BOC: What's your favorite bloom growl/yell/vocal?/ CotHM in England at last

[Jon Jarrett]

On Mon, 11 Jun 2001, Ted Jackson wrote:

> On 11 Jun 2001, at 12:14, Joseph Brooks wrote:
>
> > I've always enjoyed Eric's rap in "R.U. Ready 2 Rock" on SEE; "We come
> > down here to Atlanta just for one reason. Thats to ask you this
> > question...", the "Hey, alright" bit from OYFOOYK. And last but not
> > least, also from OYFOOYK, "I know Lucifer so well, I can call him by
> > his first name..." As far as straight ahead vocal performance (in
> > studio) goes, for Eric, I'd have to say either Black Blade, Joan
> > Crawford or ETI.
> >
> Most [in]famous:  The legalize weed/change the speed limit rap ca.
> 1976, and captured on Live '76...

        For me it has to be the bit in the middle of the ETL `Roadhouse
Blues'; "I knew room service was closed so I couldn't get no
breakfast... " Stunning example of Eric's ability to work a crowd. And
these days one might even believe him when he says the new album's coming
out some time next year...

> BTW, anyone know why BD's guitar is frequently not as loud as
> EB's or AL's at concerts?

        Both times I've seen them over here Buck's guitar has been louder
than everything else; never quite enough to drown the others out but
enough that one couldn't hear the keys clearly while he soloed. On
the other hand I was in the first few rows of Buck's side of the audience
on both occasions, shouting "We understand!" every now and then so I was
probably hearing his amps more than the PA...

        I now have _Curse of the Hidden Mirror_, anyway, and well, perhaps
this is going to be a national divide but I'm really not that impressed. I
do agree that the playing and the sense of the band as a unit is much
improved, but where other people are saying there's no *great* songs on
it, I'm finding there's only a few good ones. `Old Gods Return' and `Eye
of the Hurricane' I like; `Stone of Love' I will admit to liking in
charitable company, and I can manage to like `Here Comes that Feeling' and
`Out of the Darkness'. But the rest of it does nothing for me, including
`Pocket' which I'm just simply not getting, and not including `I Just Like
To Be Bad' which is *awful*. Partly it's the Shirley lyrics, which are,
well, better than last time out but still very dull sledgehammers to crack
fairly obvious nuts. I mean, it's like this:

(Trad.)
        Hickory dickory dock
        The mouse ran up the clock
        The clock struck one
        The mouse fell down
        Hickory dickory dock

(or: by John Shirley)
        I'm a real heavy mouse
        With a clock and a hunch
        I've got to climb my house
        And get back before lunch

(for comparison: by Richard Meltzer)
        Hockety dockety dick!
        Murine craziness a-go-go
        Clockmaker can't make it out
        But that first strike's sure a no-no

(and lastly: by Sandy Pearlman)
        The bells will end the hour
        Mice running like witch's blood
        The clouds have gathered the storm
        Suzy's watch touches the time
                (chorus of phased chants of `It came from the sea!')

        I mean, we all know what we want here, no? Shirley's lyrics
are always telling you what's going on as if you might have missed
it. If Pearlman had written `(Now is the Time) The Old Gods Return' those
words would very likely not feature and they sure as Lovecraft wouldn't be
the only ones in the chorus...

        But, that isn't the problem. My real problem with appreciating
what's good on here is the sound. What? I hear you say, but the
production's _gorgeous_! You could hear a pin drop! They don't fluff a
note! It's so clear, so straightforward (pardon me while I add my own spin
now), so honest, so down-at-home, so _normal_. Yes, excuse me, why are my
favourite heavy metal legends sounding like a country band? Where's
Alan? I can't hear him *anywhere* on this disc, no spooky Hammond, no
keyboard / guitar duels like we got in `Damaged', not even any guitar that
couldn't be Buck or Eric. Was he there at all? Even on the "band" numbers
(which it is good to see happening at last) his input doesn't seem to have
been worth recognising. And more to the point, what's *with* this
sound? It's got no EDGE, no ATTACK, it's not SCARY. There's no fuzz,
almost no effects (bit of echo on some of the vocals?), they sound like a
well-heeled bunch of C&W sidemen sitting down in a living room full of
soft cushions with big grape sodas. I can't deal with this at all. `Old
Gods' should be at least as scary-sounding as `See You in Black' if not
more, but it's not, it's soft-rock played very well by an uninterested
band. If I want to prove to people that BOC are still alive and kicking I
can't do it with this disc, despite its many merits.

        I did get the new Clutch album the same day which may not have
helped. In order to get the sense of _Curse_ more fully I've been playing
the rest of the back catalogue and the result has been that I now feel
I've underestimated _Mirrors_ and _Spectres_ a touch. Though I still
don't like _Club Ninja_. But _Curse_ is almost certainly going to be in my
BOC bottom five. Ah well. Yours,
                                 Jon

ObCD: The Brain Surgeons - _Eponymous_
--
       Jon Jarrett (01223 514989)     jjarrett at chiark.greenend.org.uk
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  "There is a certain pleasure in being mad, which none but madmen know"