Reviews Written by mr.plumb
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February 20, 2006
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February 20, 2006
Stevie's First Comeback
Pros: Brightly Shimmering Enterence Into 80's Styles
Cons: None
In my eyes Stevie Wonder has one single flaw-he's a huge procrastinator when it comes to releasing albums,especially since he records non stop pretty much.His last album cam six years before this and 'In Square Circle' couldn't be more different then 'Hotter Then July'.For one it has far more of a unifying theme.The classic Motown styled hit of "Part Time Lover" gets the ball rolling and then with the equally dancable "I Love You Too Much".For uptempo stuff you can't do much better then them,"Never In Your Sun" or the epic "Go Home".In terms of funkiness this album has the terse "Spiritual Walkers".Of course this album will be remembered for another epic-"Overjoyed&qu
ot; not only marked Stevie's ultimate growth as a singer of love themes but in his transition from innovative 70's pop star to modern American musical icon and he does so with dignity-always maintaining his trademark dignity and positive spirit.For pure ageless,feel good music done with genuine flair and brilliance go no further then 'In Square Circle'. ... -
February 20, 2006
Every Song On This Is On My List
Pros: Every Great Hall And Oates Classic
Cons: None
Like every young person in the 80's all I had to do was turn to top 40 FM radio to get my Hall & Oates fix.I always loved their songs.But once I heard every tune on here all together from "Sara Smile" to "Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid" I realized just how great tunesmiths Daryl and John were.They had a great commercial touch but reveled in innovation-the boundries between rock n' roll and modern soul meant nothing to them.In the 70's songs like "Rich Girl' and 'Sara Smile' were pure Philly soul but from "You Lost That Lovin' Feelin' through 'Out Of Touch' their combination of songcraft,soul and poppy rock just shines through on the classics "I Can't For That","Out Of Touch" and even lesser know hits such as "Did It In A Minute"-just be sure your able to stop singing along afterwards.My favorites here are the most innovative tunes such as the experimental,hip-hop inflected "Method Of Modern Love" and the great,sparse "Man Eater".Another highlite for me here?THE FRIGGIN' BAND!!Hall & Oates backup musicians (including guitarist GE Smith) are brilliant and know how to make the most out of four minutes!I don't want to sound like a rock snob but these are among the last great pop singles that sound like they had genuine heart and effort put into them and they hold up even better now then they did at first.Tunes like "You Make My Dreams" and "Private Eyes" are just timeless.A great deal of fun for anyone wanting to know what makes great,lasting pop music! ...
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February 18, 2006
Star Trek The Next Generation Goes Out In Glory
Pros: Shocking and disturbing
Cons: The end?
Star Trek The Next Generation began on the silver screen in a sad way and ended even sader.Odd for such a positive and hopeful TV show but 'Nemesis' is a high quality,well written movie.It deals with Picard and Data both having clones-both of which are (in different ways) not as knowledgable as they could be about the truth.And the truth is the Romulans and their villianous neighbors the Remans are in conflict and Picards clone Shinzon is behind it all.This movie is full of disturbing imagry as well as some happy.Riker and Troi wed at last (even if she's mentally raped by Shinzon later on) and Data finds another twin in B-4 who,alas is just as misguided as his other twin Lore was.Sad part is that in order to save the crew ala Spoke Data...well he dies,left only with B-4 having a few of his memories.This movie is all about endings,change and letting go of anger and it is apparent that this (plus the funereal TV series Enterprise) that this movie is something of an end to Star Trek as an entity.Which is sad because if we ever needed hope for a secure future we sure need it now. ...
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February 18, 2006
Star Trek In The Middle Of A Sad Decline
Pros: Nice to see the borg presented as a villian
Cons: A LOT!!!
1995-1996 represented a major decline for true Star Trek fans.Geeky Trekkers went on worrying only about trivia while the TV series DS9 and the second season of Voyager were producing episodes of pure Star Drek.'First Contact' is a perfect example of this decline.A plot about the Borg traveling back in time to prevent warp drive (therefore all of Star Trek) from occuring was a captivating one but this is a...HORRIBLY written movie.The emphasis is on cartoonish violence for it's own sake,lame catch phrases and beloved characters from Star Trek The Next Generation behaving WAY out of context.Deanna Troi getting drunk?Picard acting like some Khan Noonion Sing-type vengeful fool with the borg and Data spouting endless lame dialog?Especially in James Cromwell's drunken and greedy Zefram Cochrane-inventor of warp drivr this film is packed with anti hero references likely to only appeal to the most cynical of Generation X-ers.Trek fans who watch the shows and movies for positive and/or thought provoking stories and ideas and great sci fi theorizing (or even great characters) probably felt very cheated by this B-Movie knock off as I did.The more I watch it on cable Saturday night movies the more I believe it.Is this supposed to prove that even Star Trek characters are only human and make a lot of mistakes?NO-we don't need that right now!Star Trek is about hope and 'First Contact' just doesn't have enough. ...
