Category: Episodes

513. Ween

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(August 2023) Episode 513 is WEEN. This is Weird Rock, one of those acts that makes you wonder: how does someone think up this stuff?  This duo out of Pennsylvania attacked the peak alt/indie years with satire, irreverence and deconstruction, evoking what Zappa’s Mothers did to the counterculture era.  They did so from every angle: rock, prog, punk, soul, funk, island music, country (a whole album!), etc. Like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates, you have no idea what the next song will bring. On first approach I can’t decide whether they are subtly subversive geniuses or try-hards that don’t quite hit the mark. It will take more listens. Although I suspect that will lead me to the former.

Favorite album: The Mollusk

Favorite song: Dr. Rock

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: It is worth a try, and I may offer a firmer recommendation after subsequent listens.

512. Tomaso Albinoni

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(July 2023) Episode 512 is TOMASO ALBINONI, a Venetian composer in the Baroque era, a contemporary of Bach and Vivaldi. By background he was more an amateur rather than professional musician, but was a prolific composer of operas, cantatas and chamber pieces (although many have been lost).  I like the collections of concerti best. What his works lack in technical complexity they make up for in melodic beauty; Bach composed some works based on Albinoni’s themes. 

Favorite piece: Concerto, Opus 6, No. 11 in A Major (I, II, III, IV)

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: If you also enjoy Baroque you will like Albinoni. It’s a highly orthodox style, and I admit I’m not expert enough to notice the differences.

511. João Gilberto

~ ernopepper ~ 1 Comment

(July 2023) Episode 511 is JOÃO GILBERTO. If you don’t recognize the name, you know him as the man behind the most popular version of “The Girl from Ipanema,” sung by his then-wife Astrud, although the song was written by fellow Brazilian Antônio Carlos Jobim, the other “father” of bossa nova.  Gilberto synthesized bossa nova and jazz into a distinctive style, so cool and suave.  He sang in such a soft voice, in part to let you hear his subtly complex guitar work, which is guaranteed to relax you. His recordings included many collaborations, including the famous and excellent one with saxophonist Stan Getz.

Favorite album: Getz/Gilberto

Favorite song: Águas de março

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: Cool music to relax by or to brighten a social gathering

510. Deep Purple

~ ernopepper ~ 1 Comment

(July 2023) Episode 510 is DEEP PURPLE. I had never intended to review this band, figuring the over-saturated classic rock radio hits were enough. But since several rock/metal bands I like cite them as an influence, I thought I’d give it a go. This review give me an added layer of appreciation of their classic sound (the “Smoke on the Water” era) but I do not put them on par with the others (Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath) included in the ‘unholy trinity.’ I did find some interest in their first three albums, late-60s psychedelic and proto-prog affairs, including the syncopated groove they developed on “Hush” and other songs.  One thing that distinguished Deep Purple is the prominent use of the organ, deployed by Jon Lord as a second heavy guitar.  After Ian Gillan left in the mid-1970s (he would return, leave and return again) the band fell into pedestrian boogie rock and hard rock, recording 15 albums (up to the present decade) about which I found nothing remarkable.

Favourite album: Machine Head

Favourite song: Hush

Favourite song sung by Ian Gillan: Highway Star

Favourite instrumental: Playground

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: I can’t quite recommend a greatest hits album, so just turn on classic rock radio and wait for the hits to come on.  I do point out the three 60s albums to connoisseurs of that era’s psychedelia and proto-prog.

509. The Sorrows

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(July 2023) Episode 509 is THE SORROWS, a British beat band of the mid-60s. They were mod and had an edge, a style known as “freakbeat,” with some dabbling in psychedelia which was customary at the time.  I love all things from that era. They had only one hit in the U.S. (“Take a Heart”) and fell apart after a few years.

Favourite album: Take a Heart

Favourite song: You’ve Got What I Want

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: Probably too niche unless you’re obsessed with that era (like me), so I’ll make another pitch here for the Nuggets 2 box set which includes “Take a Heart”

508. Shonen Knife

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(July 2023) Episode 508 is SHONEN KNIFE, a reminder of the simple joy of uncomplicated rock-n-roll.  That they are a trio of women singing in Japanese or accented English adds to the charm and shows the universality of the rock idiom. Their style is labelled pop-punk, but I’d also say garage rock.  It’s apt to call them the Ramones of Japan, and they own it, putting out an excellent cover/tribute album. They broadened their sound over four decades (including a good album released this year), but they always keep the core approach, including silly lyrics as odes to ordinary things (“Banana Chips,” “Rubber Band,” “I Am A Cat,” “Spicy Veggie Curry”).  It’s spunky fun.    

Favorite album: Pretty Little Baka Guy

Favorite song: Twist Barbie

Favorite fast tempo song: Economic Crisis

Favorite ballad: Sunshine

Favorite covers album: Osaka Ramones

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: Highly recommend. It puts you in a good mood.

507. Richard Strauss

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(July 2023) Episode 507 is RICHARD STRAUSS. Most know him from the opening to Also sprach Zarathustra used in the film “2001: A Space Odyssey,” one of the many tone poems for which he is known.  He lived a long life and his output was so voluminous he was considered a specialist in many forms, from songs to operas.  My favorite pieces are his choral works, containing enough dissonance to keep me interested.  His style was Romantic, maintained for decades after the style went out of fashion (he died in 1949), although he did incorporate modernist elements.

Favorite piece: Metamorphosen

Favorite choral piece: Deutsche Motette

Favorite tone poem: Also sprach Zarathustra

Favorite chamber piece: Two Pieces for piano quartet

Favorite opera: Elektra

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: It’s not bad, but there’s also nothing that grabs you, and there are many first-half-of-the-20th-century composers I would pick first

506. Tina Turner

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(June 2023) Episode 506 of the “opus project” is TINA TURNER, including her work with IKE & TINA, begun after her recent passing.  Few if any performers can match her dynamism on stage and in voice; I had not fully appreciated her powerful delivery before this episode.  Add to this her personal story of overcoming Ike’s abuse to become an international star, reaching a pinnacle with her mid-1980s hits. While these songs are how my generation knows her, my favorite stuff is the Ike & Tina albums from 1970-73.  It’s fantastic gritty, funky soul.  (Their earlier R&B material is less interesting.)   

Favorite album (Ike & Tina): Feel Good

Favorite album (Tina solo): Acid Queen

Favorite song (Ike & Tina): I Like It

Favorite song (Tina solo): Whole Lotta Love (yeah, it’s a cover, but what she does with it is funkalicious)

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: Those early 70s albums are essential funk/soul

505. Weedeater

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(June 2023) Episode 505 is WEEDEATER. While not widely known, this trio came out of the North Carolina sludgecore scene to put out five good stoner/sludge metal albums between 2001 and 2015, the middle three of which are excellent.

Favorite album: Sixteen Tons

Favorite song: Riff

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: Yes if you like the low loud heavy grind.

504. Kadavar

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Episode 504 is KADAVAR. On first listen, you would think this is some overlooked 1970s heavy metal outfit. Nope; they’re a contemporary trio out of Germany who has been touring and recording over the last decade. They do an expert job of recreating not just the sound of 70s thunder rock but the look too (check out the album cover below). On the two most recent albums (one a collaboration) they venture into prog metal, with some of the best Pink Floyd mimicry I’ve heard (and it’s good).

Favorite album: Abra Kadavar

Favorite song: Come Back Life

Most interesting album: The Isolation Tapes

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: Yes. I enjoyed discovering them and look forward to their next output.