The Meters "The Meters" (1969)

 

What a blast from the past! American instrumental Funk outfit The Meters debuted with timeless swagger and groove, an attitude still holding up till this day. Kicking off with Cissy Strut, the stage for jiving licks and crafty rhythmic grooves to swoon and croon is set. Boisterous percussion bangs out easy strides for aged guitars and warm bass to bounce off one another with stabs of intricate Funk melody over strutting baselines. Organ keys shimmer and chime in on occasion, with this unshakable 60s psychedelia aesthetic. The influences of Jazz and Rock from the decades past converge here with attitude to form an unshakable Funk sound.

Its instrumental nature leaves much space for guitars and organs to step up into and lead, expressing human instincts like vocals would. The whole affair feels like a loose jam session. The percussive arrangements tend to loop over endlessly as the rest of the band groove around its firm beat. This leads to many moments of magical chemistry but also detracts musically into moods without direction. A fun experience, yet plays without any overarching theme or sense of arrival beyond favorite tracks.

The Meters starts high and ends with another strident show of swagger on Sing A Simple Song. Whats in between is a mixed bag of goodies tiring somewhat with repetitions. The audio fidelity shows its age too. Guitars and drums peak often, tones blemished and of the age but all with a charm to gives it some edge, a punch that makes it stand out. Being mostly ignorant to this era, its legacy and place within the formation of Funk is unknown to me but I love how embryonic it sounds to my ears. Curiously poised for a new decade it sounds like the emergence of fresh ideas.

Rating: 6/10

The Alan Parsons Project "Tales Of Mystery And Imagination" (1976)

 

Having sat with this debut album for some time now, Its easy to see why I Robot, Pyr△mid & Eve were recommended as Alan Parsons best work. Tales Of Mystery And Imagination would of been impressive for the times but experienced from its predecessors shadows, the classy songwriting pulling on a broad range of 70s styles sadly fumbles out of the gates. Its hallowed poetry recital intro leading onto dated robotic voices feels a little awkward in its infancy however flashes of genius are heard often too, The Raven, The Cask Of Amontillado and To One In Paradise, all are fantastic songs. In fact much of the record has the Alan Parsons sound intact but its fumbling moments seem to exacerbate the difference between it and the following.

Where the cracks appear is on its lengthy The Fall Of The House Usher. Its five parts represent many ideas that Alan would go on to compose again. Stitched together as one unified thing, it lumps along awkwardly from tense and brash Classical orchestrations of terror and tragedy, into psychedelic thunderstorms led by hypnotic synths. The music passes through a string of Pink Floyd akin guitar inflections back into distressing string sections promoting unease and brittle tensions. It then sways back into a Progressive styling with exotic instruments and colorful melodic arrangements, only to be dissipated back into a nightmare cacophony of claustrophobic strings and demonic drum strikes that ends all too abruptly.

The two sounds contrast each other and break up half the record with a sense of confusion. It does however skimmer with brilliance but in attempting to meld such bold ideas, the consequences are vast. Tthe musics spell feels so disrupted by this rude awakening of hellish Classical instrumentation. It had become a large focus that diminished the album experience and illuminated its other blemishes. That being said, at the core Alan's brilliant songwriting delivers similar ideas heard later. They however have a less vibrant production to bolster the beautiful compositions and thus the whole record just feels inferior. Had I started here, my opinion may be all too different.

Rating: 6/10

The Alan Parsons Project "Eve" (1979)

As the third of three Alan Parsons records labeled his best, I've had a familial experience again. Diving deep and finding the same fond web of timely influences, I still can't escape these songs! In the months between I Robot, Pyr△mid & Eve, I have been on a binge, one that can't end here. These numbers are the soundtrack of a childhood I never had, the missing sleeves of Progressive Rock vinyls I was raised on! Eve is no exception, Its feminine empowerment theme a strong and bold overtone that leads to timely singing with strength and gusto on one track, flipping to tender expressions on the next. Its broadness is a perfect compliment for the range of temperaments and meandering journey that Eve goes on. It may have even been an edgy, progressive statement for the times, however with age any sharpness has been dulled by current norms of western societies progressive direction.

