Milestones: Say Anything (and the Dobbler backlash)

Obviously, with every passing year there are quite a few significant anniversaries that come to mind. But for some reason 2009 has made us quite aware of more than the usual share. (It probably has to do with various friends and family members respectively turning 20, 30, 40, and 50, this year.) There are a few pop culture milestones we've either already brought up (Nine Inch Nails' debut album, Pretty Hate Machine turning 20) or are thinking about (Kurt Cobain died 15 years ago this April), and among the latter group was the quintessential Generation-X romantic comedy, Say Anything, released in 1989. More than any other, the '80s were the decade of the teen movie. Amidst the mountain of dreck from that era--remember Porky's?--there are some choice flicks (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sixteen Candles, among them) but writer/director Cameron Crowe's nuanced Say Anything is is still considered tops by many, including critic Roger Ebert who called it...

"[O]ne of those rare movies that has something to teach us about life. It doesn't have a 'lesson' or a 'message', but it observes its moral choices so carefully that it helps us see our own. That such intelligence could be contained in a movie that is simultaneously so funny and so entertaining is some kind of a miracle...one of the wisest and most touching movies about teenagers I have seen."

(Then again, he hated Crowe's Fast Times at Ridgemont High, so...) Now, let's be fair: high praise alone--coupled with its iconic boom box scene and happening soundtrack--is not what has made this movie an enduring favorite. One of the main reasons it has remained a perennial rom-com darling lies with the ladies of Gen-X--and younger--who took to the leading male character Lloyd Dobler (played by John Cusack, in the role that made his career) in a big way, and have over the years awarded Dobbler perfect boyfriend archetype status. Which is why we were very surprised to find the sensitive martial artist on Lemondrop's acidy "Beta Males" gallery, which is for the most part, comprised of some of the lamest on-screen dudes ever.

"Oh, Lloyd Dobler. Now that we know that kickboxing was not, indeed, the sport of the future, following gorgeous, smart Diane Court to college in England without a job or prospects of his own just seems kinda pathetic."

Ouch! Now, we are clearly fans of this flick. Which is why--aside from Dobbler taking back the girl when it's patently obvious she returns to him waaaaay more out of necessity than love, which would eventually bite him on the ass and leave scars that would surely take years to get over--we've always believed it hit all the right notes and understood why the ladies loved Lloyd. But maybe they've reconsidered. Or perhaps they may have surmised Lloyd Dobbler subsequently turned into Rob Gordon. Either way, it sucks. It's rough out there, guys. [Theatrical poster courtesy of Wikipedia.]

Milestones: 'Off the Wall'

[This one was already on our list of albums which celebrate significant milestones this year. We were going to feature it closer to the anniversary of its release but sadly, for obvious reasons, we decided to post it now. -KJ]

MICHAEL JACKSON
Off The Wall
[Epic-1979]

We never really got into the massive-selling Thriller; too overblown, too polished for our taste. (Not even the presence of one of our all-time heroes, Mr. Edward Van Halen on “Beat It”, could ignite much of a spark for the album.) That’s not to say we didn't enjoy one or two album tracks—namely “Human Nature” and “Pretty Young Thing”—but Off The Wall was not only more to our liking, it’s actually the blueprint for Thriller itself.

It seems weird to say this, since these two albums were released only three years apart, but Off The Wall was the product of a different, simpler time: during the infamous “Disco Sucks” shenanigans that polarized many popular music fans; before the rise and questionable dominance of MTV; and before Jackson’s notorious eccentricity had begun to overshadow his talent. Regardless, Off the Wall is a cohesive, visionary album—produced by the great Quincy Jones—made under relatively little pressure. Yes, Jackson was one of the most famous pop stars in the world, both alone and with his brothers, but expectations were nowhere near what they have become since, especially in the post-Thriller world. [nostalgia kicking in...now]

In any event, the results more than speak for themselves: thirty years later—damn!—Off The Wall may have been overshadowed by the monster that was Thriller, but the truth is, artistically speaking, the latter will never eclipse Jackson’s definitive statement as a solo artist. Off the wall, indeed.

Faves: “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough”, “Rock with You”, “Girlfriend”, and the magnificent title track.

