Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name

ORIGINATION Rage Against The Machine
LAST LISTENED TO lest week
CHANCE OF WAKING TO IT fair
RATING

Ah, the sound of teenage angst, how i remember those days! Not that i am any less angry now, especially since the injustices that RATM railed against to our 'delight' back when are still with us today. In many ways it is a sad inditement of our world that their music is still so relevant, whilst at the same time a credit to them that it has hardly aged.

RATM formed in the early '90s in Los Angeles and their music was a fusion of metal and hip hop. There had been others to try this formula before them, but none had managed to pull it off so well, particularly over a whole album (and many unfortunates who have since tried and have failed).

The machine that RATM where raging at was, of course, The Machine: big business, cultural imperialism, corporation, governments bought and paid for. Killing In The Name was the most blatant and rabble rousing of their tunes and one that became their most popular. It is directed at The Machine's shock troops (see how i dwell in the idiom), both civilian and otherwise. Tom Morello provides particularly heavy guitar here and Zack De La Rocha's vocals are simple and to the point. Particularly in the chanting finish which is one of the most memorable parts of their entire output. Altogether now:
F**k you, i won't do what you tell me!
F**k you, i won't do what you tell me!
F**k you, i won't do what you tell me!

Jimmy Smith - Stay Loose

ORIGINATION Stay Loose
LAST LISTENED TO yesterday
CHANCE OF WAKING TO IT higher than the sun
RATING

Jimmy sings again! Aces! Is this a dance? Damn, i think it is. I'm a sucker for those dance soul tunes. And this one has the added brilliance of Jimmy Smith and his soloing organ of delight. He even grunts along with it when he does solo. Nice brass accompaniment and groovy soul drums. It's a freedom dance, y'all.

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Just Like Honey

ORIGINATION Psychocandy
LAST LISTENED TO last week
CHANCE OF WAKING TO IT fair
RATING

It starts with roughest drums you'll ever hear in rock (played by Bobby Gillespie, in pre-Primal Scream days). They're kinda lo-fi but with a mountain of reverb, as if it has been recorded in a dark, damp tunnel somewhere. The rest of the tune, well it's just lovely. The lyrics, the singing, the battered guitars, the female backing vocals. It's a crazy mixture of pop and avant garde noise that can have come as nothing less than a revelation in '84. Bloody brillant. Everyone who likes music made with guitars should have this.

Bill Withers - Kissing My Love

ORIGINATION 7"
LAST LISTENED TO months ago
CHANCE OF WAKING TO IT low
RATING

Withers is best known for slightly soppier songs than this one. This funky number sports some rather groovy wah wah guitar. And we all know how i feel about that.

Iron Maiden - Childern Of The Damned (Live)

ORIGINATION Live After Death
LAST LISTENED TO last month
CHANCE OF WAKING TO IT not too high
RATING

Live After Death is with no doubt my all-time favourite live album and i don't care who knows it. This one, however, is not one of the highlights. It's got its moments, but it's not Run To The Hills. And who really wants to sing along with 'peeling the skin from his eyes' and such like. Actually, thinking about it…

Black Flag - Six Pack

ORIGINATION 10"
LAST LISTENED TO no idea
CHANCE OF WAKING TO IT really, really low
RATING

Ah yes. Now that's more like it. Dig that bass intro. The spiky guitars. And then, SIX PACK! My girlfriend asked me which one i liked better, i hope the answer won't upset her. You know, i think this one might be a bit tongue in cheek. Go find out more about Black Flag. They're got a real interesting place in modern american guitar music. One that get's over looked a fair bit.

Not today, thanks.

Frankly on a day like today, who bothers to note foolish things like morning songs?

The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army

ORIGINATION Elephant
LAST LISTENED TO last week
CHANCE OF WAKING TO IT ok
RATING

Hey, another one of those popular guitar pop bands. What the hell are they doing round this way? I suppose the good tracks to manage to filter into my conscious eventually. I like to wait a few years to see if a band is truly good and not just a flash in the pan before i even bother to think about listening to them. Contrary and all.

This time the Stripes got a bass. What's that all about? Bloody good, though.

Sons & Daughters - Monsters (again)

ORIGINATION The Repulsion Box
LAST LISTENED TO yesterday
CHANCE OF WAKING TO IT och high the noo
RATING

You'lll find this all the way back here.

Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out

ORIGINATION Franz Ferdinand
LAST LISTENED TO the other day
CHANCE OF WAKING TO IT good
RATING

Hurrah for the saviours of pop! Or was it rock? Oh, i forget. Whatever it is the the kids are listening to.

To tell the truth, all the hype turned me off these guys before i had even heard them. I'm just like that i guess. But lo, the good Daily Jazzer made me listen to this track and i had to admit to the error of my ways. Damn, but it's good. You probably know this for already, of course. I'm a bit late to get on this bandwagon.

Band Of Bloody Gold

ORIGINATION don't know
LAST LISTENED TO can't imagine i ever have through choice
CHANCE OF WAKING TO IT pah
RATING

Yuck. And i mean, seriously, yuck. I neither know nor care who did this song. I remember working in a burger 'restaurant' many years ago and this song was on one of the god-awful tapes that would be played continuously over the P.A. all bloody day. I hated it then and i still to do. Again, yuck.