for the very first time on this album. Songs like "Queen of the Rodeo", "Angry Chair", "Dam that river", and so on.

I think that's why when I heard the regular studio versions of these songs it just didn't sound as energetic and loud as what I was used to hearing them.  But hey, that doesn't mean they didn't still kick ass, because they do!

One of my favorite tracks, is "Queen of the Rodeo." I laughed my ass off the first I heard it, and here's the lyrics to prove why:

 "My daddy was a trucker

Left home when I was three
He fell for some dude in Dallas
Then it was mom and me

She always wanted a daughter
Well look at what she got
Hit me, beat me, a faggot I ain't
But a real man they say I'm not

I'm the queen, queen of the rodeo
Queen, queen of the rodeo

So cowboy, if you're lookin for lovin'
I ain't no queer, go fuck a steer
I think there might be one right over there...

I drink too much, I smoke too much
I'm a human waste
I buy a lot of cheap alcohol
But I'll tell ya honey, I really hate the taste

I dressed in drag, they call me a fag
But boy, I really don't care
Cause last night I met your mother, fucker
And I hope ya like to share, cause she did

I'm the queen, queen of the rodeo
Queen, queen of the rodeo
So cowboy, if you're lookin' to fight
I ain't no wimp, I scratch and bite
"And I'm gonna kick your ass too..."

Queen, queen of the rodeo

FUCK YOU!

Queen, queen of the rodeo
Queen, queen of the rodeo"

Aww, what a nice song eh?

I love it, especially live.

"Angry Chair" is another song good live, especially here, where it leads directly to "Man in the box." And oh, how fucking kick-ass it sounds love as well! I'm talking about the thunderous licks by guitar- player extraordinaire Jerry Cantrell and the heavy, heavy fucking drums by drummer Sean Kinney.

Again, listening to the regular versions and live ones are like night and day, both equally good, but different.

"Love, hate, love" is another kick-ass tune. It's brutal in its lyrics and sound, but then who can't sympathize with the theme of love gone bad?

Here, take a listen:

Oh, that's some good stuff right there people!

"Rooster" is another classic. I heard before, and even watched the video for it, but to hear it live is pretty damn cool as well.

And there's more, like "Would?", "Them Bones", and "Again". 

But the last two I'll showcase, I really love listening to:

"God Am" and "Damn that river".

Here's why:

"God Am"

"Dam that river"

Gotta' love that clever word play huh?

So that's the review in a nutshell. I hope you enjoyed it, and more importantly learned something enough to become interested to watch or listen to these songs. You won't regret it I promise.

Now of course this isn't the only Live album released by Alice In Chains, nope, nope. In fact there's a wonderful MTV Unplugged album they did in '94, so check that one out. And there's others as well, but this one is the one I own, and has most of their hits from the beginning up to 2000.

I've played my copy so much, the disc is scratched up to hell and back, but hey, that's the just the price of listening to a favorite, am I right?

In case you didn't know, I'll be doing these classic album reviews all month long, and for the foreseeable future. I might post one or two, or have ever many I want.

Yes, I used to be known exclusively as that "Action figure skit guy", and now you can add that "Crazy classic rock-loving guy" on there as well:)

I love this music, and music in general, so to be able to put to actual use all this knowledge I've collected over the years is a true blessing for me. If I can't use it, it's just going to waste, you know?

But rest assured, tomorrow will feature a brand new action figure skit, and not just any skit, my stab of sorts,   in the arena of political satire. I think.

Have a good one people.........