God Help The Girl

God Help The Girl is a Stuart Murdoch (leader of Belle & Sebastian) side project. The story goes that during the Dear Catastrophe Waitress tour he decided that the songs he was working on were for female voices, so when the tour was over he decided to put together a project involving a bunch of chick singers. There are several women who sing on the songs produced by this effort, but the primary singer is Catherine Ireton.

God Help The Girl has put out a few singles, a self titled album and an EP called Stills. I have only listened to the full length album. It's a good album with a few great songs, but overall it's a little uneven. Standouts are the title track, Come Monday Night, and Funny Little Frog. Funny Little Frog is actually a Belle & Sebastian song (from The Life Pursuit). It' sung by Brittany Stallings who got the gig by winning some internet based contest that Murdoch held. She's got a great voice, but I like the B&S version of the song more. The backing band on the record is in fact B&S. The music contains a lot of the usual B&S elements (that whole chamber pop sound), but with more of a '60s girl group feel.

All of the women who sing on God Help The Girl have great voices but the real star of the album is Catherine Ireton. Her voice is just outstanding and sounds absolutely perfect on the title track. The low point on the record is the Murdoch sung Pretty Even In The Tub. It seems really out of place among the lush, melodic female vocals that make up most of the record.

Apparently Murdoch has written a film script based on God Help The Girl and filming is suppose to start this year.

Black Sabbath - Master of Reality

I don't think Ozzy's voice has ever sounded as good as it does on this record. As well Tony Iommi's guitar work is as good as it gets and pretty much sets the stage for a lot of the heavy metal that came after this album. Listening to this record (as well as the ones in the Sabbath catalog that surround it) one also hears the roots of drone metal. Where would a band like Sunn 0))) be without Master of Reality?


High points on the record are Sweet Leaf, After Forever and Children of The Grave. I love Children of The Grave. With the cheesy whispering at the end I can just picture stoned teenagers listening to it in their wood paneled basements at 2:00am in 1975, plotting a school shooting spree. God, it sounds like it was written just for that demographic. Lord of This World is also a pretty good song, with some of the best guitar work on the album. The songs are very repetitive with lumbering melodies. If we had to pick a Jungian archetype for 70's heavy metal I think that this record would have to be it.

Dr Reverend's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2011 Inductees

Inducted into my Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this day are:

Black Sabbath - How could anyone have a hall of fame without them? And I don't just mean a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but any hall of fame. If I ran a Transportation or Dental Surgeon hall of fame I'd them in there too.

Kraftwerk - If I have to explain this one to you then you just might be a retarded person.

Neil Young - I'm not his biggest fan, he made a few really good records back in the 70s, plus some of the work he did in bands, (which he never seemed to remain in long) like Buffalo Springfield and CSNY was pretty good. He's made records in 5 different decades and continues to be strong influence on modern music.

Ray Charles - This was Skippy's pick. He's a boarder line pick for me, but Skip has so little in his life and I that this will make his year.

Well, that's it for this year. Thanks for reading and I promise to post more in 2011.

Adebisi Shank - This Is the Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank

I love this record. I don't even know much about the band. I can't remember where I heard about them and no one I know has ever heard of them. But this record is great all the way through. High energy, interesting ideas in every song, great playing. And no lyrics. According to their record company's website they are a "three Piece intrumental Robot/Dance rock trio based in Wexford, Ireland". From the sounds of it they are a band that is best appriciated live. If they come to my home town I will definately check them out. I suggest that you buy this record as soon as you can. It will make most of that other crap you listen to sound like the shit that it is.

About the name, I can only guess that it's a reference to Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje's character on the TV series OZ.

