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The Behrend Beacon
our new CDs get the grade from the Beau
The Foo Fighters get heavy with their
new album 'One By One'
review by Kevin Fallon
staff writer
For better or worse, Dave Grohl
can't shake his past. The same force
that feeds his stardom and success
also pulls him down by referring to
him as "that dude from Nirvana."
Grohl battled the demons of his
past on previous Foo Fighters'
albums in songs such as "Hero" and
"Stacked Actors." And while the
band's latest album "One By One"
may not directly reflect on the
Nirvana days, one can't help feel the
eerie presence of Kurt Cobain.
"One By One's" timing couldn't
be more ironic, seeing how
Nirvana's greatest-hits album,
featuring the lost track "You Know
You're Right," was released a week
later.
The album starts with Grohl's
eerie whispers, "all my life I've
been searching for something...the
feeling it comes to life when I see
your ghost," on "All My Life," one
of the highlights of the album.
Despite Grohl's connection with
Nirvana, he has managed to make
a name for himself. Grohl found
his voice on 97's "The Colour and
the Shape," an album that is both
powerful and gutsy.
Musically "One By One" is stripped
down, driving rock that is heavier than
previous albums. Grohl adds balance by
moving from whisper to gritty scream.
"One By One" is a solid album done in
typical Foo fashion. The influence of
Queens of the Stone Age, who Grohl
drummed for this summer, can be heard
on songs such as "Low."
Punk gets a Transplant
review by Josh Wilczynski
staff writer
The Transplants are no strangers to
punk rock. The band features
members of Blink-182 and Rancid.
The Transplants are the perfect
solution for anyone who is looking
Members a
transplanted into a punk super-group
for a band with ear -plitting vocals
and ingenious sound.
This band is truly a punk-rock
powerhouse. Rob Aston and Rancid's
Tim Armstrong trade off guitar and
vocals while Blink-182's and Boxcar
Racer's Travis Barker wails away on
drums. No band could go wrong with
all-time punk legends like Armstrong
and Barker.
Although, Barker brings the beats,
very little of Blink's pop sound is
heard on the Transplants CD. The
band sounds more like Rancid's raw
and dirty version of punk rock.
Aston's vocals border old-school
hardcore and even bring in some rap
"I pity the Fool" The Foo Fighters' get a C+ for "One By One."
However, "One By One" is not as
addictive or catchy as "The Colour and
the Shape" or "There is Nothing Left to
Lose," and has few surprises. Although,
"One By One" is both raw and fun at
points, it never quite takes off.
Perhaps Grohl will never live down his
Nirvana days. But he has proven himself
with the Foo Fighters. Maybe it's the fans
qualities
These guys definitely know how to
make some noise. Their self-titled
debut release from Epitaph shows
just what this trio is capable of. They
combine the music that Armstrong
created on his Pro Tools System with
other guitars, drums,
samples, and loops to
make some crazy sounds
that are extremely raw and
chaotic. You will truly be
impressed
If you are wonder
ing how they sound
vocally, then you probably
have never heard of Aston
or Armstrong before.
Simply put these guys
rock. Aston and
Armstrong wreak havoc
with their fast and
ferocious vocals through
out the CD's 12 loud
tracks.
Armstrong, and Barker
still do not impress you
very much, then how
about all of the CD's guest vocalists?
Other punk-rock heavy hitters like
Rancid's Matt Freeman, AFl's Davey
Havoc, Rancid's Lars Frederickson,
and The Distillers' Brody Armstrong
all add their own vocal talents to
several of the already vocally superb
tracks. If that still doesn't do it for
you, then you can probably assume
that you are not a big fan of punk
rock.
So if you are looking for an
extremely heavy and intense sound,
then I would highly recommend this
CD to you.
Grade: B
PHOTO FROM ROLLINGSTONE.COM
If Aston,
41 1 ff i n °4:
Friday, November 1, 2002
who have to put the past behind
take the days without Cobain
One."
