Anniversary Albums: Edition Fifteen - The White Stripes 'White Blood Cells' (2001)

This week on anniversary albums we take a look at Detroit garage rock-revivalists the White Stripes third studio album 'White Blood Cells'. Released in 2001, this record was very influential in the development of the garage rock scene of the early-2000's, as well as helping to establish the White Stripes as a commercial act. 

Tracks played 

- Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground 

- Hotel Yorba 

- I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman 

- Fell in Love with a Girl

- Now Mary

- Offend in Every Way 

White Stripes - White Blood Cells

- Sam 

Anniversary Albums: Edition Ten - The Doors 'L.A. Woman'

Celebrating 45 years exactly today, this week’s anniversary album is The Doors 1971 masterpiece L.A. Woman.

L.A. Woman was the Los Angeles psychedelic rock groups 6th studio release, and the last full-length album to feature singer Jim Morrison. Morrison would die from an alleged heroin overdose three months after the albums release.

This album nearly did not happen, as leading up to the recording of it the band were blacklisted on the radio in the States, their record contract was at an end, and Morrison was facing charges of profanity and indecent exposure. 

Musically speaking, L.A. Woman continued down the blues rock path that pursued on the previous record Morrison Hotel.

This was a back to basics rock and roll sound, something a lot of acts at the time were pursuing as the flower power/psychedelic movement was wrapping up.

The band even hired bass player Jerry Scheff and rhythm guitarist Marc Benno to round out their sound. Gone were the long psychedelic pieces and in were more jam-based groove tracks such as Been Down So Long and Crawling King Snake.

So often the centrepiece of Doors records, Morrison’s song-writing still managed to have a chance to shine, despite an overall back to basic aesthetic where extended lyrical passages were not always welcome.

Two tracks in particular stood out in this regard, The W.A.S.P. Radio Texas, which is based on a poem Morrison wrote, and the seven minute epic Riders On The Storm, the last track the band would record together.

On its release, L.A. Woman was met with positive reviews with Rolling Stone in particular calling it the bands best album. Meanwhile, it made it to number nine in the States. However, the band never got the chance to tour the record as Morrison had moved to Paris where he passed away three months after its release.

L.A. Woman’s legacy holds up well all these years later, and it remains a fan favorite. The album as a whole is also highly regarded by critics, with many saying it represents a successful connection between the blues and the Doors mystifying psychedelic rock sound.

Author of the Complete Guide To The Music Of The Doors Peter K Hogan labelled the album a fitting swansong for Morrison, who was pleased to have finally recorded a blues-oriented album. 

- Sam 

Anniversary Albums: Edition Two - Janis Joplin "Pearl"

In our second installment of Anniversary Albums we are celebrating 45 years since the release of the Queen of Psychedelic Soul Janis Joplin's last studio album "Pearl". 

Released on January 11, 1971, this was unfortunately a posthumous release. Janis was recording "Pearl" when she died from a suspected heroin overdose on October 4, 1970.

"Pearl" was more gospel and soul inspired compared with the blues rock work that Janis produced with Big Brother and the Holding Company.

This was largely thanks to Janis working with Doors producer Paul A. Rothchild who wanted to make an album that showcased Janis's amazing vocals more.

They certainly achieved this and there is a big emphasis on soul balladry throughout "Pearl" as witnessed on this scorching track "Trust Me". 

"Pearl" was both critically and commercially successful upon it's release. It is just a shame Janis was not around to see that recognition.

It reached number one on the Billboard 200 charts. While famed rock critic Robert Christgau who is very hard to please gave it an A- rating.

Rolling Stone Magazine ranked "Pearl" 122 in their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

- Sam 

The Arcs - Yours, Dreamily - 2015

Dan Auerbach is quite an interesting guy. When he is not fronting one of the biggest bands on the planet the Black Keys, he is producing for other artists, recording with hip hop artists, and now he is releasing the first album under his new side project the Arcs, “Yours, Dreamily”.

Music fans have had a taste of the likely sound of this album for a while, with pre-released tracks “Stay in My Corner”, “Put a Flower in Your Pocket”, and “Outta My Mind”. And, right from the get go these tracks hinted at a swirling blusey/soulful record to come. But, has the actual album delivered on the early promise of those tracks?

Well, overall, I would say yes. In terms of the “new’ tracks which were not put out into the music sphere pre-release, most of them do stack up and see Auerbach and his band, a band that includes the very talented Lee Michels from El Michel’s Affair and Truth & Soul Records on drums exploring different blusey, psychedelic and soulful sounds. Although similar in nature to recent Black Key’s records such as “Brothers” and “Turn Blue”, there is still a lot going on in these new bunch of tracks that shows Auerbach is willing to experiment with what is quickly becoming his stock-standard mix of soul, blues and psychedelia.

