Album Reviews 4/17/14 · 7:25pm Apr 17th, 2014
Music from Inherit the Earth- Quest for the Orb
More furry stuff. Inherit the Earth was a CD-ROM point-and-click adventure of the type that was popular in the 90's. It featured an all-furry cast and some good humor. It was of a type that I did and do like, the implied-post-apocalypse where no one is living in abject squallor and hopeless misery. The anti-Fallout. Like that old cartoon where forest animals live in peace after humans war themselves to death and they find a Bible that is open to "Ye shall rebuild the old wastes." Human technology is like magic and they are just a legend written on cave walls. Anyhow, this is background music. The quality is what you expect of a 90's CD-ROM game. Right around MIDI quality. But at least it's good to me. Entertaining enough. Mostly with a pseudo-Medieval/Rennfaire feel.
6/10 (It's all electronic instrumental)
Megadeth- Greatest Hits
I'm not really much of a metalhead but I play one on TV. Kidding. But I'm really not. My best friend ever, the guy who was like a brother to me (before he moved to Michigan) was a super metal fan. Actually a lot of hard genres. Bu I digress. He got me listening to some things. However, that is not why I got this particular album. These may or may not be good songs. I can't judge metal. I got it for one song I heard about through the old Furry Music Foundation, in the big list of songs about animals, anthropomorphic animals and so on. "She-wolf." It's quite a nice song, and until Shakira's "She-wolf" was my favorite Lupine song. The rest of the album... is there. I knew "Peace Sells" from Rock Band but that's it.
4/10 (Seriously. I bought it for "She-Wolf.")
Moulin Rouge Soundtrack 2
It was a full-on old-style movie musical. There was more music than could be stuffed on the original. So this one was put out. And because I was an am a huge Moulin Rouge fan I got it. The important stuff that wasn't on the first soundtrack is "Spectacular, Spectacular", "Like a Virgin" and "Meet me in the Red Room." Especially "Spectacular, Spectacular." Luna's Plot that song is great! So funny! Anyhow, the rest are variations of other songs, instrumentals and original film versions. Good for those that like different song versions but mostly for those that want all the songs. It's worth it.
8/10
My Chemical Romance- The Black Parade
Hearkening back to my comments about Panic! At the Disco, I like things I like. Hearing that I liked this album made someone stop talking to me for a few days. To be fair he's an unstable drama queen who has an admitted mental illness. But others have mocked me for enjoying this too. Really, it's fairly inoffensive. Like many I got hooked on "Welcome to the Black Parade" because it had a great message and catchy tune. On getting this I came to like "House of Wolves", "Mama" and "Teenagers." The rest are sort of take-or-leave but not altogether bad.
6/10
Nightwish- Once
Those Europeans. Always way awesomer than us. Symphonic Metal is a thing. An awesome thing. Nightwish is one of the most awesome groups ever. This album... is not quite awesome. Don't get me wrong, Nightwish's music is great but this one only had one of the songs I really wanted, "Wish I had an angel." In truth my favorite song is "Over the hills and far away." So entrancing. Anyhow, the highlight of this album is "Wish I had an angel." And yes, I'm one of those folks who longs for the days when Tarja was still in the group. Also, Tuomas and Jukka are the kinds of be-facial-haired prettybois I like.
7/10
Rent Motion Picture Spundtrack
See comments regarding Avenue Q, with the addition of AIDS-baiting, poly-apologism and other modernist stuff. Now some songs are fun in a musical sense, like "Rent", "Tango: Maureen", "La Vie Boheme" and, of course, the beautiful "Seasons of love" (as long as you don't think about it too hard. I reserve extra contempt for La Vie Boheme which wants to sound enlightened and edgy but seems more like an anthem of cultural appropriation, tokenism, the dark side of tolerance (South Park style) and making excuses for squallor. Plus: Akitas are cute and don't deserve to be chased off of balconies.
5/10
Various- Swing This, Baby
The only proof that a thing known as the swing revival ever existed, this is a true cultural artifact. At least it is to me, given my love of and fascination with the genre. It's an anthology showing off many groups. There are the expected names: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Brian Setzer Orchestra. And then the obscure ones that came and went. Such a shame. It's like "Sultans of Swing" played out for real. It may be personal bias but buck it. This is awesome. So many horns, so much stand-up bass, such great drum work.
9/10
Weird Al Yankovic- Poodle Hat
The title is just absurdist goodness, and tickles me as a fan of poodles. The songs on the album are quite good, and still hold up even though the songs being parodied are no longer pop culture highlights. Special mention goes to "Ode to a Superhero" (anyone who can parody Billy Joel and do it right is amazing; the only other good one I heard was one of the many "She's always a woman" parodies about Lyra), "Bob" (palindromes are so fun), eBay (The products mentioned are great) and of course "Hardware Store" (Go on, YOU make a song about a hardware store that's half as awesome. Can't do it, can you? Weird Al motherf
ing Yankovic is amazing.)
9/10
Gloria Estefan- Greatest Hits
My parents were the first Gloria fans in the house but not the last. This was my first exposure to her and I just fell in love with the music. Her voice is so rich, somewhat low for a woman. She has full female range but she sings with a just-above-husky tone that in some ways reminds me of old torch singers. She also has a good range of music. Granted, it's the apolitical and asocial pop range between joyous abandon and heartbreak (which is funny because she's been married to the same man forever; she's good at faking it.) But some of the messages in the music actually have some value, like "Christmas through your eyes" and "Always tomorrow."
9/10
Gloria Estefan- Destiny
Remember how I said I was a fan? Yeah, I may not have been clear on that. I've been to one of her concerts. The only other live entertainment I've been to are musicals, the theater and Cabaret Fur le Dance at Califur. Anyhow, this was an album after all of her physical therapy, released in the year she did the closing ceremony for the Olympics. It's very... lush I would say. The orchestration sounds like her usual Cuban/Caribbean stuff but there's also a good dose of electronics. And many of the songs have this ethereal/dreamy quality to them, like the title track, "Steal your heart", "Path of the right love" and "Reach." Bonus fun fact: Gloria Estefan is famous enough in England that Irish comedian Dara O Briain did an extended joke involving her in one of his specials.
9/10
Bill Cosby is a Very Funny Fellow Right! (Recorded live at The Bitter End)
If you don't think Bill Cosby is one of the funniest comedians to ever exist you are a horrifying monster with no soul. I kid, mostly. I grew up with Bill Cosby albums on vinyl and tape and VHS. The man is timelessly hilarious. This particular album has one of the best Cosby comedy bits, all three parts of the "Noah" thing. Guaranteed laughs. The rest are all pretty good. "Tiny little hairs" and "Greasy kid stuff" make use of his imitation of dumbass jocks doing commercials and they're tragically accurate even today. "A Nut in every car" still describes the New York Subway to a T. So... Cosby. Listen to him. He's always gonna be awesome.
8/10
Yeah, I'm with you on Nightwish. :/ It's unfortunate, because Tarja's a complete diva and her solo albums have been garbage.
Oh god, the flashbacks!!!
Fucking Rent sung day after day for years and years. Why would you do this to me?
2019936
Somehow I suspected that was the case. Talented people often have a problem with remaining stable. She should have kept her gravy train rolling, for everyone's sakes.
2020945
Were you a summer stock performer or something like it?
2021475
Well, I think she got kicked out. It's a story that repeats over and over. :/
2021477
Aforementioned sister.
2021497
Music is a weird, weird industry.
2023435
Ah, I see.