M thru P

Earlier in my reviews you have seen me equate Beck Hansen/Bob Dylan and Kurt Cobain/John Lennon. Here is my reason, not every Nirvana song is about something. That doesn't mean not good, it just means lacking easy relation to everyday happenings. And if pressed about this Cobain/Lennon thing I will say that "Yes, I do believe that the Courtney thing would have developed into a situation for the band mirroring the Yoko syndrome." But enough of that type of rambling. Bleach was Nirvana's first album and I like it a lot. A whole lot. It sounds good and much rougher than Nevermind for the simple fact that it was recorded, produced, and mixed on a literal shoestring budget. Luckily the fearsome 3 were firey enough to transcend what would seem like an impossible position, they went on to become inarguably one of the most admired and imtitated artists of the 90'z. They deserve it. Kurt poured himself into the songs and it shows. Fueled by the desperate wanting of getting ANYWHERE in life this band used this album to start their take off to one of music's most legendary artists. This album is a great way to see how much they wanted to be heard and how good they sounded even with almost literally no budget. More heart than art, but the former is what counts the most to people like myself. I rate this album with much gravity and I'm happy to say I'm proud to present it with a

N8 R8: 10

This is one of the greatest Punk albums of all times. NOFX does a great job in this classic. Wether they're putting out a message like Just the flu, Gonoherpasyphlaids, or The Malachi Crunch, or telling stories of their lives The Moron Brothers, Showerdays, NOFX combines hilarious lyrics, hard hitting guitars, and short songs for short attention spans.

Munkynutz sayz[1 thru 10]: 8.5 nutz

Do you (like millions of others) like Marilyn Manson's music but hate to be associated with his persona? If this is the case then Elementree Records (Kornz fledgling label) has your answer! They're called Orgy and I'll be damned if they don't sound EXACTLY like Marilyn Manson! Their cover of "Blue Monday" is something you have more than likely already heard either on the radio or MTV (grrrr). Their album is so reminiscient of "Mechanical Animals" that it is just plain eerie. They sound like Manson, alot. While this is a good/bad thing I have to say that I'd care for this album hella more if there hadn't already been a new Manson album in the last year. They end up sounding derivative and rippoffish. But like I said if you like the sound of Manson but hate the imagery then this is the band for you. They're freaks, but they're less publicized freaks! Anyway, if you enjoy the electronic, KMFDM, NIN, MM, and all the rest that combine real instruments and a good voice with electronic and ambient effects then you will enjoy this. Like I said it's a little too derivative for me so the score will suffer.

N8 R8: 7.2

Finally something that sounds decidely Primus. I like Primus but you gotta admit that "The Brown Album" was a decidely weird diversion from their normal sound, I think that that's fine but I was really looking forward to something more expected. Rhinoplasty is the answer. Songs like Scissorman, and The Family and the Fishing Net are more like the Primus I knew and loved. Also in this EP is a studio version of Too Many Puppies and live renditions of Tommy the Cat and Bob's Party Time Lounge. The crowning jewel of this assorted creativity has to be their cover of Metallica's The Thing That Should Not Be. Two words: It's Heavy. I know that'd be three words if I hadn't contracted but oh well. Anyway if you can find this EP at an EP price (this seems to be becoming harder and harder to do) then pick it up. It's a Hamilton well spent.

N8 R8: 7.5

Now I have to say that I don't usually don't say that being "altered" would help your appreciation of music (in fact in a lot of cases it's downright detrimental) but this album is good either way. Now you'll see in the course of perusing my reviews of albums that I refer/compare things to Pink Floyd fairly often. That's because Pink Floyd might as well be the only band that existed before I was born that is still around and creating music as good as when they started. Always fresh and listenable and never getting out of date, Floyd has defined what good music is. It frustrates me to have to lump them into a category with rock bands because if there were such a thing as justice in this insane world they would have their own category. Now onto my review. Wish you were here was the album made possible by the unbelievably successful Dark Side of the Moon. Record execs let them do things they wanted finally and they took that and ran with it. Wish you were here only has 3 songs "proper" on it, the rest of the album is comprised of a wonderful moving piece of music called "Shine on you Crazy Diamond". It is a piece of music not to be confused with anything as banal as a "song", it is a movement constantly shifting and fragmenting only to come back together. Pure artistry. This album more than any other inspires me to create and be tranquil. I like it is an understatement. If you don't have this album around somewhere in your house then you don't really listen to music. A must have from the masters of soundscaping and emotional evocation. Do not miss it, If you don't have it go get it.

N8 R8: 10

This album sux.

N8 R8z: I'd rather pay 15 bux for a cheese sandwich