Peter Gabriel/Big Blue Ball Album Review Big Blue Ball (2008)

Peter Gabriel/Big Blue Ball

Big Blue Ball (2008)

Genre: World Music

Today I bring you guys a Peter Gabriel  album that sort of got lost in time, Pete started work on this project back in the 90’s and it  has a ton of guest artist like Vernon Reid, Sinead O’Conner, Deep Forest, Billy Cobham, Manu Katche… and so when I finally got my hands on it I thought to myself this should be a world music extravaganza but to my surprise it’s pretty mediocre for Peter Gabriel to put out a sub par production like this, I guess that's way it isn't officially a Peter Gabriel album and he gave it the name Big Blue Ball, it’s pretty uninteresting, the songs are just not there, no wonder these songs sort of sat around in Peter’s music vault for more than a decade till he decided to finish them. The music in general is very similar to Gabriels 90’s stuff, but this material just  isn't not as good, at moments it sound a little bit dated. One thing that gets me pist is that Vernon Reid one of my favorite guitar player around is on more than one track but sonically he's invisible, Peter really doesn’t take advantage of his guitar skills. So I’ll only recommend this album for only diehard fans. 

Overall: 43.5

Living Colour Album Review Collide0scope (2003) Genre: Alternative Metal, Alternative Rock, Funk Metal, Funk Rock

Living Colour

Collide0scope (2003)

Genre: Alternative Metal, Alternative Rock, Funk Metal, Funk Rock

Ok this album is mind blowing, and it’s a crime that this production got little or no attention to it, it’s one of the few albums that has a heavy electron influence but it doesn’t hijack the production or songs. The tech is working at the serves of the song not the other was around. 

I saw these guys on tour promoting this album and they did some pretty crazy shit live instrumentally and with computers, midi, samples and Kaosolators, they really took rock/metal to a whole other level for 2 hours. I remember that a poor dog, a really fat Labrador, was made to crowd surf at the show and seeing Vernon Reid taking off his glasses not believing what he was seeing, and laughing his ass off while he was shredding his guitar, Corey Kindly ask the crowd to put the dog down.

   

Vocals and Lyrics: Cory really touches a lot of issues resignation, indifference, conformity and other social issues, some pretty mature stuff; his lyrics that are very enjoyable because they make you think, but don’t get to preachy or ranty as he some times he would do on previous albums.  10

Instrumentation:

Guitar: Reid is a Guitar god, and tries some weird stuff with his guitar a computers all over this album, but he doesn’t forget to lay down some killer old school solos

Bass: Doug uses some really interesting effects on the bass and adds some masterful arrangements.

Drums: Calhoun is less of a heavy metal drummer and bring out his Stewart Copeland.  8.3 

Melody and/or Structure: The technical musical stuff isn’t as obvious but is present, while bands use of melody and song composition has matured.  10

Sound, Production and Feeling: The production of this album is really interesting how the band adds sample, midis and electronic noise, at moments it very claustrophobic and opens up to a meat and potatoes, just the band sounding super organic for a couple of tracks, It's literaly a beath of fresh air, then jumping back to the production heavy songs, they do this a few time, the song order is key in making this album so interesting, and setting it apart from other albums. And the emotional output on this album cross a huge spectrum from melancholy, anger, resignation, all the way to super funked out happy on “Holy Roller”, but never loosing focus.  12 

Songs: Ever song on this album is a gem, and they play two covers Back in Black ( AC/DC) and “Tomorrow Never Knows” (Beatles), two very gutsy choices that they are able to pull off 15

Originality: This album breaks the norm, that comeback albums tend to suck, this production is an exception to the rule, it’s one of the most engaging albums in my collection.  10

Overall:  65.3

Living Colour Review of the Album Stain (1993) Genre: Funk Metal, Alternative Metal (with thrash metal, Industrial metal and jazz influences)

Living Colour

Stain (1993)

Genre: Funk Metal, Alternative Metal (with thrash metal, Industrial metal and jazz influences)

The first time I listen to this album was back in the late 90’s, I was about 16 or 17 years old, I was recording my second demo with my band, my guitar player put this album on while we were working on couple of ideas and we basically stopped doing everything we were doing to listen to this alternative metal, master piece (we also realized how much we sucked at playing our instruments). And to our luck the band had just got together and played live here in Cordoba, Argentina, which is pretty incredible because very few band come here in the first place, now the concert was incredible they played for 2 hours but something that struck me is that they didn’t play any song from this album, and I got to see them two more times and they never play any of these tracks, it’s like One Hot Minute from the Chili Peppers or Anti-Pop from Primus, albums that represent a dark period for the band so they decide not to play these songs once they end it’s respective promotional tour.

   

Vocals and Lyrics: Corey isn’t holding back on any of his social political commentaries in his lyric, he can be a little politically incorrect at moments like on “Bi”, but in general I like his style of protest more than Zack de la Rocha from Rage Against the Machine. 10

Instrumentation:

Guitar: Vernon Reid is a Guitar god, nuff said.

Bass: Doug Wimbish is Living Color’s new bass player, his slapping is incredible, he adds some interesting armaments and uses some crazy effect on the bass like a whammy pedal that sound incredible.

Drums: Will Calhuan, bring a more aggressive element to the table he actual pulls off a thrash inspired song, and I think he’s the one responsible for the use of midi for the rhythmic samples that bring that industrial element to the songs. 8.1 

Melody and/or Structure: there composition capabilities is much higher than most of the alternative bands, which are characterized with really good musicians in general, but  most of Living Color’s members have a strong jazz and technical musical backgrounds (these guys have studied they craft), something that they have in common with punk legends Bad Brains or with  funk metal  comrads Screaming Headless Torsos. 10

Sound, Production and Feeling: Ron Saint Germain has worked with 311 and Bad Brains, and he’s the one responsible for the production of this album, the guitars sound super heavy and the band in general sound great. 10

Songs: Jaw dropping from start to finish 13

The Bad: Nothing

Originality: These guys push the limits of Alternative Metal/Funk Metal; too bad it takes them more than 10 years for a follow up album. 10

Overall: 61.1