The Doors - The Soft Parade

The best part is when Jim Morrison starts talking about the "best part of the trip" during the title track. It's fucking hilarious. Jim...why don't you smoke another joint. I actually like this record. I think it's pretty much considered The Door's worst album and I can kinda understand why. The whole horns and strings thing is kinda weird, but I think it really works on some tracks. The title track for example is a great song. It gets kinda strange at times like Burt Bacharach was in the studio or something. The same is true for Tell All The People. But I really like the horns and Morrison's voice sounds great. I think he's a really under-rated crooner. If he had lived longer he could have evolved into Frank Sinatra's opening act. I can see him up there in a power blue velvet tux doing lounge version of Light My Fire and People Are Strange. Now I would have paid a lot of money to see that. But back to The Soft Parade. The hit was Touch Me. Not a great song because of it's super gay chorus, but it's got a good energy and I think the horns work well on it. The other high point on this record is Wild Child. Morrison's voice sound particularly raw on this one and it's got a catchy riff. I think the low point on this record is Wishful Sinful. It pretty much defines "filler" for The Doors. It's just terrible. But the real high point on this record is the eight and a half minute title track. It's got lots of that great Morrison nonsense poetry, like that crap at the beginning about petitioning the Lord with prayer. What the fuck? I guess it was the 60's and making sense was the last thing on every body's drug addled mind. Fine with me. It's a good song, often with hilarious results. The aforementioned "best part of the trip", and other great lyrics such as, "Peppermint, miniskirts, chocolate candy/Champion sax and a girl named Sandy", or "When all else fails/We can whip the horse's eyes/And make them sleep/And cry". If it weren't for Leonard Cohen Morrison might have been the greatest comedian of his generation.

Bruce Springsteen - The Wild The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle - 1973

This is a terrible record. The best part about it is the E Street Band. It's too bad that that talentless blow-hard on what I guess some would call vocals keeps fucking each song up with his idiotic caterwauling.

The E Street Shuffle - This song has some nice if not self indulgent moments on it. But this of course only happens when Springsteen shuts his word hole.

4th of July, Asbury Park - Hey Bruce, I didn't know that you were from New Jersey. This being your second album I had no way of knowing that based on your first one. This song appears to be a ballad about the salad days of the guy who changes your oil. Who cares? Lyrically it's boring and musically it's monotonous.

Kitty's Back - This might be the worst song on the album. Some of the work by the E Street Band is good, but way over the top. The lack of economy dramatically impacts its effectiveness. Does this song really need to be over 7 minutes? Absolutely not. Also the mix kinda sucks. If they had mixed Springsteen's vocals right out of the song and cut it to about 4 and a half minutes this could have been an OK song.

Wild Billy's Circus Story - I've always said that John Cougar Mellencamp is the poor man's Bob Dylan and that Bruce Springsteen is the retarded man's John Cougar Mellencamp. This song is a perfect example of what I mean by that.

Incident on 57th Street - It just keeps going and going and going and the longer it goes the more I get this sinking feeling that there is absolutely no point to what is happening.

Rosalita - I like the horns on this one. The keyboards are pretty cheesy. The lyrics are moronic.

New York City Serenade - Terrible. Just the worst.

Note to Bruce Springsteen: You aren't, never was, and never will be even half the song writer that Tom Waits is and was, no matter how hard you try.

RNR Hall of Incest - 2011 Nominees

The RNR Hall of Incest 2011 nominees list is out and is even more pathetic than expected. Let's start with the good. Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond, and Tom Waits are all understandable as far as I'm concerned. In fact I would have but all of those people in over ZZ Top or Bob Seger. I can even kinda buy Bon Jovi, (whose music i really hate). I think the Beastie Boys, Dr. John, (both of whom I like), Chuck Willis and Donovan are reaching a bit as nominees. The rest are perplexing given that bands such as The Smiths, Rush, Kiss and Kraftwerk haven't been inducted yet.

Chic? Seriously? They want to put Chic in the Hall of Fame? Why would anyone give a shit about Chic? We're talking about a band that was popular for about 3 years in the late 70s. Has anyone even thought about them since 1981? There are thousands of bands that would qualify if issuing a few popular records over the course of a few years were the only criteria for entrance. Why not put Men At Work In? Or how about Sugar Ray?

It's a laugh to think that Chic might make it in, but what's even funnier is that they aren't the worst choice out of this year's nominees. LL Cool J is on the list too. That's right LL Cool J. It is difficult to come up with words to express what I think about this. The only thing I can imagine as leading to this choice has something to do with white guilt on the part of whoever chooses the nominees and its relationship to Rap music. LL Cool J. Unbelievable.

The rest of the group is split between "has beens" who were popular and sold a shit load of records for a few years, (J. Giles Band, Donna Summer) and people who are just too obscure of irrelevant to bother with, (Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, Joe Tex). I have nothing against any of these people or groups, I even have some records by a few of them, but I don't think that any of them should be inducted into an organization that calls itself a "Hall of Fame".

