Friday, November 25, 2011

Vol. 2 Episode 49


I happen to have some extra time over the long weekend so here is the next episode, enjoy.

This is the fifth album from the classic punk group The Clash. It was released in 1982. It was the last album to feature Mick Jones (fired from the band) and Topper Headon (kicked out because of heroin addiction). There were four singles that were released from this album that I am aware of. The first single released from the album is Know Your Rights. The song is about the base laws of the poor and the disenfranchised. Those three laws are as follows: 1. The right not to be killed. Murder is a crime, unless it is done by a policeman, or an aristocrat. 2. The right to food money, providing of course, you don't mind a little investigation, humiliation, and, if you cross your fingers, rehabilitation. 3. The right to free speech (as long as you're not dumb enough to actually try it). The next single from the album is called Should I Stay or Should I Go. This is a track that I remember listening to on the radio as a kid. My parents did not like the punk rock life style though. I did not exactly get it but thought the looks and the way that people dressed were so cool. When ever I tried to dress in an outfit that was similar to the punk rock look I was told to change or to wash my hair. I remember one time after Halloween I had sprayed a purple color in my hair and did not tell my parents that I had done it. I was going somewhere with my father. We had gotten halfway down the block and my father realized I had colored part of my hair. He went around the block dropped me off and told me to wash that shit out of my hair. That was how firm my parents, my father specifically, were against me or my sister looking or thinking like a punk. That did not stop me from liking good music though. The third single from the album is called Rock The Casbah. This is another track that I remember hearing on the radio. It was a big hit and was played very often on the radio station that I listened to as a kid. I remember thinking that this song has similarities to the song Puttin’ On The Ritz. Then I would think of the Mel Brooks movie Young Frankenstein because the monster sang Puttin’ On The Ritz with the Doctor. It always made me laugh when I heard the song Rock The Casbah. The last single from the album is called Straight To Hell. I don’t really remember hearing this track on the radio personally. The song is on the experimental side for the group. The song is more of a ballad for the group. The song is supposed to be partially about the Vietnamese children fathered by American soldiers during the Vietnam conflict. It is a great song, just not a rockin’ song. I wont say that the album needs to be heard by everyone but these four singles should be heard at the very least.

This is the first album from the group Linkin Park. It was released in 2000. I got into this group because of my ex-brother-in-law. I use to go skateboarding with him while he was still in high school. I had already graduated college at that point though. I had always liked skating but had put the sport out of my head for a while. When he showed interest in the sport I picked it up again. I had a great time with the kid. I probably inadvertently taught him some life lessons and he entertained me to no end. There was many a night that he would stay over at our house and we would stay up all night skating until we were tired then playing video games till we couldn’t keep our eyes open. This is one of the albums that will always remind me of these times. There were four singles released from this album. The first single is called One Step Closer. The song had some serious anger venting that happened. I liked the song for this reason. I have always had a problem explaining how I felt and why. With this song I could sing along and get out all of my frustrations through the words of this song. It is a great song just for this purpose. Especially while the lead singer is screaming the words, “Shut up when I’m talking to you!” The next single is called Crawling. This is another great song from the group that is a little bit slowed down. It is for sure not a ballad but slightly down tempo from their hard rock tracks. There is still a lot of screaming on the track though. The third single from this album is called Papercut. The song seems to be about being paranoid about ones own life. It is a good track with great music. The last single from this album is called In The End. This track is very down tempo from the rest of the album. It make you think about ones own past and how you can’t change that past. One can only learn from the mistakes that one has made and move on. This song always made me think about things like that anyway. This is a great introspective album from 2000 that everyone should hear at least once. If not the whole album then for sure the last single, In The End, and the first single, One Step Closer.

