Cannibal Cuts

[Sin]

why yes, thank you. Almost forgot I was a cunt, then your helpful reminder further jogged my memory that I am beyond just a cunt, I am
a Fat American Cunt.

Dont be so harsh om yourself, your are a fat shit cunt from The Jewnited States of Dumbfuckinstan, what makes it worse for you, you are on the same continents as the Skweezit, the shit cunts shit cunt

[cannibal]

Somewhere in Southern Calli, in some garage was a raggedy haired pimple faced little fucking skate rat who happened to be a damn good guitar player who liked to play big fuzzy riffs. He had some friends who also liked to play fuzzy rock and play it like punk fiends. I imagine they loaded their gear in some old custom van lined with shaggy carpet loaded with resin and reeks of weed from the 1960's, and just drove across southern Calli playing anywhere and everywhere perfecting the sound of Punk meets Stoner Rock that is Fu Manchu...Roll on 33 plus years and about a dozen albums and thousands of gigs the sound of Fu Manchu remains the same. And that is a good thing because they deliver with consistent quality and no fucking compromise. When you do the one thing you do as good as these guys you don't change it unless your a moron.

So no surprise that the 13th studio album of Fu Manchu "Clone of the Universe" delivers up the goods of stoner rock just like they did on every other album...but wait you cunts there is a surprise after about 22 minutes of the usual Fu Manchu, one runs smack up against a big wall of sound that runs 18 minutes "Il Mostro Atomico". And another little surprise Alex Lifeson adds to the Fu Manchu guitars. Talk about opposites attracting, but it works and man does it ever. Good to hear Fu Manchu stretching themselves by doing something different and thank to fuck it worked.

Overall this is a fine piece of work but not on par with say "King of the Road" yet still worth a listen because it is just good stuff

Full album with track listing, enjoy
[youtube][/youtube]

[cannibal]

3 months have slipped by since I last added anything to this thread. Proof positive of how useless I am. To my credit I have listened to over 200 new albums since then. Plus my 2 year concerted effort to listen to the entire discography of Deep Purple, Ten Years After, and Foghat. This includes bootlegs and all the remastered stuff. Believe it or not in dart terms that is a maximum, i.e. 180 albums. Yes I know, who gives a fuck?

Well along the way I took the time to spin the first solo album of Myles Kennedy; front man of Alter Bridge. The album "Year of the Tiger" whose title track is tribute to his father and his passing. I must confess I read a bunch of reviews on this album before listening to it. Typically I don't like to do this as it taints the first listening experience and leads me to listen for what others have heard instead of taking the first listen as a doe eyed virgin. The price I paid for this mistake was disappointment as I thought this was going to be a bluesy folk album, which I don't think it is at all. After a few listens thru and erasing from my mind of the bullshit bias I let others instill in me, I really liked this album.

It was nice to hear Myles take a chance and stretch himself into a genre that he certainly isn't known for. Lets be clear the genre is clearly Americana and the arrangements and choice of instrumentation on this work clearly put it smack dab in the middle of this genre. The use of various stringed instruments from acoustic guitar, mandolin, steel guitar and banjo all played by Myles; create an atmosphere and tone the allows his singing to be displayed at the front. And it works because the lyricism and his excellent singing are placed right where it should be. I found myself connecting with the songs on this album as his life journey is somewhat similar to my own growing up in a very religious home and its dogma but allowing ones self to mature and question yet still attempting to grasp to ones faith in a way that one can wrap their own head around in the actual world we live in. Of course others may take away something completely different and that is the beauty of art as it lends itself to individual interpretation.

Their isn't any incredibly great crafty or intriguing musicianship here but what is here is pleasantly enjoyable and familiar. It fits, it works for what he is trying to do. After a few listens thru I got it and appreciated this album even more. Over all this is a nice consistent album, a stinker or two but that is relative to the whole context of the quality of this album. According to Myles own admission it took him years to get the courage to put himself out there in a solo venture on these topics and in this style. My only negative thing I can say to Myles is, you cunt why did you make us wait so long for such a pleasant listening experience.