The sub-mental thinking of Jann Wenner, Dave Marsh and whoever the hell else sits on the nomination board is in fine form with this year's nominees. Donna Summer over Kiss? My God. If the Hall wasn't a joke before it certainly is now. Shit, I'd put Deep Purple in over Donna Summer. Or how about Peter Gabriel. Or how about Lou Reed? Sure he's in as a member of the Velvet Underground, but not as a solo performer. Between 1970 and 1990 he was one of the most important musicians in Rock and Roll. Can you even imagine what Rock and Roll would be without him?

In closing I'd just like to remind everyone that ZZ Top is in the Hall of Fame. ZZ TOP!
Fuck, I just can't get over it.

Belle & Sebastian

Belle & Sebastian have made two of the best albums of the last 15 years.

Dear Catastrophe Waitress was the first B&S album that I heard. It's absolutely brilliant and I suggest that you all buy it immediately. The album begins a divergence (continued on their next album The Life Pursuit) away from the classic B&S sound, (a very melancholy twee), into a more upbeat sound. This can be heard especially on the song Lord Anthony. Stuart Murdoch's voice sounds as good as it ever has on this record. The song quality is pretty consistent throughout and even Sarah Martin's contribution of Asleep on a Sunbeam is great. Martin is the band's violin player and I use the word "even" because B&S has run into some trouble with songs written by members other than Murdoch, (see the album Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant, probably their weakest). The lyrics are extremely strong on this record. Songs like Piazza New York Catcher and If She Wants Me are great examples of Murdoch's lyrical craftsmanship, offering perfect examples of his unique often fragmentary storytelling.

If You're Feeling Sinister is the other B&S album that one should own. It took me a little longer to appreciate this record, Dear Catastrophe Waitress I loved upon first hearing, but this one took months of occasional listening for me to become obsessed with it. Every song is great, with a few approaching perfection, with the exception of one. I really could have done without The Boy Done Wrong Again. Seeing Other People, Like Dylan In The Movies, If Your Feeling Sinister, and Judy And The Dream Of Horses are all grand slam home runs as songs. I love the ambiguity of Seeing Other People. I've had a few theories as to what the details of this song are about and I still remain undecided as to the genders and ages of the people involved. If Your Feeling Sinister might be the best song on the record. The minute long background track of what sounds like a schoolyard sets a perfect mood for the rest of the song. The song' structure is also interesting in that the chorus doesn't show up until about 3:40 in a song that 5:21 long. Murdoch manages to tell a religious story from a believer's point of view without sounding dogmatic or overbearing. Judy And The Dream Of Horses is my favourite B&S song. It's got a great melody, great lyrics, it's execution is perfect. It's also strong emotionally, Murdoch sings it like he means it.

Two other B&S records worth listening to are The Life Pursuit and The Boy With The Arab Strap. Neither are as good as the ones mentioned above, but they are solid efforts, each with some outstanding songs.

B&S have a new album coming out in October.

The Obligatories

Here is the list of the initial inductees into the DrReverend Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Without these people there would be no rock and roll. I don't even like all of these people or groups, but their impact on rock and roll is undeniable. If you think I've forgotten a group or person who you believe should have been included in the lists below, let me know and I'll consider them for January's inductions.

Performers:
The Beach Boys
The Beatles
Chuck Berry
David Bowie
Eric Clapton
Sam Cooke
Fats Domino
Bob Dylan
The Everly Brothers
Grateful Dead
Bill Haley
Buddy Holly
Michael Jackson
Jimi Hendrix
Led Zeppelin
Jerry Lee Lewis
Little Richard
Roy Orbison
Carl Perkins
Pink Floyd
Elvis Presley
Ramones
The Rolling Stones
Sex Pistols
Simon and Garfunkel
The Supremes
The Velvet Underground
The Who
Frank Zappa
Les Paul
James Brown
Aretha Franklin

Non-Performers:
Dick Clark
Leo Fender
Alan Freed
Berry Gordy
Sam Phillips
Phil Spector
John H. Hammond

*Addendum - I spoke with our good friend Skippy Stalin this evening and he convinced me that I am being perhaps a little too stringent when it comes to determining what is and what isn't Rock and Roll. As a result I James Brown and Aretha Franklin have been added to the list above.