This is the eleventh album buy Pink Floyd. It was released in1979. It was released as a double LP. The tour that followed the release featured elaborate theatrical effects. Later there was a feature film adapted from the album. The album is a concept album, as were the previous three albums. This one deals with abandonment and personal isolation. The album is a rock opera that centers on Pink, a character based on Waters or maybe Syd Barrett. Pink's life experiences begin with the loss of his father during the Second World War, and continue with ridicule and abuse from his schoolteachers, an overprotective mother and finally, the breakdown of his marriage. All contribute to his eventual self-imposed isolation from society, represented by a metaphorical wall. There were three singles released from this album. The first, and most popular, single released from the album is called Another Brick In The Wall Part 2. I won’t say that this is the most popular song of the day but it is one of my most recognized songs from this time. I heard it all the time in the garage when my father would work on cars. He always had the radio blaring as loud as he could get it. This was so that he could hear the music over the loud noises that he was already making as he was doing body work on cars. I was not in the garage all the time while he was working but I was in there often enough to hear this song and be able to sing along with it. Part II is a protest song against rigid schooling in general and boarding schools in particular, which led to the song being banned in South Africa during the apartheid regime. It was also released as a single and provided the band's only number-one hit in the United Kingdom, the United States, West Germany and many other countries. The next single from the album is Comfortably Numb. This is another great song from this album. It is a slow song but the vocals work so well with the music that it becomes comforting to hear the song. This may also be because I grew up hearing this song almost as frequently as the first single but that is just me. The last single released from the album is called Run Like Hell. I don’t know this song nearly as well as the other two songs. It is still a good song but I don’t have the same feelings about this song as I do for the first two tracks. Apparently the song is about a hallucination that the lead character, Pink, has while he is at a concert. He dreams that he becomes a fascist dictator and turns a concert audience into an angry mob. It is kind of a strange idea in my opinion but this is a song from Pink Floyd. Not so strange coming from them. This is a staple in rock music history. Everyone should at least hear the first two singles that were released from the album if not the whole album. But it is a rock opera and should be listened to from start to finish is you do choose to listen to the album.

This is the second album from Blur. It was put out in 1993. I was not into the group until the next album came out, Park Life. After I got that album I did my normal thing and researched the band. I found out about the first two albums and then started looking form them. I found this album at a used record store. I actually found a demo copy/or a pre-release of the album because it was housed in a clear plastic CD case with just a circular sticker on it with the track listing, the band name and the name of the CD. I thought that it was unique enough so I bought it. I always thought that the album was special because it had so many tracks on it. I found out that the US released of the album had a few extra tracks so it was not that special. It is still in a special case though. I have never seen the case for the CD that I have. There are only three singles released for this album. The first single for this album is called For Tomorrow. The song was about the area in London called Primrose Hill. The lead singer also talks about a house next in Emperors Gate. This is mentioned because his parents lived in a flat next to The Beatles. I think that I read that The Lennon’s owned the flat actually. The next song is called Chemical World. When the video was reviewed on Beavis and Butt-head, Beavis said that he wanted to urinate all over the band and the wildlife, including a snail and Damon Albarn. I thought that this was very funny when I saw it. I did not know anything about Blur at the time though. Recalling the segment still brings a smile to my face though. The whole album is kind of slow so I could see why the two characters would think this of the group. The last single from this album is called Sunday Sunday. The song is about the typical activities that people from The United Kingdom take part in on Sundays. It is kind of a poppy track that picks up tempo in the middle and then drops it back down. It is a fun song. This isn’t the groups best album but if you want to get into the music of the early to mid 90’s you may want to look into this album.

I don't know if any of you care but I have been watching the US version of The X Factor. Bruno Mars, who I really don't care for, sang a cover version of the song It Will Rain (watch it here). There is a version of him singing this song that is going to be on the sound track for the movie Breaking Dawn part 1. I looked up the version that will be on the soundtrack and it seems to fall flat compared to the version that was sung on The X Factor. If you have a chance go to The X Factor YouTube channel and watch it. It is really amazing!
That is all for now.



Thursday, November 24, 2011

Vol. 2 Episode 48

Hey every one,

Cutting it down to the wire here aren't I? As it stands I may not get to episode 50 this year. My work obligations for christmas are going to be more cumbersom than I thought this year. I know that it is only to more episodes to make it to number 50 but we will see what happens with december. I will be sure to post on FB (if you are friends with me) and Twitter (PurelyHim) when those last to episodes are released, if they are released though, you can be sure about that. You can always check my twitter feed which usually is only updated when I post a new episode.

