Lateral Thinking

Review/Response type essay for the album Lateralus, by Tool.

Lateral Thinking

I’ve been asked this question many times; what’s the best album ever made? This is a pointless question because time is still moving forward. However, I don’t like getting into philosophical arguments so I tell them; ‘Lateralus’ from the American band Tool. As we draw closer to the tenth anniversary it’s still playing on my computer, that’s high praise considering I have 10,000 other songs to choose from in my library. As a listener, how do we analyze such an elaborate, intricate piece of work? There are only four men on this planet who can fully complete that task; Maynard James Keenan, Adam Jones, Danny Carey and Justin Chancellor. That’s right, the artists who created an aural orgasm for the rest of us to enjoy.

The aim of this review is to make an attempt at breaking down Lateralus, not as thirteen songs on a disc, but as an entire package. To begin with, you need to look at the sleeve notes inside the case. You’ll realize that they don’t exist. The inner sleeve consists of artwork from long time collaborator Alex Grey. Each time you turn the page you take away a layer flesh and muscle from the mysterious figure. Keep looking and you’ll reach the final layer, noting but bone and brain with the word ‘God’ etched into this person’s mind. Even before we play the disc, it becomes obvious that something special is about to unfold.

The disc doesn’t contain any words or information, it is simply coloured black. The edge of the disc is designed with a continuous white pattern of the ‘flaming eye’, an image which occurs throughout Tool’s imagery as a symbol of energy (something which this album contains plenty of). I’m going to listen to the album as I write/type, and review it not as thirteen individual songs but as seventy-eight minutes and fifty-eight seconds of music. My favourite albums take me on a journey, preferably an outer-body experience and this is no different. If music doesn’t create the sense of breaking free from daily society, then what’s the point? I want something to make me forget about my problems in my life, even if that feeling lasts little over an hour.

Lateralus is filling my ears. The start of our journey begins with a gradual build to a song that eventually shows off the vocal qualities of Maynard. He is an incredibly diverse artist who can easily switch from beautiful harmony into fierce anger. Anger is an important word when we review Tool’s music. The people of this world, who fall into the conservative category, will label this type of voice as hateful. This is an inaccurate statement which Maynard is quick to clarify, stating that anger is a far more constructive emotion than hate. The beginning of the journey is still continuing with the word ‘Grudge’ becoming a constant word used (and thankfully it’s not related to the terrible film of the same name).

We’re almost twenty-five minutes into the album and in between each soaring and beautifully loud verse, the album soothes into sixty seconds of ambience. Swiftly this changes, and we’re brought to our feet with more pulsating riffs from Adam Jones’ guitar. He is an important figure who (without undermining his peers) is probably the most artistic of the four members. Jones works alongside Alex Grey to create the accompanying artwork and videos (often using stop-motion animation techniques). Most critics praise the unusual time signatures that Jones is well noted for, and most of these critics are correct. The guitar work here is undoubtedly unique. If one were to see the music written on paper it would be shunned aside because it shouldn’t work, but for some reason it does. It becomes a key part of the four elements (drum, bass, vocals and guitar) and it’s clear that Tool simply wouldn’t be the same without his presence. Even more importantly, Lateralus would not exist if one of these elements were to leave.

The music continues to feed my ear drums and I continue to write, now approaching the forty-five minute mark. This is arguably the most important stage of the journey, when we reach what is labeled as the album titled song. This is where the elements complement each other with great precision and technique. Danny’s snare and Justin’s often criticized use of a pick while playing bass, play equal roles alongside Maynard’s voice and Adam’s Gibson. The reason I love this band and this album in particular, is because it continues to make me look further into what’s actually happening with the sounds. In this section for instance, the vocal syllables match the sequential numbers of Fibonacci (a mathematical system which dates back well before we were born). If that wasn’t enough proof to show a deeper meaning; the vocals begin ninety-seven seconds (roughly 1.618 of a minute) after the opening tone. The ratio is in accordance with the ‘Golden Ratio’ which is directly related to the Fibonacci mathematical sequence and theory. I was never good at mathematics during my school years; I always found subtraction particularly difficult. So what exactly does this sequence mean and how is it relevant? That’s where personal opinion comes into play, that’s where you’re given the opportunity to relate the music to your own situation in life. There’s no perfect answer to describing the meaning of this song as each individual’s interpretation is different, and I’d have it no other way.