End of the day gave me an appreciation for Myles Kennedy as a singer and musician that I didn't have before and I found myself going back and enjoying some of Alter Bridge's work that I really never paid much attention to.

youtube playlist for this album. I really like the song "Haunted By Design" think it demonstrates the crap above that I was talking about.
[youtube][/youtube]

[cannibal]

Something about summer time makes me nostalgic. Probably the longing of carefree days of youth, summer vacation, and the longer warmer days all put me in the mood for the music of my youth. Which I readily admit puts me smack dab in the middle of the 80's or somewhere thereabouts. The music of my youth was spent listening to Classic Rock Radio thru those new fangle headphones, slim lined with big spongy ear pieces. Everywhere I went I had those bitches attached to my head, and that big gob of a receiver unit attached to my belt. AC\DC, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and other NWOBHM styled type of bands where a constant staple for my ever hungry ears.

So it was with great anticipation this early summer that I started listening to the Swedish outfit Bullet's latest album "Dust To Gold". Bullet is a band that is probably considered by the more pretentious trendy useless fucking critics as way behind the times, or even worse labeled "retro". I think good music and musicianship is not defined by time or contemporary standards of popularity. It transcends all that and just makes you want to tap your foot, bang your head, sing along, or just flip the bird in defiance. This is exactly what Bullet "Dust To Gold" does with big anthem hard rock numbers that just keep coming in a relentless fashion. No shitty ballads to appeal to the chicks or the radio friendly masses are found here. So for me it meets the criteria of good old fashion Lemmy approved Rock N' Roll. Bullet has maintained a solid, even accomplished workman like consistency in the offerings to Hard Rock\Heavy Metal. Like AC\DC, Accept, and Motorhead they just do what they do well with little innovation or surprise. And that is not a bad thing if you like what you like and just are looking to keep on head banging.

Dust To Gold is a fucking solid offering that I really enjoyed listening to. I readily admit the vocals may not be every metal heads "cup of tea" but I ain't fucking drinking tea. I go straight for bitter black coffee, makes your eyes pop and the drive for exhilarating caffeine keeps you coming back for more. Some very good guitar playing coupled with some better than fine rhythm backing in drums and bass make for some steady hard rocking numbers that are just a joy to listen to. A solid effort thru and thru, and at this moment I can't think of a real stinker in the lot. From start to finish if your not banging your head your probably dead or just a useless soft rock, adult contemporary listening cunt who just needs to get the fuck out of the way of the Rock Brigade.

I am going to make a confession, I have a hard time listening to the vocal style for along time thru headphones. Ear fatigue sets in quickly. OTOH turned up to 11 in my basement system no problem, and this is how this should be listened to. Get your hands on the Japan release as the track "Swords And Tequila" is worth it.

[youtube][/youtube]

[cannibal]

When I first started really delving into Blues music in the late 80's I had moved to Philadelphia and went to a music festival held there on the Delaware River called jambalaya Jam. This festival focused on the music of Louisiana, East Texas, Zydeco, and all its influenced offspring; as well as its food. This was the first time I saw Johnny Winter, B.B. King, Charles Brown, Subdudes, Clifton Chenier, Preservation Hall Band, and Marcia Ball perform live.

Marcia Ball was one of the performers that really stuck out in my mind as she was playing a honky tonk, barrel house music that I wasn't that familiar with. Her piano playing style was something new yet familiar as it reminded me of Fats Waller, Prof Longhair, infused with a gospel churchy sound that I was just beginning to become interested in. Her band was just incredibly tight and she often let them showcase their own panache as well as claiming enough space for herself to be the dominant force in the performance.

That was years ago and Ms Ball (who is really a Mrs, but in the finest tradition of the south I call her Miss as you do all ladies that deserve respect in the south, I still call my own Aunt Ms Ina as does everyone in her Appalchian community) who is a lady in the finest tradition of the south has continued to bring a fine tradition of East Texas Zydeco blend of music that is truly an American art form. Her latest album "Shine Bright" comes full circle to deliver all those traditions that influence her style. Yet in her own fashion she doesn't ape a style, she instead incorporates the influence to make it her own, as she has always done.

"Shine Bright" is the coalescing of all the things that influenced Ms Ball yet she pulls it off with a contemporary sound without going too far astray from her roots and still making it her own. I think her voice certainly has aged and not quite what it use to be, but she some how finds a way to make you forget that and accept her age with grace, as she certainly has herself. But this is just proof as to how good of an artist she is as she finds a way to make arrangements fit her style. It seems as if this is all music she wants to do and performs it with such infectious pleasure you can't help but enjoy it yourself. This is exactly how her live performances are as well, she just enjoys playing and performing and it always comes across that way from every time I have seen her play.

