Pandemonium Cheesecake

In 1982 Rush released Signals , their ninth studio album and a complete reversal in sound from their previous record Moving Pictures . The synthesizers, which had been used for moods and accents on the previous records, came forward to dominate the sound. And I hated it when it came out. I was like 'this is worse than your mom eating a puke sandwich' (hey, I was 12 forgive me). Rush was my first favorite band and this was one of the first albums that I was looking forward to its release. I was hoping for Moving Pictures 2, or something closer to the sound of their previous five studio albums. Something with a thirteen minute song about space, or gods, or trees. What I got was the opposite. Instead of driving arena rock I got fuzzy humming synth/pop. Like their debut, Signals sticks out in their catalog like a cold sore on a prom queen. Have I mentioned that I hated it? My dislike for the record continued for a long time. I was in my mid 30s when I finally redisc...

What do you get when you cross Wire-like guitars, Clash-style aggression, Kinks-esque pop sensibility, a pair of heroin addicts and a midwest girl who wants to rock (and fuck) just like the boys? You get the self-titled debut from The Pretenders. Released in 1980, The Pretenders is a mixture of punk, rock and new wave; bridging the past to the future. Distinctly divided into two halves (remnants of the pre-CD days), side one is where Chrissie Hynde and the boys (guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, bassist Pete Farndon and drummer Martin Chambers) rip through the first seven (of 12) tracks. Everyone from The PIxies to Bikini Kill took notes from this album, cribbing Hynde's disjointed/angry young woman lyrics and swiping Honeyman-Scott's sonic play on guitar. "Precious" is a big piss-off to her old hometown Akron, and a brilliant opening song. One that allows her to drop both the S & F-bombs, a rarity for a major label release from the early 80s. LeBron James...

I spent the extra hour last night watching 'Zombieland' instead of listening to records, but at 2am the neighbors usually frown upon a loud stereo, so I decided to make last Sunday 'Record Day'. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks (1968) - Hailed as a classic, this is one of the most unique albums in rock's history despite also being one of the least rock albums. Jazz, folk, blues & classical are all better descriptions for the 8 tracks that make up this song cycle. This is not one of those albums you'll get right away, it may stir emotions upon your first listen, but it needs to be listened to repeatedly as it unfolds. Famously recorded in just three sessions with Van singing and playing guitar in a booth and the rest of the musicians playing live in the studio along with him. Only the strings and horns were added later. Besides Van's stream-of-consciousness lyrics, its the upright bass of Richard Davis that stands out the most, especially on the epic ...

The benefit of this vinyl project is that the records are (usually) short so I listen to them multiple times, especially if I hadn't heard it before. First out of the gate on the next round of vinyl listens is Elton John 's third album (and second of 1970), Tumbleweed Junction. That's right, artists used to release two albums in one calendar year. Now its a miracle to get two albums in a three year period from any major artist. A loose cowboy theme holds this album together, which I bought last May, but I never listened to. I bought it for three songs, 'Amoreena'; 'My Father's Gun' the first side closer; and, of course, the album closer 'Burn Down The Mission'. The first in the long line Elton's 'epics', it always makes me think of the Alamo. A decent album, but nothing that screams to be listened to over and over, especially considering the depth of his early 70s catalog. Between 1970-75 he released nine studio albums (includi...

When I moved into my new place I was able to finally set up my stereo. I didn't bring any cds, all in storage. All I brought was my vinyl. One, it wouldn't do as well in storage as the cds; two, there are far less of them (200 v 2000); three, they are cooler. The sad thing is that since I didn't have the stereo set up at the house, I had limited access to listen to them. Now that I've moved I've decided to listen to everything. I started with Rush Moving Pictures . It seemed appropriate. The first tape I played in the first car I owned? Moving Pictures. I love this record. Side 1 is perfect. 'Tom Sawyer', 'Red Barchetta', 'YYZ', 'Limelight'. Done. Side two, I've come to love. 'The Camera Eye', the last 10+ minute Rush song, has always been my favorite on side 2. 'Witch Hunt' is a swirling mass of dark fire and 'Vital Signs' is a jagged attack from a shiny shark. The two songs oppose each other pe...