The remainder of the music brings us on a trip back home to our everyday lives. For the finale, we fade out with ambient sounds only to wake up and get ready for work again. Once more I’ve experienced some of the most unique, the most aggressive and the most beautiful music recorded to date. It would be unfair to label Lateralus with a simple number, or an overall score. A score would undermine the outstanding work and dedication that Tool have been so committed to throughout the years. If you have any interest in music and the magic contained within it, then listening to Lateralus is something that must be experienced. You haven’t got any excuses, so turn out the lights, stare into space and prepare for something special.

Manchester City 4, Arsenal 2

I'm angry again.

There's something fundamentally wrong at Arsenal, there has been for years. I'm not sure what it is, but there seems to be an awful lack of desire and little or no heart (especially when something goes against the run of play). I'll elaborate.

Fabregas is not a captain. He's too young and he has his eyes set to Barcelona next season. I'll be shocked if this isn't his last year for Arsenal. He's a gifted player, hugely creative and a key player for us....but he's not captain material. Last night is a good example of where we need a Vieira type figure. We were all over Manchester City after Robin's goal, then out of nowhere we get hit on the counter (first of three) and Bellamy scores. That's where Fabregas needs to rally everyone and keep the heads up. He's just not able to do it. Even worse than this, Wenger has no replacement for him when he leaves. Even though I'm completely against the pussy acting of Gallas last season, he was still a better captain.

That's Fabregas out of the way. As for the rest of the team...well, it's our midfield that isn't working. At all. Denilson and Song simply aren't good enough for Arsenal. They have no balls. We were shoved off the ball throughout the match and both of those players had no impact whatsoever. And don't start me on Eboué. People say he's versatile, yeah...he's ****ing useless no matter where he plays. They're not fighting for the club like the good ol' days when Vieira was around. Our back four should be ok, if we had two solid holding players in front of them. But Wenger won't pull his finger out of his arse and buy the type of player we need.

At the other end of the pitch, I have a lot of respect for Van Persie. He always tries his best, constantly pushing and you could see how much the goal meant to him. The problem is that he can't play effectively without a good supporting striker. And let's face it, we haven't had a good striking partnership for a long time. Eduardo had yet to come back and play to his full potential. Vela is rubbish. Bendtner....well, he's a tricky one. I appreciate the effort he puts in, but sometimes I wonder if he's thinking properly. If anyone can play with Robin then it's probably him.

That's a whole lot of negative, but there was one positive. Rosicky. It was great to see him back at the top level and within ten minutes he showed more creativity than Denilson has in the past year. He assisted the goal with a good pass and showed some clever touches, the guy still has it. I hope for our sake he stays fit so that we can demote Denilson to the bench. That's the only bright light from the match.

As for Manchester City...well, if they keep this up we won't be playing in the Champions League next season, simple as that. They completely outplayed us, physically and technically. Bellamy and Adebayor worked well up front (Ade's run into the box in the second half...woah). Their defence and midfield combined well, something that we need to start doing more of. Although, the most impressive part of their team is the spirit. They're all fully committed and fearless, they're solid defensively and counter attack effectively....wait, isn't that what Arsenal were once known for? They deserved to win, no complaints unlike the last match we played in Manchester. Well done to them, maybe this is the kick Wenger needs.

As for Adebayor....good for him. He was right to leave because of the disgusting treatment he recieved from some Arsenal fans. I always liked him and thought highly of him as a striker, but now he's playing with more hunger and it looks as though he's happy. His celebration was silly, but at least he was apologised. The energy between him and Bellamy was unrivalled, constantly coming back to defend and at the same time picking up a goal each. Did he mar that good work by the 'stamp' on Van Persie? I don't think stamped, Adebayor has big feet and if he wanted to hurt Robin then he wouldn't have missed. Plus, he's more honest than that....I don't think he would ever go out of his way to hurt a friend.

To conclude, if Manchester City continue with that type of performance they will break into the top four to replace Arsenal, and it's likely to happen this season. My Arsenal...we need to spend more money and sort out that midfield. Please Wenger, make this our last bad season.

Oh and the rest of the matches....couldn't give a shit.

Saturday's Football

Ok...before I rant; watched the Liverpool and Bolton game last night. Really good match, plenty of goals and a red card. Liverpool clearly deserved the win, no question about that. Although they're still struggling without Alonso.


That was a good start to the football, however the following game was something different entirely. Manchester United did not deserve to win. The foul on Arshavin before he scored the goal set the tone for that idiot referee Riley. The challenge was late and took out Arshavin, it couldn't have been clearer yet it's waved away. There was sweet revenge though with Arshavin's fantastic strike. From there until the Man Utd's penalty we dominated. We're much improved upon last season, we look incredibly balanced and we're now making other teams fearful (even Ferguson changed his usual formation).

