All The Right Reasons

Nickelback
All The Right Reasons
2005
Rating: 2/10

When I took this project on my goal was to prove to myself that maybe Nickelback isn't as bad as I make them sound and maybe they have something that could redeem them. I mean this album has now gone seven times platinum in this great country of ours and has sold a total of nine million copies in all of the world I figured there might be something good on this album. Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried I was sadly mistaken.

It's weird when I was listening to this album I thought man this first track is awfully long. Then the album ended and I realized that all the songs sounded so much alike that you can't distinguish one from another. Think of Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientists of all time. Now try real hard to think of the complete opposite of him and you get this album. Nickelback doesn't experiment at all on this record instead they go with the same song formula over and over. They are still doing heavy guitars with nonstop riffs and they never seem to want to change chords or melodies between songs. After going to a shrink because I wanted to cut my ears off and never hear again I decided that at least Nickelback has one thing going for them. They have a horrible lead vocalist in Chad Kroeger with lyrics that are equally as bad, so at least they aren't outdoing themselves in anyway. Not to mention Chad Kroeger makes having a lot of money sound horrible with all of his depressing lyrics. Now I don't want this album to look like a total failure. Although it is sub par for many bands around right now, for them this is a stretch adding more keyboards and acoustic guitars than on previous albums. Also on Follow You Home, the first track on the album, there is a small guitar part coming in about halfway through the song that sounded good, but I soon found out it was played by Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top instead of their regular guitarist. I am afraid there is nothing that can save this album from being anything but bad art.

In conclusion, this is the first and last time I will listen to this album. I will go as far as to say this album is unlistenable under any circumstances. I don't care if tomorrow someone offered me a million dollars to listen to this album again I couldn't do it if I tried. Bassist Mike Kroeger has tried to defend their similar sounding music by saying that when you have a distinct style it's hard to not sound the same. He even tries to compare them to that of AC/DC. There are two main things wrong with this statement. First, if you are trying to defend yourself why drag an almost equally bad band like AC/DC into it. Second, there is nothing distinct about Nickelback's sound. It sounds like every other hard rock band out there right now bland and uninspired. Yet all the other bands find some way of at least sounding different for every song. I suppose if you happen to like predictable songs and like to hear the same song over and over with slight changes then this album is for you. Aside from that group of people I think this comic says it best.

-Niko Gruber

Sky Blue Sky

Sky Blue Sky
Wilco
2007
Rating: 8.0/10

Some say that Wilco's latest album wasn't enough of a step forward; Pitchfork classifies this album as "dad-rock" and throws it to the side, calling it less experimental, less noticeable than their previous work. I say it's still experimental, just in subtler ways, and for those that say Nels Cline is too much the centerpiece of the album, are you implying that there are too many guitar solos? Well, I have news for you people.

When your guitarist is Nels Cline, you can do whatever the hell you want and make no apologies.

First off, let me say that I am indeed biased. Niko got me into Wilco about a year and a half back, and due to my solid diet of 70's rock as a child (thanks Dad) I'm probably too comfortable with lazy shuffles and wailing guitar solos rock to give this album an entirely unbiased listen. I was familiar with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot before hearing this album, and my friends suggested I give this album a listen primarily because Wilco was returning to their roots; some country, a little blues, a little rock... stripping things down a bit. Throw in Jeff Tweedy's vocals and Glenn Kotche's always-there pocket drumming and you have a stew that is quite delectable, as far as I'm concerned.

Guaranteed, the lyrical work on this album isn't a huge evolution from anything Tweedy's done before. The musicianship is solid, as expected; Nels Cline is a god amongst men, John Stirrat and Kotche make as solid of a rhythm section as you'd ever want, and the rest of the band performs admirably. I would agree that Sky Blue Sky isn't a record that pushes the limits of the band's creativity, as some of their previous albums have, and as many music critics have noted.

But this doesn't make Wilco's latest album bad. It makes it different. More classic. Maybe even more fun for Wilco to play and create (this album was a collaboration between the band members. A Ghost is Born was Jeff Tweedy and Pro Tools)... but let's not think about how much fun the band had taking a step back and writing some straight-forward rock & roll songs, let's just secretly wish everyone was Radiohead. Pitchfork, take note. Idiots.

This album works because it's so classic. Not everything has to evolve all the time; it's not always the answer to spend hours in post-production adding layers and textures and colors to thicken up a band's sound. Sky Blue Sky is a great album because Wilco didn't follow their recipe, didn't try to expand on the experimental nature of their previous album. Wilco, I salute you for stripping down your sound, letting down your hair and writing some straight ahead rock-and-roll. Thank you.

My favorites on the album are:

• You Are My Face--Such wonderful groove.
  
• Impossible Germany--Here is where Duane Allman is resurrected.
  
• Side with the Seeds--Nels Cline can keep up with the best of them. The driving instrumental sections showcase the band's incredible musical cohesion... the guitar solo is the point but listen for the string arrangements in the background and the half-cocked, swinging drums.
  
• Hate It Here--listen to the conversation between the Fender Rhodes and piano throughout the verses. Stirrat is milky smooth on the bass.
  
