Puddle Of Mudd - Re(Disc)overed

Another cover song album to add to my collection this time Puddle Of Mudd pulls out all the stops and does a great job of finding songs they can do well. The lead single "Gimme Shelter" is very good but when you dive into the album and begin to swim in the sound you'll find yourself falling in love all over again with these classic rock monsters.



The Mudd-boys do a spot on version of "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" with BC Jean nailing the Stevie Nicks portion with ease. When the band do the oft covered "Joker" by Steve Miller Band I kinda rolled my eyes because it is so been here heard this before. But they again do a decent job and I would actually listen to this cover now and again outside of just when the album is playing. Who'd have thought Billy Squier would get a song covered considering how passe most consider him today. "Everybody Wants You" is as good as the original and Wes does a really good job of the vocals.



I hate the cover of "Rocket Man" because I don't like the production or the vocals or the guitars. It's just not a well put together idea and I'm too familiar with the original and this version could have been left behind. They redeem themselves with a Free cover followed by Bad Co. and completely nail Zeppelin's "Dy'r Makr". Ryan Yerdon gets the right sound on his drums which is probably most important for any and all listeners, the rest is just icing. P.O.M. close with the excellent rocker "Funk 49" by Joe Walsh's band The James Gang.



This is really good album of covers that more often work perfectly with a couple of hiccups but nothing that can't be fixed with a little skip button press.

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Muppets The Green Album

AWESOME! HELLA AWESOME! Ok Go kicks off with the "Muppet Show Theme Song" which is followed by one of the greatest songs ever "Rainbow Connection" covered by Weezer. They finally do the song justice with Hayley Williams dueting on the track. Alkaline Trio do a solid job of "Movin' Right Along" but then My Morning Jacket absolutely rock on the cover of "Our World". The song has all the spacial dynamics needed to make the song absolutely astounding in every way possible.



Amy Lee's contribution is well Amy Lee so if you like her schtick great but she doesn't do it for me 99% of the time. Sondre Lerche does a freaking genius cover of "Mr. Bassman" that just screams for you to turn the volume as loud as you can and sing along with them. Dr. Teeth & Animal would be proud of Brandon Saller's version of the hard rocking "Night Life". Kermit's heart tugging ballad "It's Not Easy Being Green" is done to almost perfection by Andrew Bird. The song is such a brilliant composition that staying true to the melody and mood of the original is of highest importance when covering it. Honestly "Rainbow Connection" & "It's Not Easy Being Green" have never been done any better than when done by Kermit The Frog, not even here even though they are pretty awesome.



This album is a total shock to me as I had very little faith that it would stand up as well as it does. But that goes to prove how great the music and their shows are. The music sounds fresh and modern as if it was written just yesterday. How many children's programs can say that their music can achieve this status and the correct answer is none. This album is worth every single penny you spend and is an absolute must have for your collection. Nothing released in 2011 so far has impressed me or given me such happy joyful feelings as Muppets The Green Album. This is right now my favorite album of 2011 bar none. I love it!

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The Cab - Symphony Soldier

The Cab are one of those band that rape and pillage the sounds of One Republic, Fallout Boy, Panic! At The Disco and Savage Garden creating some decent non offensive songs for pop radio. Much of their music is faceless drivel but a good track appears from time to time. If you like the bands like The Script who also can't be enough of themselves you should be a huge fan of The Cab.



They are not as good as Panic! nor as good as Fallout Boy but they are on par with One Republic and The Script just a tad more upbeat.

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Steve Wariner - Guitar Laboratory

This guy can pick and that's an understatement to be honest. Wariner sets a blaze his guitars many times during Guitar Laboratory which is great because he's not really showcased his fretboard abilities to this degree on an album before. On track two "A Groove" he proves that he's a better six string slinger that Eric Clapton as he plays a very Slow Hand type groove and does so with ease. Eric Johnson who also comes to mind while listening to the song but Johnson is just so technically perfect on record that he loses the organic feel and emotion where Steve does not.