2012 Milestones

As 2012 comes to an end we thought we'd look back and take stock of a few albums, movies, etc. that celebrate significant anniversaries. Here we go:

- The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan all debuted in 1962, 50 years ago. And although the latter two are still active, it's also the golden anniversary of Paul McCartney's musical career.

- Three legendary debut albums had milestones in 2012: Are You Experienced? [Reprise-1967], Never Mind the Bollocks, It's The Sex Pistols [Warner Bros-1977] and Appetite for Destruction [Geffen-1987], turned 45, 35, and 25, respectively. And lest we forget: The Doors' debut platter [Elektra-1967]. Meanwhile, Radiohead's landmark OK Computer [Parlophone-1997] turned 15, and two lauded records of the 21st century celebrated 10th anniversaries: Beck's Sea Change [DGC-2002] and Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot [Nonsuch-2002].

- Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt (Green Day), Melissa Auf Der Mar (Hole), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), and Wyclef Jean (Fugees), all turned 40 this year. So did a couple of power pop classics, Big Star’s #1 Record [Stax], and Todd Rundgren's Something/Anything? [Bearsville], as well as, arguably, prog rock's finest recorded moment: Close to the Edge [Atlantic] by Yes.

Our annual recap, is right around the corner...

Milestones: 1999

5 choice albums from the last year of the 20th century (in alphabetical order by artist): 

CHRIS CORNELL Euphoria Morning [A&M] 
The Soundgarden frontman’s debut album was met with modest sales and the disappointment of quite a few of his former band's followers, who were obviously expecting a retread of Superunknown [A&M-1994], or something. We praised the album, found it to be a natural progression from the work he'd done with his previous band, and noted how those who were surprised by it had not been paying attention to the evolution of Cornell's songwriting over the last few Soundgarden records. Reminiscent at times of Temple of the Dog, it’s still the best thing he’s put his name on as a solo artist. 

THE FLAMING LIPS The Soft Bulletin [Warner Bros] 
While being hailed as, arguably, the best rock album of 1999, at the time many were asking "Where’s the old noisy Flaming Lips I knew and loved?" Well, the feedback and white noise that made them (in)famous gradually gave way to keyboards, strings and other assorted sonic landscapes. 
A risky, but artistically viable—and subsequently, fruitful—step in the right direction, as far as we’re concerned, quite a few folks disagreed at the time: one particular reviewer disparagingly referred to The Soft Bulletin as a misstep where seemingly "… Led Zeppelin and Yes joined forces to back Neil Young…" Nothing wrong with that in our book. Then or now. 

JUMBO Restaurant [BMG US Latin] 
Not sure if they were a modern, melodic pop/rock band (“Fotografía”, “Alienados Para Siempre”) or Local H’s Mexican cousins (just about everything else), Jumbo’s debut album is understandably a tentative affair. But the seeds of the Monterrey, Mexico quintet’s musical future were on that album’s “Siento Que”, a powerful anthem of longing and love on its last sighs that would subsequently come to define their sound, and is arguably their single best song. 
Restaurant got the band plenty of exposure within and beyond the borders of their native country and set the stage for their first true international hit. 

OWSLEY self titled [Giant] 
Following the demise of his band The Semantics—an early version of which included Ben Folds on drums (!)—after Geffen Records decided not to domestically release their debut album Powerbill (which sold 20,000 copies in Japan with no promotion whatsoever), Wil Owsley became a sideman for the likes of Amy Grant and Shania Twain. With the income from his guitar-slinger day job, Owsley started work on his self-titled debut album, which he recorded at home over the space of three years. This is still an undiscovered gem littered with old-school pop hooks, catchy guitars and muscular drums. The top-notch songs may benefit from the spot-on mixes by über-engineer Tom Lord-Alge, but like Nirvana’s Nevermind, this is one of those albums where the songwriting and arrangements are too strong for you to notice how polished it is—until it’s too late: by then you’re hooked for good. Sadly, Wil Owsley committed suicide in 2010.

XTC Apple Venus Volume 1 [Cooking Vinyl] 
After a protracted battle with their label, Virgin Records, that saw the band go “on strike” and not release any music for more than half a decade, main songwriter Andy Partridge decided XTC’s next two albums should be a mostly acoustic, orchestral disc and a rock-oriented record, respectively. Vehemently opposed was guitarist/keyboardist/arranger Dave Gregory, who preferred culling the best tracks for a single, and presumably more high-quality, effort. Gregory—for whom the mounting friction over the direction of the album led to his departure during its recording—was eventually proven right. But Apple Venus is not only chock full of gems (“I’d Like That”, “Easter Theatre”, “Harvest Festival”, “The Last Balloon”) it’s one of XTC’s very best.