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February 18, 2006
Two Generations Of Star Trek Meet Unusually
Pros: Emotional,Intriguiging And Thought Provoking
Cons: A bit of a downer
'Star Trek-Generations' was hyped on it's release as the meeting of two generations.As a fan of Star Trek movies and TV shows I liked this movie.It's about a group of aliens who get caught in a nexus where time doesn't matter someone who is obsessed with it's pleasures enough to sacrifice a whole world.Captain Kirk dies at the first encounter with the nexus and it's Captain Picards mission 78 years later to stop the obsessed Soran (Malcolm McDowell).Problem here is NOT the death of James T Kirk.It's the fact this movie is intellectually depressing.In it we lose Kirk (twice if you think about it),we lose the Enterprise (albeit in a well executed dramatic way) and Picard loses two family members and actually weeps before Counselor Troi.The entire film revolves around the deamons of the past and wish fullfillment.Not only does it's heaviness go over the heads of most sci-fi fans I'm sure but it doesn't have as much humor is some of the other Kirk-era movies.It's great to see Kirk and Picard meet and to see Data with emotions (even as he too struggles with them) but this movie is very complex and depressing.For a more fun movie check out 'The Voyage Home' and for less depressing ones any of them. ...
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February 16, 2006
Stevie's Second Soundtrack
Pros: Diversely Moody And Well Crafted
Cons: A little Dated In Parts Of The Production
'Jungle Fever' is Stevie Wonder's soundtrack to a rather controversial Spike Lee film in 1990.This was also Wonder's big chance to make a comeback and the uptempo groove of the title song gave him just that.Stevie Wonder was,is and will always be a distinctive melodicist and this album is no exception.However most of the music of 1990 in particular has a pasty,drum machine led 'new jack' hip-hop production in R&B and (again) to that this album is no exception.But again Stevie Wonder's melodic and wordly gifts again save the day as "Queen In The Black" and the title track feature some of the best wordly (and arrangements of his career),even if they could use a remix.Three of the best songs are "Make Sure Your Sure",a jazz styled song that more closely reflects his recent work.Another ballad of note is the touching "These Three Words"-the video clip is very sad so don't watch it alone.Of the uptempo tunes is the topical "Chemical Love" which is only production here that isn't incredibly dated sounding.None of this matters of course since (as with all of Wonder's material) the quality of the writing (and of course the melody) is so incredibly high. ...
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February 16, 2006
This Is Pop For Patrice
Pros: Bubbly And Very 80's
Cons: Artistically bankrupt in parts in favor of commercial success
Patrice Rushen had been so successful with her blend of vocal R&B and poppy jazz that when she ripped all of those influences away on this 1986 CD I'm sure she lost alot of fans.But Rushen can never fully hide from her true musical heart as she lets one funky jazz piano solo rip towards the end of the last track "Tender Lovin'".For those who like peppy uptempo pop tunes the title track."Anything Can Happen" and the Pointer Sisters/Richard Perry-like "Breakin' All The Rules".Generally this album is dominated by extrememly soft R&B ballads that were all the vogue for female soul singers of the time (save for the fierce funk of "Burnin'"
) and sounds very much like an archive of it's time.Yes 'Watch Out!" is one of Patrice Rushen's most flaud and dated releases but because she is the type of musician and performer she is this album has a savvyness, elegence and professionalism that makes it as worth hearing as all of Patrice's other brilliant music. ... -
February 14, 2006
Still The Same Wonderful Santana
1 of 1 Yahoo! Users found this review helpfulPros: Percussive (As Always) And Powerful
Cons: Could Use Some More Songcraft
'Marathon' is a 1979 Santana Band recording that has always got burried because it wasn't a big hit.But it's a perfect example that a band will always remain consistantly popular if they stick by their guns,even in commercial duldrums.By and large this album combines elements of Carlos's recent interest in jazz and R&B with the catchy "Stat (Beside Me)" and the stirring "Aqua Marine" (one of Santana's best tunes) along with some more fierce rock material,notably the powerful title song.Santana were about to move into a period of high quality output in the 1980's and although neglected this was really a wonderful way for them to close out the 70's. ...
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February 12, 2006
THE BEST Album Of 1976!!!!
Pros: Stirring,Diverse And Creative On All Ends
Cons: Absolutely None
Stevie Wonder was trying to make the best album of his already sixteen year long career with 'Songs In The Key Of Life' and at the time he succeeded magnificantly.There'
;s alot of music here,over twenty songs but each is excellent.Everyone has a list of favorite songs from this epic but here is mine:"As",&qu ...ot;Contusion",&quo t;Summer Soft","I Am Singing","Pas time Paradise","An other Star" and (my absolute favorite) "Black Man",a perfect example of Stevie Wonder's tradition of a history lesson you can get seriously funky with.It should be required listening every black history month.This is truly a brilliant album of many moods,textures and styles all blended into one man's vision and I think every should here it.
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Unheralded Classic If There Ever Was One
Pros: Exciting,Ambitious And Life Affirming
Cons: None
Here are the facts-this is a classic rock album in every sense of the word.Two problems-it was an all black band that made it and such kinds of bands have seldom gained mass acceptance.But of course the highlite is the title track-the main feature of which is Eddie Hazel's ingenious guitar playing (Jimi Hendrix's "Machine Gun" sounds great alongside it) and Eddie finds notes on the guitar that may not even normally exist.He also rocks inhumanly hard on "Super Stupid",one of the best pieces of metal I have ever heard with great echo effect.Some of the songs such as the brilliant "You And Your Folks" and "Hit It And Quit It" are very funky but all these songs rock pretty hard.Even the softest number here "Can You Get To That" and that isn't that soft.The finale is the brilliant "Wars Of Armageddon"-cows mooing,babies crying,arguing couples and even farting sounds all collid with percussion and it's all really scary,exactly as the title suggests.Funkadelic recorded a dozen albums from the start of the 70's to the start of the 80's-all excellent.But this 1971 release is a great candidate for one of Funkadelic all time most fantastic and wonderful albums.A must have whether rock,funk or soul is your thing. ...