10-4-07

There have been a few new releases from some very well established
artists lately, one representing a comeback or reunion of all
original members, one representing the dissolution of a long time
partnership for a first solo effort, and another returning to an
earlier alter-ego created in their first band to tell the story of a
unique and troubled Dutch painter/musician who many have forgotten
or never heard of. Each of these records are remarkably strong and complete,
showing a definite forward motion creatively while in a sense returning to the
past for part of the inspiration or basic genus.
The current reunion of Bad Brains, the punk/metal Washington DC act
who started back in 79, was something that I never thought would come
to be. This incredibly dynamic and volatile punk act defied any easy
classification as basically the only all black punk or hardcore act around. They
played competently and furiously fast, showing an extensive musical
knowledge from their early incarnation as a jazz-fusion ensemble and
also delved into reggae music. They developed a big following and
influenced countless acts and musicians with their sheer power and
explosive live shows but they forever seemed riddled by conflict and
were continually breaking up and reforming with new members. In 1986
they released I Against I, arguably their strongest record with a more
expansive sound and a definite leaning towards full on heavy metal
but by 87 they had broken up again. Fast forward twenty years to
2007, past several semi-reunions, and finally all four original
members have recorded a new LP Build a Nation and it is the definitive
Bad Brains disc. It has all the crunchy guitar mayhem and rapid-fire
metal assault that made I Against I such an instant classic and the
many urgent tones of vocalist H.R., sounding manic on one song,
mellow and Jah-inspired on the next, screechingly high-pitched or spitting
out raps as fast as the guitars. This release also features the band’s most authentic
feeling excursions into reggae to date. The 14 songs are all relatively
short and driven with a vitality that few bands today can even muster, let alone
a band that hasn’t played all that much together or recorded anything this
good in over twenty years. I unfortunately missed their two recent
shows at Slims, which were sold out instantly it seems, another
indication of just how much this band still means to people and how amazing
it is that they can deliver such an outstanding new record. As far
as band reunions go, or reunion recordings, I’m hard-pressed to think
of another that is as visceral and monumental as Build A Nation.
This is a must for all bad brains fans.
Another artist with a new record is Siouxsee. It’s called Manta ray and this
disc marks the iconic Gothic superstar vocalists first solo effort in a
career-spanning 30 years. This is post Banshees, post-Creatures post
marriage to her longtime partner and collaborator Budgie, and she delivers an
effort clearly indicative of her star-power, her place in the echelon of musical
artists whose careers started during the birth of punk and developed and
sustained through the decades. In some ways you could say that Manta ray
is very much a pop record, or far more pop than the vocalists most recent
efforts with The Creatures but it doesn’t mark a huge departure stylistically
from vintage Siouxsee and The Banshees. It almost illuminates the pop
sensibilities that have always been present in much of the Banshees music,
usually just shrouded in darkness and mystery and tribal dramatics
embraced by fans who would bristle in disbelief if you dare label their Gothic
Queens music as pop.
There’s something grand and powerful about the way Siouxsee
flexes her new found freedom and abilities on Manta ray. My favorite cut
is probably the most lyrically vicious yet oddly anthemic. It’s called
“Here Comes That Day” and it bounds forward with orchestrated glamour
into a new territory, one that conjures visions of Bond girls, movie
themes, or the grande dame of all divas Shirley Bassey. Her voice sounds
positively regal and unmistakably Siouxsee as she wraps it around some of the most
alliteratively phrased lines like “Here comes that day/ here comes the
rain on your parade/ that’s the price you pay/ for a life of insincerity” punctuated
by bombastic horns and elegant string arrangements. You cant help but feel like
the sentiment is directed at her ex-partner Budgie, and this happens a few
times on Manta ray predictably, yet overall she doesn’t dwell on the bitterness.
Some of the lyrics have a distinct optimism about the future and this personal
transformation or change. Siouxsee emerges triumphant, edgy and with plenty of
the darker primal atmospherics her fans have grown to expect. I’ve never been a
huge fan, but this record reveals to me an artist and icon still going strong
after three decades of stardom. She looks fantastic too.
Another great record that popped up out of nowhere it seems is a release by
Black Francis, the alter ego of Frank Black the prolific singer songwriter originally of
the Pixies. After a myriad of solo releases, sometimes double albums,
often of a quieter more traditional nature, almost too many to keep track of,
he comes out with the loudest most rocking disc he’s put out in years.
Perhaps that’s why he’s using the Black Francis moniker on this one,
because some of these songs on Blue Finger unleash a definite and much needed
blast of Pixies-esque power and full-tilt raw emotion. It’s a most welcome return
and i haven’t been able to stop listening to it.
Taking the pared-down approach of using three musicians, himself on
guitar, vocals and harmonica, drummer Jason Carter, bassist Dan Schmid and
Frank’s wife Violet Clarke on back-up vocals for one song, the formula is a scorcher.
From the rollicking first cut, “Captain Pasty” you know you are in for a
fresh hard ride with its manic guitar and urgent vocals. Then it just slams into
probably my favorite cut on the disc, “Threshold Apprehension” with its solo
guitar intro building into a frenzied assault, Black Francis hitting those higher
registers vocally as he repeatedly sings “Threshold threshold threshold,” evoking
the tension the title aims at.
It seems this record was completely inspired by the life of Dutch painter/musician
Herman Brood. The cover art is a painting by Brood and there is a cover of
a song he wrote for his band Herman Brood and His Wild Romance called
“You Can’t Break A Heart And Have It,” and Black Francis’s vocalization alone
on this song is worth the price of this album. He goes one more than ten, he goes further than
the most intense screaming moments of the pixies and it is unbelievable.
I had heard very little about Brood prior to this record except that he was heavily
and openly addicted to drugs, was involved with Nina Hagen and he committed suicide by
jumping from the roof Amsterdam Hilton Hotel in 2001. Much of his story is referenced
in the songs on Blue Finger and his inspiration has produced one of my
favorite records of the year from possibly my favorite artist in Rock and Roll. I highly recommend
this disc for all fans of the Pixies, Frank Black, Black Francis, Dutch Artists and junkies.