Looking past the lyrical landscape to the instrumentals we have the usual suspects. 70s electronic tones weave through opening track Lucifer with exotic bells, haunting chorals and rigid percussive grooves, Its quite the mash up that works wonderfully. From the intro we pivot into the regular songs, kicking off with echos of Pink Floyd underpinned by a strong Funk influenced groove to cruise off. On I'd Rather Be A Man the mood turns dark with its rapturous nightly bass synth line pounding through the song. Then comes the big pivot as the vibes soften with tenderness and calm ushered in before the rest of the record becomes an amalgamation of all above!

Don't Hold Back has quite the charm as it hook sings, "Touch the sky with your minds eye, Don't be afraid to reach out!" lovely stuff. The guest singer reminds me of Dusty Springfield on this one. The following Secret Garden embellishes us with a glorious and fantastical composition, a signatures track style. Cinematic and symphonic, Alan lets the music lead itself without word and a web of charming sounds, something each record seems to have a song or two for. From here the record bows out on a sombre note as tempos slow and pianos usher in a final ballad to close on. Overall, its pretty fantastic, oddly feeling short yet being the lengthiest of the three! From here I will venture to the debut record.

Rating: 8/10

The Alan Parsons Project "Pyr△mid" (1978)

Following a thematic and dated take on artificial intelligence with I Robot, The Alan Parsons Project return with this concept record based on the pyramids of Giza. Its title may lack subtlety but the lyrics seem mostly disconnected now learning of its conception. It could be some ignorance on my behalf but this record feels more like a continuation of what came before it, Progressive Rock with a charming reach into the adjacent sounds and styles of the time. It too seamlessly weaves between sweet moods and measured temperaments as it sways from a sporadic rump of British patriotic royal trumpets to a heart broken ballad in the flow of just a couple songs.

Classy and keen they triumph a lot of percussive groove and simple melodic pleasures as songs jive with an energetic drive rhythmically. The bass is often driving and it comes to a heard on In The Lap Of The Gods as mighty voices chime in over its dramatic climax, excited by a exuberant string section. I love how the punchy Rock grooves, jiving Funk and R&B influences rub shoulders with these swells of symphonic excellence. Its not until Hyper-Gamma-Spaces that some of the Tangerine Dream inspired sounds of 70s synthesizers return on a whirling psychedelic tangent.

Overall the album feels somewhat brief in its nine tracks with each song tending to stick to its one dimension. Its ending is another stunning track, dazzling with cinematic might in its opening and tailing off into a teary song of regret and loneliness. Its a true ending of a tale, just one I'm not sure where it started. Pyr△mid flows wonderfully but lyrically I didn't feel the connection. As much as I enjoy this project, my retroactive ears pick up on a lot of adjacent style when its comes to originality. Can't Take It With You is the biggest culprit, its wonderful guitar solo sadly to obvious in its imitation of Pink Floyd. Other than that blush, its quite a wonderful album to partake in.

Rating: 8/10

Stevie Wonder "Innervisions" (1973)

A name known the world over in music, but one I had never come acquainted with until now. Stevie was a veteran at this point, a Jazz musician from an era where records where pumped out yearly. Innervisions, his sixteenth, is often frequented by critics as a landmark album, making top lists and the like. Its a highly enjoyable record, loaded with melody and thoughtful compositions. Brilliant songwriting has appealing pop sensibilities between a depth of expansive instrumentation. Initially I was drawn to a subtle streak of Progressive Rock, Visions almost acting as an echo of King Crimson. The overlapping influences of Soul, Funk, Jazz and Rock at play created a point of comparison with some Jazz Fusion records I have enjoyed.

