Word: soloings
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...this sounds like a mess, but it isn't; all of Spector's productions have a solid beat - they swing, in fact - and in each number some distinctive solo instrument rides clearly above the mix, carefully placed, articulating the hooks. (Take a listen to the acoustic guitar in this segment from "Uptown.") One of the most interesting components in the Wall of Sound is the horn section, which modulates through the chords without accent, like a pianist who hits a chord once and then holds down the reverb pedal until the next harmonic shift. Other elements define the beat...
...those vocals on the top! Ronnie of the Ronettes, of course - later Veronica when Phil was pushing her as a solo artist, and later still, Ronnie Spector when she ended her career by marrying him. (According to Ronnie's book, "Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, or My Life As a Fabulous Ronette," she lived as a prisoner in Phil's L.A. mansion, finally escaping in bare feet with only the clothes on her back...
Yeah, you heard me: saxophone solo. Frontman Billie Joe and the boys will certainly catch flak from the underground scene for this stripped-down follow-up to 1997's Nimrod. While it's not an album full of heartfelt "Good Riddance"-style ballads, it's still a punk purist's nightmare: mid-tempo strum-alongs with the trademark Green Day melodies but a distortion level of nil. First single "Minority" is probably the punkest song on the disc -and that's not saying much...
...band Saint Etienne. Critics have always found it hard to pigeonhole the band (that is, until "electronica" conveniently became a music industry buzzword). Their sonic experiments have consistently yielded intriguing results, drawing from pop's rich past while carrying an attitude which points boldly towards the future. Cracknell's solo LP, Kelly's Locker, isn't particularly bad. However, as an electric pop record, it tries too hard to be eclectic and lacks the cohesion needed to make for a satisfying aural experience...
...first song, "Judy Don't You Worry," starts off with Cracknell's lilting vocals washed over a simple background of a solo piano. It moves on quickly to Euro-sounding dance tracks such as "How Far" and the samba-tinged "Taking Off For France." The album does take a recess from beat-heavy percussion and veers towards further flirtation with retro-lounge electronic tunes, with Cracknell voicing her lyrics breathily in a manner not unlike Dusty Springfield. But the closing track, "Anymore," ends the album with more bleeps and heavy backbeats. While it's the strongest track in the album...