Well, Jennette McCurdy has finally made some public comments about her album. She has been signed to Capitol Nashville. This is exciting news, because with the backing of a major label, I'm positive Jennette will be able to reach a wide range of fans. As Jennette noted, however, this will mean a delay in releasing her record. But it seems well worth it.
Meanwhile, a potential release date has been given for Emily Osment's debut effort. I had my money down on an Autumn release, but it turns out the prospective date is March 9th, 2010! It is hard to believe that I first heard about Emily working on an album almost a year ago. And that last Christmas, I learned two songs from her album were leaked (one, "All The Way Up," is apparently set as the first single, with plans for it to premiere on Radio Disney next month, as a music video has been filmed behind it)
Well, at least if it isn't coming out until March, I'll have time to save up after buying all the other albums coming out!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Led Zeppelin Presents "Presence"
Presence is Led Zeppelin's most underrated album. It is rarely given any recognition on the radio. Its' sales were quite poor for a Zeppelin album. Its' reputation is very mixed. But, in some ways, this oft overlooked album is one of their best. It is their most unapologetic, in your face, hard rocking album. There are no acoustic ballads. No keyboards or organs. Just guitars, bass, and drums (and the occasional harmonica).
The album was made when the band was at their peak, or, in some ways, just past it. For the drugs and the lifestyles were catching up as the members were getting older. The band was the top live act, but that came to a sudden halt when Plant was in a serious car accident, that left him confined temporarily to a wheelchair. His physical condition is a great image to accompany the psychological stress and pain the band was in. It is in that condition that Page and Plant wrote the songs, and then got with Jones and Bonham to record the album (in a session that barely ran for a week, although Page made use of the time, claiming to have stayed awake for days overdubbing guitar.)
The title "Presence" refers to the bands presence on stage, the power that they possess. It turned out that stage presence was so strong, that fans flocked to the live document, "The Song Remains The Same," (recorded in '73) over "Presence."
The album opens with "Achilles' Last Stand." The song draws, musically, from the extended arrangements of "Dazed And Confused" that they had used as a centerpiece in concert. Like that song, "Achilles" is an epic. It is full of sprawling imagery and mythical references, sung over John Paul Jones galloping bass, and Jimmy's orchestra of guitars (possibly the most complicated set of guitar overdubs Page ever laid down.)
"Candy Store Rock" and "Royal Orleans" are two songs that fall short of displaying the band's force. The former is an uninspired send-up of fifties era Elvis. The latter is a rather comical retelling of John Paul Jones encounter with a transsexual, that ended in a hotel fire.
"Hots On For Nowhere" is an interesting track, but does not quite live up to its' predecessor, a 1975 jam (from where the basic melody is drawn), that has achieved much notoriety in the bootleg world.
"Nobody's Fault But Mine" and "For Your Life" are two heavy examples of the tension and pain going into the album. The arrangements are stop and go, not at all fluid, while the guitars are liquid, oozing right out of the speakers.
The last track, "Tea For One," is the band tracking their growth by essentially remaking "Since I've Been Loving You." It is a testament to the band that they not only pull it off, but even improve on the earlier song. Musically, it is a reworking, played with experience and maturity. Lyrically, it is completely original. It is a song about homesickness, the most concrete ache on this disc. Plant's conviction is stirring, as he sums up all the pain and anguish in such a personal confession. At the same time, it both a nod to Zeppelin's earlier days, as well as a take on their purest blues influences.
It is not their most accessible album. It is not nearly as varied as their other releases. Instead, it is one big theme, on statement of distress, that the band with such a "Presence" still has aches and woes. In a contradicting way, they use their force and power to show how weak and vunerable and human they can be.
The album was made when the band was at their peak, or, in some ways, just past it. For the drugs and the lifestyles were catching up as the members were getting older. The band was the top live act, but that came to a sudden halt when Plant was in a serious car accident, that left him confined temporarily to a wheelchair. His physical condition is a great image to accompany the psychological stress and pain the band was in. It is in that condition that Page and Plant wrote the songs, and then got with Jones and Bonham to record the album (in a session that barely ran for a week, although Page made use of the time, claiming to have stayed awake for days overdubbing guitar.)
The title "Presence" refers to the bands presence on stage, the power that they possess. It turned out that stage presence was so strong, that fans flocked to the live document, "The Song Remains The Same," (recorded in '73) over "Presence."
The album opens with "Achilles' Last Stand." The song draws, musically, from the extended arrangements of "Dazed And Confused" that they had used as a centerpiece in concert. Like that song, "Achilles" is an epic. It is full of sprawling imagery and mythical references, sung over John Paul Jones galloping bass, and Jimmy's orchestra of guitars (possibly the most complicated set of guitar overdubs Page ever laid down.)
"Candy Store Rock" and "Royal Orleans" are two songs that fall short of displaying the band's force. The former is an uninspired send-up of fifties era Elvis. The latter is a rather comical retelling of John Paul Jones encounter with a transsexual, that ended in a hotel fire.
"Hots On For Nowhere" is an interesting track, but does not quite live up to its' predecessor, a 1975 jam (from where the basic melody is drawn), that has achieved much notoriety in the bootleg world.