The penalty....the ****ing penalty. Rooney took a terrible touch, he was never going to catch up to that ball. If you look at the replay, Rooney's left leg has already gone to ground before Almunia has touched him. It's difficult for the referee to tell without video evidence to use but it's arguably a dive. So we've established; Rooney's mistake, he's going nowhere, and he's already decided to hit the floor. So now we're drawing. The second goal a few minutes later was bizarre and very unlucky. I felt sorry for Diaby because I've always thought highly of him. These goals came soon after Ben Foster saved Van Persie's shot with his little toe, a huge moment in the game.

Even after Man Utd took the lead, they really didn't improve that much. Apart from Nani having a chance and Berbatov's terrible shot in stoppage time, we still played better. Throughout the game we had to deal with bullshit refereeing which I felt was a direct result of the Eduardo situation (his dive and subsequent manhunt by UEFA). The last goal we got was offside, I'm not arguing that one although if the goal was allowed it would have been a much fairer score.

So what else can I say? Typical Old Trafford referee bias followed by two lucky goals for United in a match which was dominated by Arsenal. I'm angry, all Arsenal fans should be angry. But at the same time, I'm not worried because if Man Utd don't start playing better and improve, particularly with their passing, then they won't win any respectable silverware. It was a good performance from us and we're a much greater threat than last year, and Arshavin is going to be a key player for us. Once we get Nasri back and drop Eboué (clueless in the final third), we'll definitely be a strong force. I remain confident and believe that justice will be served, hopefully in our next match we'll show some real passion and recover from this loss. I don't often single out rival teams (aside from Spurs) but believe me, I'll be cheering on every team Manchester United play against for the rest of the season.

Thank you and get ****ed.

The Gutter Twins

I went to see The Gutter Twins a few weeks ago, and ended up writing about it for an assignment. It's not exactly a review....more of a response, and how they fit into the music scene of today. I got a suprisingly good grade for this, hope you like it.

'The Gutter Twins'

An Acoustic Evening With Mark Lanegan & Greg Dulli

I had waited five long years to see Mark Lanegan perform live, and finally on the 24^th of July 2009 he rolled into Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre. Following swiftly behind was a compatriot, a slightly lesser known singer-songwriter called Greg Dulli. There was nothing overly complicated about the scheduled performance, it was simply going to be two voices backed up with an acoustic guitar. The Gutter Twins is a collaboration many have dreamed of and wished for, and it was Australia’s turn to witness what promised to be a special evening.

This was my very first visit to the Athenaeum Theatre. I attend as many concerts as my pocket can afford but they’re generally more energetic, informal affairs. The theatre itself is rather old, decorative sculptured designs litter the walls and unlike the other venues I’ve attended, it was clean. Before the crowd was filed in through a set of old wooden doors, I was lucky enough to purchase a poster signed by the very musicians I was about to see. The poster itself cost fifty dollars but immediately after the eighteen copies had been sold, I was offered double that price to part with what is now one of my most prized possessions. Naturally, I declined and in typically late fashion, the doors opened thirty minutes after the stated time.

When I eventually found my seat, I prepared for two hours of back pain. The floor plan is laid out well but the actual seats are incredibly uncomfortable, especially for someone as tall as I am. In an attempt to give the seats a ‘cosy’ look, they were coated with some sort of red cushion. This was in no way effective and I may as well have been sitting on a three legged stool. In the build up to the performance, I recalled in my mind what songs I had hoped to be played. Unfortunately, my knowledge of Greg Dulli’s work is limited. I don’t mean to demoralize the man but if it weren’t for Mark Lanegan there’s a good chance I wouldn’t have taken any interest in him. Lanegan is the whole reason I paid hard earned money to attend this event. His back catalogue of work is extensive to say the least; seven albums with his original grunge band ‘Screaming Trees’. He has recorded two albums with ex-Belle And Sebastian singer Isobel Campbell. He has contributed to several albums by Queens Of The Stone Age. In between all of this Lanegan has made six solo efforts. Finally last year, he released The Gutter Twin’s first album called ‘Saturnalia’ with the other man of the evening, Greg Dulli.

My back pain disappeared when the lights dimmed; The Gutter Twins appeared on stage. This sort of intimacy is rare and is in direct contrast to the glamour and commercial world of most current bands. During an interview with street magazine Inpress, Dulli said; ‘There’s no noise to hide behind. It’s very intimate so if you feel like yellin’ something, go for it.’ There wasn’t any elaborate stage production or fancy light show. There were three black seats lit by six lights while everyone else remained silent in darkness. The third seat had me a little confused, who was this Gutter triplet? He turned out to be a Will Ferrell lookalike who tours with them, in order to avoid certain constraints he was needed to support with another acoustic guitar. After a quick gesture of appreciation, The Gutter Twins kicked off with ‘The Body’ off their debut album. This set the tone for the remainder of the night, some excellent acoustic sounds paired with the dark, atmospheric voice that Lanegan is so well known for.

