mythology | audio | news/performance | discog | press | buy | links | contact
REVIEWS: Love
Is The Best Con In Town
ireallylovemusic.co.uk
having been shoved from pillar to post around various labels (slash, arena rock to name but 2), bill found himself full of song and no outlet and no band. luckily for me, a well timed (as opposed to bad timed - ha!) email resulted in getting these 12 songs in my inbox many months ago. the album then went onto become a permanent fixture in my playlist for far far too long. i so wanted to tell everyone i bumped into that grand mal were by far the best band in the world right now, but i became more and more aware that i had this battle scarred band all to myself, and that my harping on about an album that may never get released was going to annoy more than impress. i just couldn't understand why people weren't queuing up to sign the album. didn't anyone else hear the excellent 'bad timing' album? surely someone else out there wanted to spread the gospel for this band? well the wait is now over, a small nyc based (of course!) label, new york night train recordings, has stepped up to the mike, and done the decent thing. you see, it was something about the simple, honest, old fashioned music that really touched a nerve. was it the throwback to simple instrumentation? was it the lack of any modern twists and turns? was it the combination of rolling stone sanctioned riffs, laid back late night reflective moods and a dash of glam that made me purr like a cat, or, was it that bill had at last made the album that he had always really wanted to, but previously kegs of beer, a passion for chemicals, and a lack of a drummer, kept getting in the way. who knows ? the fact is, that these songs should fill many a heart with joy. they rock a little, they roll a lot. they tell stories of people in love, out of love and of bus rides to a new life, and hopefully, they will become as much a part of your world as they have of mine. yes, as before, bill (along with a few chums from other bands such as the wonderful silent league) delves into the archives and does his best 'lou reed meets t-rex via hunky dory' impression, but when the doubled up vocals on 'his baleful eye' come to the fore while the piano chords are pounded out, and the down tuned fuzzed electric chords rumble deep in the mix, you cannot help but feel a warm glow. then there is the honking sax buried in the analogue waves of 'people change' that sends shivers up the spine. this man has studied tony visconti's production techniques for years, and within certain sections of this album, it is as if the student has now graduated with honours, on a zero rated budget. so, while the rest of the world get their ears battered and bruised by the latest 'best band in the world - ever!', can i politely suggest you track this wonderfully personal record down and reconnect to all that was good with 70's rock-n-roll music, and there is no con in me telling you that.
|
|||