On with the show...



This is the second compilation album from R.E.M. (The first greatest hits album). It was released in 1988 and was the last release from the band on the I.R.S. label. With the release of the album Green the group had signed with Warner Bros. There are a few rare versions of songs that are included with this collection. This is a good over view of their work with I.R.S records, their early work as it is. This album does have the alternate title of File Under Grain. The album Document had the alternate title File Under Fire and the album Reckoning had the alternate title File Under Water.  Since it is a greatest hits album I will just talk about the three different tracks on the album. The first is an alternate version of Gardening At Night from the Chronic Town EP. The track is actually labeled as Gardening at Night (Different Vocal Mix). The vocal mix is only slightly different and if you are not listening for it you will not catch it. The next song is called Romance. This song is taken from The soundtrack for the movie Made In Heaven. I have not seen this movie but fits as a great rare song on this collection. The soundtrack for the movie was never put out on CD that I am aware of. The last song is called Finest Work Song (Mutual Drum Horn Mix). This is obviously a different mix on the drums and Horns. Both of these different remix versions are good but don’t seem to stand out as something super special. The rare song on the album that was included on the sound track is a very cool song with a fun bouncy bass line but doesn’t seem like your average R.E.M. song. I like it because it is different. I wouldn’t say that everyone should own this compilation though since there are more current compilations or best of album that are out there. I was lucky to find this for 50 cents on cassette. I thought it would be a fun listen but did not want to spend a ton of money on it. It is a good collection of songs but unless you are a big fan of the group I would probably not recommend getting the album. If you are like me, you may just happen to run across it purely by coincidence. 

This is the first album from Squarepusher, A.K.A Tom Jenkinson. The album was released in 1996. Squarepusher is a brilliant bassist and drum machine programmer. All of the music on this album is completely electronic or electronica as the genre has labeled it. This is one of my favorite album from Squarepusher. There are some very beautiful sounds that are used along with some brilliant jazz ideas. The very first track on the album, Squarepusher Theme, showcases his electric bass chops and overly technical drum programming. This song would probably be way to much for most people but this is where I took my cue to write drums on my first two albums. I loved the myriad of drum hits that were programmed not only on this song but the whole album. It is brilliant, technical and overwhelming at times. The next song, Tundra, slows the music down quite a bit. This is needed after first track really. The opening synth lines are a wave wash of sounds. The drums slowly kick in and start bashing the beats against those waves. It is really a great contrast piece though. Then the song completely changes. The synth line becomes more melodic and the drums almost drop off but come back with a simple rock beat but over time become more full and beat heavy. This is a great track when you want a good beat but still want to relax. My next favorite track on this album, Dimotane Co,  starts out in the most annoying way, a single tone for one minute. Then the song kicks in and you are so glad you waited for that annoying song to stop and the actual song to start. It is all drum and bass electronic but man it keeps you so interested in what is happening with the song. The bass breaks remind me of the music that I used to experiment with on the computer when I first got one of my own in 1996. I did not have access to the instruments and software that Squarepusher had or maybe I would be in a similar position as he, or maybe not, who knows. Anyway, this is yet another track that, now that I have heard it, I don’t think I could live with out. Goodnight Jade is another track that I really like for its simplicity. It is a smooth slow synth piece with nothing on the drums but a steady one hit at the start of every riff. It reminds me of a night where there are hazy clouds out with a full moon giving the sky a really cool green tinge with maybe a London sky line from the country side. It is really beautiful. The last track that I really like from this album is also drum laden with great sounding synth keyboard sounds is called Kodack. There are great shimmery sounds that over lay some simple synth keys and the classic technical electric bass and programmed drums that Squarepusher will have become known for. This is a great peek at what he will do in the future with music. it is also a great place to start if you like electronic and jazz music fused together. I would recommend this album all day to every one!

