Black Sabbath - 13 - All the fans waiting for this record for the past year have had quite a ride. The initial excitement about a new album from the original Sabbath lineup was dampened by news of Tony Iommi's health issues and the departure of Bill Ward from the project (initially it was a "contract dispute," but later statements by Ozzy indicate that Ward's playing just wasn't up to par anymore). Then came the puzzling news that Ward's replacement was Brad Wilk from Rage Against the Machine, despite the fact that there exists a legion of drummers already playing in the Sabbath style out there in doom and sludge bands across the world. No one was sure what to expect, but the record is out and the results are in: Sabbath still rules. Producer Rick Rubin got this one just right, with the unmistakable feel of classic Black Sabbath intact, though the individual members show that they've been busy in the interim. Geezer's bass tone is thunderous, Tony's still at the top of his game, and Ozzy's vocals are great. Brad Wilk performs admirably, though if you really listen you can tell there are places where Wilk sticks with a straight ahead stomp where Ward might've made it swing a bit, but that's a non-issue, as it never becomes distracting. In the end it turns out there was no cause for concern; giants still walk the earth, and 13 is an album that Sabbath can be proud of.
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue - Usually when something finds a massive audience, it's because it's a piece of lowest common denominator mush. But Kind of Blue is one of those very rare artifacts of human culture, an album whose appeal is so universal that they may as well just issue everyone on Earth a copy with their birth certificates. There is something built into the modal structure of the chords and leads that speaks to a deeper part of our brains. It's an ineffable alchemy, and one of the very few records where I feel pretty confident saying that if you can't find anything to enjoy here, there is something wrong with you.
Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F. - Despite the cachet that the New York Dolls carried in their namesake city, it's odd that the Heartbreakers' debuted to the sound of crickets initially, though the collapse of their label and their unceasing drug habits probably had something to do with it. At any rate, L.A.M.F. gradually grew through "cult status" to "essential album," which is really where it belongs, among the big names of the CBGB scene in late 70's New York. The album is trashy and raw, dealing mostly with drugs and sex, and carried the essence of the burgeoning punk rock aesthetic, thanks to members Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan, both of the New York Dolls, and Richard Hell, who had just left another early punk titan, Television. By the way, don't bother with the "revisited" edition of this album, with its cleaned-up production. It's much better in its raw original form, as dirty and dangerous as the city that spawned it.
Deafheaven - Sunbather - Sunbather is a novel brew of arty post-rock à la Godspeed or Mogwai blended with smile-free black metal, a bold move considering how unforgiving some black metal fans can be about violations of traditionalism. Deafheaven's enjoyable first record was done in a similar vein, and their mixed approach really upset the metal purists, which I always find amusing. But Sunbather, their sophomore release, represents a phenomenon that I enjoy even more: it's so good that even the purists have had to give them credit, despite their stylistic objections. Sunbather maintains an interesting atmosphere throughout, as they borrow black metal techniques but somehow manage to leave behind the icy feel that they usually evoke, instead using the same tremolo picking and minor key melodies to bring some sun into their expansive yet introspective compositions.
Patti Smith Group - Easter - Horses was the breakout album, and it's definitely excellent, but if you're looking for something with more fully realized songs, it's probably a good idea to reach for Easter. Not that Easter lacks Patti's spoken word performance, but it's where the band becomes skilled enough at their craft that they feel confident being more musical than textural. The best known track is of course "Because the Night," Smith's collaboration with Bruce Springsteen (whose influence on the track is obvious), but there are great songs all over the record. The eerie, ritualistic "Ghost Dance" is a particular favorite of mine, as is "Godspeed" a non-LP track that was included on later pressings. The religious imagery that Smith plays with over the course of the album works surprisingly well; its use is direct but not blunt. This is a diverse, challenging listen that stands as one of Smith's greatest statements.
Motorpsycho - Little Lucid Moments - This record sounds like an extradimensional intelligence has assembled a metal band, a punk band, and a prog band, and then manipulated their minds and bodies in order to play them like an arcane puppet orchestra to attempt to communicate some vital information. The songs are twenty plus minutes long, and different sections sound like they're from different albums (some sections sound like they're made by a different species), yet there seems to be an overall sensibility knitting it all together into a cohesive whole. I feel like if I could just listen a little harder to this music, the chords would restructure themselves into instructions on how to leave this planet and join a waiting cadre of elite galactic scholars. And honestly, if none of this sounds remotely interesting to you, I'm not sure why we're even talking here.