Milestones: MTV Unplugged

[Our series of posts on albums, movies, etc that celebrate significant anniversaries this year continues. - KJ]



Although decidedly far removed from the enormous influence and popularity it once had, MTV Unplugged is still around, two decades after its 1989 debut.

Originally hosted by singer/songwriter Jules Shear (who wrote Cyndi Lauper's "All Through the Night" and The Bangles' "If She Knew What She Wants"), it was a simple affair and not the big production showcase it became at the height of its popularity. During the program's humble beginnings the format consisted of 2 artists separately performing acoustic, stripped down arrangements of their chosen songs with minimal accompaniment--Shear would occasional participate on guitar--then both would join the host in a finale.

As Unplugged grew in stature it became practically a must to appear on the show, and many artists saw fit to release their appearances as live albums. But the show eventually got bloated and strayed from its modest origins and purported raison d'etre--certain artists bringing on a small army of backup musicians was not very "unplugged", as it were--and after 8 seasons, Unplugged was moved from regular program to special feature status in 1997.

The show had many memorable moments; for us the following stand out: the Stevie Ray Vaughn/Joe Satriani episode from the first 13 which were hosted by Shear; LL Cool J/A Tribe Called Quest/De La Soul/MC Lyte, all backed by Pop's Cool Love; and of course, Nirvana. The network's Spanish-language sister, MTV Latino, also featured great individual performances by Café Tacuba (Mexico), Robi Rosa (Puerto Rico), and Los Tres (Chile).

In 2009, MTV returned the show to its regular programming schedule with a six-episode run including a controversial turn by pop starlet Katy Perry, and indie darlings Vampire Weekend. Oy vey!

SRV:




LL Cool J:




Nirvana w/The Meat Puppets:




Café Tacuba:




Robi Rosa:




Los Tres:

Milestones - Thank You, Boys: Nothing's Shocking Turns 30

JANE'S ADDICTION

Nothing's Shocking
[Warner Bros - 1988]

Because of the band's glowing reputation in the music press as an art/funk/metal hybrid with a killer stage show that preceded my actual encounter with their music, I was intensely excited about the prospect of listening to their major label debut album. And then one summer night in 1988, while in bed listening to the local rock radio station, a song came on that somehow, unmistakably, led me to believe it was them, even though it didn’t adhere to the above adjectives. It was their unofficial theme song “Jane Says” and I was hooked. (Curiously, because I’ve never owned it on vinyl, it was a while before I discovered that one of my all-time favorite songs of theirs, “Pigs In Zen”, which closes out the album, was a CD/cassette bonus track. Boy, does that vinyl version now seems like it stops rather than ends with “Thank You, Boys” as its closer.) Ultimately, the record was a game changer, one whose power has not been diluted over the years and deservedly so.

Included in both Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Nothing’s Shocking is not just a landmark recording in the annals of alternative rock but a thrilling, majestic collection of songs that alternately fires you up and lulls like a sunset when its work is done.

Released August 23, 1988.

Highlights: “Ocean Size”, "Mountain Song”, “Jane Says”, "Pigs In Zen”.

Milestones: Superunknown

[Our series of posts on albums, movies, etc. which celebrate significant anniversaries this year continues with this one. -KJ]


SOUNDGARDEN
Superunknown
[A&M-1994]

The first to sign with a major label but the last of the big ‘90s Seattle bands to break on through to the mainstream, Soundgarden’s early material is not that far removed from the tunes that made them the rock gods they briefly were. Whether their initial offerings Ultramega OK and the Grammy-nominated Louder Than Love—what a great title!—have aged well is a moot point. They are both—as is the entire Soundgarden catalog, for that matter—highly representative products and artifacts of their specific time and place, and as such should hold up to both scrutiny and repeated listenings. Of course, your mileage may vary.

