The Bad Plus – Prog CD Review

Never have I been inspired to use the words “brilliant” and “musicians” together, that is until now – or should I say once I heard “Prog”. These “brilliant musicians” that I speak of are called “The Bad Plus”, a jazz trio from the Midwest who play almost beyond my comprehension. They are far out, and not in the psychedelic way, but in the outer-space-later-years-of-Coltrane way.

“Prog” is their seventh release and is the first one that I have heard (where have I been, I know). Covering and interpreting Rock and Pop tunes is a specialty of theirs and there are plenty to look for on this CD. It is fantastic what they do with their originals too, I've never heard a 9 quite like this. They are creative with and in meters and I swear they make up their own sometimes, a secret language of musical communication. Maybe they don't always communicate with each other in meters, maybe its something us earthly folks haven't gotten to yet, maybe its in pictures or colors or impressions. They do call themselves a "Collective" ya know, humm. Well you certainly have to be together on this one.

Here are the tracks:

Everybody Wants to Rule the World – 4/4
REM cover – check out the drums on this, I think he goes some where in between Saturn and Neptune, but the piano keeps in close to earth (on this one).

Physical Cites – 5/16, 3/4, 10/8 (that’s what I got) plus their own collective meters
As opposed to the kind of cities in other dimensions that I am sure they visit.

Life on Mars – 4/4
See I told you they were from outer space – Bowie Cover, but they conveniently left out the question mark. Bowie was asking us if there was, I think the Bad Plus knows the truth there.

Mint – 4/4 + their own
(this song is annoying)

Giant – 9/8
Sedately beautiful

Thriftstore Jewelry – 4/4, 6/4, 9/8
(that’s how I counted it anyways, I think there is some collective meters in there) really cool bass groove ending

Tom Sawyer – 4/4, 7/8
Wicked cool deconstruction of this anthem – yep, the piano leaves earth a bit for this one

This Guy is In Love With You 6/8
Burt Bachrach tune

The World is the Same – 4/4

1980 World Champion – 9/8

Who knew jazz could be this fun? If you like just any old jazz, then I am not sure you will be into what The Bad Plus have to say. But, if you like to groove in new realms and if you like to hear true artists challenge your musical comprehension – then please – delve deep into these brilliant musical minds.

Keep Counting,
-Countess B
for more review go to Odd Time Obsessed - Reviews

King Diamond - Give Me Your Soul... Please CD Review

Give Me Your Soul…. Please

Its always nice to be polite when asking for someone’s soul.

King is still up to his old tricks on this 13th studio effort – an epic tale with all the familiar ingredients: going to, talking to, wanting to go to, being pulled to the other side, shadows, apparitions, am I dreaming?, THEM, black, bloody, galloping drums, flawless recording/playing, requisite guitar solos, signature guitar harmonies, bass you can’t hear and of course the unmistakable vocal range of King himself.

For better or worse I will always be a devoted KD fan (which is still an unsettling mystery to people who know me). So much so, that I was him for about 3 Halloweens, didn’t get the make up quite right, but it worked. No matter what he does musically (within reason) I will always follow him. It was “Conspiracy” that won my ears so many years ago, then I heard “THEM” and “Abigail” and there was no turning back.

KD (referring to the main writers Kim Bendix Petersen & Andy LaRocque) does not really delve into the oddtime realm, but there are a few nuggets here and there in their discography. This album, I am excited to state, has their first song with mixed meters in it. So very cool… Check it out…..

The tracks:

The Dead – 4/4
Never Ending Hill 4/4, 5/4 (about 6 bars)
Is Anybody Here? 3/4, 6/8, 12/8, 10/8, 4/4
Shapes Of Black – 6/8, 4/4
Black of Night - 4/4
Mirror Mirror - 4/4
The Cellar – 4/4
Pictures in Red – 4/4
Give Me Your Soul -4/4
The Floating Head -4/4
Cold As Ice – (No not a Foreigner Cover) 4/4
Shapes of Black – 12/8, 4/4
The Girl In the Bloody Dress – Kinda Punkish 4/4
Moving On – 4/4

This album offers a little more depth to their tried and true dimension. They get creative with some odd rhythms, riffs and sounds. One thing is for sure, they have not sold out and are extremely true to their form. I would almost venture to say they are stuck in a rut. Mind you I enjoy this rut, but it would nice to hear another dimension of KD. Maybe a Romanian Minor or Chinese Mongolian scale, or how about singing between his range, some growls, some syncopated vocal riffs, or vocal harmonies – to go just a little bit out of their comfort zone is, that too much to ask?

