Pocketwatch

                  Prior to joining Nirvana, Dave Grohl recorded Pocketwatch in the early nineties. Pocketwatch was released in 1992 under the pseudonym, Late!. This record of “demos” was only released on cassette, but the demand grew for a CD version after the public found out that the band was not called, Late!; it was just a one man band by Grohl who played every instrument on the record.

                 Track 1: Pokey the Little Puppy- This instrumental track opens the record with Grohl’s amazing pounding on the drums. The repetitive riff does not make the song feel boring, a carries the song to another place and makes the listener want more.

                Track 2: Petrol CB- This track starts out very hard and grungy with a fuzzy guitar riff. The vocals come soon after, hidden by the guitar riff and bass. The chorus is sweet and melodic with Grohl’s vocals being showcased properly for the first time on the record.

                Track 3: Friend of a Friend- The track was later rerecorded and appeared on The Foo Fighter’s fourth studio album, In Your Honor. It is a slow song with lyrics about his Nirvana band mates, Krist Novoselic and Kurt Cobain. “He says nevermind and no one speaks,” Grohl sings about Cobain.

                Track 4: Throwing Needles- The song is speedy and hints at Grohl’s prior punk rock experience in the band, Scream. It even sounds like something Scream’s guitarist, Franz Stahl would write. It is a forgettable, but solid track.

                Track 5: Just Another Story about Skeeter Thompson- “Skeeter” is a spoken word song about Grohl’s time in Amsterdam with his friend, Skeeter Thompson who was the bassist of Scream. The song was officially released on The Melvins’ King Buzzo EP. The lyrics are comedic and simple with Grohl describing Skeeter “as really really smelling good” after he put on cologne.

                Track 4: Colored Pictures of a Marigold- The song later appeared as a b-side of Nirvana’s single, “Heart Shaped Box”, rerecorded and titled as “Marigold”. Grohl has been quoted as saying this song is about the time he spent at Kurt Cobain’s house when he didn’t have enough money to buy his own place to stay. The song is slow and sincere with Grohl softly singing about “the six colored pictures all in a row of a marigold” at Cobain’s house.

                Track 5: Hell’s Garden- The song is very forgettable, but is great as well with the melodic verses and the explosive chorus of Grohl screaming “I’m in hell’s garden.”

                Track 6: Winnebago- The song was later rerecorded and released as a b-side to The Foo Fighters’ single “Exhausted” off of their debut record. The verses are melodic, just like many of the songs on Pocketwatch.Lyrically, “Winnebago” sounds like a bunch of random lines of poetry put together into a song, because the lyrics have nothing to do with a Winnebago or with each other for that matter.

                Track 7: Bruce- “Bruce” is the second and last instrumental track on Pocketwatch. The drums make the song great, along with Grohl’s signature drum fills.

                Track 8: Milk- The final track is a sweet one. Grohl sings about sharing his milk with you and about a father scolding his little boy for trading secrets with a girl. The lyrics are very cute and are executed in a melodic way. Pocketwatch as a whole, hints at Grohl’s later career choices and song writing styles.

Arcade Fire's self titled EP

Prior to Arcade Fire’s debut album, Funeral, they released a seven track, self-titled EP in 2003. Husband and wife, Win Butler and Regine Chassagne serve as the band’s primary vocals, with the latter’s high pitched voice giving the band’s sound a sense of innocence.  

Track 1: Old Flame- The track is very Funeral-esque, with Butler’s underdeveloped cutesy vocals. It is nothing memorable, but worth mentioning.

            Track 2: I’m Sleeping in a Submarine- On this track, Chassagne takes lead vocals, while Butler is on backing vocals. The song is interesting and confusing with random shrieks and birdcalls throughout.

            Track 3: No Cars Go- A very elaborate version of “No Cars Go” was rerecorded and rereleased on Arcade Fire’s second LP, Neon Bible. This version, unlike the one on Neon Bible, is missing the grand string arrangement and horns.

            Track 4: The Woodland National Anthem- The track starts out with Chassagne on lead vocals and Butler joining in about thirty seconds into the track. The song does not really go anywhere, with no explosive chorus or change of pace—it just sounds like one long verse. The string arrangement at the end is a plus, though.