That said, the kind of subtlety, nuance and attention to detail that characterizes Superunknown, their fourth and best known album, was never implied before. Certainly not on their first two full-length releases and not on their breakthrough 1991 disc, Badmotorfinger, despite that album’s marked improvement in every aspect over the band’s previous work. Soundgarden’s sound was at the intersection where Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and punk rock meet. On Superunknown they deftly added elements of pop and psychedelia and put together what is widely recognized as the best hard rock record of the decade.

And when you listen closely to this 70-minute, tour de force you can sense that the band knew it was onto something; that their songwriting had turned a corner and the need to make a lasting musical statement was in the air. However, a non-sympathetic ear in the studio could've changed the course of the album in irreparable ways. Luckily, former Material keyboardist Michael Bienhorn would be enlisted to flesh out the band’s sound with a panoramic, accessible production that brought out and featured Soundgarden’s best sonic qualities.

As for the songs themselves, the singles “Spoonman”, “Fell On Black Days”, “Alive in the Superunknown” and of course, the crossover pop hit “Black Hole Sun” were all an inescapable part of the mid-‘90s MTV-watching, radio-listening experience. But an album of this depth offers plentiful rewards, especially over time: in addition to the above, the plaintive “Like Suicide”; the defiant “My Wave”; drummer Matt Cameron’s “Mailman” with its dirgy, psychedelic Sabbath undertones; and the apocalyptic “4th of July”, are all a big part of what makes Superunknown a landmark record, offering up a widescreen view of this important hard rock quartet at the height of its powers.

MILESTONES: 'Master of Puppets'

METALLICA
Master of Puppets
[Elektra]

35 years ago, they made their last album with the late, great Cliff Burton (who died in a bus accident in Europe on the tour promoting the album); it was their first to go gold (without the aid of radio or MTV, a feat unimaginable at the time) and eventually sold six million copies. It was also deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" to warrant induction in the National Recording Registry by the United States Library of Congress, becoming the first metal album to be honored in this fashion. Quite apropos for a hands down, metal masterpiece that decades later is still as intense, powerful and transcendent as it was when it debuted. And, quite likely, will always be. Damn.

Which is why despite all the infighting amongst the band faithful all these years, they still love this one unanimously. As it should be.

(On a personal note, it was the first of their albums I ever heard, and to this day, “Battery” not only remains my fave song of theirs, but it rocks even harder every time.)

Widely acclaimed as one of the greatest rock albums of all time, it is undoubtedly one of the greatest metal albums ever made. Not too shabby for a bunch of kids from SF. Yeah...

Released March 3, 1986.

Milestones: "Heart of the Matter"

[Our series of posts on albums, movies, etc that celebrate significant anniversaries this year continues. - KJ]

One of our all-time favorite songs, "Heart of the Matter" is from Don Henley's 1989 album The End of the Innocence. This version is from The Eagles' 1994 reunion tour. Enjoy!

MILESTONES: DISINTEGRATION

THE CURE
Disintegration
[Elektra-1989]

Released the year The Mopefather turned 30, the album was the result of quite a predicament: Robert Smith was feeling the pressure of attempting a definitive musical statement as he approached a personal milestone, while in the midst of redefining the band’s sound by purposely casting aside the ‘one-dimensional gloom merchants’ tag they had been saddled with in the past. That their record company feared the finished album would be commercial suicide, surely didn’t help things one bit.

In hindsight, it’s easy to see how those fears were unfounded. But at the time, the band had come off a run of poppy, hit singles and this new record was infused with a melancholy and darkness more in line with their notorious 1982 album Pornography.

Smith ultimately prevailed by embracing the consistency and sensibility of the band’s recent past and jettisoning certain indulgences, while retaining a sense of majesty and toning down any overt ‘happy’ pop elements.

On a personal note, I don’t exactly agree with South Park’s Kyle Broflovski, but I clearly understand why he was once moved to proclaim it "the best album ever!" since my love for it runs deep, as well.

Released May 2, 1989.

Milestones: Amorica

[Our series of posts on albums, movies, etc. which celebrate significant anniversaries this year continues with this one. -KJ]


THE BLACK CROWES
Amorica
[American-1994]

When the Black Crowes debuted in 1990 their sound was as out of step with the mainstream as the alt-rockers that took over little more than a year later. Hair bands ruled the day, but changes were afoot: on the strength of “She Talks To Angels” and the Otis Redding classic “Hard To Handle”, The Crowes sold 5 million copies of their first disc and established themselves as one of the ‘90s biggest acts.