All this aside, this is Odd Time history being made, even if I am the only one who is that completely obsessive to acknowledge it – KD now has a mixed meter song! Am I dreaming? No. But I have a dream and its in 13/8. When the day comes and its finally time to go to the other side, the other side of the dollar that is. When my bank account gets to the 8 digits, I am going to commission KD to write a song in 13/8 (my fav) with breaks in 9/8 & 5/4, with a Bhairavi Raga scale and a three bar bass solo that I can hear and no 4/4 allowed. What else could a girl want? Not just a regular Diamond, but a ....

So…. King Diamond Rocks and they are still rockin’ in the same way… so have a go at their tried and true KD grooves, but don’t give your soul away, even if they are polite.
CovenWorldWide.org

Countess B
Odd Time Obsessed

O.S.I. - Free CD Review

Jim where did our love go wrong?

Whats he doing? I know what he’s doing, he’s breakin’ my heart.

Before I dramatically go on:
O.S.I. stands for Office of Strategic Influence which consists of Jim Matheos (Fates Warning, Solo work) on guitars, keyboards, programming and Kevin Moore (Chroma Key, Porcupine Tree) on vocals, keyboards and programming. Free is OSI’s second release with special guests Mike Portney (Dream Theater) on drums and Joey Vera (Fates Warning, Armored Saint, Anthrax ) on bass. Free is their second release, with Office of Strategic Influence being their first.

Okay back to the drama:
Jim Matheos is one of my most treasured writers/musicians. It was his force that got me started on this odd time path back in the late 80s. I was in love with this music and it was my mission to be able to write like this. The first Fates Warning show I ever saw was in Boston and Jim and his manager helped sneak me in because I was too young. How cool of them to help this distraught stranger. Ever since then, I have seen every one of their shows that I have known about and almost everything he’s written I’ve resonated with (sans solo). I heard him write 4/4 before mainly during his solo efforts– but this “Free” is just a little bit too much for me to handle.

Sure You Will 4/4
Free 4/4Go 4/4
All Gone Now 3/8, 5/8, 11/8, 6/8
Home Was Good 4/4
Bigger Wave 4/4, 11/8, 5/8
Kicking 4/4Better 4/4, 7/8
Simple Life 4/4
Once 2/4
Our Town 6/8

There is simply too many FOURs in this equation. I think there is about 7 mins worth of odd time here (yes I did count it) which in turn makes it about 14% (OCD ya you know me) in odd meters. Jim please come back to your oddness, this is where you belong.

Okay deep breath… at least he didn’t go way off the deep end and start involving himself with sunshine, rainbows, smilely hearts, that I couldn’t take. The whole feeling of the album is perfectly reflected in the cover: the isolation of conformity, creative desolation and more than a bit of hopelessness. There are a lot of cool musical ideas and sounds here but its just not the same when its in four. I like the bass on "Sure You Will" and "Free". “Once” has some interesting poly-rhythms and moods. “Free” and “Kicking” are rockin’ as far as 4/4 songs go and of course my favorites were “All Gone Now” and “Better” – now we’re talking.

Anyways, back to Jim and this meter situation. Its sounds like he is trying to be something his is not – and that’s a 4/4 man. It just doesn’t suit him at all and takes from his magic. Now he’s Plain Jane Jim, not Magical Matheos. Please don’t tell me he is trying to appeal to a larger audience – I will forever be in denial of that if its true. It is a musical album, but Mr. Matheos’s signature is barely there.

Okay, enough of me selfishly holding on to someone’s expression (my new name: Loco B). Its healthy to experiment that is when you get to the gems. If you don’t have any OSI, go get the first one "Office of Strategic Influence" then hope he comes back to his senses for the third one. OSIBband.com

Loco B
(Countess B)
Odd Time Obsessed

The Fallen – Front Towards the Enemy CD Review

The Fallen – Front Towards the Enemy CD Review

The Fallen was a four piece death metal band out of Southern California and this is their first (and only) major label release. These fine fellas go back to my Berklee days (sans bassist). I think they were called Crestfallen at the time. When I started this station (Odd Time Obsessed) I was in need of material and I happened to find them on MySpace. Mark Venir (guit) kindly to sent me this and their second self released CD "Tones in Which We Speak". Glad he did, they are excellent musicians using multi-meters quite naturally.