Throughout the set there was a well blended mix of tracks taken from both parties history. Solo work from Lanegan and Dulli made an appearance. ‘The Stations’ and ‘One Hundred Days’ further emphasized the dark atmosphere. The twenty track setlist was pinnacled by a cover, something I would generally be quite skeptical of with most bands. Thankfully, the final moments of the performance will remain embedded in my memory. The Gutter Twins played out the night with Nick Drake’s ‘Three Hours’, my favourite song by the ill-fated English musician. Drake isn’t the root of acoustic music but it’s nice to see current artists showing some appreciation to musicians gone by. Recently I’ve noticed acoustic sets becoming less common, especially since the popularity of electronica and hip-hop has risen. It’s an unfortunate fact because seeing music stripped to the bare minimum is a unique experience. In today’s society, the music industry has been destroyed by greedy labels and the complications surrounding copyright laws. An event like this one is a chance for artists to break out and have free reign. Live shows are notoriously unpredictable and that’s what makes music so special. Corporations are afraid of change and unpredictability, look at the history of Nine Inch Nails and you’ll see exactly what I mean. While money will continue to help us survive, it’s also the cause of much grief for artists in various mediums.

I could go into extreme details about the intricacies of each song The Gutter Twins played but it would never be able to recapture the atmosphere created within the theatre. There’s only one true way to hear music, and that’s when it’s being played live on a stage in front of you. A live recording is not a substitute, a bootleg copy will never be able to give you that same sense of energy. It’s great seeing people listen to music while doing their daily tasks but if the opportunity arises to see these performers in the flesh then you need to take advantage of it. In this particular case, the night was constantly interrupted by people deciding to go for a beer or a toilet break midway through a song, hence blocking my view of the performance. However, these irritations are outweighed by the presence of such well established musicians. Can an evening like this be summarized for the people who didn’t attend? Can I recapture what happened? The answer to both is definitely not.

Unlike exhibitions of artwork or sculpture, live music isn’t timeless. These bands may not be around in ten years time, they may never come back to Australia. Musicians come and go, some of them leave naturally while some leave us with a wave of controversy. I encourage you to get active in the live music scene no matter what genre takes your preference, make some inspiring stories to tell your children. Now I’ll leave you with this final note; long live the guitar, long live the voice, and long live The Gutter Twins.

First Of Many (Hopefully)

Wow.....I really do procrastinate a lot. But here we go; my first proper entry!

I wrote this a few weeks ago for a newspaper submission. The idea was to write about the current music scene, and pick out three bands that would suit the piece. I chose music from a few different areas and ended up this essay (apologies for shitty formatting, blame MS Word)...hope you guys like it.

'Youth Music'

INTRODUCTION

I’m a person who never likes being confined to a single genre of music, the freedom to make progress and mix a wide array of different sounds is what keeps me listening. Over the past decade, mainstream or commercial music has been destroyed. Commercial musicians (in general) are turning into fashion symbols and icons of wealth. This is an extreme contrast to the major musicians of previous eras. It’s impossible to imagine a band as imaginative as The Doors gracing the airwaves in the same manner as Kanye West. It’s unfortunate, but it’s a fact.

However, hope is not lost. If you dig a little deeper there is a wealth of outstanding new music to be found. Behind the veils of Coldplay and Green Day, lie a number of musicians who have been overshadowed by daytime radio, re-unions, break ups and those ‘final’ farewell tours. Here are a few of those musicians worthy of your attention.

è BURIAL:

My first choice is a dubstep producer originally from London who releases his work under the name Burial. You may be asking yourself what exactly ‘dubstep’ is. The only way I can describe it is; a dark form of electronica. Although Burial doesn’t confine himself to this sound alone because there’s a blatant hip-hop influence. I discovered his music through a friend of mine a couple of months ago and have been listening to both of his albums daily ever since.

My most played albums are usually progressive pieces, sounds that take the listener on a journey. Burial’s second album ‘Untrue’ sits nicely in this category. I listened to this in one sitting; on my own, at night, lights off, staring at the ceiling. Burial’s music isn’t something I would recommend playing at a group event; it should be a solitary experience. In one of the few interviews Burial has taken part in, he described producing his ‘tunes’ throughout the night from his studio when streets and laneways are empty. He sets the atmosphere with a fascinating blend of urban electronic beats and hip hop vocals.

