Odds and Ends

Each week I use this space to post some mini-reviews, cool tracks, random thoughts, neat news, or whatever else I damn well please.

MiniReview


Sebastian Bach “Kicking & Screaming” – The outspoken and always entertaining former Skid Row frontman returns with his latest solo release, “Kicking & Screaming”. As you would expect, there’s no shortage of loud, in-your-face guitar shredding and dazzling solo work. Bach sounds as potent as ever, showing off the full range of his vocal talents through these thirteen tracks, and his lyrics remain sharp. That’s the good news. While “Kicking & Screaming” has plenty of testosterone and muscle, it often lacks the melodic hooks that would make these songs memorable. That is regrettable, because Bach used to write some killer ones. In short, Bach delivers a solid record to pump your fist to, but not much to sing along to. My favorites in the set include “Caught in A Dream”, “As Long As I Got The Music”, and “One Good reason”. Also, don’t miss “I’m Alive” and “Wishin’” – two of the best ballads he’s done as a solo artist – each feature compelling instrumental dynamics and Bach simply nails the vocal.

Sebastian Bach – official site.

Check out the video for the title track:


Surprise of the week
Beam me up, Scotty. William Shatner has covered Black Sabbath’s "Iron Man”, one of the tracks from his upcoming album, "Seeking Major Tom”. Give it a listen and read more details here.

News
For you “die” hard vinyl fans: now there’s a company called Andvynyly that offers a service to turn your cremated ashes into a record. What song would you like to be? Check it out here.

Julian Lennon to release first album in 13 years (his sixth studio album) this October, called “Everything Changes”. Details here.

Check out this explanation of the famous Guns N' Roses video “November Rain” here.

Some classic Bob Seger is finally coming to iTUNES along with a free EP – check it out here.

Will CDs go the way of the dinosaur within five more years? Here is an opinion.

Deck the halls with Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots)? Yep.

Random iPOD song of the week
L.A. Guns – “Never Enough”


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Kneejerk: My Chemical Romance – Kid Rock

Welcome to the latest edition of KNEEJERK, where we preview some new major label releases and give our short, "kneejerk" reaction...


My Chemical Romance - “Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys”

The music world has patiently waited four long years for the follow up to My Chemical Romance’s crossover smash, “The Black Parade”. Like Green Day, this band’s punk roots have grown into a tree with many branches. Incorporating punk, modern rock, pop, metal, and even dance rock, into innovative concept albums, My Chemical Romance is one of the most creative bands on the scene today. Best of all, nearly every song they write is imbued with a strong sense of melody that makes them hard to forget. “Danger Days” is nothing short of brilliant and in my opinion even surpasses “The Black Parade”, which I thought would be impossible to achieve. There are a few weak tracks near the end of this 60 min opus, but you won’t find a more consistently awesome modern rock record this year. Most of you have heard the single, “Na Na Na” already, which is good, but there is even better material waiting for you on the record. Second single “Sing” is great, but don’t miss “Bulletproof Heart”, “The Only Hope For Me Is You”, “Save Yourself, I’ll Hold Them Back”, and the beautiful 80s-flavored “Summertime”. With “Danger Days”, My Chemical Romance proves they deserve to wear the crown as kings of modern rock.


Kid Rock – “Born Free”

The new one by the big mouthed, undershirt wearing Detroit rocker takes a sharp turn into more accessible territory – as he sings on “Slow My Roll”, he “turns around and settles down”. In doing so, he risks alienating fans expecting more of his rap metal rock hybrids. Will a new fan base flock to replace them? My bets are on “no”. Kid Rock has considerably mellowed out on “Born Free”, producing generic country-flavored rock songs. The approach could have worked if only the songs were interesting and if Kid Rock was a better singer. Perhaps trying to capitalize on their previous success with “Picture”, he teams up again with Sheryl Crow on the sleepy “Collide” (which also features on Bob Seger…on piano). Country rock fans without high expectations are likely to enjoy this left turn, but most listeners are going to be as bored as Kid Rock appears on the cover. If you are curious, I’d direct your attention to the title track, “Care”, and “When It Rains”. And for a good chuckle, check out “For The First Time (In A Long Time)”, where Kid Rock attempts to sing in falsetto.