Another thread of influence unraveled. Stevie's voice had a remarkable resemblance to Micheal Jackson, the high pitch woos and cries an obvious characteristic of influence on the king of pop, as well as some of his higher ranged singing carrying a similar persona. His presence is subtlety remarkable. Perhaps it is the competition from the artful instrumentation that competes for attention. Golden Lady a fantastic example of powerful singing that isn't over pronounced or dialed up beyond necessity. His music is warm, inviting and the songs often grow in stature as one is drawn in.

As familiarity settled the themes of social struggle and black life in American became all too apparent. Living For The City tells tales of hard life and daily struggles. The seven minute march opens up with a scenic passage, voice actors and city sounds depict an encounter with corrupt cops. It had me pondering. What was the origin of such an concept incorporated into music? I first heard it on Straight Outta Compton and its become a common feature in Hip Hop musics. Maybe it has its roots here?

Stevie has it all on this record. His instrumentation is a vibrant tapestry of instruments in tandem, reveling in melody, chord arrangements arrive with pleasing simplicity yet offer a wealth of creativity as the Funk energy personifies the synths and instruments with a bold liveliness. It has me appreciating it more with each listen but I may be far from done with Innervisions. Some songs towards the back end don't appeal quite as much when approaching the ballad spectrum but there is a wealth of great music here I can't deny and its been a fantastic introduction to the legendary musician.

Favorite Tracks: Living For The City, Golden Lady, Higher Ground

Rating: 8/10

Queen "Hot Space" (1982)

Quirky, camp and kooky, Hot Space flips the deck as legends Queen make a hard pivot away from their roots in Rock, embracing Pop, Funk, Disco and Electronic music with a stern boldness. The Andy Warhol aesthetic is a perfect fit and I can't help but feel this wouldn't of been well received at the time. Retrospectively I wonder what sort of influence it had on acts at the time. Michael Jackson often sighted Queen and Freddy as a big influence are on this record we hear Queen approach the crisp, sharp instruments at hand similar to how MJ would on records like Bad and Dangerous.

All the instruments, drum included, are snappy and swift. Its all about bold punchy tones, rigid mechanical timings and simple arrangements drawing on the stark aesthetic style. One can hear all elements clear and divisible, the music is boiled down to a simple form. Brian May's guitar licks then haphazardly cringe and collide with these clean and slick sounds, often crashing in, amidst an attempt to elevate the moment. Mercury tends to suffer the stylistic approach as his muted singing repeats dull phrases the themes hinge on however his high pitch singing on the caribbean laid back track Cool Cat is simply sublime. The track before it isn't half bad too, Las Palabras De Amor, however it feels like a rehashing of Teo Torriatte. Maybe its just the foreign language selling that angle.

The track Back Chat reminds me heavily of a Daft Punk song. Just had to say that. As the record draws on the group find their natural ecclesiastic breaking free as their diverse set of styles come back around, fusing with the new approach and offering up their typical set of alternatives. It leaves the album meandering its way towards the Under Pressure hit with David Bowie, a timeless collaboration. Its a diamond in the rough. Hot Space is terrible because its just not good enough. Queen overreach and produce something that doesn't sit right with them. It would be a tolerable album if they stuck to the plan but its when their prior sound leaks in that the music suffers.

Favorite Tracks: Cool Cat, Under Pressure

Rating: 3/10

Queen "The Game" (1980)

Arriving at the midway point of Queen's discography, the group step into the new decade with a cohesive shift in tone that reflects the passing times. Although still experimenting vocally and with special effects, the Progressive band we once knew is in embers as the Arena Rock tone strips these songs back to simple structures, tightly packed riffs and grooves of which a little Funk and Disco creeps into the rhythm section on Dragon Attack and Another One Bites The Dust. Its still a typically diverse record as Ive come to expect. Although the distortion guitars are absent on many a song, they have classic Queen rumbustious eruptions of oozing lead guitar on the tracks with lean Rock guitars tho. Crazy Little Thing Called Love switches up the tone for a warm and charming Rockabily number, still sounds fantastic all these years later.