I really liked this album because it was a plethora of different things from Zydeco, Honky Tonk, to Gospel sounds. Ms Ball has kept an American music style alive and vibrant and for that I am very grateful, long may she reign as the East Texas Honky Tonk Queen.

[youtube][/youtube]

[youtube][/youtube]

this is an older performance but displays her at her best (about the time frame I saw her perform live) on a traditional track that I think is very moving. Proof that she is probably an under appreciated artist of the great American Art form.
[youtube][/youtube]

[cannibal]

just had to throw this in as to me Etta James is the definitive artist on this song, and this performance really displays the power of her voice as well as the emotive performance she often gave on this song.
[youtube][/youtube]

here she is much later in life but yet still giving you an emotive performance
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[cannibal]

Seems I have been bringing albums of "solid fare" of late. So I am going to continue in that same trend and put on the table Orange Goblin's latest offering "The Wolf Bites Back". Hard to believe that Orange Goblin has been around like 23 years now. That impression is mainly due to the fact they are not a band who pumps out an album on a yearly basis, but then again who is these days. Everyone is so busy actually out doing gigs as bands pocket more of this money and album sales typically don't haul in the revenues as bands are at the will of the brutal task masters at the record labels.

Orange Goblin started out as a Stoner outfit with the first few albums. Then made a move to a more doom oriented sound, incorporating punk at times as well as good old fashion Hard Rock. "The Wolf Bites Back" finds the band making an album whose goal is to offer a bit of a stripped back sound that provides the band offerings that can be played live as is. So what you hear here is what your going to get at the gig. Even tho it may be strip backed this album still gives one the taste of all that the Goblin has come to be known for, Stoner, Doom, Punk, Groovy Hard Rock, can all be found here. Stripped back may be the approach but the sound is still full and at times varied which creates for a good listen as you get deeper into the album. The only downfall is I think the front of the album is a bit loaded with more straight doom classic approach. Which I acknowledge is not every hard rock, heavy metal fans taste and can even be monotonous to the ear of some pussy listening poser whose veins run pink with metal ballads and radio friendly hooks that make the true metal fans puke. Or in short the fucking sell outs who can't commit to being a metal head because they are soft in the guts.

The first three tracks are just the Doom\Hard Rock stuff, perfect for whipping the crowd into frenzied rapid froth. I really like the first track Sons of Salem. "Swords of the Primitive" is old fashioned straight doom affair. Tracks 5-10 I think is when the listening gets good and you get the mix of time changes, influences, and just plain old good creativity. End of the day this a very solid offering from the Goblin who are probably coming full circle now.

full album, give it a listen
[youtube][/youtube]

[cannibal]

A bit of disappointment if I am honest. Shemekia Copeland is one of my favorite contemporary blues artists as I love how she brings a powerful soul, gospel, and blues singing voice to modern blues. Her band is tight, they just always seem to bring fine musicianship to her performances. They always get a chance to work their chops knowing full well what their role is that Ms. Copeland is the showpiece.

Unfortunately this time around on "America's Child" something goes slightly awry. This album is a bit of a political statement mixed with a reflection of Americana. And in that vein this album goes more into an Americana feel and a country tinge. With less of a full punch in the gut blues. I think the bands performance suffers because of this approach because what they do best is a full fledged Texarkana with a Chicago blues flow. I think that this stretch to something different just doesn't come across well at times. It works on a few tracks and that is where it should have been left, on a few tracks. It doesn't seem that the band and Copeland ever mesh fully. On tracks where she is bringing it, the band just seems lost. On the tracks the band is bringing it she just seems lost in the wilderness.

The critics seem to like the album, but I have a feeling most of them don't have a fucking clue as to what makes Shemekia the truly powerful performer she is. They are more wrapped up in the political message than they are the quality of Ms. Copeland herself. I like the message she is trying to convey but she should have stuck to doing that in the style she is familiar and known for.

There are some good tracks here but it isn't the consistent performance that Ms Copeland and her band are known for. A pity as this probably will be the album that introduces here to a wider audience due to the fucking uselessness of the critics. Ms Copeland (and her band) are way better than what she delivers here.

Here is a track that is one of the best on the album and shows here at what I think is her forte
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Not in her forte but a quality track on the album
[youtube][/youtube]

Shemekia fans may like this one. But if your not a fan I wouldn't advise you to start here, her albums "Turn the Heat Up", "Wicked", or "Talking to Strangers" are far better examples of the Ms Copeland who has the power and urgency to bring the blues with conviction that will make you a believer too.

