Rancid - Let The Dominoes Fall

Rancid – Let the Dominoes Fall
Once upon a time there was a band who considered themselves “the only band that matters,” and for nearly a decade that statement was true. The Clash put out one magnificent album after another, pushing the corporation defined boundaries of both punk and pop until they smashed them together with their magnum opus: Combat Rock. And as always seems to happen in the music world, creative differences and personality clashes tore the band apart. And as also always seems to happen, younger bands picked up the fallen standard and continued marching on.
During the Nineties, two bands emerged that owed a tremendous debt to The Clash: Green Day and Rancid. Green Day took the Clash formula and mixed in New York Punk. Rancid mixed that same formula with West Coast Punk. Green Day eventually found their own creative voice separate from the Clash influence and emerged as a cultural force of their own. Rancid, however, has remained true to the faith.
On Let the Dominoes Fall Tim Armstrong’s voice is ragged and gutsy as he swaggers through punk gems like ‘East Bay Night,’ ‘Up To No Good,’ ‘Liberty and Freedom,’ and the title track. Armstrong’s voice has matured over the years since Let’s Go and …And Out Come the Wolves garnered Rancid nationwide attention. The vocal duties are shared among the band, but Armstrong’s voice dominates as expected.
M y first thought after hearing Let the Dominoes Fall for the first time was “Wow, they’ve been listening to some Social Distortion in their downtime.” A little research showed that not only have they been listening to Social Distortion, Matt Freeman has been playing with Social Distortion for the last few years. Freeman’s guitar work on this album definitely shows the influence of the time he has spent in Social Distortion.
Recommended tracks:
‘East Bay Nights’ - Pure ska-punk revivalism. This opening track is definitely an attention-getter.
‘Up To No Good’ - Just a fun little tune.
‘Dominoes Fall’ - This song is a tasty little nugget that gets the blood pumping.
‘Liberty and Freedom’- A wonderfully subversive anthem critiquing government and the media. This is what punk should be: catchy and political.
Let the Dominoes Fall combines the gutter guitar of Social Distortion, the punk lyricism and attitude of the Clash, and the ska flavor of any number of late 70s/early 80s UK bands like the Specials, The Selecter, and The Untouchables to provide a final product that feels like pure ska-punk from an earlier era. While this album is no world-shaker, it is fun.

Birmingham, AL
June 2009

Depeche Mode - Sounds of The Universe

Over the past year four great eighties bands: The Cure, U2, Bauhaus and Depeche Mode have released new albums. The Bauhaus album was good if you were already a Bauhaus fan, but wasn’t that accessible to new listeners. The Cure album was good, but not up to par with their other albums. I refuse to even discuss the disappointment I experienced with the new U2 album. Not to worry fans, Depeche Mode’s new effort, Sounds of the Universe surpasses them all.
It seems that every new album by Depeche Mode is hailed as the best album since the listener’s favorite. Eighties kids usually claim Some Great Reward, Black Celebration or Music for the Masses. Nineties kids prefer Violator. I imagine the kids of this decade consider Playing the Angel their album, and I agree that it was pretty spectacular. And in that spirit I hail Sounds of the Universe as the best Depeche Mode album… since the last one.
Sounds of the Universe is a dark album. Depeche Mode has always had a certain spooky factor that is difficult to explain. It’s the feeling of a church after midnight. It’s big, empty, and haunted. Depeche Mode are the guys who broke in to play with the pipe organ. They fill the space with haunting vocals and disturbing music. For all its eeriness, however, Sounds of the Universe is a lush and gorgeous album.
Recommended Tracks:
‘In Chains,’ the opening track, is classic nineties DM. The music is sparse and spacey; the lyrics haunting. It has the appropriate feel for the opening track of an album called Sounds of the Universe.
‘Wrong’ is pure DM cheese. This song feels like an excerpt from Some Great Reward. It has all the bombast and electronic thuggery of their early albums. I love it!
‘Little Soul’ is DM at their creepiest. The music is cinematic, dissonant, and tense. The vocals are as plaintive and ethereal as Dave Gahan can get.
‘Come Back’ feels as if it is part romantic paean, part ominous threat. This ambivalence is displayed in the contrast between Gahan’s voice and the samples that cascade in the background.
Martin Gore’s lyrics and Dave Gahan’s delivery have achieved a maturity that one would expect with over twenty years as a band under their belts. Sounds of the Universe is a psychological thriller of an album: tense, suspenseful, a bit playful but mostly just very satisfying.
Sounds of the Universe may not have the cultural impact that Some Great Reward or Violator had. Or even the impact that Playing the Angel should have had. But it is a good, solid Depeche Mode album and whether you are an old fan or a newcomer to Depeche Mode, this album will not disappoint.

Birmingham AL
May 2009

Mission Statement

So, my goal here is to put forth my opinions on music, movies, books and society in general from my uniquely grumpy, curmudgeonly, and misanthropic perspective. If it helps you find something you might like, wonderful! If you disagree with my analysis, that's your prerogative.

All opinions presented in this blog are mine (unless stated otherwise).

And with all of that out of the way, let's have some fun.