A stinker turns up in Don't Try Suicide. Its a flaky tune attempting to address a serious topic with an utterly shallow and thoughtless tone. It sounds like a song coerced by some government prevention organization, with rules and regulation on what can be said. I'm sure there intentions were good but its an awful track. The album closes with a beautiful song, Save Me, that is one of their best Ive never heard before this voyage. Freddie's singing is sublime, the harmonies are gorgeous and typically enigmatic guitar leads from Brian May make it an overlooked Queen gem for my ears. All in all The Game is the latest offering of a band experimenting with many sounds, for some reason it all fits together better than previous attempts. And whats up with the album cover? Seems like not a lot of effort was put into its presentation.

Favorite Tracks: Play The Game, Another One Bites The Dust, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Save Me

Rating: 6/10

Living Colour "Stain" (1993)

I may just close the book on this particular musical avenue. A staleness is setting in from a band in steady decline. Their sparkling debut Vivid was quite the experience but since then the re-arranging of influences isn't landing anywhere significant. This time around a tonal rawness and Industrial edge are introduced. Its crass production takes a step back again, the guitar tone has a loose, gritty tone, fit for Thrash and Hardcore riffs but lacking glue. Its on a separate plane from the bass guitar and the musical aesthetic has a sparseness Glover barely holds together with his singing.

His presence is warm in tone, smooth in delivery but the lyrics are handled bluntly. Ideals and topics are persuaded through plain language that sounds so of the time and frankly dated. Its socially and political oriented as you'd expect and the themes range from wealth guilt to sexuality and all of them are expressed with little room for reflection. Essentially I am listing points where this record doesn't resonate. Nothing here is truly awful but the record passes without any attention grabbing moments.

Vernon Reid does get to flash off his advantageous guitaring ability with wild, erupting, dazzling solos however they arise from mediocrity which dampens the impact. There is actually a fair arsenal of thrash and groove riffs in the mix but something in albums raw aesthetic dispels any magic. Auslander is a good example of a track set to bang. Its got a driving Industrial backbone and rowdy baseline yet the two don't gel and the song drifts into a monotone, lifeless drone that chops and churns its way by.

Leave It Alone is about the only song that really has something going for. The rest just gets by on a limb, then Wtff arrives with a turn table break beat jam and the record drops of completely for the remaining few songs. Its a strange record because its loaded with good riffs and interesting elements but none of it fuses and the whole thing is left stiff and stale. Its disappointing but not awful, worth a spin but no more.

Favorite Track: Leave It Alone

Rating: 4/10

Living Colour "Biscuits" (1991)

When it comes to music I am somewhat of a completionist, which leads me too this disposable EP released between albums. It also means a negative blog post, something I am not fond of. Here we have six tracks, comprising of five unreleased songs, three of them performed live and my favorite Living Color song Desperate People, also live. Each track seems to be scared by some jarring feature that taints the whole experience to a rushed throwaway. Two of the tracks feature scratching samples with a generic 80s rawness. Its hard and mixed in over the rest of the music for a disparaging equilibrium that stains mediocre songs with an unfinished feeling. The second of these had potential however. Its Ska basslines and esoteric, dreary, gothic guitars muster interest that's interrupted by tone deaf scratching.

The live performance of Desperate People from Vivid has all the enthusiasm and electricity of a wild show but the music is overplayed, too many variations and additional guitar noise gives an impression of the band getting to into the energy of playing and sacrificing a lot of fidelity. Further into the song Glover falls off key and it doesn't paint a good sell for the live show. On another tracks he moans and groans into the mic in a way that never sounds quite right... I could go on but you get the point, the quality here is sub par and with some bold annoyances on the project it just feels like a quick hash of material pulled together without much thought.

