FDF Volume 4 Issue 379 - The Fucking Champs - IV

Album - IV
Artist - The Fucking Champs
Release Date – ?

Overview – This is actually the bands second release.

FDF Comments (aka “The Songs”) – There are 12 tracks on this 38 minute album and the trio wastes no time going right after you with “What’s a Little Reign?” and “Esprit De Corpse” which attack you from every angle with pummeling guitars and drums.  There are no vocals at all so it is just a wall of sound. “Esprit” has some really clean guitar sound, even though it is heavy.  We get a bit more of a full band (bass and drums) on “Policenauts” yet this song feels a little out of place, almost too much syth.  We make up for it as “NWOBHM 2” has the rumbling drums and crunching guitar.  The drums seem to get more attention here as the ride cymbal gets a work out, just as the full kit did at the start. “Lamplighter” is a mellower track (for the band) than anything else fusing in some bird calls even. “Thor is like Immortal” seems to fail to get going to these ears.  Some big riffs but no real structure seems to evolve and it feels like a warm up, get your fingers moving type track.  The nine string guitar seems to stand out (as it should) though. There is a slow fade in for “C’mon Smash The Quotile” and after about 30 seconds the band is at full volume locked in their groove and it seems to get louder and louder as the lead guitar attack begins.  This is another of the 9 string guitar solos from Smith. “These Glyphs are Dusty” comes right of the prior track and finds to be on the same riff seemingly but with big tom tom rolls from Soete.  The grinding riffs later in the track are awesome, they will fire you right up reaching for your air guitar.  “I Love the Spirit World and I love Your Fathers” is just a 30 second track from Smith which opens to “Vangelis Again”.  “Lost” is a solo effort from Green and the album concludes with “Extra Man” that seems to really break the mold, there are actually vocals for one.  It has a cleaner “rock” sound to it with not as much flashy/speed going on.

Where are they now? - According to their Wiki Page the band is still active, yet it says they have broken up?  Go figure?

FDF Overall Take/Was it worth Dusting off? It didn't grab me like it once did.  Need to check it out a bit more often.

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FDF Volume 4 Issue 378 - Midnight Oil - Earth and Sun and Moon

Album – Earth and Sun and Moon
Artist – Midnight Oil
Key Players – Bones Hillman – bass and vocals. Jim Moginie – guitar, keyboards and vocals. Martin Rotsey – guitar. Peter Garrett – vocals and harmonica.  Rob Hirst – drums and vocals.
Produced By – Nick Launay and Midnight Oil

Release Date – April 20, 1993

Overview – This is the 8^th studio album from Australian band Midnight Oil

FDF Comments (aka “The Songs”) –  The 11 song album runs 54 minutes and Hillman rolls his bass line to start up “Feeding Frenzy”.  Hirst acknowledges and rumbles forth to get it rolling.  The sound is classic “oil” and there is some fun 60’s sounding keyboards put down by Moginie.  The guitars and keyboards shine on “My Country” and Garrett is in strong voice.  After a sort of false start “Renaissance Man” begins and Garrett plays a strong harmonica.  The band then comes in and it starts to rumble forward.  Hillman has a strong bass tone and the band seems to be right with him.  The backing vocals on the track are “fun” with some Beatlesque harmonies.  “Earth and Sun and Moon” follows and the vocals are slightly distorted and the band crafts the song around it and by the end of the first verse Garrett has a clean vocal.  The mandolin is a nice touch. “Truganini” was probably the one single off the single the US market could recall.  It has a very the same feel as some of the more popular Oil tracks so its easy to grab on to.  Starting with a single acoustic guitar and just Garrett “Brushfire” gets underway.  As the full band being Moginie puts down a fun keyboard run while the vocals remain hushed.  “Drums of Heaven” has a good driving beat while “Outbreak of Love” quickly changes the mood/focus.  The band shows some great diversity of sound on the album.  Case in point, the acoustic lead “In the Valley” which opens up to one of Garretts shining moments vocally.  “Tell Me The Truth” has a great full chorus, where all the members seem to chime in.  The album concludes with “Now or Never Land” another track that showcases this is a “band” and not individuals.

Where are they now? – Midnight Oil is back on the road!

FDF Overall Take/Was it worth Dusting off? – I am a little more a sucker for the bands earlier work, but there are some decent moments on here.  I think the fact that band is/was back in the USA for the first time in 15 years drew me in.  Hopefully they were pleased with the shows and we might get a new album or US tour!