Here's the obsession:

Short Fuse 4/4, 7/4
Front Toward Enemy 4/4, 6/4, 7/4
Killswitch 10/4
In Loathing 4/4
The Hopeless and The Frail 4/4
Blessings 6/4, 4/4, 10/4
Shifting Our Vision 4/4, 9/4
From Fragile to Strength 11/4, 4/4
Eleven Years 4/4, 9/8

They give death metal a good name. I dig their meter use that is oh so smooth and the acoustic guitar has a nice place too. They keep within the confines of the genre but also add a new dimension to it. It would have been nice to hear them expand out of the parameters and maybe use some of the jazz/classical/bossa nova skills that I know they have. But none the less this is a great metal album.

Unfortunately they are no longer together. It's a shame when musicians of this caliber split… and no where to be found in the music world. But if you happen to see this album or anything by them – get it. MySpace.com/TheFallenOriginal

Countess B
OddTimeObsessed.com

Fred CD Review “Notes on a Picnic” – Studio and “Live from the Bitter End”- Live

Fred CD Review “Notes on a Picnic” – Studio and “Live from the Bitter End”- Live

I heart fred

Fred is a fun cool jazz/rock/fusion experimental band that was around the fringes in the late 60s/early 70s. With the magic of MySpace they have been brought to me. On a lucky (for all) day in 2000, one of their 45 rpm was discovered in a German flea market by World In Sound, an indie record label and shortly after, their music catalog was re-released.

Which one is fred? Actually the band is named after peace in Swedish. Are they Swedish? Don’t know, but it’s the 60s/70s what do you want? Anyways, fred (no its not a typo, they don’t capitalize it) did most of their creating and recording in and around Lewisburg, PA while some of the members attended Bucknell University then later moving to a farm/commune. What cool music came out of that! Ah, what it would’ve been like to be there with those free spirits. Peter Eggers the keyboard player and composer was nice enough to send me the dissection of meter use. Thank you Peter for being obsessed as I.

His words…..

“Notes on a Picnic”


Track 4: “Mantra” is heavy hypnotic fusion dosed with psychedelia7/4 verse/chorus 6/4 guitar solo + 4/4 violin solo + 7/4 piano solo

Track 6: “The Head’s the Best Part” combines lyrical jazz/rock with the sweet harmonies of the Allman Brothers.
4/4 intro + 6/4 verse/chorus with alternating 6/4 and 4/4 solos

Track 8: “Chaos in the Conservatory” is a bunch of rock ‘n’ rollers wandering around the corridors of classical music.
3/8 + 2/8 and 3/4 + 2/4 and 6/4 + 4/4 plus a section in 5/4

Track 9: “Perverseerance” ” is visionary, perverted jazz rock
11/8 verse/chorus + 6/8 transitions with solos in 11/8


“Live at the Bitter End”

Track 3: “Freefall” is a wild fusion jam
contrasting sections of 6/4 and 4/4

Track 5: “Pachanga” (7:48)
3/4 + 3/4 + 3/4 + 5/8 verse/chorus with solos in 4/4

Track 6: “Cathode Ray Fantasy” is your brain on too much TV
6/4 + 5/4 and 4/4 + 4/4 + 3/4 (different divisions of 11)
Track 8: “Mucous Music” is “Psycho” meets Funkadelic, demented rock for an imaginary horror film
4/4 guitar solo + 9/8 violin solo with 7/8 + 7/8 + 9/8 + 7/8 ensemble riffs

All of the remaining tracks are in FOUR.

Back to my words..

It's a rarity to find musicians so deeply bonded. Sometimes seasoned & studio musicians can really lock with one another, or bands that have been together for years will have a bond, but there is still a formality between them. Fred takes it much deeper to a freedom that I imagine many intuitive musicians long for. One of the coolest examples of this is heard on Perverseerance in the communication between bass and drums during the bass solo and when the guitar and violin are "trading 4s" (really 2s and 1s) in 11/8 and 6/8. This then turns into a conversation that only old friends can have. It is a phenomenon that is not really easy to explain, so have a listen. It would be cool if we all could live on a farm and create music, then I would get cabin fever and be jonesin' for a death metal show and a soy chai latte… ah the city life.

