From the Divine to the Ridiculous

Never really tried my hand at reviewing before but here goes I guess. Although this is a cd it’s divided in to two distinctive parts and titled from the Divine (the first “side”) to the Ridiculous (“side” two). The first broadly consists of religious or at least spiritual music while the second doesn’t have such a unifying theme at first glance – maybe it is just ridiculous. Great weird artwork on the front with men wearing strangely familiar masks and the theme is illustrated inside with a burning heart for the first side and a pentagram for the second. Anyhow, I can’t really think of a more interesting way to do this than describe each song bit by bit so that’s what I’m going to do.

The tracks on the first side are kinda overlapped without being mixed so the beginning of the new one fades in as the old fades out, something that works fairly well here I think.

First up is Howe Gelb with “That’s How Things Get Done”, it starts off promisingly enough with a kind of funky beat and slightly scuzzy guitar sound but to be honest it is only slightly scuzzy and really a little bit too polished. By the time his annoying voice kicks in I’m not liking this at all. Back the annoyingly nasal and not-rough-enough voice with some even more annoying backing singers (think Leonard Cohen) and if it wasn’t all one mix I’d be on the fast forward button.
Next up is Laura Veirs with To the Country, this is wimpy, watery folk that reminds me of the hold music on some number (which escapes me now) that I regularly have to ring for work. Without the insipid vocals it wouldn’t be too bad I guess but there they are, all over it.

Blind Boys of Alabama with a version of Ol’ Time Religion follows, this is more like it! BBA always remind me of going to visit my girlfriend’s parents because her dad is a fan and they’ve soundtracked many a (lost) game of scrabble. Gotta love the power of the vocals here, the conviction and the way they do that thing where they all sing different bits at the same time with only an organ on the offbeat to keep time. The song itself always reminds me of that Russ Meyer film where the girl with the big breasts (you know the one right?) keeps singing it on the radio – also Captain Beefheart uses a snippet I seem to remember, either way this is great.

Sacred Harp Singers – I’m Going Home, not quite so keen on this to be honest. Just a bit too straight and reminds me of the kind of thing that I would probably hear if I went to church on a Sunday in the village where I grew up (except slightly better done).

Now another gospel tune, strangely enough when this cd plopped through my door an album featuring a version of Jesus On The Mainline was sitting on the turntable, that take (by the Hopson Family) cannot compare to this barnstorming version, it’s absolutely fucking rocking and for me possibly the highlight of the whole cd, reckon I’ll have to get myself a copy of this. Just crazy, frantic and tight brassy gospel that rises to an absolutely bonkers finish while still holding it all together. Brilliant brilliant tune. Oh yeah, it’s by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. (Also reminds me of Alabama 3’s perversion of this song – Shoot Me Up In The Mainline – which I kinda like).

The cd is really hitting its stride now, following on from that last one there is no let up with Marion Gaines’ take on Grandma’s Hands, beautiful gospel-soul perfect for a sunny Sunday morning (which is just what it is now as I type). This is an ace and emotional version and another highlight of the thing.

Son House’s version of John The Revelator next – it’s Son House; it’s John The Revelator; it’s wicked. Such a powerful rough voice carries this with nothing else except some background clapping to keep time. I love this. Never really understood the point of “revelator” though, do you really need to make up a word for something if it only applies to one person?

I’m not really a Bob Dylan fan (nothing against him either mind) but I was pleased to see that the track that features on this cd is the one that a friend once played me to trick me into liking Bob Dylan – the reason being that there is no way you would know it’s by him. The track is All The Tired Horses (here re-named All The Pretty Horses, a McCarthian slip?). It’s a kind of euphoric sun-coming up kind of song with a repetitive refrain sung by a group of women over a string-type background. When the cd finishes it’s this one that’s in my head so it must be doing something right and a few listens through reinforce this as it definitely grows on me. Very nice tune.

As for the next one from Aretha Franklin (How I Got Over), it’s good and everything but I’d been enjoying those last few so much this one doesn’t seem quite up to the previous standard.

The next three tracks are all reggae which I thought was a pretty clever way of staying with the religious theme yet totally changing the style of music. Unfortunately though, while all of these tracks are ok none really grabbed me by the balls or left any kind of real impression on me to be honest. The first is African Head Charge and Somebody Touch I which I found mildly irritating due to its repeated “I” chorus, the others are VC – By His Deeds and Jah Jah Promise by Johnny Osbourne, neither of which are quite melodic or heavy or unusual or anything enough to be particularly memorable I’m afraid. After a few listens I find myself singing along to the Osbourne one but only in the way that you do if you hear anything enough.
At this point are a number of silly samples (Orbital and KLF I seem to remember) which break up the tape and, I guess, signify the change from divine to ridiculous, the Satan bit being particularly appropriate.