“Pistol Made of Bones” is a southern stomper complete with horns, a barking dog and plenty of swagger, while on “Cold Companion”, Auerbach heads into what I would describe as progressive blues territory, with the backing vocals sounding very 70's progressive rock-like. I say that in a good way of course. “The Arc” is a grungy blues rocker, not to dissimilar to the material seen on Auerbach’s debut solo album. And, although not as good as some of the more psychedelic moments on “Yours, Dreamily”, it does its job as the sort of token stadium rocker track on the album nicely. On “Nature’s Child”, Auerbach and the band have a John Lennon moment circa early-70's, which is pleasant enough without being amazing, while “Velvet Ditch” has a smooth, contemporary R&B feel to it, as well as featuring two funky sax and guitar solos. The album then moves to its finale with one of the standout tracks “Chains of Love”, which has some stellar female backing vocals and an infectious rhythmic groove to boot. A great track, and very different to Auerbach’s more traditional material. The album then winds down with tracks such as the simplistically sweet R&B of “Rosie (Ooh la la)”, and album closer “Searching the Blue” which is a very nice Stax-sounding soul ballad.

On the whole, this is not unusual territory for Auerbach, but at the same time this is definitely not a Black Keys replica album by any stretch. The added presence of other musicians I would say gave the tracks more groove, and allowed Auerbach to play around more with different textures and rhythms. Something he might be more limited to with the Black Keys. On listening to this album you can certainly hear Auerbach playing with new sounds and musical ideas, and “Yours, Dreamily”, all in all really is a very solid contemporary, but at the same time authentic soul record. Well worth a listen I would say. 

B+

- Sam 

Humble Pie - Smokin' (1972)

Smokin’ was the fifth studio album released by British boogie rock band Humble Pie, the super-group that was created by ex-Small Faces frontman Steve Marriot and 70s guitar god Peter Frampton. Released in 1972, Smokin’ would fit right at home within the hard rock boom that was storming the UK at the time with acts such as Led Zep, Sabbath and Deep Purple strutting their stuff. However the UK audiences largely turned their noses up at Humble Pie, and it would be in America where the album’s release would catapult the band into the stadium rock scene of the mid-70s, with a highly respectable number six placing on the billboard charts.

From a musical perspective, Smokin’ is quite a departure from the bands earlier material which largely blended folk, country and rock influences. Here the band lay down a heavier sound that incorporated boogie rock and hard blues rock, with some soul and country thrown in for good measure. This album is full on sound-wise and one does get the feeling when listening to it that you could wear earmuffs and still hear enough of the music, it is that loud. The components which make up The Pie’s sound on this album include the heavy blues guitar of Marriot and lead guitarist Clem Clemson (Peter Frampton had left the band by this point), the whaling soulful vocals and Hammond organ playing of Marriott himself, vocals which again showed why he was one of the best rock singers to come out of Britain, and finally a solid rhythm section comprising one of rock’s underrated bass players Greg Ridley and drummer John Shirley, who work so well together in giving the heavier tracks a steady backbeat . Notably there are also key contributions from Stephen Stills on backing vocals and Hammond organ, and Alexis Korner on vocals and guitar.

As for the tracks themselves, well the album kicks off with a sizzling boogie rock barnstormer called “Hot ‘n’ Nasty”. Here the organ sizzles, the rhythm section pounds, while Marriott lets it all go vocally on a track which certainly has plenty of high octane and sets the scene for the rest of the album, laying a significant marker down in the process. This track is followed by “The Fixer”, a standard heavy blues rock track with plenty of riffage, big vocals and pounding drums, a sound that was pretty much in line with the other heavy bands of the day. “You’re So Good for Me” is a beautiful soul ballad complete with gospel sounding female backing vocals and represents the most tender moment on the album showing that the band did have a softer side to them as well. This has to be one of The Pie’s best songs and is a definite album standout. “C’mon Everybody” is an Eddie Cochran cover and represents another blues rock style track, all be it an improvement on “The Fixer” which lacked the boogie feel and energy of this track. “Old Time Feelin” is an acoustic blues track that has a bar room jam vibe to it with its rolling piano, harmonica and overall laid back feel. This track is also notable for not featuring Steve Marriot on vocals, with Greg Ridley and guest Alexis Korner lending a more than adequate hand on vocal duties. The album then comes to a storming end with heavy rocker “30 Days in the Hole”, a cover of Junior Walker’s “Road Runner” titled “Road Runners G Jam”, a track which literally takes jamming to a whole new level and literally smokes as a track, and finally album closer “Sweet Peace and Time”, a brilliant heavy rock track that encapsulates everything about this album, while going a long way in proving that this band was one of the loudest and heaviest of their day.