"Nobody's Fault But Mine" and "For Your Life" are two heavy examples of the tension and pain going into the album. The arrangements are stop and go, not at all fluid, while the guitars are liquid, oozing right out of the speakers.
The last track, "Tea For One," is the band tracking their growth by essentially remaking "Since I've Been Loving You." It is a testament to the band that they not only pull it off, but even improve on the earlier song. Musically, it is a reworking, played with experience and maturity. Lyrically, it is completely original. It is a song about homesickness, the most concrete ache on this disc. Plant's conviction is stirring, as he sums up all the pain and anguish in such a personal confession. At the same time, it both a nod to Zeppelin's earlier days, as well as a take on their purest blues influences.
It is not their most accessible album. It is not nearly as varied as their other releases. Instead, it is one big theme, on statement of distress, that the band with such a "Presence" still has aches and woes. In a contradicting way, they use their force and power to show how weak and vunerable and human they can be.
Hannah Montana 3 "Could Be The One"
"Hannah Montana 3" came out last Tuesday. The album is the maturest Hannah release yet. It is still a slick slice of kid-friendly pop, by Miley's eternally young alter-ego. Miley herself is the performer here, and nothing more. Her blossoming writing talents are not on display here. It is her voice that she brings, and it is in full force, displaying an increase in strength, confidence, and control, compared to prior albums. And that is important, as the songs cover a wider range than just upbeat songs about secret identities and parties like the first Hannah disc was. We have plenty of songs dealing with love, from crushes to heartbreaks, along side the party numbers.
"Don't Wanna Be Torn" is a song about how love can come with tough decisions. To her acting credit, Miley pulls this one off as though she had penned it herself. "Just A Girl" is a slow number that feels like "The Climb," but not quite as strong. It is a good number all the same, however. "Ice Cream Freeze (Let's Chill)" is a dance number in the same vein as "Hoedown Throwdown," but is considerably less catchy. "Mixed Up" sounds similar to the song "I Learned From You" musically, but otherwise stands on its own, and is a another song about growing up that Miley injects her earnestness into.
Other standout tracks are "He Could Be The One," and "I Wanna Know You." "I Wanna Know You" foregos the usual guitar arrangment that most uptempo numbers use, instead backed by a brassy keyboard, and some really nifty backing vocals. It is about a boy who has great qualities, and now the singer wants to get closer to him. It is a really cool song, but does not warrant having to versions on this album. One is a solo version, the other is a duet with David Archuleta. Both are similar, but Archuleta adds some novelty, as well as nice harmonies, and as such, the duet would have been fine without a solo version.
Another duet featured is the new "If We Were A Movie," by Hannah and Corbin Bleu (actually used in season 2.) I have nothing against it, or Corbin Bleu, but if a guest singer is available, why not just do a new song? Nothing special is added to this song by making it a duet.
Also on the album are song by Mitchell Musso, and two songs already released on the "Hannah Montana The Movie" soundtrack.
Overall, the album is a real success for Hannah Montana. Songs that draw comparisons to movie tunes usually don't fare as well, but otherwise, the album is even better than the movie soundtrack. Still, there is too much filler. "Let's Do This" is one of my favorite Hannah songs, and "Let's Get Crazy" is another enjoyable number, but both were already on the movie disc. No need for two copies. The solo version of "I Wanna Know You," and the duet with Corbin also feel extraneous. Still, if this is the kind of stuff Hannah is doing, I can only imagine how great Miley's next album will be!
"Don't Wanna Be Torn" is a song about how love can come with tough decisions. To her acting credit, Miley pulls this one off as though she had penned it herself. "Just A Girl" is a slow number that feels like "The Climb," but not quite as strong. It is a good number all the same, however. "Ice Cream Freeze (Let's Chill)" is a dance number in the same vein as "Hoedown Throwdown," but is considerably less catchy. "Mixed Up" sounds similar to the song "I Learned From You" musically, but otherwise stands on its own, and is a another song about growing up that Miley injects her earnestness into.
Other standout tracks are "He Could Be The One," and "I Wanna Know You." "I Wanna Know You" foregos the usual guitar arrangment that most uptempo numbers use, instead backed by a brassy keyboard, and some really nifty backing vocals. It is about a boy who has great qualities, and now the singer wants to get closer to him. It is a really cool song, but does not warrant having to versions on this album. One is a solo version, the other is a duet with David Archuleta. Both are similar, but Archuleta adds some novelty, as well as nice harmonies, and as such, the duet would have been fine without a solo version.
Another duet featured is the new "If We Were A Movie," by Hannah and Corbin Bleu (actually used in season 2.) I have nothing against it, or Corbin Bleu, but if a guest singer is available, why not just do a new song? Nothing special is added to this song by making it a duet.
Also on the album are song by Mitchell Musso, and two songs already released on the "Hannah Montana The Movie" soundtrack.
Overall, the album is a real success for Hannah Montana. Songs that draw comparisons to movie tunes usually don't fare as well, but otherwise, the album is even better than the movie soundtrack. Still, there is too much filler. "Let's Do This" is one of my favorite Hannah songs, and "Let's Get Crazy" is another enjoyable number, but both were already on the movie disc. No need for two copies. The solo version of "I Wanna Know You," and the duet with Corbin also feel extraneous. Still, if this is the kind of stuff Hannah is doing, I can only imagine how great Miley's next album will be!
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