This second bit starts off nicely with a cunning reversal of the spiritual imagery that has dominated the first part in the form of Paradise Don’t Come Cheap by New Kingdom. This is a dramatic slice of soundtracky hip-hop with lyrics spat out in a style that reminds me in a strange kind of way of Tom Waits (though don’t ask me to explain why I think that, perhaps something to do with the way it sounds kind of hard but also as though he has a lisp – not that Tom Waits has a lips but sometimes he sounds as though he ought to have or something). Slow crashing beats and exciting (and equally crashing) string stabs all combine well with the vocal to make this great fun and a welcome change of pace from the last few nondescript tunes.
Keeping with the same angry (yet, to me at least, humorous,) style as the last, Team Shadetek’s Brooklyn Anthem is also a great rabble rousing shouter and in my book you can’t find fault with someone who uses the word “cantankerous” in their tune especially when it’s over a fast bubbling ragga-style rhythm with lots of weight on each beat like this one.

Oh yeah, should say that the tunes on this “side” are overlapped more subtly or else cut in right on the beat and there are a couple of points where I had difficulty working out exactly which bit was part of which song, if there are any errors later on or right now for that matter then that’s why. The next tune, DJ Rupture’s Rumbo Babylon it says, is all bass and pummelling, yet funky and swinging beats with industrial grinding noises and the occasional echoed snippet of vocal over the top. Works very nicely and is surprisingly easy on the ears for something made out of such harsh sounds. Then this is where I get confused, towards the end of this tune (or maybe the start of the next) a stupidly catchy melody suddenly appears on top of this beat, it sounds like a sample from Chris Rea’s Auberge (remember that?) although sadly I don’t think it is, either way I like it. I’m going to take a guess that this is still the same tune because of the way the quick cuts in the Aubergey bit mimic the beat so well.

That all grinds to a halt, there are a few funny noises before a heavy reggae beat with more mechanical crashing noises and booming noises appears with the archetypal whipcrack sound on the offbeat. Yet more vicious break-beat banging noises of various types and a nasty pulsing bassline that drops in and out make this one both stop-start and yet immediately appealing. The track is Soundboy by Kovert.
Some crying and ravey stabs introduce DJ Scud’s No Love. I’ve got an album by Scud and I have to say that it’s not exactly glued to my turntable (ie I haven’t listened to it for about three years) but I was pleased when a quick check revealed that this tune is not from that. In fact compared to that album this track of (yet more) reggae swings and random flat beats, screams and machine gun sounds is positively friendly. Those last three electro tunes have all been quite similar but all good enough in their own right so fine by me.

Staying with the lilting (if that can really describe dj Scud) sound but a definite change in feel next for Born Jamericans with Yardcore. The sounds are a lot more organic and there is a real mc really (sort of) singing but in comparison it sounds a little weak. Not bad, not good, I won’t remember it tomorrow. I suppose I can see the logic in including it as it makes a nice bridge to the next tune - Guns are Drawn by The Roots, nice melodies and all but again fairly forgettable. I’m sure by the title (and ‘cause it’s The Roots) that they are on about something important but I can’t be bothered to listen closely enough to find out. Same goes for Nightmares on Wax with 70/80s (Upbringing Mix) except that this is worse, in fact I actually find this irritating, it’s obviously going for that sunkissed, mellow, blunted, headnodding etc vibe but I reckon that there is a fine line between that and being smug whimsy and for me this is on the wrong side.

New Flesh – Wherever We Go suddenly kicks it up a bit with a welcome change of pace, a dangerous, wired bassline and fast chatting start it off well but I find that the chorus (as so often) doesn’t match up to the verse and leaves you kind of treading water until the verse and bassline force their way back in. Still a good enough tune though and that bassline is growing on me more as I listen.
Finally back to the electro sounds of a few tracks ago though this time more straight ahead than the “swung” feel of the previous tunes. Another killer bassline, that insistent percussion that graces so many electro tunes to great effect and someone who sounds like Mark E Smith. In fact, I dunno why I said that, it obviously is MES, speaking slightly more sense than usual he demands “give us the fucking cod”. More boingy noises that increase the excitement followed by some screechy sounds in the higher registers for good measure and this is great even without the stupid lyrics that add that extra dimension. It’s Ghostdigital (featuring Mark E Smith I assume) and In Cod We Trust, this seems to ring a bell somewhere in the back of my mind but I just don’t know why.

That’s the end and I have to say that even if I didn’t like all the tunes there were a lot that I did like (and quite a few I really liked) and I really appreciated the thought that had gone in to it what with the themed sides and the progression from track to track not to mention the artwork. The person getting my tape won’t benefit from anything like that and whoever did this one has made me feel that I ought to have made more of an effort.
Thanks a lot anyway, hope the review wasn’t too harsh.