With no big singles to its credit, Amorica, their third album, is best remembered these days for the close-up of the Stars ’n’ Stripes bikini with overflowing female pubic hair that graces its cover. However, it would be foolish to dismiss a high caliber album such as this solely on the basis of controversy and a lack of chart-busting action. Make no mistake, this is The Black Crowes at their best, for Amorica is pregnant with bluesy riffs, tasty grooves, and great songs that distill their Stones/Faces/Allman Bros. influences into one very fine brew; at once both heady and intoxicating. Drink up, baby.

Highlights:
"Gone", "A Conspiracy", "Nonfiction", "Ballad in Urgency", "Wiser Time".

From Genesis to Non Revelations

GENESIS
self-titled
[Atlantic-1983]

We tend to cover album milestones with a certain frequency here. Whether it’s an iconic album, a personal favorite, or both, we’re no strangers to commemorating the anniversaries of records that matter to us. This time we’re going to make an exception and focus on an album that does not meet the above criteria but is worthy of our analysis, nonetheless.

Generally speaking, self-titled albums tend to be debuts. And when they're not, there is a tendency to dig a bit deeper into this particular significance, often ascribing an artist defining, statement-of-purpose label to the decision behind not naming the release. And while there are surely instances of that to be found—'a scattered, sprawling and indulgent piece of work, by a lethargic, yet often brilliant quartet which no longer operates as a unit', seems to be the message behind the nomenclature of The Beatles’ self-titled release aka ‘The White Album’—more often than not, the self-titling of an album, deep into an artist’s career, has no real significance.

In this particular case, the decision to self-title was based on writing the songs as a unit, a valid yet uncommon reason for not naming an album, but then again, these gentlemen used to be bandmates with someone who had a very interesting take on all of this: Peter Gabriel decided his solo albums would all be self-titled; like issues of a magazine, he likened it to. Until his record company put a see thru sticker on his fourth and called it Security [Geffen-1982], Gabriel had managed a trifecta of self-titled albums. That he called his three following albums So [Geffen-1986], Us [Geffen-1992] and Up [Geffen-2002], respectively, probably says more than he wanted to let on about his views on naming albums, but we digress.

Gabriel’s influence pops up on Genesis in the form of leadoff track and first single “Mama”, which harkens back to Gabriel’s third album [Mercury-1980], on which Phil Collins played drums, and which later influenced his own “In the Air Tonight”. The band’s most successful UK single—which contains a maniacal laugh by Collins, inspired by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five’s hip-hop classic “The Message”, making the song a doozy of a trivia game answer—"Mama" opens the album seemingly implying a more direct return to the band’s art rock roots. No dice.

“Mama” is a ruse; Genesis is the album that marks their official delving into the straight up pop music sweepstakes and the unforgivable “Illegal Alien” is part of that Faustian development. Yeah, towards the end of the album they take a stab at such prog-leaning, Duke [Atlantic-1980] and/or Abacab [Atlantic-1981] approved fare with “Silver Rainbow” and “It’s Gonna Get Better”, but by then the damage has been done.

Genesis is the last of the band’s transitional albums before they unofficially became The Phil Collins Show, which is oddly fitting for a self-titled album, but there you go.

Milestones: Musician magazine

Although it must be clarified that the love affair began in our pre-teen years, the truth is, we’ve been reading music-oriented publications for some thirty years now. Starting with Mexico’s long-defunct Sonido in the late ‘70s and right up to Harp and Paste in this decade, we’ve been perusing thru the pages of Rolling Stone, Guitar Player, Guitar World, Creem, Circus, Mojo, Q, Uncut, etc etc etc for quite a while now. But there was one whose arrival each month we cherished the most.

Despite its name Musician was a well-written magazine aimed at both the music fan and performer. Since we were both music geeks and aspiring artists, this one fit like hand and glove. Rare was the publication where you could read a satisfying feature on your favorite artist and also find out what kind of gear they used to make their magic. Musician was that kind of magazine.