‘Untrue’ has a number of standout tracks, especially in the first half of the album. It’s incredibly difficult to pinpoint my favourite track out of the twelve but ‘Archangel’, ‘Near Dark’ and ‘Ghost Hardware’ would probably lead the way. The album flows seamlessly, often you’ll forget that the last track ended and now you’ve moved onto something completely different. Quite simply, it’s a modern day masterpiece.

Listener’s shouldn’t be put off by Burial’s elusive nature (he refuses to play live shows and there’s no merchandise available, in fact the first image of him only appeared in late 2008). The sounds are more accessible than you might think, bearing similarities to Moby’s record ‘Play’. If you’re looking for something atmospheric then Burial is for you. For the love of all good music, I hope the downloading mentality doesn’t force Burial to stop recording, his potential is endless.

Both of Burial’s albums can be bought from Amazon.com.

è MASTODON:

Mastodon are an American band and their sound has evolved through each of their four studio albums. With each record comes increased hype and increased popularity. In March of 2009 they released ‘Crack The Skye’, their most progressive and genre blending album to date.

The Mastodon of today creates a sound barely recognizable in comparison to their earlier work, which was predominantly metal based. From the offset, I knew ‘Crack The Skye’ was different. There’s a greater sense of melody and rhythm, combined with deeper and certainly darker lyrics. This is essentially a prog-rock in the same vein as Tool’s ‘Lateralus’ (regarded by many of my peers as one of the greatest albums ever produced). We open with the track ‘Oblivion’ and it does exactly what you’d imagine. We’re treated to some heart pounding riffs separated by a stunning Gibson solo. A great album needs a great opener and this is certainly one of them.

There are two more standout tracks; ‘The Czar’ and ‘The Last Baron’. Together they last almost twenty five minutes which seems overly long but it doesn’t feel that way. On my first listen I was enthralled and on my 127^th listen (according to iTunes), I was still discovering subtle time signatures within both tracks. As a band they have grown and gelled together very well indeed, and this is their most accomplished record to date. Even though there are only seven tracks, the amount of time it takes to truly appreciate each one makes it a unique experience.

Mastodon are a visually aggressive looking band, this is due to their metal roots. I would encourage people not to be put off by the tattoos, the piercings or the hair because it doesn’t resemble what ‘Crack The Skye’ offers. There’s something for everyone to like here; well structured riffs, outstanding jams and nice angry vocals. On the first listen in March I picked ‘Crack The Skye’ as my album of 2009, and I’ve heard nothing to change my mind since. Mastodon have found their niche and it sounds oh so sweet.

You can find out more about Mastodon on their official website; mastodonrocks.com.

è THE BLACK ANGELS:

The Black Angels are another American band with a great sound. Unfortunately for them, they haven’t received anywhere near the level of attention they deserve. For lovers of 1970’s psychedelic rock, The Black Angels could be your saving grace.

I discovered this band about eighteen months ago through MySpace. Upon listening to the opening track on their latest album ‘Directions To See A Ghost’, I instantly connected the sound to The Doors, The Velvet Underground and The 13^th Floor Elevators. Their lead vocalist Alex Maas sounds eerily similar to Jim Morrison, a man who didn’t spend enough time on this planet. Throughout both of their major studio albums you will find tracks that hold a great beat, followed swiftly by a voice unlike any other in modern day music.

Just like Burial, The Black Angels need to be listened to in solitude without any distractions. If you can’t listen to their work in comfort then you won’t be able to fully appreciate their sound. As a piece of nostalgia, The Black Angels are an effective tool. After first discovering them I rushed back to find The Velvet Underground & Nico, to see exactly where the influences were coming from. This five piece are sure to grow in popularity, they’ve already supported major bands like Queens Of The Stone Age. I spend a lot of time and money on music, enough to know that these guys (and girl) deserve the public’s attention.

The download generation is killing smaller musicians like The Black Angels which is a shame considering how young and talented they are. If you’ve been waiting for a new band to bring back memories of the 1970’s scene, then look no further.

You can find out more about The Black Angels on their official website; theblackangels.com.

CONCLUSION

Creative music is still alive and kicking, even though the radio will make you think otherwise. The bands I mentioned have a true passion for music, it’s not about the money or the bling, instead it’s all about the sound. If you’re a music lover like myself in search of something fresh and a little bit different then you may be pleasantly surprised with the iPod generation. I’ve only picked out three musicians, each one has a specific sound and trust me when I say there’s more where that came from, a lot more.