• Walken--listen around 2:28 when our boys turn up the heat and stomp through a few bars in a two-beat shuffle; one of my favorites moments of the album. Kotche shines on this tune, and Mikael Jorgenson makes eighth notes vastly interesting.
  
• What Light--kind of a Dylan-y thing Tweedy has going for him, but it works great for the song. Slide guitar is the perfect touch.
  

-Derek

Rubber Soul

The Beatles
Rubber Soul
1965
Rating: 10/10

Rubber Soul is hands down the biggest step forward for The Beatles musically. Not only is this album very influential, but it also was a big progression for their song writing abilities. It was the main influence on Brian Wilson's Pet Sounds and many other albums still to come. This is the first album where you can start to see the difference in McCartney and Lennon's songs. Rubber Soul also starts a chain of not only critically acclaimed albums for The Beatles, but continues their chart topping dominance. You can give me a million dollars, tuck me in at night, and scrape ice off my car whenever it snows, but if you tell me you don't like this album then we can't be friends. I will be reviewing the UK version of the album to hold to the artistic integrity of the album.

The album starts with a guitar line intro into “Drive My Car”. A Lennon/McCartney song in which both of them share lead vocals. You can hear the Otis Redding influence in this bass heavy song. Already with the opening track you can see their song writing abilities getting better with this look at reverse sexism. A good song to start the album with.

Then comes one of the most influential songs from this album showing that pop music can have more than bass, guitar, and drums. The beautiful Eastern sounding “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” is an acoustic ballad from Lennon letting everyone know once again, that he listens to Bob Dylan every now and then. This is the first song from The Beatles to feature an Indian instrument (Sitar) courtesy of George Harrison.

From there we find while John is failing to bang some hot girl Paul seems to be having some girl problems of his own with “You Won't See Me”. The “Ooh La La Las” in this upbeat song will have you singing along with Paul and his problems before you can tell him that with the money he has he can find a million other girls.

Next comes “Nowhere Man” from Lennon. This is the first song from The Beatles that does not have any reference to love in any form. This is one of the best songs on the album. McCartney and Harrison bring the child-like “La La Las” to back up John.

Fuzz bass brings us into “Think For Yourself”. Dave Davies of The Kinks might have beaten The Beatles to the punch a year earlier with the guitar on “Your Really Got Me”, but this was still a really new sound for the bass at the time. This is the first Harrison number on the album.

Now we are at yet another first for The Beatles with “The Word”. It is the first song by The Beatles that sings about love in abstract terms, instead of just boy girl love. This song has McCartney, Lennon, and Harrison all singing a three part harmony through most of it. You also get to hear The Beatles' producer George Martin's first instrumental contribution to the album with a harmonium solo. Making this the second song on Rubber Soul with a Eastern instrument in it.

The album slows down now with McCartney's love ballad to a girl who doesn't speak English with “Michelle”. The first song from The Beatles to have more than one language with both English and French being used. This song is so amazing especially with Lennon and Harrison on background vocals. It makes love so simple.

To pick up the pace Ringo gets his chance at singing with the country sounding “What Goes On”. Although one of the weaker songs on the album, it gives the album more variety. This is also Ringo's first song writing credit on any song from The Beatles. Harrison single handily saves this song with his guitar playing.

Now we reach another gem with “Girl” courtesy of John Lennon. This acoustic ballad once again shows that you can have all the money in the world and girls will still give you problems. This song shows the fun loving nature of The Beatles with McCartney and Harrison singing “tit tit tit” in the background when George Martin had told them to sing “dit dit dit”. Harrison sounds great here with his 12-string. The deep inhales in the song could be a reference to drugs and their addictive nature even though they harm you, much like this girl.

Now we have McCartney's “I'm Looking Through You”. After Harrison's intro we hear McCartney's double tracked voice thanks to George Martin. Once again reminding us about his girl problems McCartney brings us another amazing song.

Lennon's “In My Life” comes next to slow down the album. This song a great track already is made even better with George Martin's contribution of double tracking Lennon's voice and playing a Baroque-like piano solo. The tempo of the song was too fast for Martin so the piano was recorded at half-tempo so when it was sped up it gave it a much different sound.

“Wait” comes next with Lennon and McCartney sharing lead vocals. An alright song that is easily looked over because it is not as stand out as many of the other classics on this album. Because I don't want to break tradition, I will also look over it.

Next we have “If I Needed Someone” the second Harrison track on the album. This song does a good job showing his influence from The Byrd's at the time. The lead vocals are once again double tracked with McCartney and Lennon harmonizing with Harrison. Harrison on a 12-string again and Martin on harmonium makes this another solid song.

The album ends with a glimpse of jealousy as Lennon sings about killing any woman who cheats on him with “Run For Your Life”. A weak song to end the album with, but after so many good songs can you really complain?

Rubber Soul is one of the greatest albums from The Beatles. Coming before their psychedelic years and major experimentation, it is an excellent starting point for someone who has never listened to them before. This album laid down the ground work for Revolver and their releases after that by utilizing the studio as an instrument, showing their Eastern music influence, and forever redefining popular music. It is a must-have for any fan of The Beatles.

-Niko Gruber, December 14, 2007

numero uno

We're going to start writing soon. Stay tuned.