Rock in PA

CD Spotlight Archive

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Pearl Jam: Lost Dogs
December 15, 2003
In 1994 I purchased an "unofficial" Pearl Jam release (don't want to say the "B" word here) called Rare Tracks. This disc was a nice collection of the band's B-sides from the Ten album, along with a few other rarities, and it quickly became one of my most treasured CDs. Just a year or two later, I heard that Pearl Jam was planning an official rarities CD. Naturally, I couldn't wait! Of course I had no choice but to wait. And wait. And wait.

Fast-forward to 2003, and Pearl Jam's official rarities collection is finally a reality. As if to reward the fans for their patience (or maybe just because there were too darn many good songs), Pearl Jam gave us two CDs of rarities in the form of their latest release, Lost Dogs. Was it worth the wait? You bet it was!!!

Like my "unofficial" CD, Lost Dogs includes B-sides ("Yellow Ledbetter", "Wash", "Dirty Frank", "Footsteps", "Alone", "U", "Down", etc.) and previously-unreleased tracks ("Hard To Imagine", "Fatal", "Brother", etc.). It also includes songs previously available only on compilation albums ("Gremmie Out of Control", "Dead Man", "Leavin' Here", etc.), and even a few from the coveted Ten Club singles ("Let Me Sleep", "Last Kiss", "Strangest Tribe", etc.).

The liner notes are extensive, with band comments for every song. There are a few rarities missing from the collection (most notably, "State of Love and Trust" and "Breath" from the Singles soundtrack, and "Long Road" and "I Got Id" from the rare Pearl Jam Merkinball EP), but that is just a testament to how much great material Pearl Jam has produced over the years. Overall, this is a great collection that could stand on its own as a new double-CD album. While some bands' rarities collections are only for the hardcode fans, I think Lost Dogs would be an enjoyable listen for even the casual Pearl Jam fan. Pick it up today!

Official Pearl Jam web site: http://www.pearljam.com

Stone Temple Pilots: Thank You
December 15, 2003
Stone Temple Pilots will always hold a special place in my heart. Yes, it was their megahit "Plush" that hooked me and, like everyone else, I originally thought "Plush" was a Pearl Jam song. It was really unfortunate that "Plush" was STP's first big hit, because apart from that song, they really never sounded all that much like Pearl Jam. Anyway, STP, along with Pearl Jam, opened my eyes to alternative music, the genre I to this day consider my hands-down favorite.

Fall 2003 saw the release of a ridiculous number of greatest hits packages. From R.E.M. to No Doubt to Peter Gabriel to Sheryl Crow to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, it seemed like everyone was releasing a greatest hits package. Thank You was Stone Temple Pilots' addition to that long list. Since I already had all five STP albums, and Thank You features just one new track (the decently-rocking "All In The Suit That You Wear"), I had no intentions of buying this collection. Then I found out that there was a special edition with a bonus DVD. I'm a sucker for a bonus DVD, especially when the DVD includes three hours of content! This particular DVD includes every STP video and about two hours of live performances. WOW.

The DVD did not disappoint, and it alone justified the $25 I paid for the special edition of Thank You. But the real surprise was how enjoyable the greatest hits collection itself was. It's been awhile since STP has been in the limelight, and I had begun to forget how incredible their material was (on their first three CDs, in particular). "Vasoline", "Down", "Wicked Garden", "Big Empty", "Plush", "Big Bang Baby", "Creep", "Lady Picture Show", "Trippin' On A Hole On A Paper Heart" , "Interstate Love Song", "Sex Type Thing", "Days of the Week", "Sour Girl". What do all these songs have in common? They were truly hits, and when played back to back, they make a damn fine greatest hits album!

Sadly, right around the time Thank You was released, Stone Temple Pilots confirmed rumors that the band had broken up for good. A sad day, indeed, even if they did peak several years ago. So to STP I say "thank YOU" for all the great tunes, and for this career-spanning collection that will always serve as a reminder that Stone Temple Pilots truly did have something special.

Official Stone Temple Pilots web site: http://www.stonetemplepilots.com

Fuel: Natural Selection
October 10, 2003
OK, let's address this head-on: If you think this is just another obligatory plug for the local boys, you are dead wrong! Yes, Fuel will always hold a special place in my heart. I've seen them progress from a semi-struggling happy hour band (The Twist at the Harrisburg Marriott) to a very successful local band (Wanda's in Mechanicsburg) to a multiplatinum-selling major-label band (arenas, MTV, modern rock radio). I'm thrilled that they not only found their way into the bigtime, but also found a way to stay there.

That said, don't mistake this review for a mere act of loyalty or worship! I honestly believe Fuel would be one of my favorite bands even if they weren't from Pennsylvania. I would certainly have plenty of company: 1998's Sunburn sold over 1 million copies, and 2000's Something Like Human sold over 2 million copies! And regardless of what the national music media's jaded reviewers have to say about Fuel's new CD, Natural Selection, trust me - it ROCKS! I'm soooo tired of being in 100% disagreement with all of Rolling Stone and Blender's reviews! ...but anyway...

You should immediately recognize the songs "Falls on Me" and "Won't Back Down". The former might just be on the radio or MTV right now, and the latter played during the credits of the movie "Daredevil". Both songs are classic Fuel. My other favorites on the album are "Down Inside of You", "Getting Thru", "Die Like This", "Days With You" and "These Things". "These Things" is a heart-on-sleeve tribute to Pink Floyd's The Wall, complete with two guitar solos reminiscent of "Comfortably Numb". Natural Selection should help solidify Fuel's status as one of the most enduring major label acts to ever come out of Pennsylvania.