[cannibal]

This one is a pleasant surprise of satisfaction. In the last several years (at least in 'merica) Afrobeat and African music and African influenced music is finding a serious foot hold. And that is a great thing considering all the similar shit that sells as main stream music these days, i.e. indie rock. Critics pushing the same indie rock or indie pop shit to the radio, new media, and critics love to rave about the latest shit sound that album after album sound like the same tepid shit of the day.

Meanwhile Afrobeat to the western ear defies all the sameness that a bunch of self indulgent indie pop critics come to embrace because they want to be on edge of the latest fucking lame shit ass trend. Afrobeat takes all we know as western culture about rhythm and syncopation and just fucks it up. For me this is what makes it a great listen as it is just so different but yet there is a blues and classic rock sound that a fan of that genre should find somewhat familiar; yet distant familiarity that makes one (me at least) want to listen to. I seriously need to do some "deep cuts" post on Afrobeat.

Seun Kuti's latest album "Black Times" was a great listen for me. Not sure if it was just a defiant satisfaction vis a vis what is going on in 'merica and a kick in the nuts and a spit in the face of old whitey's perspective of Africa and African people or just the case of awesome old school Afrobeat that excited me. It didn't hurt that I was in the kitchen cooking up a curry, sweating like a white pig pissed off, letting the perpetual driving rhythm infuse my soul. All the things my white conservative religious parents warned me not to succumb to. Yet I did. You can't help but find your self dancing to this one as if you where in some West African Township night club just getting down and letting the music take control of your body in sweaty withering mass of syncopation. I readily admit as a fat whitey that isn't an image you want to delve on.

Seun, like his brother Femi, will always live in the shadow of their father Fela Kuti who is the creator of Afrobeat and the original "Black President" Seun alway seemed the one who tried to ape his fathers sound never finding his own voice, and when he tried it never came off as his own. Finally I think Seun has found his own way in Afrobeat on "Black Times". No doubt the sounds of his father are found here; and that isn't a bad thing, yet he finds a way to finally make it his own, finally. There is a familiar sound but with Seun's own sense of delivery, rhythm and conviction. It is real this time. From start to finish this was a great listen and several listens more I find myself still really enjoying it.

If your not familiar with Afrobeat this is a great album to start with as it is modern but containing all the elements of traditional Afrobeat. For me this was the surprise album of the year so far, I absolutely loved it. Catch the afrobeat fever and give it a listen.
[youtube][/youtube]

[cannibal]

wtf is going on

[Randall]

wtf is going on

Marvin Gaye?

[cannibal]

trying to post a review but telling me too few characters? When in the hell has any of my post contained too few characters lol

[Randall]

A

[Randall]

Lets me post one letter apparently!

[cannibal]

My most anticipated album of the year has arrived. Coming from one of my absolute favorite bands; I hold them to a pretty fucking high standard. Clutch has earned the right to be held to a high standard of criticism as they, for years have delivered some of the best and most interesting albums over the years. This band is a hot mess of genre swapping orgy with a consistent sound that makes you know from the first bar this is Clutch. The genre stew consists of Southern Rock, Hard Rock, Funky Fuzzy Stoner Rock, Bluesy Psychedelic Rock, and just plain old Rock and more Rock with just a dash of more Rock.

I have to admit The "Book Of Bad Decisions" left me more than a little disappointed. There are some fine tracks here within the Clutch tradition. And certainly based on the tepid indie rock shit that is flooding the bog bowl of releases these days, it stands far and above. Kind of like that spray air freshner one finds in a public restroom. And much like that it has a tendency to dissipate rather quickly. I admit this is mainly due to my high standard I hold for this band. It is a solid offering but lacks a lot of the clever lyricism found on their better albums. Here it comes in spats but lacks the ability of painting the imagery that previous lyrics did. And the obtuse non sequitor lyrics always made it fun to listen to this band because you just don't know what in the hell they are talking about half the time. But it just worked.