Humble Pie carved quite a successful career for themselves in the States but never really took off in the UK, something which in itself is surprising as I feel their sound was where Marriot was wanting to take the Small Faces down before they separated. My gut feel is that they were passed by in an over-subscribed hard rock market in the UK, with their being just too many bands of a similar ilk. Despite this there can be no doubt that Humble Pie released some great albums like this one and benefited strongly from having the likes of Marriott and Frampton at the helm. In conclusion I would definitely say that Smokin’ is a highly underrated hard rock album and an album that would go on to influence hard rock and heavy metal bands in the future. It had everything you want from a hard rock album and helped to establish Steve Marriott’s legacy as one of Britain’s greatest rock singers, something I which his contemporaries would wholeheartedly go along with. 

A- 

Sam 

Jack White - Lazaretto (2014)

Jack White has had a very diverse music career and is what I would describe as being a bit of a musical chameleon of sorts. He had great success with the White Stripes, whilst also intermittently moving between off-shoot projects such as the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather. The beauty of following Jack White is that you don’t really know what he is thinking and where he will go next musically, making his career an intriguing follow as much as anything. With this in mind he has now moved on to a solo career, releasing his debut solo album in 2012 Blunderbuss which was a solid first up effort that encompassed many different styles. It is now 2014 and again White has another album out, his second solo offering Lazaretto and although there are some good tracks on here, the results end up being a little bid underwhelming.

White again mixes up the sounds on this album, with blues rock, garage, alternative and country all making appearances in various guises. White has been known to speak of his song-writing methods and how he never has a pre-set plan of making an album but simply records what he feels like at the time, and this is perhaps why his first two solo records sound so diverse musically and do not follow any set patterns. Lazaretto starts up with a storming track the bluesy rocker “Three Women” which on first listening perhaps could be deemed one of his best. It certainly gets the album off to a positive start with its sizzling organ and playfulness lyrically and musically. The title track “Lazaretto” follows next and is a typical White garage rocker that congers up early White Stripes with its heavy guitar riffing and pounding drums. It is nice enough as a track, but falls a bit flat as it doesn’t really explore any new musical ground and ends up being a bit pedestrian. On “Temporary Ground” White goes all country/singer-songwriter as he often has a tendency to do, and is accompanied on vocals by one of the members of his all-female backing band, with a bit of fiddle thrown in for good measure, while “Would You Fight for My Love” is a mysterious almost dark track with a bit of a psychedelic rock feel to it in what is one of the stronger tracks on the record. The first half of the album then ends with an instrumental “High Ball Stepper” which does nothing for me, and “Just One Drink” which has a country-blues vibe to it with a good sing-along line about drinking, what could be better.

The second half of the album begins with “Alone in My House” which brings out Whites softer country side again while also showcasing some thunderous piano playing, a strong feature of the album. White sounds good when he dives into the country-folk area and I am still waiting for the day the record a full country/Americana album. However, it is at this point where the record begins to flounder a bit, starting with “Entitlement” a country ballad which although sweet is a bit predictable. This is followed by “That Black Bat Licorice” which returns to the heavy guitars of the title track, but with less success in what is quite a high intensity number that moves in all sorts of directions. The album finally comes to an end with “I think I Found the Culprit” a filler type track that sees White moving in an alt-country direction this time and “Want and Able”, yet another country ballad with the ingenious lyric (insert sarcasm) “who is the who telling who what to do”. By this point I am afraid it sounds like White is running out of ideas both lyrically and musically, with this track sounding a bit like a good warm up studio track but nothing more.

So in conclusion, I would say that Lazaretto is an album with flashes of brilliance and small moments that make you sit up and take notice, but these are few and far between, with side one being the best half of the album before it eventually falls away. At this point I am still waiting for Jack White to deliver an entire album of good material, or should I say a complete musical statement that measures up to his reputation as a twenty-first century rock master, something he has so far failed to do on his first two solo outings. 