The ragtime "Goody 2 Shoes" is a fun little ditty which should get some serious plays on my I-pod. There are moments where I hear Roy Clark's influence in his style which takes me back to childhood and the music my grandad played while I was at that influential age still forming my likes and dislikes. I Just adore "Waikiki" which again takes me back to childhood. The song hits all the right chords with me and I would have to say it is my favorite on the album because it makes me smile instantly each time I hear it. After a couple of smooth Jazz numbers Steve cranks it up a little for the bluesy rock number "Sting Ray" that showcases another side of his playing. I don't consider this track a standout but it is a nice chance of pace.



The album closes with a nineteen second sweeping interlude that brings this very good instrumental album to a classy close. Instrumental albums are rarely this strong beginning to end thankfully this one can be added to the short list of top shelf ones.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You

The returning Chili Peppers don't really light a fire on their tenth studio album. Most of the songs are filler and only a few tracks are worthy of single releases which two will probably do them very well at radio. Much of their albums are filler for sure and this one doesn't change their pattern. I'm just glad we didn't have to suffer through another double album.



Anthony Keidis actually doesn't sound as off key as usual nor is he as flat and sharp (mostly flat usually) as he is famous for either. The guy still stinks as a vocalist but the production makes the standout songs like "Happiness Loves Company" and "Police Station" sound much more dynamic than previous recordings. "The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie" is the first song this band has released in a longtime that I enjoyed on first listen. So that does say something for the production of the band here. RHCP fans will probably love this record and give it 5 stars all over the internet but they really only deserve about 2.5 at best. I'm left with "yeah it's a Chili Pepper's record".

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Hard-Fi - Killer Sounds

Hard-Fi is one of those bands that seems to continuously improve from album to album. I don't buy into the indie fanboy's who never like a band once they gain some mainstream success. This is the bands best overall record for sure and that's not only in song quality but production and performance as well. The excellent opening cut "Good For Nothing" reminds me of Primal Scream a little and that is a good thing if you ask me.



The disco style of "Fire In The House" merges a house beat with the disco element to create a good song made for the club dancefloor. The album continues to deliver on each track something a little different from the last one but all being cohesive and working nicely together making Killer Sounds an easy and smooth listening. I really like funk rock of "Excitement" which improves on the sound the Chili Peppers made mainstream.



If you are a fan of this band I'm sure you won't be disappointed and if your a fan of modern alternative music with a dancefloor groove then this again should be worth your time. The pure pop of "Love Song" might become the bands biggest single yet when radio jumps on the bandwagon. I would also recommend this album to fans of the Talking Heads, Cobra Starship and maybe even Blur. Killer Sounds lives up to its title and Hard-Fi have not disappointed me at all with this 2011 release.

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Lenny Kravitz - Black & White America

The return of Lenny Kravitz on many levels comes with a sort of rebirth as well for his songwriting. The last many albums have just been weak and tough to like for many reasons. This album starts off with a groovy rocker in the form of the title track. Lenny's love for 70's funk is ever present here but he does it with a well written song that has a good chorus and some nice horn section punches. The album gets a little funkier but with all the goodness from his second album Mama Said this is what has been missing for many years from his songwriting.



The ability for him to write music that appeals to all people without sounding too black or too white or too R&B or too Rock has not been easy for him over the last few years. Here he seems to not care about anything but writing good songs that have hooks like "In The Black" that reminds me of the wicked good glam rock era from the 70's. One of the best tracks on the album "Rockstar City Life" is a complete winner from all sides. The uptempo groovy rocker has a solid chorus and pre-chorus and Lenny sounds like he means what he's singing.



The album is over long and could have been about 11 tracks long tossing a bit of the filler to the garbage can. Nobody needs to hear "Boongie Drop" a total piece of shite and if this was on his last record might have been more fitting. My personal favorite song on Black & White America is the pop masterpiece "Stand" that has all the right stuff to be a huge hit and should be one of the high points in concert for years to come. The album continues to ebb and flow through rockier material a couple of slow songs one track with Drake being featured and the excellent closing tune "Push". This is Kravitz best album in ten years for sure, don't ignore it because he's been lame for so long it deserves your attention.

