So, I've been listening to the new Guns n' Roses album for the last week (about 4 or 5 spins) and I must say that my thoughts on it are generally positive. I find it somewhat shocking because I have not really been a fan of a Guns n Roses... well.. ever.
Okay, that's sort of a lie right there. I actually liked Appetite for Destruction for what it was (a solid "rock" album) and don't get me wrong they have had their moments. I really enjoyed the track "The Garden" from one of the "Use Your Illusions" albums. I guess what I'm saying here folks is... The new Guns n' Roses is different than normal Guns n' Roses and I think that is a good thing.
First of all I have to be honest 2008 has not been a stellar year for music in terms of releases. If you held a gun to my head (and please don't) I'm not entirely sure that I could come up with 10 great releases from this year. Metallica released a great album and I really enjoyed the new Alice Cooper disc. That Planet Gemini album released this year was something special and I really do enjoy the Lord Vicar stuff I've been listening to...but, other than that I can't really say that there is anything that has blown me away.
Enter Chinese Democracy: with 14 years against him and millions and millions of dollars spent on studio time Axl has finally pruned and proded this album to it's conceptual release and in my opinion the final product is good. Over-produced but, good.
*The Music*
First of all forget what you know about GnR as this album sounds very little like the older GnR stuff which for me was a nice change. I really enjoyed the techno industrial drums that Axl used on a lot of these songs they added a nice bit of variety so a lot of these tracks. Songs like "If the World" just groove so much more due to the "Reznor-ish" sampled drum licks with a nice thumping bassline behind them. Also noted is the rooting of the guitar solos on this album. Some of the stuff that Bumblefoot or Buckethead or whoever-the-fuck is playing for Axl on each track (which differs I believe) is nothing short of amazing. The harmonies are nice and they add that "off the wall" element that roots this music into the hard rock catagory. There is definitely an heir of "Slash can't do this" thrown in there when you hear those A harmonic minor rakes coming through on the first song. Well done and I love the little backhanded slap that is put out there.
*The Voice*
I think that Axl's voice is going to be a big topic of discussion. Now, I know that he is... well.. Axl and that he's always kind of sounded like that but, I find that there are tracks where his voice just sounds outright obtrucive. The above mentioned track "If the World" is a great example of that. The music is more groovin' and layed back and he is screaming in this whiney falsetto and it almost floats over the music instead of blending in with it. But, on the other hand. I don't know if I could imagine it any other way.
There are some standout tracks. I really enjoy the first 2 tracks and Axl really puts an emphasis on his low voice in these tracks. In "Chinese Democracy" (the song) he even has this tone on the chorus vocals that sounds completely different. But, mostly this album is not going to blow you away vocally.
*The Lyrics*
I think that lyrically is where this album shines. Axl has a lot of pent up aggression and a bit of the broken hearted, jilted lover type lyrics that he is putting out there. Along with some very pretty piano playing on certain songs and some very well place moments of rebellion this album is vocally a tour de force. As with every ebb there is a flow I must admit that there are some tracks (like "Sorry") where there could be a bit more wordsmithing involved. I think whenever you use the term "I'll kick your ass" in a song that is a good sign that you're either A) in a punk band, or B) strapped for lyrics.
Out of the 14 songs on this album I would say that 7-9 of them are very solid and they are getting better with each listen. My stand out tracks are...
Chinese Democracy, Shackler's Revenge, Better, If the World, Riad n The Bedouins, Sorry and This I Love. (with Sorry probably being my favorite of the bunch).
This is Axl's album. I'm quite surprised that it got released and I definitely didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I have. I must admit that I didn't enjoy Slash's offerings very much so I guess that means that I'm taking Axl's side in the big GnR split. I hope the album does well. It needs it to actually recoup from the INSANE production costs of this thing. With all that being said there is something to be said about this guy toiling over this album for 10+ years and finally thinking it is good enough to release. I think some of the songs suffered for it don't get me wrong. There is a lot of tracks that just don't end when they should. They linger on (Like this review) but all in all this album is solid in my book.
7.5 out of 10 (Very listenable)
Thanks for reading
H
Showing posts with label Not Band Related. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Not Band Related. Show all posts
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Dexter: The Return of Everyone’s Favorite Serial Killer!
Okay, so let’s put the Halloween rant behind us shall we? Perhaps try to focus on something a little more positive; Something more along the lines of a series instead of a movie.