This is the fifth studio album from beck. It was released in 1996. I remember that I was about to start college and was playing music with a couple of friends over the summer. There were five singles released from this album. It is still a very popular album. The album was produced by the Dust Brothers who had previously worked with many hip-hop artists. The first single from the album is the super famous Where It’s At. I really liked this song and it was the reason that I bought the album. The track starts out with a great intro on a Rhodes keyboard, yet another reason for me to love the track as much as I do. The song is so catchy it is hart to say that you don’t like it. The next single from the album is called Devil’s Haircut. This song is also the opening to the album. There is a cool bass line with a simple and constant guitar chord that plays through the song. There are also some very cool guitar solos that happen on the song none of them are the same and it keeps the song fresh. Beck has said that the song is about how an outsider may view our greed and vanity in our current times (1996). The third single released is called The New Pollution. This is a great drum driven track. Easily danceable and the video featured 60s style dancers in the background, to illustrate my point. There is also a great saxophone solo in this song. The next single from the album is called Sissyneck. This track has a country song feel to it. This feel is overlaid on an electronic sound. The fusion of the two genres actually works quite well. But then beck has always dabbled in fussing different genres. It is not one of my favorite tracks from the album but it does work well. The last track released from this album is called Jack-Ass. This is a slow song for the album. There is a lot of vibrato used in the instrumentation of the track giving the listener time to think about what is being played and said during the song. It has been said that this song is really a lead-in for a future album from Beck called Sea Change, previously reviewed. I would agree with this statement really. It is a beautiful track albeit a little rough around the edges. I would like to add that my absolute favorite track from this album is not a single. It is actually the track called High 5 (Rock The Catskills). There is something special about this song for me. It is very different with a little rap mixed into the electronic rock that the song is. The chorus sings, “High five, more dead than alive/rockin the plastic like a man from the catskills.” There is just something that is so engaging for me about the way that it is sung. The album was reciently reissued as a deluxe album with two CDs, the second CD containing remixes and B-sides from the singles. This is another one of those great albums that everyone should hear at least once!

This is the first full length album from the French duo Air. It was released in 1998. It is an electronica/down tempo album. I first found out about the group when they did the soundtrack for the movie The Virgin Suisides. I loved that soundtrack and wanted more from them. This was the only album that they had done previous to that sound track. There are only three singles off this album. The first is called Sexy Boy. I remember hearing clips of this track on an MTV2 channel check clip. I always thought to myself that is a very cool sound clip. I wonder who the artist is. I never did the research to find out though. It was not until after the sound track came out that I bought the album and realized who the artist was, after listening to the music on the CD of course. The music has a great bass line that sounds so cool. I think it has some sort of vocal component to the bass line to give it that human/organic sound that attracts the listener. The female vocals help as well. The second single, called Kelly Watch The Stars, also has a great bass line but doesn’t stand out as much as the first single. The vocals on this track are covered up with a vocoder that makes the music blend very well. The vocals are not covered up but are instead linked directly to a keyboard. The lyrics are mainly just the repeating of the title of the track but that doesn’t make it any less of a great song. The third single is called All I Need. This song was co-written with Beth Hirsch who also sang the lyrics on the song. The bass line on this song was taken from their song Les Professionnels that can be found on their first EP, reviewed earlier this year, Premiers SymptĂ´mes. The album as a whole is very good. If you like down tempo or want an album to relax to, this is a good album to accomplish that with. The whole album is a great chill out record.

Radiohead - TKOL RMX 8
I have reviewed the original seven remix records that the group have released. After the seventh and final remix album was released the group decided to put out three additional tracks on download only.You can get them at The King Of Limbs store and only at the store. The first track is the third part of the Jamie xx Rework. This is an amazing version of Bloom if I do say so my self. The second track is a second part remix from Anstam of the track Separator. This is pretty good but not the best. The third and last remix is from Nathan Fake. This track is a remix of Morning Mr Magpie. It is labeled as Harshdub RMX. This if actually very interesting version. Thom Yorke listed these tracks as they didn't make it in to us in time to be pressed on wax. Good music, check them out if you are into that sort of thing. They can be heard for free before buying them at the Dead Air Space web site.