In its pages we learned about drummer Pat Mastellotto’s adventures playing on XTC’s Oranges and Lemons album and what gadgets The Posies’ home studio was armed with. Of course, every issue came with quite a few album reviews, including a page of succinct appraisals, care of the legendary JD Considine, called "Short Takes", full of many one-sentence-or-less reviews that were often biting, witty, and on-point. Considine's wasn't the only worthy byline: the likes of Lester Bangs, Charles M. Young, and Hollywood's favorite music geek, Cameron Crowe, were among those whose writing appeared in its pages. It was an absolute joy to read, indeed.

After 13 years, Musician ceased publication in 1999, and what's left of the world of music magazines is so much lesser for it.

[Above: Tori Amos on the cover of a '90s issue of Musician.]

Milestones: 'Tales From Topographic Oceans'

YES
Tales From Topgraphic Oceans
[Atlantic]

Looking back from a 21st century vantage point, vis-à-vis popular music, the ‘70s can be seen as both insane and interesting times indeed. Just the fact that complex, ornate rock music that in certain instances referenced, if not emulated, the grandiose aspects of classical music was often making inroads on the pop charts, can seem like a baffling occurrence for those of us now living in a time when only disposable, heavily pre-screened, lowest common denominator pop music can march in the hit parade.

But prog rock really was popular back then. And one of the most vivid examples of this phenomenon was how a double album consisting of only 4 songs and the recipient of mixed reviews could manage to garner enough popular support to sell in excess of 500,000 copies in the US alone. (And yes, excess is the key word here.) The old wornout clichés, “You had to be there” and “It was a different time” certainly apply.

Because of its range and scope—and frankly, for failing to reach the same highs of their three previous albums, including the prog masterpiece Close to the Edge [Atlantic-1972]—this album has since become a cause célèbre for those who decry what they see as the pretentiousness of prog rock. And, in our humble opinion, they do have a point: the leadoff track “The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)” holds his own, but the rest? Not so much. However, there are plenty of interesting moments that could have been condensed into a few shorter, more arresting songs as opposed to opuses that often wander about aimlessly. (Keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who quit the band after the tour supporting it, has published hilarious accounts of his boredom onstage playing these songs.)

Composed largely by vocalist Jon Anderson and guitarist Steve Howe with “important contributions” by the rest of the band (who were not fully on board with the idea of the album and remain of two minds about the experience to this day), its almost hour and a half running time is emblematic of the time and place and the band itself, warts and all.

Released October 26, 1973

Milestones: Pat Metheny's 'Zero Tolerance for Silence'

PAT METHENY
Zero Tolerance for Silence
[Geffen-1994]

Fifteen years ago Geffen Records released one of the most controversial albums ever recorded by an established artist. A huge departure from the melodic jazz to which he had accustomed his large following, legendary guitarist Pat Metheny shocked listeners with Zero Tolerance for Silence, a distorted, noisy, dense solo guitar record, which to this day remains a singularly unique and much debated part of his catalog.

Although Metheny has denied purposely making this record as a fuck-you to Geffen--it was the last record of his contract with the label--many firmly believe that's exactly what it is. We don't ascribe to that theory--in part, because it was recorded two years before it saw the light of day--and have always considered it to be an example of an artist simply confounding expectations; a piece of music that reflected his creative perspective at that point in time. More importantly, we've embraced the album as the aural equivalent of a deep howl; the soundtrack to a dark night of the soul, if you will.

The artist himself told Guitar Player magazine there was no ulterior motive at work and that "the record speaks for itself in its own musical terms....and that was exactly what it was intended to be." This hasn't stopped critics and fans alike from asking Metheny to disown it, which he has refused. But it's not like there was no precedent for this kind of music in Metheny's previous work--Song X [Geffen-1985], his collaboration with the great Ornette Coleman, comes to mind. Of course there are quite a few who disagree with the naysayers, among them Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore who praised Metheny and called him "a master" on a sticker affixed to the album's cover during its original run. (It is currently out of print.)

Often compared to Lou Reed's equally contested Metal Machine Music [RCA-1975], Zero Tolerance might be deemed by many to be be an unadulterated noisefest. But it deserves a fair shake and should be judged on its own merits. And for those up for a challenge and willing to cast aside preconceived notions of Metheny's music, Zero Tolerance for Silence will be one hard but ultimately satisfying listening experience.