Grade: B-
review by Kevin Fallon
staff writer
Art Garfunkel releases new music that
is just waiting to be noticed
Who cares about the CD? Art Garfunkel gets an A+ for the fro
review by Erin McCarty
After nearly 40 years as an internationally acclaimed
musician, Art Garfunkel has unveiled an album
demonstrating his talents as a songwriter. Garfunkel shares
songwriting credits on six of the 13 tracks on the aptly
named "Everything Waits to be Noticed," which is a
collaborative effort with musicians Maia Sharp and Buddy
Mondlock and producer Billy Mann. Astute fans familiar
with "Still Water," Garfunkel's collection of prose poems,
will recognize in these songs traces of his poetry.
"Bounce" and "Perfect Moment" served as an enticing
preview to this album when they were featured on the WB
show "Felicity" in 2001. The rich harmonies, intricate
guitar work, and energy of "Bounce," the album's first
track, set a tone for the rest of'the album, showcasing how
Beck shows a 'Change' of
heart on new album
Go ahead, break Beck's heart, see what
happens. He'll make the best album of his
career.
Cheer up, Beck. Your new CD is a winner.
them and
"One By
Beck wrote the sad "Sea Change" after
parting with his long-time girlfriend. On
"Sea Change" Beck has become a
heartbroken but charming cowboy. Here,
Beck exposes his acoustic folk side, and
wears his heart on his sleeve for the first
PHOTO FROM ARTGARFUNKEL.COM
news editor
review by Kevin Fallon
staff writer
dreamer who knows most of his
dreams will never come true but
pursues them anyway. This track's menacing percussion
is reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel's classic "The
Boxer."
The album is a departure from most of Garfunkel's solo
work, which is characterized by richly orchestral ballads
befitting his range and romantic sensibilities. The harmonic
tightness among the three performers invites comparison
to Garfunkel's early work with Paul Simon, but this album
is a new and distinct manifestation of his talent. In addition
to being a very personal album for Garfunkel, it also
introduces his fans to the lesser-known but extremely
talented Sharp and Mondlock. This latest addition to the
Garfunkel catalogue is lush, compelling, and well worth
the wait.
Grade: A-
Jackie Cavicchio and
Kevin Fallon, A & E Editors
behrcolls@aol.com
"Sea Change" breaks away fro Beck's
typical pseudo-rapping, silly-funk style.
Beck, who became a poster-boy for
slackers with "Loser," shows that he has a
serious side. "Sea Change" expresses
Beck's newfound
musical maturity though
his newfound sorrow.
At times it's just Beck
and a guitar. Then he'll
use orchestral
fine." You can feel
Beck's pain on "The Golden Age" when
he croons, "These days I barely get by, I
don't even try."
Beck may be singing the blues, but it
never sounded so beautiful.
well Garfunkel, Sharp, and
Mondlock complement one
another. "Perfect Moment," co
written by Garfunkel, is a soft,
dreamy remembrance of a first
encounter between lovers,
accentuating the ephemeral nature
of that one perfect moment when
their eyes first met.
Garfunkel's writing
contributions are present on
several of the album's highlights.
The title track focuses on all the
tiny details in life that deserve
attention from the outside world
and highlights Mondlock's vocals.
"The Thread" highlights Sharp's
vocals and saxophone savvy and
juxtaposes time and place to
illustrate the connection between
two people.
Other album standouts include
"The Kid," the plaintive tale of a
accompaniment on songs
such as "Paper Tiger"
and "Lonesome Tears" to
provide a deeper sense of
gloom.
Although, "Sea
Change" is a sad record,
you don't get weighed
down with a sense of
depression. Rather, Beck
creates a quiet but
somber atmosphere
where he reflects on a
love gone bad. On "Sea
Change" Beck is like a
folkie Coldplay with the
passionate and starry
mood he creates.
On "Guess I'm Doing
Fine" Beck sings of sadly
sarcastic emotions, "it's
only you that I'm losing,
it's only tears that I'm
crying, I guess I'm doing
Grade: A-