Rock in PA

CD Spotlight Archive

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Velvet Revolver: Contraband
August 30, 2004
Does anyone else out there detect a trend happening in rock music right now? No, I'm not talking about garage / indie / emo / screamo / roots-rock, or whatever the latest "it" genre is. I'm talking about multiplatinum bands who part ways with one singer, join forces with a highly talented singer from another successful/disbanded group, change their name, and shoot to the top of the charts! If you know anything at all about Audioslave, Velvet Revolver, or Alter Bridge, you probably know what I'm talking about.

With their recent releases, Velvet Revolver and Alter Bridge are giving Audioslave a serious run for their money as the most successful old band / new singer combo act of the new millennium. Velvet Revolver joins late '80s legends Guns n' Roses with rehab poster boy Scott Weiland, lead singer of recently-disbanded '90s stalwarts Stone Temple Pilots. Some may question GnR's decision to replace one high-maintenance singer with another, but I say let the boys ROCK! There's no telling how long this union will last, but I'm sure going to enjoy it while it does!

I'm fully aware that I'm biased (as a bigger fan of Stone Temple Pilots than Guns n' Roses), but I think Velvet Revolver sounds more like STP than GnR. Contraband's first single, "Slither", could pass for Purple-era STP, and the opening track "Sucker Train Blues" wouldn't sound terribly out of place on Core (Weiland's trademark megaphone even makes a cameo!). "Fall to Pieces" and "You Got No Right" are reminiscent of STP's late-era power ballads. Admittedly, Slash's trademark guitar is present (why does that riff at the end of "Loving The Alien" sound so familiar?), and there are plenty of moments that remind you that former GnR members make up the majority of this band. But generally speaking, Velvet Revolver's sound is closer to STP than GnR. "Do It For The Kids", "Big Machine", "Illegal i Song" and "Headspace" round out my list of favorite tracks, each featuring serious riffage! Overall, Contraband is an extremely strong rock album that leaves me wondering exactly why STP's genre needed to wipe out GnR's back in the early '90s. Contraband is one of the best albums of the year, and a definite must-buy!

Official Velvet Revolver web site: http://www.velvetrevolver.com

Alter Bridge: One Day Remains
August 30, 2004
Alter Bridge joins the instrumentalists from Creed with singer Myles Kennedy, formerly of The Mayfield Four. If you've never heard of The Mayfield Four, you're not alone: They didn't exactly break any sales records. But if you're a fan of Soundgarden and/or Big Wreck, you absolutely need to pick up The Mayfield Four's sophomore CD Second Skin. I became a fan of theirs just a few months ago, after reading about them on Big Wreck's message board. Within two weeks of falling in love Second Skin, I saw the announcement that Creed had disbanded and Myles Kennedy was fronting Alter Bridge. Talk about making my day!

Creed was not the most popular band with critics, but I'll happily admit that I own all three of their discs, and think they were a rockin' band. I have no idea where the notion came from that they embodied everything that was wrong with rock radio. At worst, I think they were overplayed, and you can't blame the band for that. Anyway, the general public seemed to be with me, as Creed sold millions upon millions of albums and filled arenas all over the U.S. The one element of Creed that was wearing thin on me was Scott Stapp, the lead singer. I'm not sure if radio overplay wore out his welcome, or if it was the notion that he was just too full of himself (epitomized in the much-parodied "With Arms Wide Open" video) - but he was just starting to rub me the wrong way.

Enter Myles Kennedy. With a high-register voice that rivals Chris Cornell's (Soundgarden, Audioslave) and Ian Thornley's (Big Wreck), Kennedy is pretty much the polar opposite of baritone Scott Stapp. One Day Remains kicks off with three rockers, "Find The Real", "One Day Remains" and the first single "Open Your Eyes". The band still sounds a lot like Creed, although the guitar solos seem a bit more ambitious than their Creed counterparts. Myles sounds incredible, and I especially enjoy his harmonies in the pre-chorus of "Open Your Eyes" and in the choruses of "Find The Real" and "Burn It Down" (this is definitely a carryover from The Mayfield Four!). Ballads are pretty much nonexistent, but there are a handful of songs with soft verses and explosive choruses ("Burn It Down", "Broken Wings" - one of my personal favorites!, "In Loving Memory", "Shed My Skin"). There's really not a bad song on One Day Remains, and it's almost impossible to decide which tracks are my favorites. In fact, One Day Remains is a serious contender for my favorite album of 2004. Do yourself a favor and pick it up today!

Official Alter Bridge web site: http://www.alterbridge.com

Thornley: Come Again
June 6, 2004
In the summer of 1997 the band Big Wreck scored a minor MTV and radio hit with a song called "The Oaf" from their excellent debut album. By the time they released the follow-up singles "That Song" and "Blown Wide Open", MTV and radio seemed to have lost interest. "Inhale", the first single from their excellent 2001 sophomore album, didn't get much attention, either, and it wasn't long before Big Wreck ceased to exist as a band.

This turn of events, my friends, was a crying shame. For those of us who were paying attention, we realized Big Wreck was one of the most talented new bands to burst onto the scene in the past ten years. 1997's In Loving Memory Of... and 2001's The Pleasure and the Greed remain two of my very favorite CDs to this day.

