Adventures In Stereo

Greetings!

I realise that it’s been a while since my last post and in that time Velvet Revolver have announced that they are parting company with Scott Weiland.  This comes just shortly on the heels of Weiland’s announcement in Glasgow on March 20th that “this is the last tour” and former band, Stone Temple Pilots, announcing that they were reforming for a tour in the summer.

Slash had stated that “This band is all about its fans and its music and Scott Weiland isn’t 100% committed to either.  Among other things, his increasingly erratic on-stage behavior and personal problems have forced us to move on.”

Regardless, it seems that a 3rd Velvet Revolver album is on the cards, while Weiland will no doubt focus on the Stone Temple Pilots reunion.

… I also realise that I’ve again been late with the monthly bootleg. I had loaned much of my collection to a friend and it’s taken me a while to look out a worthy show.

… I’ve also been re-arranging my proper CD collection so that ‘Saturnalia’, ‘The Bees Made Honey In The Lions Skull’, ‘Ultra-Payloaded’, ‘Our Shadows Will Remain’ and ‘Dig, Lazarus Dig!!!’ finally find their place among the many others.

Saturnalia, for those who are missing out, is one of the finest albums I’ve heard in a number of years. I’ve been a fan of Lanegan for some time (since I first heard Screaming Trees) and I also loved The Afghan Whigs (Twilight Singers are pretty good, but The Whigs were special), so to say this collaboration is a little special would be understatement.  The first 3 tracks (The Stations, God’s Children and All Misery/Flowers) make their intentions very clear: there’s no dwelling on past glories and although often echoing the best work of each frontman (God’s Children sounding like Black Love era Whigs, All Misery/Flowers creeps in like one of Lanegan’s Bubblegum-era tracks, while Bete Noir is reminiscent of the best of Screaming Trees), the approach is fresh, with both are on particularly inspired form.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ latest (Dig, Lazarus Dig!!!) may not be as instantly appealing as it’s predecessor (2004’s amazing double Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus), but after a few listens it has managed to tunnel its way into my brain.  The title track is particularly catchy and was for a while my wake up call in the morning.  Night of the Lotus Eaters, We Call Upon the Author and Jesus of the Moon are highlights.

I’ll say no more about Earth’s latest, as I’ve already commented on it in a previous post. However, if you haven’t already checked out the MP3 of Omens & Portents I: The Driver (courtesy of record label Southern Lord), I recommend that you do so now.  The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull’ is an incredibly powerful album, tinged with desert rock and uplifting southern gothic (doesn’t that stir some intrigue?).

The other two albums are older, but are well deserving of a mention here. Perry Farrell’s first Satellite Party record didn’t get the reaction it deserved from me first time around, but I’ll have to review my top 10 of 2007.  I’ve been listening to it a fair bit these last few weeks and it’s a brilliant album … a natural progression from Jane’s Addiction’s Strays.

‘Our Shadows Will Remain’ is another that has grown on me over time. There’s no denying Joseph Arthur’s talent, however I’d initially found it to be a little too … overwhelming.  Or underwhelmingly overwhelming?  Regardless, it has since grown on me … the sign of a great album.  Even Tho is my current favourite, with Can’t Exist being a close second. 

Anyhoo, hope you are all doing well and enjoy these videos.