C+

- Sam 

Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid (2009)

Keep It Hid is the debut solo album by Black Keys singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach, and is also so far his only non-collaborative solo album. Released in early 2009, the year before Brothers would catapult the Black Keys well in truly into the global music spotlight, Keep It Hid is an interesting album in that it is quite a diverse and varied album musically and is by no means a complete carbon copy of Black Keys material. This album rather than being a full on blues rock album contains a mixture of styles, with Auerbach moving between delta blues, garage rock, blues rock and even. This mixture of styles across the different tracks gives the album a nice balance and allows Auerbach to showcase other sides to his musical pallet, with the results speaking volumes.

Opening track “Trouble Weighs a Ton” is a rootsy pastoral folk tune of which when I first heard it I thought I was listening to a Mumford and Sons album. I certainly wasn’t expecting a Dan Auerbach solo album to start with a soft folk tune, but I was pleasantly surprised that it did. “I Want Some More” has an early-Black Keys feel to it with its swampy rhythm and dirty blues sound, while tracks such as “The Prowl”, “Keep It Hid” and “Street Walkin’” continues this theme with heavily distorted guitars and a blues rock template . “My Last Mistake” is one of Auerbach’s most poppy songs out of all his repertoire including his work with the Black Keys, and his also one of his best. Written in a similar vain to the tracks on Keys album El Camino, this is blues pop at its very best in the form of a driving backing track of guitar, bass and drums, as well as a very catchy melody which bounces along at you as you listen. The heavier blues tracks on this album are separated out nicely by some softer tracks where Auerbach shows off his tender side more so than he ever has done on any Black Keys album for mine. “Real Desire” is a beautiful soulful blues ballad laced with organ and very delicate guitar playing, while “When The Night Comes” is just Auerbach playing acoustic guitar and singing accompanied by a synth backing track. Album closer “Goin Home” probably gets the award for the softest track on the album and would also be in contention for the most beautiful, with Auerbach’s delightful finger picking and heartfelt vocal delivery floating along together in tandem in what is a gorgeous end to the album. What this album shows if anything is that this man can write softer soulful tracks just as good as he writes hard out blues rock epics, whilst singing them as equally as good.

A standard out feature for me on Keep It Hid was the overall production of the record, a task that Auerbach took on himself. Not only is Auerbach a wonderfully talented musician, but he is also a very good producer and it shows on this record where he pays careful attention to the needs of each track in attempting to get the right feel for each individual song, rather than an overall feel for the album. This comes across in the music, of which I noticed when listening is by in large less full on and fierce than the albums of his other band. The blues-oriented songs have a roughness about them and it is on these tracks where Auerbach uses distortion of the guitar and on occasion the vocals, while the folk and soul tracks have a beautiful simplicity to them with minimal production apart from the odd bit of echo. Overall I would give full marks to Auerbach for the production on this record in creating a sound and feel that I would describe as being quite organic in nature and very well suited to the eclectic mix of sound and style on display.

In conclusion then, I would say that Keep It Hid was an excellent debut for the Black Keys front man who showed with this release how he isn’t just a one dimensional blues rocker. Auerbach does a fantastic job in showing off his full range of musical abilities both as a songwriter and a player on multiple instruments on this album, while also giving a glimpse of his softer side as a song-writer, in particular showing how he can write tranquil folk songs as well as down to earth soulful blues. Keep It Hid is well worth a listen if you are into the Black Keys, especially their earlier work, and want to find out what Auerbach sounds like on his own. I thoroughly recommend this album, and I am sure you will be just as pleasantly surprised at the quality of the material as I was.   

A-

- Sam

The Doors - L.A. Woman (1971)

L.A. Woman was The Doors sixth studio album and their final album with Jim Morrison. Released in 1971, L.A. Woman is very much a back to basics/return to roots album, a road that many bands were going down during the years 1969 to 1972 almost as a response to the somewhat out of control nature of 60s psychedelic music, not to mention an opportunity to revisit past influences. Although the bands brand of psychedelic rock which they had become notable for remains across this album, the music on here takes in other styles as well ranging from funk on “The Changeling” to blues rock on tracks such as “Been Down So Long” and the slithery hypnotic “Crawling King Snake”.

L.A. Woman for me captures the band at their musical best and contains many of their greatest songs. Fans and critics alike respond glowingly to the material on their debut album and so they should with tracks such as “Light My Fire” and “Break on Through”, but some of the tracks on L.A. Woman are right up there with those songs and others in the bands catalogue. Just some of the tracks that standout on this album include the psychedelic dance of “Love Her Madly”, the moody jazz like psychedelia of “Riders On The Storm” a magnum opus like moment if ever there was one, and the raunchy driving rock of title track “L.A. Woman” where Morrison croons about the city he loves. Even Morrison’s spoken word poetry gets an airing on “The WASP”, an amazing psychedelic stomp that combines the sounds of bluesy organ and marching drums with Morrison’s take on 1950s Mexican border blaster radio stations; an experimental piece for them, but a good one at that.