Hopefully I will be able to get the last to out before the end of the year.
That is all for now...



Friday, November 11, 2011

Vol. 2 Episode 47


This is the second EP from The B-52’s. The first was a remix EP so Mesopotamia could be considered the first original music EP they put out. It is also the only EP that was released if you don’t count the remix EP. It just depends on what type of a fan you are I guess. It was released in 1982. It was produced by David Byrne. It was intended to be their third full length album. Because of conflicts with Byrne the recording sessions were cut short and the six songs of the intended ten were released as this EP. In 1990 a few of the songs were remixed and included in a new version of the previously mentioned remix EP titled Party Mix! This EP, Mesopotamia, is a departure from the previous two albums. I think that this EP helped push the next album, Wammy!, to the next level. I can hear the use of the 80s synth being used in some of these songs that come on in full force in the next album. Byrne layered on many instruments and sounds on these tracks making them sound more rich and heavy in sound. Each of the tracks on this EP were released as double A sides. The record that was released outside of the US has extended versions of the first five tracks on the EP. I wish I had that version. The first track on the EP is called Loveland. This song has a great bass line played on a key bass. The vocals are a beautiful round high pitch female vocal. I love the B-52’s for their female vocals. It makes me feel happy. The next track is called Deep Sleep. This song has a cool lounge style about it. There are no lyrics to the track. This is one of the best things about this group in my opinion. They will put a song on an album with no vocals and it will be one of the best songs on the album. The third song on the album is the title track. For me this is the weakest song on the album. The song is just flat or lacking in depth for me. Maybe it is the fact that they had to use the word Mesopotamia in a song. It just doesn’t work for me. The next track is called Cake. They are literally singing about cake. It is just hilarious to listen to the lyrics as they sing about how to eat and different types of cake. The song is just so much fun. I would think that every woman would love this song just for the sheer fact that it is about cake. That may be overstepping my bounds that is what I see in my head. The point is that it is a funny song that I think everyone should hear at least once. The fifth track is called Throw That Beat In The Garbage Can. This song, for me, uses the classic 80s new wave bass sound. This song sounds a lot like something that Devo may have come up with. It is a really fun beat that makes me want to do the Po-Go dance that everyone did in the 80s. The last track on this EP is called Nip It In The Bud. The music for the song is not that great. What makes this song is the vocals. The way that the female vocals sing the title of the song makes this song so much fun. I think that this is an overlooked EP from the group. There are some real great tracks on this EP. Every on should hear it at least once!

This is the fourth album from The Black Keys. It was released in 2006. It is the duos first record released on Nonesuch and they have been with this record company, so far, ever since. This is the first time that the group has written all original material on an album or EP. There were three singles released from this album. The first was Your Touch. The song was featured on the movie Zombieland. This was not the first time that I had heard the song though. I started listening to a local radio station called TheCurrent in 2007. This is where I heard this song for the first time. I did not know who the group was at the time but did think that the song was very good when I heard it. It was not until this past year that I purchased the album though. When I listened to the album it dawned on me that I knew this song from listening to my local radio station. It is a very catchy blues song that I think everyone should hear at least once, it is that good! The next single released from the album is called You’re The One. This was released as a download and on CD in 2007. This is a slowed down track but the great guitar work that the lead singer does is just fantastic, keeping the listener engaged in the music. The vocals are nice and clean. They just float over the music like clouds. It is a very enjoyable song. The last single released from this album is called Just Got To Be. This track is classic Blues but more importantly it has become classic Black Keys. This is the second best track on this album next to the first single, Your Touch. It has a rough distorted guitar sound that you just can’t get past. It moves your soul. It always amazes me the tones that Dan Auerbach, the lead singer/guitarist of The Black Keys, can get with his pedals and guitars. I don’t think that this album is the place to start with the group but it is a very good album. If you were to start with an album I would advise the album Attack & Release. There is something magical about that album.