[Cover art courtesy of Allmusic.com]

Milestones: RIP

Kurt Cobain (d. 4/05/94)



Layne Stayley (d. 4/05/02)

Milestones: 'Appetite for Destruction' [1987]

If at the time you felt the Winger-Warrant-Poison contingent was a joke and the Metallica-Slayer-Megadeth-Anthrax front was a tad intense, you could probably turn to Aerosmith, right? Except they were in the midst of a, um, permanent vacation. Talk about the right place at the right time, huh?

One of the greatest debuts in rock and roll history (and the best selling debut album ever by a rock band), it still rocks as hard as it did then. Hell, maybe harder now.

Released July 21st, 1987.

Milestones: 'Le Dernier Combat' (The Last Battle)

A quarter of a century ago, when he himself was just 25 years of age, noted director Luc Besson (The Professional, The Fifth Element, The Messenger) debuted with a film that can only be construed as a disastrous self-parody:
a French, black-and-white, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi movie with no dialogue.

Until you watch it, that is.

At the center of the grim, doomsday thriller that is The Last Battle (1984) is a struggle for survival, mainly between a man and his brutish enemy (played by Besson regular Jean Reno) in as dire circumstances as the premise would indicate. While the film has deservedly earned its cult status, it's fitting to point out that Besson is an artsy Frenchman--stereotypical redundance? you bet--enamored with Hollywood, a balance which helps keep the film in check. Definitely worth seeking out.

Milestones: Sueño Stereo

SODA STEREO 
Sueño Stereo 
[BMG US Latin-1995] 

Despite what could be described as a cross between the dark yet accessible electronica of Depeche Mode’s Violator [Warner Bros-1988] and the panoramic soundscapes of U2’s Achtung, Baby [Island-1990], the band’s sixth studio album Dynamo [Sony-1992] failed to ignite the expected enthusiasm from either their fanbase or the rock en español crowd in general. (Lukewarm reception aside, the album is a shoegazer touchstone in Latin America.) 

But a worthwhile plateau had been reached: the use of a more modern and expansive palate had yielded significant musical dividends. And with the lessons learned—as well as the further groundwork laid by Amor Amarillo [BMG-1993], the solo debut album by frontman Gustavo Cerati—there would be plenty to work with next time out. 

Studio album number seven turned out to be their swan song, but what a way to go—electronica-treated, Beatlesque guitar pop, flawlessly performed, recorded and produced; a heady, spacey mix of 21st century rock and roll half a decade early, yet arriving not a moment too soon. (The album’s title translates as “stereo dream” and it couldn’t be more appropriate.) Not only the band’s best but one of the finest rock records ever recorded in Spanish. Released August 15, 1995.

Highlights: “Ella Uso Mi Cabeza Como Un Revolver”, “Disco Eterno”, “Zoom”, “Ojo de la Tormenta”, “Paseando por Roma”, “Planta”.

Milestones: The Residents

[Our series of posts on albums, movies, etc that celebrate significant anniversaries this year continues. - KJ]

For decades now, the musical enigma that is Bay Area underground legends The Residents have created an enormous body of work shrouded in anonymity and secrecy, while enjoying the support of a loyal, unwavering fanbase, starting with their official debut album, Meet the Residents [Ralph], released in 1974.

If you've even been curious about these guys, there are numerous sources out there for you to learn more about The Residents and their music, with more info and commentary than we could ever attempt in this space. However, we thought we'd steer you towards a couple of albums that are worthy initial forays into their strange, wacky world.

Because of the uncompromising and somewhat impenetrable
nature of their music, many have recommended their 1980 release
The Commercial Album [Ralph]—a collection of songs of little over a minute each, meant as a commentary on ad jingles of similar length being the actual, true American music—as a good starting point for those unfamiliar with The Residents' brand of avant garde pop.
We don't disagree, but Glorious Noise's Todd Totale makes a strong case for Duck Stab [Ralph-1978], an album of "streamlined songs that housed a large amount of disturbia in such as small amount of time," and "a fine place to start."

If Captain Beefheart, Brian Eno, latter day Tom Waits, and left-field pop experimentalism are your cup of tea, you are probably already acquainted with The Residents. If not, the two albums mentioned above can be your ticket to embarking on a whole new bizarre and whimsical adventure. A word of caution: tread carefully, for this music is most assuredly not for everyone.