Rating: 2/10

Living Colour "Time's Up" (1990)

There was no way I wouldn't pick up another album after discovering Vivid. Its a wonderful debut from the New York band who were fusing genres and setting the sound for 90s Alternative Metal. My excitement brewed when I read this album won a Grammy! That was quickly dispelled on first listen as the production feels a grade lower. The album has a looser, rawer sound, it opens fire with a rattling snare and speedy guitar pummeling that leans towards Thrash Metal. Its a brief moment of intensity that focuses attention on the overall rawer feeling of the record, its drums a fraction more spacious and its busying bass guitar sounds muffled and muddied when in steps up for action. Its energy and charisma comes together with a looseness.

In getting to know the record, a strange feeling of sideways progression emerges. The songs all have the same components, bold and bright, gleaming influences of Metal, Punk, Funk and Hip Hop melding in the cooking pot. This time around its as if they have taken the formula and re-arranged the elements, rather than sharpening or refining its composition. The resulting collection of tracks are rather miss matched in quality, the best of their output seems to revolve around singer Corey Glover and if he can pull of a hook or ear worm chorus. Pride does this wonderfully, with the band laying down a sweet track for his voice to resonate and send goosebumps your way.

There is a distinct shift in the albums topicality. The same social, cultural, economic and racial themes that felt personal and expressive seem spun up in a more commanding and actionable tone as the album is loaded with talking points and statements that stretch from the personal to the political with a broadened attitude. It becomes rather uncomfortable on the safe sex track Under The Cover Of Darkness. It has the tone of a government social influence project, with Queen Latifah dropping in headstrong, empowering lyrics but with that cliche 80s/90s plain flow rap. Unfortunately it has such an orchestrated feeling as she doesn't gel with the track.

The record has many strong moments and engaging arrangements. A wide variety of tones, genre splicing and ideas play out with plenty of grooving riffs and blazing, finger splitting solos but its usually one element firing at a time. The overall themes of these tracks don't come together to often and it play with a patchy flow because of that. Its short intermissions don't offer much either and I'm left feeling lukewarm on the record and wondering if the Grammy was in turn for such an amazing debut.

Favorite Tracks: Pride, Elvis Is Dead, Type, This Is The Life

Rating: 6/10

Living Colour "Vivid" (1988)

The magic of shuffle kicks off another journey as a track other than Cult Of Personality plays and captivates my attention. Its the perfect spark to lure me in and over the past couple of weeks Ive grown to adore this record! When first digging the mood and vibes I thought about how much I loved nineties music, of course this record was a couple years before that decade but Its shades of Alternative and Funk Metal now sound like a precursor to what would blow up in the coming years. You could even trace back Groove Metal back to some of the stomping riffs that appear on this record too. Its been a revelation in some ways, another piece in the puzzle, a key one too.

The group formed in New York a few years prior to this debut album and they arrive on the scene with a really powerful and well formed sound that fuses elements of the aforementioned genres with a Hard Rock baseline, some flavors of Funk and periodic upbeat inflections of cheesy eighties Pop vibes. They pull it off well and roar out the gates with the timeless Cult Of Personality, beyond it an impressive set of songs bring a diversity of well executed ideas thanks to a solid rhythm department. Its led by slamming drum beats that have a little Hip Hop sway to them and alongside punchy baselines that get a couple of songs to step up and flex phenomenal bass playing.

Singer Glover has a fantastic range and pulls off some immense high pitched notes at key moments, he is a well rounded voice at the forefront, lively and emotionally invested. The guitar work is sublime, a range of styles even spanning as far as a Country tang give the songs there tone. The lead playing lines many of them with electric guitar solos that erupt and roar, bursting to life with electricity, showing off technical prowess and slick inspiration. They also drop in with hard hitting riffs and grooves that will have you slamming your head back and forth on many an occasion.

