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098 AUGUST 2015 JB Hi-Fi
Motörhead
Bad Magic
Motörhead’s influence cannot
be measured, even transcending
music to impact on fashion and
art. Their mascot, Snaggletooth,
defines rock 'n’ roll, becoming an
iconic figure to many who have
never even heard of the band. Bad
Magic is Motörhead’s 22nd studio
album and another solid collection
of tunes. Lemmy’s recent health
scares may have slowed him
down, but he continues to snarl
and spit out tales of war and
revenge without missing a beat.
Motörhead offer no new tricks
with Bad Magic, but like any act
with 40 years of experience, they
always put on a great show.
(UDR/Warner)
Simon Lukic
Robin Gibb Saved By the Bell:
The Collected Works of Robin Gibb 1968-1970
Any pop legend worth his platinum can expect a 63-track triple-disc
retrospective in memoriam, if not before. But the weirdest Bee Gees
second posthumous package in 10 months comes with several unique
distinctions. First, a staggering 46 of these tracks are previously unissued.
Second, the blessed lot gushed into being in one 18-month window, a
Niagaral surge of creativity during a late '60s band bust-up. The runaway
success of Robin's single, Saved By the Bell, was something of a catalyst
for the brothers' hiatus, and though he failed to follow through chart-wise,
the Robin's Reign album is a precious, swinging London curiosity. It's
here in its entirety: all flutes and strings and cheeky Bacharach trumpets
to beat the velvet-trousered band. Gibb's penchant for tragic melodramas,
his oddball rhymes ("You like to think you're Admiral Nelson with a gun, a
wife and a son") and extreme nasal vibrato amount to an eccentric uncle
effect aptly described in Bob Stanley's insightful liner notes as a mix of
Scott Walker and Syd Barrett. The bizarre Farmer Ferdinand Hudson is
exposed here as a mere fragment of the epic Hudson's Fallen Wind; hints
of a quasi-historical obsession that blossoms on a series of solo organ and
guitar demos on disc three. Disc two is a sprawl of hysterically sad ditties,
florid with sentiments such as "Without your voice I'm a helpless choice" –
cue Edwardian harpsichord and garden party strings. They add up to Sing
Slowly Sisters, a much mythologised but, until now, officially "lost" second
solo album. Finders keepers or what? (Reprise) Michael Dwyer
Warren Haynes
Ashes and Dust
Singer/guitarist Haynes takes leave
from Gov't Mule and The Allman
Brothers Band for this mostly
acoustic, song-orientated solo
release that features Americana
band Railroad Earth. Showcasing
his soulful vocals and acoustic
and slide guitar like never before,
Haynes dusted off songs he'd
written 20 or 30 years ago that
fit comfortably with fiddle, banjo,
mandolin and clarinet. Cover
songs include Billy Edd Wheeler's
Coal Tattoo and Stevie Nicks'
Gold Dust Woman, a duet with
Nocturnals' singer Grace Potter,
and on his song Wanderlust he's
joined by singer Shawn Colvin
and harmonica virtuoso Mickey
Raphael.
(Warner) Billy PInnell
Neil Young + Promise
of the Real
The Monsanto Years
Throughout a career that spans
six decades, Neil Young has
fearlessly railed against political
and environmental abusers.
His latest target is the chemical
company Monsanto, a leading
producer of genetically engineered
seed who have been widely
criticised as a threat to biodiversity.
Recorded with Willie Nelson's
sons Lukas and Micah, along with
Lukas' bandmates in Promise of
the Real (who sound like Crazy
Horse), Neil doesn't hold back in
his political tirades that also target
Walmart and Starbucks (“I want
a cup of coffee, but I don't want
a GMO”). Loud guitars, powerful
messages.
(Warner) Billy Pinnell
Tribulation
The Children of the Night
Sweden’s Tribulation have
mutated into quite an entity.
Their origins lie in the thrash
and death metal scenes but
the stylistic changes made on
second album Formulas of Death
turned heads. This continues
with The Children of the Night.
Retro rock is peaking at the
moment with Ghost leading the
way; unlike Ghost, Tribulation
maintain their heavy metal roots.
Jimmy Page once said that
Led Zeppelin never wanted to
copy the blues, just capture its
mood. Tribulation do the same
with heavy metal, emulating
Zeppelin’s creativity, free spirit
and occult tendencies for the
modern metal fan.
(Century Media/EMI) Simon Lukic
The Dark Horses
Tunnel at the End of the Light
Tex Perkins and The Dark Horses
saddle up for the third part of their
trilogy, following 2011’s self-
titled set and 2012’s Everyone’s
Alone. This is late-night Tex, not
the rowdy rocker. “As I begin my
journey to the end of the day,”
he intones in the ironic opener
Oh Lucky Me, “with a kind of
reluctance you get at my age.”
Perkins has the perfect voice to
set a mood. With his deep, smoky
tone and genuine presence, it’s
as if he’s singing to you, next to
your bed. Recorded and mixed
by Roger Bergodaz, the sound is
understated but powerful. Languid
beauty.
(Dark Horse Records/Inertia)
Jeff Jenkins
Albert Hammond, Jr.
Momentary Masters
There’s no mistaking those
controlled guitar ribbons, and
The Strokes’ Albert Hammond,
Jr. brings his usual in-the-pocket
flair to this solo album. But after
the promising opener Born Slippy
and the dancey Power Hungry,
Hammond, Jr. spins off in too
many unsatisfying directions.
While Losing Touch does well
with chugging 1980s power-pop
(think Squeeze), Caught By My
Shadow is a glowering, Black
Keys-esque detour, and Don’t
Think Twice is a stilted Dylan
cover. Even as he strives to
branch out, Hammond, Jr. keeps
evoking his usual band, right
down to the anxious pulse and
distorted vocals.
(Liberator/Infectious) Doug Wallen
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