Fortunately, Big Wreck songwriter/guitarist/singer/mastermind Ian Thornley wasted no time in assembling a new band called (appropriately enough) Thornley. Thornley's debut album, Come Again, picks up right where Big Wreck left off. Ian's riff-heavy guitar parts and incredible vocal range are front-and-center. The first single, "So Far So Good", sounds like it could be straight off of a Big Wreck album, as do the songs "Falling To Pieces" and "Keep a Good Man Down".

The remainder of the album could also pass as Big Wreck, but has a slightly heavier, straight-ahead rock sound, as compared to the intricate arrangements of many of the Big Wreck songs. Moments of relative calm in songs like "The Going Rate", "Beautiful" and "All Comes Out in the Wash" inevitably lead to explosive choruses belted out over heavy power chords. In case I haven't made this clear to this point, Thornley is a must-buy album, my friends - undoubtedly one of the very best to drop this year!

Official Thornley web site: http://www.thornleyband.com

Avril Lavigne: Under My Skin
June 6, 2004
Since I last reviewed an Avril Lavigne CD, Ms. L has sold more than 6 million CDs in the U.S. (14 million worldwide), scored no fewer than 5 hit singles, appeared on countless TV shows and magazine covers, completed an enormously successful arena tour (yes, I said arena!), and effectively created her own genre, complete with imitators. As I mentioned in my review of her first CD, I sensed something special about Ms. Lavigne the very first time I saw her first video, and as happens from time to time, it seems I was right!

With the recent release of her sophomore CD, Under My Skin, Avril picks up right where she left off with 2002's Let Go. Proving she is not just a product of the well-publicized songwriting team The Matrix, Avril co-wrote her new album with her own guitarist, Evan Taubenfeld, former Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody, and Canadian folk singer Chantal Kreviazuk. Accordingly, Under My Skin is equally or perhaps even more impressive than her debut, and I would not be one bit surprised to see it approach or even exceed the popularity level of Let Go.

The first single, "Don't Tell Me", reminds me a bit of the power ballad "I'm With You" from Avril's first disc. I was a little surprised to hear a slower-tempo song as the first single, but I came to realize that the song's soaring chorus makes it an ideal first single. For the "Sk8er Boi" fans out there, check out "He Wasn't", a fast-paced punk-style song that's sure to be one of many singles from this album.

If there's a "Complicated" on this disc, I'd have to say it is the incredibly catchy "My Happy Ending", my favorite track at the moment. "Take Me Away", "Together" and "Forgotten" (a great minor-key song!) deliver on the all-out-rocking Avril's had promised this disc would deliver. "Who Knows" and "Fall To Pieces" are extremely catchy pop tunes. At times, the latter reminds me a little of Jagged Little Pill-era Alanis Morissette. It may sound cliche, but there really isn't a weak song on this album - another must-buy!

Official Avril Lavigne web site: http://www.avril-lavigne.com

Courtney Love: America's Sweetheart
February 14, 2004
What better CD to spotlight on Valentine's Day than America's Sweetheart from Courtney Love? As I write this review, Ms. Love is once again getting herself into trouble. It seems she skipped her court appearance, which was intented to discipline her for the last round of trouble she got herself into. But would you really want Courtney to cooperate? I'm pretty sure "irreverent behavior" is part of the Rock Star job description, and Courtney is showing us all how it's done! Rock on, Courtney! Just make sure you're not in prison for the summer touring season!

Anyway, on to the album. I have to keep reminding myself this is Courtney's solo debut, not the latest Hole album. I'm still not sure what the distinction is, apart from the departure of guitarist Eric Erlandson and a record label change. Drummer Patty Schemel is here, and with all due respect to Kristen Pfaff and Melissa Auf der Maur, Hole was never really about the bassist.

Surely the distinction between Hole and Courtney Love is not in the style of the music. Hole's style ranged from too-punk-for-primetime (Ask For It) to perfect grunge (Live Through This) to glossy pop/rock (Celebrity Skin). America's Sweetheart is edgy rock, with elements of punk, pop and rock. It is raw enough to please the punks, yet produced enough to yield a few radio-friendly singles. As for the songwriting, Courtney leaned heavily on Linda Perry this time around, as opposed to (debatedly) Billy Corgan on the last album, and (even more debatedly) Kurt Cobain on the previous one. The singing is classic love-or-hate-her gravelly-voiced Courtney Love.

So why does this album matter? That's easy: Because it ROCKS! "Mono" blends the edgier sounds of Live Through This with the poppier elements of Celebrity Skin. "Hold on to Me", the second single, is a ballad-type-song that credits Love as the sole songwriter. Naturally, Courtney spends some time singing about her personal demons ("All The Drugs", "Life Despite God"), but in lighter moments she pokes fun at The Strokes' Julian Casablancas ("But Julian, I'm a Little Older Than You") and Led Zeppelin ("Zeplin Song"). Robert Plant's guitar threatening to self-play punk songs as an act of mutiny? Hilarious!

Slower-paced but equally rocking songs on the album include "Sunset Strip", "Almost Golden", "Uncool" and "Never Gonna Be The Same". The appropriately-titled (yet sufficiently-rocking) "I'll Do Anything" rips off Love's late hubby's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" riff. Intentional or not, I'm sure Courtney's response to any criticism would be akin to the phrase she screams quite a number of times on this album: "SHUT UP!" Fortunately, being well-balanced is not a prerequisite for making great rock and roll. Keep on screaming, Courtney - we wouldn't have it any other way!

Official Courtney Love web site: http://www.courtneylove.com