To me, the record walks on many paths and feels like a journey round the world as it explores many ideas, tones and temperaments. The lyrical content and theming also hits a diverse collection of thoughts and problems having personal perspectives, strong feelings and a outlook towards social situations and political problems. The two aspects gel together fantastically and make for a record I can't help think may be somewhat lost to time. I wouldn't say its a classic but it really has a pivotal feel to it, a stepping stone towards the immense music I adore from the early nineties.

Favorite Tracks: Cult Of Personality, Desperate People, Open Letter, Broken Hearts
Rating: 7/10

Janis Joplin "I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!" (1969)

Kozmic Blues is a long overdue listen, Pearl was such a fantastic treasure of the Woodstock generation and a wonderful introduction to the raw charisma of Janis's voice. I had to hear more and turning to this, her debut as a solo artist, one can hear a timely shift in tone and slightly different musical energy at work with slimmer influences of Blues, Psychedelia and a touch of Jazz Rock in its breathy instruments. It could be a comment on the posthumous nature of Pearl but being new to her music they both stand tall as great records. This one however has peaks that go unmatched in its other songs. What captivates me about it are the jam sections. Lively instrumentals of busying instruments bustling away find a couple of extended interludes to come forth in continuously memorizing walls of sound fronted by big trumpets and the like.

And then Janis arrives, her voice impactful returning from absence, seemingly catching one of guard. The eight tracks come in different intensities and measures of style and so does Janis's singing, yet even in her softest breath does she ever seem to be one word away from unleashing her compassion as her voice strains and strays into what may of probably been seen as yelling or screaming back then. With one of its calmer instrumentals boasting big and bold trumpets in its key melody in the build up to her arrival, Janis soars over soft, moody organs with an unforgettable performance to give you goosebumps. Her voice cruises high and low through her range, led by pure feeling on my favorite track Maybe. Its a timeless song.

Its easy to focus on her voice. Behind her the music resonates wonderfully. As mentioned before they often come forth in her absence as their is such great cohesion between the performers. The lead guitar comes to fruition on One Good Man with a tropical, psychedelic solo that's blisteringly electric. The best of this does find itself in the first half as the album broods with dialed down tracks that make her voice more intimate as a result. Work Me Lord creeps up on you from its smokey beginnings with a big theme that gets a little stiff in finding a conclusion and lets Janis lead out the record alone. Overall its a wonderful album but perhaps my familiarity to her curbed the surprise of the stunning singing in store, and there is a lot of it!

Favorite Tracks: Maybe, One Good Man, Work Me Lord

Rating: 8/10

Parliament "Medicaid Fraud Dogg" (2018)

My interest in Parliament and Funk music is superseded by its influence on the Hip Hop music of the 90s. In this case of George Clinton and his P-Funk musician collective, its the re-imagining of his songs from the likes of Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube that are among some of my all time favorite Rap tunes. Their last record was thirty eight years ago, so it was quite a surprise to hear of a new album in the works, I thought they were done and dusted, the last Parliament tour was in the 80s bar occasional one offs as the Parliment-Funkadelic collective. So after a long hiatus Clinton returns with his son Tracey Lewis to go another lengthy round.

Medicaid Fraud Dogg plays very much like an open, grooving jam, a free for all. It explores avenues with varying degrees of styles, aesthetics and instruments that mostly stick to a Funk template but often slip into rather mellow and jazzy lulls of relaxed expectations. Clocking in over a sizeable one hundred minutes it clearly sets no bars for curation and may test some listeners patience. It drifts from track to track with no obvious theme or direction bar the references to medication culture. Many of the songs have a leisurely temperament about them and a few tracks take a drastic shift as one young rapper gets the limelight to showcase their modern rap style with a tightly produced modern, Trap influenced Hip Hop beat. The track Mama Told Me aims to meld the two sounds together in a rather tragic mess.