L.A. Woman does a fantastic job in showcasing the quintessential Doors sound and provides a snapshot of all the key elements of what makes a Doors album. There’s the masterful playing of Ray Manzarek (R.I.P) whose keyboard playing is the centre of the band’s sound and is what gives the songs that classic eerie psychedelic feeling that often has the effect of taking you the listener to another place and the songs to another dimension. There’s also Robbie Krieger’s guitar playing a style almost Spanish like in parts with his carefully crafted solos and subtle rhythm playing, he is a man who plays for the song not himself and boy does it sound good.

And then of course there is Morrison, by this stage a troubled soul battling with addiction although you wouldn’t know on listening as he croons, speaks, and swaggers his way through the album. His vocal style of Sinatra meets Elvis meets Delta blues man lends itself so well to The Doors style of psychedelic rock, not to mention his own diverse lyrical influence on the songs, lyrics that include themes ranging from king snakes to Greek gods. If there is any album that best exemplifies why Morrison was one of the greatest singers in rock it surely is this one. The unfortunate sub-context to this albums release was the fact that Morrison would die roughly three months after the album’s release in July 1971. Had he lived the future of the band was have also been possibly up in the air as they had cancelled the tour in support of the album after only two dates when Morrison suffered a breakdown on stage, while by the time of the album’s release Morrison had left America for France, seemingly for good.

For me L.A. Woman is along with their self titled debut The Doors best album, it best represents the band’s sound, while it is also consistent throughout in terms of the songs on display. It showcases all of the bands styles from jazz to blues to psychedelia and probably most notably marks the final point in Jim Morrison’s musical journey with the band and his final musical statement. A must have album for any Doors fan and anybody into psychedelic rock of the late-60s period.

 

A

 

- Sam

Gary Clark Jr. - Blak And Blu (2012)

Gary Clark Jr. is a 29 year old blues guitarist from Texas who’s latest release Blak And Blu is his first on a major label and represents his long awaited break into the commercial mainstream. This album is a big break for Clark Jr. who has spent years trying to make it big in the industry, releasing several EPs and CDs on indie labels without much success. Luckily for him Blak And Blu entered the US Billboard 200 at number 6, with his contemporary take on blues rock now making a big impression.

Blak And Blu is quite a varied album musically and sees Clark Jr. experimenting with several different styles very much in homage to his quite diverse list of influences, influences that includes Jimi Hendrix, Albert King, Curtis Mayfield, and Prince. Vocally Clark Jr. is very soulful in his delivery and you can hear touches of Lenny Kravitz in his voice, while his guitar playing is very much influenced by Hendrix especially in his use of effects pedals and an overall dreamy psychedelic style which he plays rather loudly with carefully nuanced solos. The sound on this album is by in  large a concoction of blues and psychedelic rock in combination with some very soulful vocals, although he does also branch out into R&B, Doo Wop, and even Hip-Hop on this album showing that he isn’t just a one trick pony.

The opening track “Ain’t Messin Round” is a Stax-like number with horns driving the song along, “When My Train Pulls In” probably represents his blues rock style best and contains wailing guitar solos throughout, “Travis County” is a quick-paced rock and roll number that sounds as if Chuck Berry could have written it, while “Glitter Ain’t Gold” is very Lenny Kravitz-like both vocally and musically. These tracks are the centre pieces on the album and are a clear representation of his blues rock style and guitar playing. The ferocity and pace of some of these tracks allows him room to experiment in some places and thus sees him explore hip-hop and R&B on the album also. “Blak and Blu” and “The Life” are the two hip-hop influenced tracks on the record, with the former sampling Gil Scott-Heron, while “Please Come Home” is a soulful Motown influenced number that has shades of The Miracles and Temptations especially in Clark Jr.’s falsetto vocal.

Having not heard any of his previous material I was very impressed by this album, particularly his guitar playing (man this guy has some chops), but also the diversity in style on this record. I feel if it was an album of ten or twelve tracks of the same heavy blues it could become too much of a good thing. Therefore, the presence of some R&B and hip-hop numbers balances the heavier guitar tracks out nicely, and also comes as a gentle relief from the blues material. I would recommend this album to people into blues rock or rock in general, I also think fans of the early-Black Keys would appreciate this as well. People who like to dance should also tale note as there are some tracks on here that are great for dancing to, which is not always the case with rock forms. A nicely done album by a very talented guy, I look forward to his next offering.

 

B+

 

- Sam