This is the first EP released from Bon Iver. It was released the first winter after his first album. It was released in 2009, almost one year after his first album. The title track, Blood Bank, is the first track on the EP. It was recorded at the same time as the tracks for the first album but didn’t seem to fit with the full album and was left off. It was added to the EP along with the three other songs that were recorded at a later date. This title track has the same feel as the first album, For Emma, Forever Ago. It has a smooth slightly distorted sound and it has that same heart wrenching feeling as the first album. The next track, Beach Baby, approaches new ground for Bon Iver. This song is much simpler in that there is no drums to speak of. It also makes use of a steel/lap guitar but it is still in the classic Bon Iver style. The third track, Babys, uses a piano to bring out a little discord in the song. This track also has no drums on it. It is just piano and layered vocals. There is a hint of an acoustic guitar but ever so slight. This is another simple song that is easy to listen to for me. This song may not sit well with some people because of the way that the piano is played. The last track, Woods, makes use of, the then popular, a vocoder/autotune box for the vocals. The vocals are layered harmonically giving a new view on the idea of auto tune. This is a very sweet EP that brings warmth with it. It is a very calming selection of songs that works very well together. This is not for everyone but I do recommend the first full length to anybody and everybody.

This is the third album from the group Bush. It was released in 1999. There are three singles that were released from this album. The first single is called The Chemicals Between Us. This song is unique from their previous albums because of the use of electronic sounds and beats. The lead singer, Gavin Rossdale said that the song was, “About differences and distances between people.” The music to the song has a edgy sound that the band and the alternative genre has been known for. It also has the classic underlying bass guitar sound that I love. It is not a spectacular song but it is for sure a different direction for the group. The second single from this album, Warm Machine, is taken down in pace a notch. This song is in that limbo tempo that becomes almost un danceable, if I were a dancing person that is. There are some beautiful sounds that can be heard on this track but there is also something about it that is unsettling. The last single from this album is called Letting The Cables Sleep. This is the reason that I bought this album. This is an even slower song than the second single from this album. This is that type of song that covers you like a warm blanket of sunshine on a fall day. It is just perfect. The song uses not only the standard guitar, bass and drums but also uses a string quartet to add to the softening of the track. There is also a piano and some electronic background noises. If you had never heard of this group and were interested in them this is the song to start with. If you never hear anything else from this group hear this song!


Saturday, November 5, 2011

Vol. 2 Episode 46


I am making my way quickly to the end of this volume. There are only four more episodes after this post. Because of obligations with my place of business, Christmas time is almost upon us, I try to keep these postings going until the end of November. There are no postings in December. Volume three will start up again in January. I am hoping to have the first post up by January 14, 2012. This is just a reminder and I will probably post this reminder up again on the last post of this volume too. Thank you all for reading! On with the show...

Gold-Bears – Something To Think About
This is an EP released in 2011. There are only 4 tracks on the EP and none of the tracks appear on the full length album that came out in the same year. The title track, Something To Think About, has a rhythm that is similar to The Pains of Being Pure At heart. The sound is thinner than The Pains though. This just helps to differentiate the group though. The vocals are a bit hard to judge though because they are so distorted. It can be understood better when the chorus punches in. That is good enough for me though. The next track, So Natural, has a similar sound to the previous song with a bit more distortion overall on the track. The repetition of the title of the song is very catchy though. The third track, Train song, has lyrics that are better understood. The music itself is clearer than the previous two songs. This is my favorite song from the EP I think because of the clarity of the vocals and music. The overall distortion is missing from this track as well. The song is pretty, graceful and more calming overall. The last song on this EP is called Yeah Tonight. It is soft with an acoustic guitar. It repeats the line, “Yeah tonight we fall in love again like we did the first time.” The music behind it fills me with happiness and reminds me of my love life. It also has a Sigur Ros sound in my mind. I love Sigur Ros and to have a group make an attempt to copy them, intentional or not, is absolutely wonderfully butiful. I think that I would recommend this EP to anyone regaurdless of musical taste because of the range that is covered on it.