Anyways, these guys are great, top musicians with their own sound and at such an early age. I enjoyed all of the songs, especially Perverseerance, Variations and Immersions …and an obsessive favorite, one that will probably be on my fav list for at least the next decade…. “Mantra” – It is simply perfect – the theme, the meters, the dynamics, the instrumentation, the composition - perfect. I have to restrain myself not to over listen and cause song fatigue.

I appreciate these artists and the label that brought them back to life. These CDs are a must for your Prog/Rock/Fusion Back in the Day collection. MySpace.com/FredWorldinSound

Countess B
OddTimeObsessed.com

Darryll Dobson - The Mind Electric CD Review

Daryll Dobson – The Mind Electric CD Review

Please don’t make me do it, I know that it can be difficult to compose and come up with an inspired end product… then have some chump review it. All of your hard work summed up in a paragraph by someone who probably has never written anything in their life… Well I have many times… so I am just going to say it….

This album is masturbatory. I listened to it I dunno maybe six times and every time I found myself getting bored… Me… when there is odd meters going on?? blah blah blah blah that is what I heard from the guitar, like he was talking some gibberish to himself and could care less to whom he was playing to or with. I said no, I have to listen to it again to at least count it out… then I got annoyed with all the guitar scaling repeating licks over and over again. There was no obsessing going on here, just with the off button.

In all fairness, I didn’t get to hear all of the songs. At the fifth track or so it kept getting stuck in my computer which caused it to freeze up a few times. Although I did enjoy some of the tracks off of his “Reality Check” that he sent at the beginning of the year, especially his singing. He sounds a little bit like Jimi Hendrix. Darryl Dobson is quite prolific and I would love to hear more songs with his voice on it. I can see with the right arrangements the classic guitar rock type of stations and listeners would pick him up. SolarGuitars.com

-B
OddTimeObsessed.com

Lindsey Boullt - Composition CD Review

CD review Lindsey Boullt “Composition” world/fusion/metal filed under “easy listening”

Move over Kenny G here comes Lindsey B.

This is my kind of easy listening.
(Quite obviously this was a mis-categorization and which I think has been remedied to Rock.)

Lindsey Boullt is a guitar player from San Francisco who has an impressive roster in attendance on this debut; Stu Hamm, Jerry Goodman (Mahavishu Orchestra), Jon Herra (Bass Player Magazine) and Mingo Lewis (Miles Davis) to name a few.

“Composition” consists of ten compositions each with its unique sound. Each sound as if they were written with the history and styles of the musicians involved in mind. Lindsey has his own virtuoso style and remains diverse throughout. He is also an accomplished composer who likes to use odd meters which gets me to….

…..the obsession – here’s the tracks:

(Thank you Lindsey for your dissection.)

Page Revisited 5/4, 4/4
Chasing the Whirling Dervish 12/8
Moving Panvishnu 7/8
Calling for Peace 4/4 some 6/4, 2/4
Bravo Davo de la Torre 4/4
Aurora’s Aura 7/4, 9/4, 5/16, 9/16
Groovin’ with Stu 4/4
Taste of Hate 15/8, 9/8
Farewell 4/4
Cleopatra’s Third Eye 7/8, 4/4, 7/4, 6/4, 6/8, 9/8, 15/8, 10/8

He sure likes to keep it interesting. There is a diverse assortment of rhythms and feels on this album. I like the tasteful use of straight and mixed odd meters. I have to say, my favorite track is “Aurora’s Aura”, not because of the cute name, or because of its mixed meters but it has succeeded in sounding like a resurgence of Mahavishnu Orchestra with a new guitar player. I also like “Page Revisited” and the use of the 12 string. Here comes Page that has practiced 12 hours a day and now knows 5/4. Also, the sitar playing is amazing and feels right at home on “Taste the Hate” and “Cleopatra’s Third Eye”. All of the musicians on this album are quite seasoned, proficient and have their own distinct style.

This album has succeeded in capturing the spirit of its musicians through composing and performance. It sounds as if, as Lindsey chooses his musicians, he hones in on their style/history and builds the composition around that. I wonder how much improv was going on it all sounded inspired yet pre-composed, a hard balance to achieve.

Lindsey Boullt is quite the shredder with his own style and sometimes reminds me of Satriani and sometimes Jason Becker. He plays for the music with out sounding like he’s taking a typing test or is a MIDI program. If you dig this genre, or are in the mood for some different rhythms, then this CD comes highly recommended LindseyBoullt.com. Add it to your cool easy listening collection.

Countess B
Odd Time Obsessed