            Track 5: My Heart is an Apple- Butler is back on lead vocals, but Chassagne’s backing vocals are completely inaudible. The lyrics are repetitive, with Butler repeatedly saying, “I go outside.” The track ends with the sound of a waterfall.

            Track 6: Headlights Look like Diamonds- “Headlights Look like Diamonds” is, according to Butler, the band’s first hit song. It has the feel of an anthem, just like songs on Funeral. Chassagne and Butler share vocals on the track, while it begs to be performed in an arena.

            Track 7: Vampire/Forest Fire- Butler is back on lead vocals, once again proclaiming, “I’m a vampire in a forest fire”. It is a slow song that ends the EP on a high note.

A look back at Nirvana's rare EP, "Blew"

 

  Released in December of 1989 on only 12 inch vinyl and CD format, Nirvana’s Blew EP was originally scheduled to promote the band’s European leg of their tour. Not everything went as planned for the grunge band, and the EP was released months later than its scheduled release date. The Blew EP happens to be one of Nirvana’s rarest releases and is much sought after by collectors, with only 3,000 copies released of both-the vinyl and the CD.

                Track 1: Blew- The title track of the EP and the first track of Nirvana’s debut record, Bleach, “Blew” is grunge at its finest. With fuzzy, feedback ridden verses and lead singer and guitarist, Kurt Cobain’s wailing vocals during the chorus, “Blew” is a typical grunge song. The lyrics are not too thought provoking, unlike Cobain’s other work.

                Track 2: Love Buzz- Appearing on Bleach, as well is “Love Buzz”—Nirvana’s take on a classic Shocking Blue song. Lyrically, “Love Buzz” is a love song with lyrics like “Would you believe me when I tell you, you are the queen of my heart.” However, the tone of Nirvana’s recording is eerie with Cobain’s almost inaudible shrieks concealed by bassist, Krist Novoselic’s pounding strokes and bends of his bass strings.

                Track 3: Been a Son- This version of “Been a Son”, is different than the version that would later be featured on the band’s compilation album of rarities and outtakes, Incesticide, released in 1992. The Incestcideversion of “Been a Son” is great, but the version featured on the Blew EP is even better with the addition of Novoselic’s bass solo during the bridge. The bass solo clearly showcases Novoselic’s great talent and proves why he is highly regarded in the music industry.

                Track 4: Stain- Also released on Incesticide, “Stain” has very few lyrics with Cobain simply proclaiming that “I’m a stain.” This track closely resembles the bass track of “Been a Son”, and loudly showcases drummer, Chad Channing’s cymbals crashing.

The Meat Puppets turn folk music into punk rock on Meat Puppets II

     The Meat Puppets’ sophomore album, Meat Puppets II, was quite a change from their self-titled hardcore punk debut album. Meat Puppets II isn’t so much hardcore, as it is folk. Released in 1984, the album hardly reaches the 30 minutes mark, but still features lead singer, Curt Kirkwood’s unmistakable vocals. Additional members of the band include Kirkwood’s brother, Cris Kirkwood on bass and Derrick Bostrom on drums.

Track 1: Split Myself in Two- The first track is not too much of a departure from their self-titled record. It has the hardcore punk sound that many early Meat Puppets fans have come to love. While the vocals on the track are quite strange, it is not unusual for a punk record. All in all, “Split Myself in Two” is a great way to kick off the record.

Track 2: Magic Toy Missing- One of the shorter tracks on the record at one minute, twenty seconds, “Magic Toy Missing” is certainly not what would be considered a “filler” track. The instrumental tune could be enjoyable even if it were five minutes long. The guitar by Curt Kirkwood is very unique and proves why The Meat Puppets are so popular in the underground scene.

  Track 3: Lost- On many records, this track would be considered short, but at three minutes, twenty-four seconds, the song seems long for this Meat Puppets record. The Meat Puppets do a great job at featuring their talent in a song less than three minutes in length, but disappoint when doing a song over three minutes. “Lost” sounds like any generic folk song and The Meat Puppets do not add their hardcore touch to it.