I am a huge fan of Showtime’s original series “Dexter” and recently I have been blessed with the first two episodes of the season to check out before the series returns in late September.
First of all: I suppose I should address you who haven’t jumped aboard the “Dexter” train just yet. The series is about a serial killer who was raised by his stepfather (Harry) to channel his inner monster on people who deserve it. On people who prey on weaker people. As evident by the first scene in the first season where we find Dexter stalking a priest who was sexually assaulting children and then murdering them. Dexter is trained well. Harry is a police officer and has taught Dexter everything about covering his tracks and waiting for the right moments to strike. Dexter is a diamond in the rough and really is one of the best shows on television (Premium channel or not).
In the beginning of the 2nd season of Dexter we pick up about 35 days after the end of the first series. Dexter has a new “admirer” who is over his shoulder with every move he makes. Which isn’t much of a shock if you’ve read the 2nd book in the series “Dearly Devoted Dexter”. But from what I’ve read that’s about where the similarities to the book are going to end. As they are not following the same storyline from Jeff Lindsay. Which I think is somewhat of a good idea because the writers of this show seem to understand the character and world that Dexter inhabits rather well.
I have to say these episodes show more of what I love about the show. We are seeing the character of Rita evolve and even little nods to certain personality traits Dexter was picking up on in the 2nd book.
This show is extremely well acted and if Michael C. Hall doesn’t get some major recognition for his transition from an incredibly flamboyant (yet very self loathing) gay man in the HBO Series “Six Feet Under” to the cold, calculated, often humorous character he is playing now I would have wonder what is going on in these peoples heads.
All in all I can’t say enough good things about this show.
Go out and buy the first season on DVD if you haven’t seen it yet.
If you have… Buy it and watch it again.
The Moondancer within you commands it.
BTW: The new book “Dexter in the Dark” by Jeff Lindsay should be getting released this month… You might want to consider getting that as well. Since you’re out and spending the money.
Thanks for reason
H
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
David Lynch's "Inland Empire"
***Not Band Related****
I know, 3 posts.. one day.. 2 not band related... Crazy huh.
I just wanted to post that I watched David Lynch's "Inland Empire" the other day. 3 hours of complete insanity. I don't know what to think about the movie. It's so bitter sweet to me that all of the major Lynch moments are there. All of the characters are quite off kilter... yet... 3 hours of this is very hard to digest.
Once again Lynch thrusts you into this world where time means nothing. I can't even imagine how he plugs this stuff to people and gets funding for it. It's so.. off the wall that it really is genius in it's insanity.
I really do enjoy movies like this. Sometimes I feel that watching a David Lynch movie is like unlocking this amazing puzzle that exists in the mans mind. Only difference is... you never know if you've got it right. I know that a lot of people find most of his movies to be unwatchable. However, some of Lynch's work has been the blueprint for many directors before him. His concept of dream & reality are so fused together that it is almost awe inspiring to watch the way he weaves between the two. I am always looking for "The Devil" in the David Lynch film... and in my theory I am very rarely let down. In this it was the elderly lady. The Rabbits that subside in this pseudo comedy realm representing the afterlife. The story of a woman (or 4 women for that matter) who breaks down and loses control of their life.
I honestly only got a small taste of what this film holds.. but I can say this. I can almost guaruntee that after this film was done Lynch felt he had made his best masterpiece to date. This film had more "Lynch" in it than any film before it.
One thing I would like to say about David Lynch is... How can ANYONE deny this mans creative vision? He has this way of portraying so much emotion with a simple camera angle. He always makes something just a little off. Just enough for you to feel uncomfortable. The moments of "I've been hypnotized" and EXTREME closeups of the faces of the characters. Frightening almost how he paints with such a demented brush.. and yet calming how he can return to a scene that is a little more comforting.
Lynch makes us feel solace in the worst places. A woman dying in the street... and a story being told by a homeless woman that is completely ridicoulus. Only to be revealed to be true in the end.. and the last story that our heroine will hear.
I don't know if this is my favorite Lynch movie. I won't know that until another 20 viewings. I can also say that 3 hours of lynch is very hard to digest. But, with all of that being said. David Lynch is a man that can make some very magical things happen on my tv screen. His moments of "horror" are done with such uneasy, disorienting camera angles that it just makes every scene build into this amazing fatal ball of confusion.