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Suzi Quatro - In The Spotlight

The bass playing leather lady returns once again with a new album her first since 2006's Back To The Drive. Suzi has continued to some degree to revive her glam rock sound from the Chin/Chapman years. The opening cut "A Girl Like Me" is a decent slice of retro sleaze that kicks the album off a little low key. What follows is two more mid-paced tracks that are pretty good songs overall. They give way to a pretty slick glam rocker "Strict Machine" that has a nice gallop and Suzi's voice sounds really good on this track as if it was from the 70's instead of 2011.



She jumps ship and lands in Blonde land on the song "Hurt With You" which I don't understand why she would make such a sharp turn from first half of the album. "Hot Kiss" returns to the rocker side and she stays there for the conclusion of the long player. Her cover of the Elvis tune "Hard Headed Woman" is a solid reading of the classic tune but lacks a killer backing band to really drive the boogie that this sort of song needs to be a real smoker. The album ends with a sweet ballad "Singing With Angels" that apes "Runaround Sue" for a melody. Overall this album is a good album for the sixty-one year old Quatro.

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Check Out Sebastion Bach

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Rival Sons - Pressure & Time

The red hot Zeppelin-eque rock & roll of Rival Sons is ear bleeding from the opening cut "All Over The Road" through to the albums conclusion "Sleepwalker". The bands musicianship is supreme on each song and they borrow heavily from the psychedelic era and from bands like Blue Chear, Cream & Fever Tree as much as they do from the Zep camp. They do so with as much integrity and love for the music as anyone could possibly have.



I can't express how good the Rival Sons are with words because you just need to let your ears hear the greatness of Pressure & Time. This is a retro throwback sound that doesn't leave you longing for the oldies of the acid era. By the time "Soul" drops its bluesy Janis Joplin sheen this album has more than paid for its self. This album will be in the top 20 of 2011 for sure and probably higher depending on what drops in the last few months here.



Song Highlights: Young Love, Get Mine, Gypsy Heart, Sleepwalker, Burn Down Los Angeles & All Over The Road

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REO Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity 30Th Anniversary Edition

There are some albums that are so good they will forever be cemented into rotation forever. This album is easily one of the greatest albums ever recorded and made REO Speedwagon superstars finally. The band had four top 10 singles from the album it was the biggest selling album of 1981 and has continued to sell respectively since it's initial release in 1980. Kevin Cronin finally turned this band into an arena draw which lasted for a few more years but the band never achieved this sort of greatness on album again.



The remaster 30th Anniversary Edition is a must have addition to your music collection even if you still have that wicked good slice of vinyl. The album sounds a little brighter and packs a bit more bottom end which only makes it better if that's possible. The included bonus tracks of demos gives a little insight to what the songs sounded like at the beginning. Some of them were nearly perfect from demo status.



Song Highlights: Don't Let Him Go, In Your Letter, Out Of Season, Someone Tonight, Keep On Loving You, Take It On The Run, Shakin' It Loose & Tough Guys

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Matthew Good - Lights Of Endangered Species

I gave this moron another chance and did he fail again? The answer is a resounding yes! This guy is only successful because of the CRTC Canadian content rule I swear. The crap he released in the 90's was complete garbage even though it had its fans. This album follows the same formula of boring, dull and insipid melodies supposed to be emotional and stark but come off more like lost ideas strung together.



His writing hasn't improved and he can sound more like Gord Downey now than before which really says a lot considering how poor of a singer that lame ass jack hole is. I can't stand anything about this poorly constructed album and its weak production that could be construed as positive because there is nothing positive about Lights Of Endangered Species. Save your money and buy a roll of toilet paper you'll get more use and enjoyment from it.

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Check Out Nicole Sherzinger's Unreleased Song

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