Track 4: Plateau- “Plateau” was covered by Nirvana for their MTV Unplugged performance back in 1993, which gave The Meat Puppets significant recognition. “Plateau” is a bizarre track that shows just how far The Meat Puppets have grown since their debut record. “There's nothing on the top but a bucket and a mop/ And an illustrated book about birds,” Curt Kirkwood sings in a bizarre the bizarre lyrics in a falsetto-type voice. An odd, but a stand out track.

Track 5: Aurora Borealis- Another instrumental track, “Aurora Borealis” songs like a continuation of “Plateau”. The song should not have been separated from “Plateau”, but should have just been an extended outro of the song. It would have made both songs better.

Track 6: We’re Here- The track is a sweet sing-along song for a campfire. Curt Kirkwood’s vocals are at his best on this tune, as he sings over his soft acoustic guitar riff and Cris Kirkwood’s almost muted bass. Bostrom’s drums throughout the song maintain a consistent, steady rhythm to keep the song as simple as possible.

Track 7: Climbing- This tune, is just like “Lost”- another generic folk song. The Meat Puppets did not take a folk song and put their punk rock twist on it quite like they did for “Plateau”. Although this track is not anything memorable, The Meat Puppets must be given credit for not letting this song run too long.

A look back at Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here

       Nearly 40 years ago, Pink Floyd released their ninth studio album, Wish You Were Here. The concept album was created as a tribute to the band’s founding member, Syd Barrett, who left the band after their first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn due to his decline in mental health. When Barrett left the band, the bassist, Roger Waters became the frontman and was responsible for the creation of the majority of Pink Floyd’s concept albums, including Wish You Were Here. Sharing the vocals with Waters was David Gilmour, the guitarist. The remainder of the band included Nick Mason on drums and Richard Wright on the keyboard.

Track 1: Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)- The first half of “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” lasts nearly fourteen minutes and is split into five parts. The first part greets listeners with synthesizers that are followed by a screeching guitar solo. The second part is very similar to the first part with synthesizers and a similar riff. After a while into the second part. Mason’s drums enter and give the song new life. The third part once again starts with a synthesizer solo from Wright, however this time Gilmour does an entirely new guitar solo, which sounds almost bluesy. Part three fades into part four, where Waters finally sings his lyrics along with female backing vocalists, who make the song sound very theatric. “You were caught in the crossfire of childhood and stardom, blown on the steel breeze,” Waters sings referring to Barrett. The fourth part is followed by a saxophone solo and fades into the next song.

Track 2: Welcome to the Machine- The track beings with a door opening and a few strums of Gilmour’s acoustic guitar. Soon after, synthesizers enter in typical Pink Floyd fashion, and give the song soaring highs and lows. The lyrics relate are a direct criticism of the music industry and their “machine”. “You dreamed of a big star, he played a mean guitar/ He always ate in the Steak Bar. He loved to drive in his Jaguar,” sings Gilmour while Waters takes a break from vocals. The song continues with the same riff as the beginning of the track and segues into a party to complete the first side.

Track 3: Have a Cigar- Starting out the second side is guest vocalist, Roy Harper on “Have a Cigar” This song once again criticizes the music industry with a very catchy guitar riff and of course -- synthesizers. “And did we tell you the name of the game boy, we call it riding the gravy train,” Harper sings in an almost sarcastic tone. The song fades out with an electric guitar solo from Gilmour. 

Track 4: Wish You Were Here- The title track is undoubtedly one of Pink Floyd’s most popular songs. It begins with a radio being tuned from one station to another and finally settling on “Wish You Were Here”. With a simple riff that is repeated throughout the whole song and no synthesizers, the song showcases Waters reflecting on Barrett. “How I wish, how I wish you were here”, proclaims Gilmour. The end of the track continues with the repeating riff and the sound of wind.

Track 5: Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX)- The final track of the record is a continuation of the first track, beginning with the wind from “Wish You Were Here”. Parts VI-IX of “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” are similar in composition to parts I-V. The entire final track lasts a total of twelve minutes. After the wind, comes Water’s bass guitar, which is showcased for the first time. The most notable section of the song is section six, when Gilmour does a brilliant bluesy guitar solo. Part seven has Water’s vocals, following the same exact tune and featuring similar lyrics to the first track of the record. “Come on you boy child, you winner and loser, come on you miner for truth and delusion, and shine,” Waters sings to his fallen friend, as a great tribute to his once healthy friend.