This is the first single released from the album Are You Falling In Love? It was released before the album in 2010. I was lucky enough to get a copy and it came on white vinyl. It is a three track single. I thought that this was great because usually there is only one B side on a single; we get two with this one. The first song is the title track, Tally. This song has a great jangle sound to it in the verse. The chorus jumps into a hard punk sound with heavy distortion though. Putting these two sounds together is brilliant though. This song has a sound similar to the reason that I got into this band. That reason is because of a song called Record Store from their first album. This song is very special to me because it uses elements from Shoegaze and jangle pop at the same time. Two clashing sounds that for some reason come together so well with this band. The next song from this single is called Jezzer. This song has a sound similar to a lot of the groups that have been putting out music in the New Jersey area, The Gaslight album comes to mind here. I can’t exactly explain this sound but I will give it a shot. If Bruce Springsteen were just coming up in the indie world I think that he would sound similar to The Gaslight Anthem. I hope that comes across well enough. The last song on this single is called HK Song. This song is a song that reminds me of the soft rock of the 70s with a little bit of the 80s new wave mixed in every once in a while with the synth keys added in at the choruses. It is a sweet song but a short song too. It is another great set of song that explores different genres of music.

This EP was released in 1990. It is the seventh EP released from the group. The title of the EP is in reference to the style or method that is used by the guitarist. Fans referred to this method as glide guitar. The first track, Soon, from the EP was included on the second full length album called Loveless. The song was released from this EP as a single. It has the classic Shoegazer sound that MBV has become famous for. Rough around the edges but soft and warm at its heart. The lyrics are unintelligible for the most part but that is OK with this type of music really. The next track is the title track for the EP, Glider. This song sounds like they tried to take a page from The Beatles with the recorded sounds being played back backwards. It sounds interesting but just doesn’t come close to what was intended. Every thing seems to be layered on piece by piece in a backward fashion. It does this until the very end when it just fades out. There are no lyrics to speak of. The third track, Don’t Ask Why, has a vocal sound that is similar to one of my favorite artists, Abandoned Pools. Abandoned pools cam out many years after MBV but I think that Tommy Walters, the Abandoned Pools vocalist and music writer,  sings the only way that he knows how and Kevin Shields, MBV vocalist and music writer, loves to play with sounds. It may be that Tommy wanted to emulate the sound of this track but I can’t prove that either. I think that this is my favorite track from the EP though. The lyrics are also understandable and singable if you are into this type of music. The last track, called Off Your Face, features a nice sounding airy female vocal. The song has a good beat and is great for a lazy day in the house. I think that I would not recommend this EP to everyone but I would recommend the song Don’t Ask Why to everyone.

This EP was released in1991. This is the eighth EP that the group has released. The title is a reference to the heavy use of the tremolo and vibrato that the group used in creating their music. This EP only has four tracks but Kevin Shields was quoted to say that, “Tremolo had seven tracks on it, but you’re not allowed to do that, so we called it four tracks and didn’t name three of them.” This was in reference to the extended codas on the first three tracks. The first labeled track on this EP is from the second full length album called Loveless. The extended parts of these tracks are not a part of the songs on the second LP. The coda on the first track, To Here Knows When, is not completely different from the first part of the song but is different enough to stand out. The second track, Swallow, has an Indian styled rhythm. The drums are some type of bongo and there is an instrument sound that is reproduced on the track that reminds me of the instrument that you may have seen street performers use in the country to tempt snakes out of baskets. The song is not a heavy distorted song. It is actually quite peaceful. The coda on this song utilizes more reverse recording. There are no drums on this track but the snake instrument seems to be still used on this part of the song. The third song, Honey Power, is very distorted in the intro and breaks of the song. The verse part of the song seems to smooth itself out with some nice airy female vocals. The coda on this song if very clean sounding with Ooo and Ahh vocals from the female vocalist. This is very uncharacteristic for the group and is a welcome change if only for one minute. The last song on the EP is called Moon Song. This song also uses the bongo style drums. The music is still heavily distorted but the vocals seem to be on the loving side. The lyrics are almost understandable over the distortion that is being used on the track. I think that these types of songs are a lot of fun because you can make up your own words if you can’t understand parts. I think that this EP is more for the collector than the casual listener. I like the EP a lot because of the extras that are included in the music though.

That is all I have for now....