It doesn't suit how I enjoy records, yet there is some good music is to be found. Its glossy sound revises lots of classic Funk sounds and ideas. With an arsenal of trumpets, the bass guitar, saxophone, piano and other instruments, Clinton's musicians meld the punchy synthetic sounds with little in the way of new tricks or surprises but certainly with a big dose of style and fun. The production however is insufferable in its inconsistency. The difference in volume between tracks and instruments can be misleading. The loud voice over the quiet music of Kool Aid sounds like an interlude compared to the loud and prominent Dada that follows.

The album hits a few good notes with its "social media ain't shit" hook on the Antisocial Media track. Its a reminder of how little this record lands its hooks. Not even its jiving I'm Gonna Make You Sick Of Me song with its big raunchy baselines and funky synths, fit for a west-coast remaster, can deliver something memorable on the lyrical front. The album rolls out on a lull and given my lack of affinity with Funk music the length may just wear me down. There wasn't a lot to take away on this one.

Favorite Tracks: Backwoods, I'm Gonna Make You Sick Of Me, Antisocial Media

Rating: 5/10

Janis Joplin "Pearl" (1971)

It was quite a few years ago that I first heard of Janis and her legendary performance at Woodstock 69. I got my hands on Pearl with a whole bunch of other records from a top 500 list and have had it on my phone since, waiting for shuffle to catch me off guard and precisely that happened the other day with Half Moon, a feel good, upbeat, jiving song on the first side of the record. Reading up on Pearl I am saddened to learn it was released posthumously a few months after her death in 1970 where she suffered a heroin overdose. Interestingly the album was recorded in the failed four channel quadraphonic format which would eventually become surround sound. It also held the top album slot for nine weeks and sold over four million copies.

Whats impressive about Pearl is its energy and dynamism, from both Janis's charisma and the wonderfully involved, vibrant instrumentation behind her. The record rocks and sways between heartfelt emotions and feel good, rocking vibes. A powerful fusion of Funk, Soul, R&B and Blues Rock jives on with a colorful intensity as the accompanying Fult Tilt Boogie Band illuminate these songs with fleshed out and inspired music making a rich setting for Janis however they too take the lime light with bursts of powerful organs and guitar licks between the ever present liveliness of the deceased Richard Bell's pianos. Its dense in its involvement, yet audibly crisp and inviting, each instrument having its space in the mix to shine as they jive in tandem.

All of the band give a riveting performance, you can simply just zone in on one instrument and be moved but the biggest mover is Janis out in front of them who has such a fascinating and emotional voice. With such sincere passion and expression in her singing, the half hit notes and croaky, scratchy strain she frequently visits become engulfed in the moment, sounding natural, charming and despite technically being "flawed" its transformed by her charisma. She even goes has far to push her voice in to a surging shriek on occasion, which is too just an unleashing of urgent expression. Its truly riveting and endearing, her young death truly a tragedy.

Its practically a flawless record, thirty four minutes of emotional engagement with exception to one track which I can't help but feel modern corporatism has spoiled as I'm sure Ive heard it in a commercial of the same name, Mercedes Benz. Its a short, lower fidelity accapella where Janis sounds a little rusty on her own, singing sarcastic prayers for consumerist products. Its really quite a nice piece but feels tainted by its snug fit with advertising culture where everything becomes a commodity, even the song, which only makes sense retrospectively.

My time with this record has taught me what I'm learning over and over again, that a musicians personal expression can transcend any preconceived musical preference if given a chance. The sixties is a fascinating chapter in the history of humanity and certainly the beginning of the cultural freedom we experience today. I'd never been keen on the music but I'm glad that's changing. Janis's voice feels free of its time but the instrumentals are firmly rooted in the era and Its great to hear familiar 60s aesthetics expressing something I can relate with, however writing that makes me realized its perhaps the ever changing self that is now coming around to this wonderful era of music and cultural significance.

Rating: Cry Baby, My Baby, Half Moon, Get It While You Can

Rating: 9.5/10