How is it that when I'm watching a Lynch movie I can't be shocked?. It's perfectly normal to see someones face just become distorted... to see Rabbits talking and answering phones to a laugh track. Saying things like "Who am I" and "Have you seen me before". This movie was not without it's comedy as well but I must say that you would have to be dialed in to Lynch's humor for it to sink in.
I don't know if I would recommend this movie to anyone.
I don't know if anyone else will enjoy this movie but me.
To be honest I'm not even sure if I've truly enjoyed this movie.
But I can say that I am looking forward to the next time I try to digest it.
because above everything else. David Lynch is a fantastic artist and his vision (no matter how demented) can not be denied.
Thanks for reading
I'm not even sure if I understood this post
I know, 3 posts.. one day.. 2 not band related... Crazy huh.
I just wanted to post that I watched David Lynch's "Inland Empire" the other day. 3 hours of complete insanity. I don't know what to think about the movie. It's so bitter sweet to me that all of the major Lynch moments are there. All of the characters are quite off kilter... yet... 3 hours of this is very hard to digest.
Once again Lynch thrusts you into this world where time means nothing. I can't even imagine how he plugs this stuff to people and gets funding for it. It's so.. off the wall that it really is genius in it's insanity.
I really do enjoy movies like this. Sometimes I feel that watching a David Lynch movie is like unlocking this amazing puzzle that exists in the mans mind. Only difference is... you never know if you've got it right. I know that a lot of people find most of his movies to be unwatchable. However, some of Lynch's work has been the blueprint for many directors before him. His concept of dream & reality are so fused together that it is almost awe inspiring to watch the way he weaves between the two. I am always looking for "The Devil" in the David Lynch film... and in my theory I am very rarely let down. In this it was the elderly lady. The Rabbits that subside in this pseudo comedy realm representing the afterlife. The story of a woman (or 4 women for that matter) who breaks down and loses control of their life.
I honestly only got a small taste of what this film holds.. but I can say this. I can almost guaruntee that after this film was done Lynch felt he had made his best masterpiece to date. This film had more "Lynch" in it than any film before it.
One thing I would like to say about David Lynch is... How can ANYONE deny this mans creative vision? He has this way of portraying so much emotion with a simple camera angle. He always makes something just a little off. Just enough for you to feel uncomfortable. The moments of "I've been hypnotized" and EXTREME closeups of the faces of the characters. Frightening almost how he paints with such a demented brush.. and yet calming how he can return to a scene that is a little more comforting.
Lynch makes us feel solace in the worst places. A woman dying in the street... and a story being told by a homeless woman that is completely ridicoulus. Only to be revealed to be true in the end.. and the last story that our heroine will hear.
I don't know if this is my favorite Lynch movie. I won't know that until another 20 viewings. I can also say that 3 hours of lynch is very hard to digest. But, with all of that being said. David Lynch is a man that can make some very magical things happen on my tv screen. His moments of "horror" are done with such uneasy, disorienting camera angles that it just makes every scene build into this amazing fatal ball of confusion.
How is it that when I'm watching a Lynch movie I can't be shocked?. It's perfectly normal to see someones face just become distorted... to see Rabbits talking and answering phones to a laugh track. Saying things like "Who am I" and "Have you seen me before". This movie was not without it's comedy as well but I must say that you would have to be dialed in to Lynch's humor for it to sink in.
I don't know if I would recommend this movie to anyone.
I don't know if anyone else will enjoy this movie but me.
To be honest I'm not even sure if I've truly enjoyed this movie.
But I can say that I am looking forward to the next time I try to digest it.
because above everything else. David Lynch is a fantastic artist and his vision (no matter how demented) can not be denied.
Thanks for reading
I'm not even sure if I understood this post
Rob Zombie's "Halloween"
***NOT BAND RELATED***
Okay, as I'm sure most of you know already I am a HUGE fan of the Halloween series. I have been for a long long time. (Probably longer than some of the people who listen to my music have been alive... which makes me feel old). I remember very well as a child watching Halloween 1 and 2 almost every year when it would come on television. I grew to appreciate the series and just enjoy the subtle trademarks of "evil" that the movie embarked upon.
On August 30th of this year Rob Zombie will be remaking Halloween.. I fear for it. I got a very early copy of the script from a friend of mine (who got it from a friend and so on and so fourth)... and if this script is followed I see very little hope of this being a good movie.
