Each week I use this space to post some mini-reviews, cool tracks, random thoughts, neat news, or whatever else I damn well please.
Looks like I am not the only one disappointed with the new one from The Cars. See more reviews here.
Review: Raining Jane “Paper Nest” EP (2008)
Raining Jane is comprised of four women creating high quality organic folk pop. Exquisite songwriting, vivid imagery, and harmonies that remind me of what the Bangles might have sounded like if they were folkier. Check them out if you like Dar Williams, Melissa Etheridge, or Sarah McLachlan. They are working on their next record in the midst of collaborating with Jason Mraz and opening for Sara Bareilles.
Surprise of the week:
The latest from Sixx A.M. is killer – one of the best modern hard rock records so far this year. Full review coming soon.
Can’t miss this:
Goo Goo Dolls John Rzeznik performs with Daryl Hall on the latest installment of “Live From Daryl’s House”. Check out the news here.
Live Whitesnake double-album and DVD package coming June 7
CD1 : Slip Of The Tongue; Slide It In; Judgement Day; Slow An Easy; Kitten’s Got Claws; Adagio For Strato; Flying Dutchman Boogie; Is This Love; Cheap An’ Nasty; Crying In The Rain (featuring Tommy Aldridge Drum Solo).
CD2: Fool For Your Loving; For The Love Of God; The Audience Is Listening; Here I Go Again
Bad Boys; Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City; Still Of The Night.
DVD: Slip Of The Tongue; Slide It In; Judgement Day; Slow An Easy; Kitten’s Got Claws; Adagio For Strato; Flying Dutchman Boogie; Is This Love; Cheap An’ Nasty; Crying In The Rain (Featuring Tommy Aldridge Drum Solo); Fool For Your Loving; For The Love Of God; The Audience Is Listening; Here I Go Again; Bad Boys; Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City; Still Of The Night.
Random iPOD song of the week:
Slaughter “Street of Broken Hearts” from their sophomore release “The Wild Life”
Showing posts with label Goo Goo Dolls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goo Goo Dolls. Show all posts
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Kneejerk: Heart - Goo Goo Dolls
Welcome to the latest edition of KNEEJERK, where we preview some new releases and give our short, "kneejerk" reaction...
Heart “Red Velvet Car”
Ann and Nancy Wilson, the real muscle behind Heart, have captivated audiences for decades but haven’t been able to rebound after grunge stomped their brand of high gloss pop rock into the dust. “Red Velvet Car” is not a release that is likely to restore these sisters to the top of the charts, but it doesn’t feel as if they care – sounds like they are just doing what they love. The songs found on this release are more aligned with their less melodious 70s output than the pop perfection that gave their career a second wind in the 80s. Some of the tunes like “There You Go” and “WTF” have a welcoming bluesy guitar sound that revs up your heart, but the record soon flatlines into one disappointing track after another of aimless wandering. Vocally, Ann and Nancy sound terrific, but with no memorable hooks or exciting direction, this is a car best kept in the garage.
Goo Goo Dolls “Something For The Rest Of Us”
I fell in love with the Goo Goo Dolls with the release of 1993’s “Superstar Car Wash” – to this day, it remains my favorite of theirs, and one of my all-time favorite records. But ever since the commercial breakthrough of “Name”, and “Iris” shortly thereafter, this band has never been the same. Instead of trying to be The Replacements, the Goo Goo Dolls now seem content to be a Bon Jovi. Honestly, I’m OK with that - their modern output is more predictable and less energetic, but I have to admit that generally I still like it. What I’m not OK with, however, is the mediocrity that abounds on “Something For The Rest Of Us”. It continues along their recent trajectory, but this time I feel like we’re being served lukewarm leftovers from “Let Love In”, which was pretty tepid to begin with. There are a few sweet morsels, like “Sweetest Lie”, “Nothing Is Real”, and “Still Your Song”, but generally these songs feel uninspired with a lot of style and little substance. Put it this way – most of the songs are as exciting as the cover art.
Heart “Red Velvet Car”
Ann and Nancy Wilson, the real muscle behind Heart, have captivated audiences for decades but haven’t been able to rebound after grunge stomped their brand of high gloss pop rock into the dust. “Red Velvet Car” is not a release that is likely to restore these sisters to the top of the charts, but it doesn’t feel as if they care – sounds like they are just doing what they love. The songs found on this release are more aligned with their less melodious 70s output than the pop perfection that gave their career a second wind in the 80s. Some of the tunes like “There You Go” and “WTF” have a welcoming bluesy guitar sound that revs up your heart, but the record soon flatlines into one disappointing track after another of aimless wandering. Vocally, Ann and Nancy sound terrific, but with no memorable hooks or exciting direction, this is a car best kept in the garage.
Goo Goo Dolls “Something For The Rest Of Us”
I fell in love with the Goo Goo Dolls with the release of 1993’s “Superstar Car Wash” – to this day, it remains my favorite of theirs, and one of my all-time favorite records. But ever since the commercial breakthrough of “Name”, and “Iris” shortly thereafter, this band has never been the same. Instead of trying to be The Replacements, the Goo Goo Dolls now seem content to be a Bon Jovi. Honestly, I’m OK with that - their modern output is more predictable and less energetic, but I have to admit that generally I still like it. What I’m not OK with, however, is the mediocrity that abounds on “Something For The Rest Of Us”. It continues along their recent trajectory, but this time I feel like we’re being served lukewarm leftovers from “Let Love In”, which was pretty tepid to begin with. There are a few sweet morsels, like “Sweetest Lie”, “Nothing Is Real”, and “Still Your Song”, but generally these songs feel uninspired with a lot of style and little substance. Put it this way – most of the songs are as exciting as the cover art.
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