This single was released as a part of Third Man
Records Blue series. It is a non-album single with a B side called Blue Randy.
It is the first release of any kind from Beck since the album Modern Guilt and
any singles releases from that album. The single was released just a couple of
weeks ago on May 28, 2012. The A side of the 7” starts off with a serious
country vibe. Even becks vocals are in the style of old country with a violin
and an acoustic guitar. When the song kicks it feels closer to Becks normal
style. There is a heavily distorted bass guitar and standard no frills drums. A
harmonica is used in the break for a solo instrument. Actually two harmonicas
are used for this part. He also makes use of a lap guitar and continues the use
of the acoustic guitar. The closing of the song changes into a punk style. Jack
white does the screaming on the punk part of the song. It is very short. The
song then slows to a lounge/smooth jazz sound with a female vocals floating
over the top. The B side track, Blue Randy is a folk-rock song with a slow beat
that trudges along. Beck has changed is vocal styling for this song too to be
more along the country style. He has nearly lost his slack jawed nasal vocal
styling. I was not expecting the old style country sound to come from beck. It
is odd because he is talking about things that are current but using that country
style. I am use to hearing Johnny Cash or Marty Robbins and the country things
that they talk about from the early 70’s and back. It is a very refreshing take
on what country could still be today. I really like it.
This is the ninth album from beck. It was released in 2005.
The album was released in multiple formats. I never got it on vinyl but I would
think that it would sound fantastic. I actually got the limited version of the
album. It came wit the CD and a DVD. The standard CD came with thirteen tracks,
this limited version came with 20 tracks. The DVD came with 5.1 version of the
full album plus pictures and a couple of Easter eggs of the videos for E-Pro
and Black Tambourine. The album was mixed by The Dust Brothers. They also mixed
Odelay. The two albums show similar sounds because of this.
There were three songs that were released as singles from
the album. The first single is E-Pro. The rhythm track from The Beastie Boys’
song So What’cha Want was used in the song. The song has a very catchy guitar
riff with big beat drums underneath and a simple double hit bass guitar between
the two.
The second single released from the album is called Girl.
This song starts out with a simple chiptune style and progresses into standard
rock riff. The song has a smooth feel to it with that Beck/Dust Brothers sound.
It is a good song that I could listen to over and over. It is one of my
favorite Beck songs.
The third and last single released from the album is called
Hell Yes. The 8-Bit/chiptune version was released as the lead single instead of
the album version but the album version was included in the physical CD release
as track two. The song is very playful in both versions but more so in the
8-bit version. The vocals for the 8-bit version use a robot developed by Sony
to repeat and dance to what is said. There is a section of the song where the
robots echo back what beck sings and it is very cute and funny. In the standard
track an Asian female echoes what beck says.
There are some other great tracks on this album that I think
should have or could have been great singles but were not released as such. The
first of those songs may have failed as a single in the US but I think may have
been successful out side of the US.
The first of those tracks is called Qué Onda Guero. I think that this
translates as, “Where are you going white guy?” The vocals com off as abstract
and are very interesting to listen to. The line that kills me every time goes
like this, “I saw a puppet, a tangs with a mullet and a popsicle.” I giggle to
myself every time I hear that line.
Another song that I really like is called Missing. This song
reminds me of something that may have come from Mutations or Sea Change. It is
slow, very slow and deliberate. It relaxes me and makes me feel comfortable. It
also makes me think because he talks about something always missing from his
life. He uses different analogies but it makes me think about the song in a
spiritual way in that what most people are missing is just that religion and
faith. It is really a beautiful song that makes use of violins. It is the
violins that probably make me feel so comfortable with the song.
I really like the song Black Tambourine too. This song
follows Missing on the album. This song brings up the beat from the song
missing. It makes use of not only the tambourine but the deep sounding toms in
a drum kit. It gives it a kind of tribal or swing feel. It doesn’t get your
blood boiling but it is a very good beat to move around to.
The last song that I wanted to talk about is the song called
Clap Hands. This is one of the extra tracks from the extended album. IT kind of
sounds like Hell Yes but the backing vocals and cow bell turn it into a song of
its own. It is a song that makes me want to sway like a snake, even with its
stutter starts of samples.
This is the first album released by Steely Dan. It was
released in 1972. The album was put out before I was born but the songs have
such a smooth sound to them. Pretty much the whole album is very good and flows
like water in a river.
There were two singles released from the album. The first is
Do It Again. This song uses my favorite instrument, the Rhodes
keyboard. There is something especial about this instrument for me. This song
uses a vibrato on the keyboard along with a little natural distortion. It also
use an organ in a solo part that flows really well in the song. Donald Fagan
has such an original voice with a heavy New
York accent that makes the album stick out as well.
The other song that was released as a single is called
Reelin’ In The Years. This song has one of the best sounding guitar parts that
I have ever heard. It uses Donald Fagans’ piano part to drive the song. The
vocals are still the classic sound of New York. This is just a really great
song. I have heard it said that the song is about recalling times with a
girlfriend and a romantic breakup.
The rest of the album is good but not quite as good as these
two particular tracks. In some instances there is a bit of Billy Joel in the
songs and others it is all Steely Dan. I like the album either way.
This is the fifth album from The Hives. It was released just
recently on June 5, 2012. So far there has only been one single released from
the album. That song is called Go Right Ahead. I have already talked about this
song as it was released as a 7” record for this past Record Store Day. I wan to
be sure to note that Jeff Lynne has partial writing credit for the single as it
shares similarities to the Electric Light Orchestra song called Don’t Bring Me
Down. The B-side to that 7” record is also included on the album. I am not mad
about the fact that there was not a unique B-side for the 7” record but it was
a little bit disappointing to find out. The album was produced independently by
the group. Part of the reason that the album took so long to get out was
because it was produced by five
different people with each different ideas of their own as to what the
album should sound like.
I really hope that there are more singles released from this
album as there are some very good tracks on it. One of my new favorite songs is
called I Want More. The chorus is so simple but instantly hooks the listener
in. It is just so awesome, classic Hives styling.
The other track that I really like is called Wait A Minute.
The title is repeated in the background in harmony through out most of the
song. Then the chorus is just repeating that line a few more times. It is so
awesome and catchy and hooky and just perfection. I love the song!
The last song that I really like from the album is called
These Spectacles Reveal The Nostalgics. This song has that classic speed Hives
sound that came from their second album. The second album will always have a
special place for me because this was the album that I was introduced to them
on. So to have a song or two on this album that reminds me of that album will
instantly have a link back. This is probably the reason for the title as well.
The album covers what they have done in the past and points
to the future of the groups sound. I really like the album and hope that it
gets more listeners because of it.
That is all I have for now...
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