However, I must admit. The last couple of trailers/video clips I've seen have definitely peaked my interest as to what this movie is going to be like. I can't judge until I see the movie myself. But... there are some thoughts I'll post from what I've seen.
Michael Myers is TOO large!... one of the great things about the Michael Myers character is that he was just like anyone else. He wasn't some freak you'd point out walking down the street. Anyone wearing a mask could be mistaken for myers. Zombie's casting of an ex-Pro Wrestler caught my attention right away. When I read the script (again.. very early copy)... I remember the first thing I thought was... "This sounds very leatherface like in a sense". It makes sense if you saw house of 1,000 corpses.. as it struck me as just a cheap Texas Chainsaw Massacre ripoff. It sure will be interesting to see if Rob is going to go through with the "different paper masks for each emotion.." thing.. annd.. judging from the trailer that I saw on Yahoo.com... it looks like he hasn't changed that.
Loomis: Probably my favorite character in any movie is the Dr. Loomis character. I love the concept. He sees evil that no one else sees and so it consumes him. He obsesses with an evil that no one else believes is there. However, he knows the truth. He sees what no one else wants to see and would stop at NOTHING to stop the evil from escaping.
There is a movie I watched recently called "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon" and in this movie they refer to the advisory of evil as the "boon". Every stereotypical "Boon" in every horror movie since the first Halloween has been filmed is cut from the Donald Pleasance mold. That's how iconic this character is. I think that Rob Zombie actually did a great job in casting Malcom McDowell. He seems like he is going to play the role quite well from the little bit I have seen of him. The shoes this man must fill are enormous... As I am a HUGE fan of Donald Pleasance's work on the Halloween movies.
((((Sidenote, In my side project with Oly Olson I pitched to use the name "Loomis" as the band name, and before that when Josh was talking about leaving the band last year I was going to start a solo project called "Loomis".. I love the connotation that it brings fourth. The antithesis of evil. Oly didn't understand the concept and thought naming the band after a movie character wasn't a good idea, and Josh ended up leaving Planet Gemini and saying "You are PG anyway" so I continued using the band name)))
One thing is for certain, It's going to be interesting to see if this movie pans out. I'm hoping to get an early copy and check it out next week sometime. If I do I will be sure to give you all a quick little write up of my thoughts on the first viewing.. and then my thoughts from the 20 viewings after... To clarify; if Zombie hits a homerun with this movie I will be extremely happy. However, even if he hits a single I will buy a ticket for it. I'd be impressed with a step up from Resurrection.. and quite honestly that shouldn't be hard to do.
Okay, as I'm sure most of you know already I am a HUGE fan of the Halloween series. I have been for a long long time. (Probably longer than some of the people who listen to my music have been alive... which makes me feel old). I remember very well as a child watching Halloween 1 and 2 almost every year when it would come on television. I grew to appreciate the series and just enjoy the subtle trademarks of "evil" that the movie embarked upon.
On August 30th of this year Rob Zombie will be remaking Halloween.. I fear for it. I got a very early copy of the script from a friend of mine (who got it from a friend and so on and so fourth)... and if this script is followed I see very little hope of this being a good movie.
However, I must admit. The last couple of trailers/video clips I've seen have definitely peaked my interest as to what this movie is going to be like. I can't judge until I see the movie myself. But... there are some thoughts I'll post from what I've seen.
Michael Myers is TOO large!... one of the great things about the Michael Myers character is that he was just like anyone else. He wasn't some freak you'd point out walking down the street. Anyone wearing a mask could be mistaken for myers. Zombie's casting of an ex-Pro Wrestler caught my attention right away. When I read the script (again.. very early copy)... I remember the first thing I thought was... "This sounds very leatherface like in a sense". It makes sense if you saw house of 1,000 corpses.. as it struck me as just a cheap Texas Chainsaw Massacre ripoff. It sure will be interesting to see if Rob is going to go through with the "different paper masks for each emotion.." thing.. annd.. judging from the trailer that I saw on Yahoo.com... it looks like he hasn't changed that.
Loomis: Probably my favorite character in any movie is the Dr. Loomis character. I love the concept. He sees evil that no one else sees and so it consumes him. He obsesses with an evil that no one else believes is there. However, he knows the truth. He sees what no one else wants to see and would stop at NOTHING to stop the evil from escaping.