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FDF Volume 4 Issue 377 - Boris - Pink

Album – Pink
Artist - Boris
Key Players – Takeshi – vocals, bass and guitar.  Wata – guitar and Echo.  Atsuo – drums and percussion
Produced by - Boris

Release Date – November 8, 2005

Overview – This is the 10^th album from the Japanese band Boris

FDF Comments (aka “the Songs”) – Clocking in at 55 minutes the 11 track album opens with ‘Farewell”.  After a drone intro the song takes off.  The fact that Takeshi sings in Japanese doesn’t seem to impact the vibe at all.  The sound is massive, it is not a quick song, but a little slow and almost plodding at times track, but it is just “so big” sounding.  “Pink” is an absolute frenzy of a track, with everything hitting and hammering from all sides. “Woman on the Screen” has a great fuzzy bass guitar and the guitar is equally as gritty.  The band can make a lot of noise as evident in “Nothing Special” and “Blackout” but “Electric” really seems to bring it even further.  The tracks are all heavy and noisy, yet somehow clean. This track you’d put on in your car if you were in the mood for a speeding ticket and although it is short it barrels in to “Pseudo-Bread” which won’t leave you feeling left out for long. “Afterburner” is a good tease up to “Six Three Times” which is as rowdy as anything else on the album.  Atsuo hits the drums impossibly hard it seems.  One of the shorter tracks so that is probably a relief to him.  “My Machine” is an instrumental track that is pretty quiet for the band but just makes the album closer “Just Abondoned Myself” all the more pummeling.

Where are they Now? – The band has a new album called “Dear” which came out on July 14th

FDF Overall Take/Was it Worth Dusting Off? – One of the regrets I’ve had in recent months was missing the tour when the band came back through doing this record in full.  It is not something that you can put on all the time and most of your friends would probably what in the heck you are listening to, but the heaviness of this record can really scratch that itch should you find the need.  The band seemingly releases an album a year and they can be up and down (which is okay) but this is one you shouldn’t sit on..get after it.

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FDF Volume 4 Issue 376 - Aretha Franklin - Spirit in the Dark

Album – Spirit In The Dark
Artist – Aretha Franklin
Key Players – Aretha Franklin – vocals and piano.  There are many backing players and vocalists.  Check out the albums wiki page page for album specific details.
Produced By – Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin

Release Date – August 24, 1970

Overview – This was the nineteenth studio album released by Aretha Franklin.  It would peak at #25 on the US album charts.

FDF Comments (aka “The Songs”) – The album is 11 tracks long and runs just short of 40 minutes long.  “Don’t Play that Song” is the opening track.  In reading the liner notes Franklin was in a new and fresh mood as she had split with her husband (and manager).  She is in fine voice and seems very animated. “The Thrill is Gone (From Yesterdays Kiss)” is the same song that most would associate with B.B.King.  Aretha has just as much emotion vocally and you can almost see the tear glide down her face.  We are a little more uptempo on “Pullin’” and Franklin works a lot more with her support singers and the bass line keeps your toes bouncing and as the track moves it has the gospel/church fury of emotion. “You and Me” is a pretty ballad with some really wonderful harmonies. “Honest I Do” is Franklins take on the Jimmy Reed’s big hit.  Franklin sings both the lead and backing vocals on the track and her as Barry Beckett plays an exceptional piano/electric organ section.  “Spirit in the Dark” was released as a single from the album (peaking at #3 on the R+B charts) is a slow building track but the end is the payoff, “welcome to church” indeed, easily my favorite song on the record.  “When the Battle is Over” is a cover of Delaney and Bonnie (written by Dr.John) and it’s a driving track with Franklin in fine voice (shocker I know). “One Way Ticket” is a soulful tune with a lot of work being done by the backing vocalists.  They don’t carry the song, but they make it a bit more interesting. “Try Matty’s” is a fun song, and anyone of a certain age in the Boston area may remember that Kiss 108 Morning Man Matt Siegal used to play the intro often. “That’s All I Want From You” is another pretty song, that is mid-tempo flanked by a wonderful horn section.  “Oh No Not My Baby” is a cover of Carole King and was a hit for another R&B artist in the 60’s (Maxine Brown).  Franklin sounds wonderful on the track.  “Why I Sing The Blues” is the second B.B.King cover on the album and closes out the record perfectly.

Where are they now? – Aretha Franklin is still appearing for limited shows.  Her last album was her covering some “Diva” classics and was released in 2014.  It was also her 41^st album.

FDF Overall Take/Was it worth Dusting off? – It’s a great record that doesn’t have RESPECT on it, lets start there.  I mean that politely of course.  Her catalog is so expansive it’s a shame that she is only seemingly remember for 2-3 songs.  I could be wrong, but not a lot of my friends run around expounding on her excellence, or even her catalog.  She is an institution and hopefully she gets well enough to tour extensively, she is someone that I’d like to see live.  As far as this record, there were a LOT of support players and I didn’t realize so many tracks were cover tunes, but she made them all her own.

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Official Site
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Aretha Franklin Wiki page

Wiki Page for the Album

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