Here on the "Book Of Bad Decision" the best track far and away is "In Walked Barbarella" I love the use of horns (new to Clutch) gives this an uptown Chi-Town blues feel. The lyrics are great with its reference of course sci-fi hotty Barbarella, and the 710 a piece of shit Datsun auto. And anyone that weaponizes Funk is o.k. in my book.
[youtube][/youtube]

The lead track "Gimme The Keys" is a typical Clutch track, as is "Ghoul Wrangler". "Bottom Feeder" is a bluesy Psychedalic number that Clutch has springled thru out various albums over the years. A tribute to the crab, which Maryland is known for the fines Crabcakes ever, out of the mighty Chesapeake Bay. Boy you aint had a crabcake till you have had one from Maryland.
[youtube][/youtube]

I really liked this track on Emily Dickinson
[youtube][/youtube]

[cannibal]

Full Album for the fully initiated
[youtube][/youtube]

[cannibal]

Lets me post one letter apparently!

Well your fucking special you oversized git

Seems there was a link I was posting that didn't want to work and screwed up my post. Fixed now for the time being.

[Randall]

Lets me post one letter apparently!

Well your fucking special you oversized git

Seems there was a link I was posting that didn't want to work and screwed up my post. Fixed now for the time being.

[cannibal]

Tuesday so you know what that means you useless cunts, it is a 2 fer.
I came across this one due to metacritic who I like to read to see what the consensus from the so called useless experts who write on music have to spew. This time they got it right with Fatoumata Diawara latest release "Fenfo (Something to Say)". This is an artist I wasn't familiar with, even as a hungry consumer of African music, mostly in the Afro Beat tradition. Fatoumata Diawara is Malian but born and raised in Ivory Coast (go Les Éléphants) whose music I would put in the Malian tradition with Salif Keita. Yet she is a bit different, sort of a Malian Sade (who I believe is Nigerian for you lame ass white people).

Honestly none of that shit really matters as her album "Fenfo" is fucking brilliant. I am no expert in African music but from the few years I have been listening to it, She has the perfect blend of modern with the traditional. Her voice is fragile yet urgent and sincere. I typically am not a fan of foreign language albums but I found this captivating to listen to (much like Salif's work or even Kidjo). There is a simplicity yet elegance to the music here that vacillates between traditional R&B, Soul, to traditional and bunch of genre mash ups as well. Honestly I don't give a shit as to understanding what she is singing, I just find her voice compelling to listen to. She has a nice range, doesn't over complicate it, just delivers.

The arrangements on this are a pleasure as well, it is a nice subtle approach unlike the Afro-Beat I am more familiar with. Afro-Beat just slams you in the face with horns, keyboard and syncopation. This on the other hand is at times a more quite affair which fits the singing. And when it is not such a quite affair it still fits the singing but its not over produced. This is a finely balanced album and a sheer joy to listen to.

Lead track and a perfect intro to this album, link should go to playlist for the rest of the album. give it a listen.
[youtube][/youtube]

[cannibal]

Chicago Blues! what in the hell is it? You know it when you hear it; and Nick Moss and his band with the addition of the fine harp player Dennis Grueling, is it...it being Chicago Blues. I had never heard of Nick Moss before but I am a big fan of Alligator Records and the artist they sign. Their new signing Nick Moss and his band brought them to my attention and thank fuck they did as the album "High Cost of Low Living" was an absolute pleasure to listen to over and over again.

Chicago Blues for me is about horns, they add a certain punch and swing to blues that...well make it more than just regular old blues. Kind of like big band swing but with a hell of a lot less instruments. What happens when you have a sparse horn section? Well you can throw in a Harmonica player who can bring it. And this is exactly what Nick Moss did. I love harmonica, the instrument always fascinated me as a very clever accomplished player can do a massive amount to create a big sound with such a really simple instrument. And this album is a perfect example of just that.

Dennis Grueling on the harmonica really brings the Nick Moss band to a whole other level as he can do many things. He takes the lead, fills the gap of the horn section, call and response, shit golden eggs, etc...Ok he isn't the brilliant genius of Little Walter or Sugar Blue but he knows his role on every single track and delivers the goods in a special way. To their credit the band is tight and delivers some fine musicianship backing both nick moss on guitar and Grueling on the mouth harp.

In short it just all comes together to create a fine piece of swinging Chicago Blues. No doubt this is a bit retro in its sound but high time that people in American music remember that fine musical tradition that backed a night out of juking. Sound quality on the clips aren't the best but gives a great feel for what this band is about. This is an album worth putting the chunk of change down for if your into Chicago Blues or just good old fashioned good listening.

The title track live
[youtube][/youtube]

Typical Chi-Town Blues for juking
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