There is a movie I watched recently called "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon" and in this movie they refer to the advisory of evil as the "boon". Every stereotypical "Boon" in every horror movie since the first Halloween has been filmed is cut from the Donald Pleasance mold. That's how iconic this character is. I think that Rob Zombie actually did a great job in casting Malcom McDowell. He seems like he is going to play the role quite well from the little bit I have seen of him. The shoes this man must fill are enormous... As I am a HUGE fan of Donald Pleasance's work on the Halloween movies.
((((Sidenote, In my side project with Oly Olson I pitched to use the name "Loomis" as the band name, and before that when Josh was talking about leaving the band last year I was going to start a solo project called "Loomis".. I love the connotation that it brings fourth. The antithesis of evil. Oly didn't understand the concept and thought naming the band after a movie character wasn't a good idea, and Josh ended up leaving Planet Gemini and saying "You are PG anyway" so I continued using the band name)))
One thing is for certain, It's going to be interesting to see if this movie pans out. I'm hoping to get an early copy and check it out next week sometime. If I do I will be sure to give you all a quick little write up of my thoughts on the first viewing.. and then my thoughts from the 20 viewings after... To clarify; if Zombie hits a homerun with this movie I will be extremely happy. However, even if he hits a single I will buy a ticket for it. I'd be impressed with a step up from Resurrection.. and quite honestly that shouldn't be hard to do.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Imperial Media... (Not Band Related) Please read...
Since 2002 I have been close friends with the people that work at Imperial Media Services (http://www.imperialmedia.com) I had some headaches with a company a long time ago when pressing "13" and Imperial Media really bailed me out. I got a call from a friend of mine today who informed me that their building caught fire and they sustained major loss to their corperate headquarters. While they have re-ordered everything and they are in the process of rebuilding their main building they do still have a secondary plant open.
I just want to first of all wish my best to everyone in that company. One thing about that place that I always loved is that while they are pressing these huge runs for major labels and while they are dealing with much much larger companies than mine. Imperial Media always treated Planet Gemini like it was a valued customer. Like a friend really.
When she called me and told me there was a fire I naturally thought they were inoperable and in that scenereo I would have pushed Wicked up until they had the time they needed to press my material. I am loyal to them and will not waiver on that.
Anyway, to make a long story short. I know I have a lot of bands and labels that visit my site and I just want to point you all in the direction of this fantastic company. To all of you who have ordered my CD's you KNOW what quality they produce. One of the compliments that I always got was how professional my CD's looked... and while yes it is my amazing artistic ability (heheh) it is also incredible materials made by incredible people who actually CARE about my product.
Whether I've pressed 100,500,1,000 or 10,000 these people have done their best to make sure it is treated like a number 1 priority.
If you have a project that you'd like pressed (even in short run) give them a call.
800.736.8273 and talk with their customer service staff. You'd not only be helping out my friends... but you'd be doing your band/project a favor in aquiring such high quality services.
I would like to take a personal note and wish the best to everyone at Imperial Media Services . To THANK them for working with me over the years (and for the many, many years to come) and most importantly a hope for a quick recovery so they can be more successful than ever.
Sincerely
H
I just want to first of all wish my best to everyone in that company. One thing about that place that I always loved is that while they are pressing these huge runs for major labels and while they are dealing with much much larger companies than mine. Imperial Media always treated Planet Gemini like it was a valued customer. Like a friend really.
When she called me and told me there was a fire I naturally thought they were inoperable and in that scenereo I would have pushed Wicked up until they had the time they needed to press my material. I am loyal to them and will not waiver on that.
Anyway, to make a long story short. I know I have a lot of bands and labels that visit my site and I just want to point you all in the direction of this fantastic company. To all of you who have ordered my CD's you KNOW what quality they produce. One of the compliments that I always got was how professional my CD's looked... and while yes it is my amazing artistic ability (heheh) it is also incredible materials made by incredible people who actually CARE about my product.
Whether I've pressed 100,500,1,000 or 10,000 these people have done their best to make sure it is treated like a number 1 priority.
If you have a project that you'd like pressed (even in short run) give them a call.
800.736.8273 and talk with their customer service staff. You'd not only be helping out my friends... but you'd be doing your band/project a favor in aquiring such high quality services.
I would like to take a personal note and wish the best to everyone at Imperial Media Services . To THANK them for working with me over the years (and for the many, many years to come) and most importantly a hope for a quick recovery so they can be more successful than ever.
Sincerely
H
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