Official Fuel web site: http://www.fuelweb.com

Liz Phair: Liz Phair
October 10, 2003
"Your record collection don't exist, You don't even know who Liz Phair is." Does this excellent lyric from Liz Phair describe you? If so, it probably won't describe you for much longer. No, I'm not anticipating a huge resurgence in record sales (you know, those 12" round black vinyl things, with grooves?). I am anticipating a lot more publicity for former "indie queen" Liz Phair, who released a couple of cult classics before teaming up with the songwriters who made Avril Lavigne a star and releasing a CD containing the most catchy tunes of her career.

I'm sure this album will create some controversy. With the exception of a song or two, Liz's infamous dirty lyrics have given way to more radio-friendly ones. The fact that she consciously teamed up with proven hitmakers will undoubtedly cause some of her "faithful" fans to cry "sellout". But Liz has the goods to expand her fan base, and she has set out to do it without resorting to rap or kiddie pop (ehem, JEWEL). Liz is still a rock chick with a cool voice and good-enough guitar-playing skills, and she's here to rock your world.

Standout tracks on the album include "Rock Me", "Extraordinary", "Take a Look", "It's a War" and the first single "Why Can't I". For someone who supposedly had a very difficult time overcoming stage fright early in her career, she certainly doesn't come across as shy in the excellent but more adult-oriented tracks "H.W.C." and "My Favorite Underwear". At least half of the album includes more polished, radio-friendly tunes, while the remainder includes more raw-sounding songs that are reminisicent of Liz's older work. Liz Phair is definitely a must-hear album if you like female rockers!

Official Liz Phair web site: http://www.lizphair.com

Jane's Addiction: Strays
August 8, 2003
I've never actually missed a boat, but if it feels anything like "missing the boat" on an exciting new musical movement, I'm sure it can't be a very good feeling. That's exactly what happened to me during the early days of "alternative" music, the genre that burned itself out too soon. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't open my ears (or my mind) to alternative music until Pearl Jam's Vs. came out, but my life hasn't been the same since I did that. And although I didn't get into Jane's Addiction until long after they broke up, I've since fallen in love with their music, and I have a great appreciation for the contributions they made to my favorite musical genre.

The fact that I missed the boat the first time around makes it all the more exciting that Jane's Addiction is back together; a fully-functional band with their first studio release in 13 years, Strays. The reviews I've seen for this album have been bipolar - people seem to either love it or hate it. I guess you can't please all the people all the time, but I'm not sure where the animosity is coming from. Admittedly, Nothing's Shocking (1988) and Ritual De Lo Habitual (1990) are masterpieces, and I suppose those albums did set the bar pretty high. Nonetheless, Strays is surprisingly true to form, and even if it is Jane's Addiction's 3rd-best album, I would definitely rank it as one of the best albums of 2003. And the fact that people like me are getting a second shot at seeing this band in concert, maybe even at (gasp!) Lollapalooza, is nothing short of spectacular.

The first single, "Just Because", has been all over radio and TV, so you've probably heard it by now. It really is quite good, and like the rest of the album, it grows on you more and more after repeated listenings. Other highlights include the funky "True Nature" and "Wrong Girl", the soaring title track "Strays", the driving rhythm of "Price I Pay", the sing-along "Superhero", and straight-ahead rock like "Suffersome". And let's not forget Dave Navarro's blistering guitar solos, which make many welcome appearances throughout the album! 13 years may have passed since their last studio album, but Jane's Addiction sounds tighter than ever, and Strays will be spending a lot of time in my CD player.

Official Jane's Addiction web site: http://www.janesaddiction.com

Evanescence: Fallen
August 8, 2003
About once a year a new band appears in the music scene and genuinely excites me. Evanescence is that band in 2003. Straight outta Arkansas (Arkansas??), this band has one of the most unique-sounding and enjoyable debut albums I've heard in quite a while. Musically, Evanescence has been tagged with terms like "epic rock", "dark rock", "post-industrial rock", and even "goth rock". People who describe Evanescence as Linkin Park with a female singer aren't horribly off-base, but their instrumentation and arrangements are more diverse than Linkin Park's, and vocalist Amy Lee adds a classical-meets-goth element to the music that makes Evanescence stand out.

Fallen really is excellent from beginning to end, so I'll comment on each song in order. "Going Under" is the second single, and it flat-out rocks. "Bring Me To Life" was the first single, and is probably the most Linkin Park-ish sounding song on the album, thanks to background-rap vocals that echo Amy Lee's chilling lead vocals. "Everybody's Fool" has a killer guitar riff and features Ms. Lee's signature soaring vocals. "My Immortal" reveals the band's softer side, featuring a gentle melody on the piano, and orchestration. "Haunted" is a minor-key creepfest complete with an explosive chorus, a guitar solo, and a boys choir! "Tourniquet" is another rocker that explores the band's dark, spiritual side. Without so much as a fade out, "Tourniquet" gives way "Imaginary", a song that effortlessly alternates between loud rock and quiet orchestration. "Taking Over Me" is an anthem that epitomizes the band's knack for incorporating a piano part into an otherwise heavy song. "Hello" is a mostly piano-and-vocals song that showcases Amy Lee's outstanding voice. "My Last Breath" returns to the band's fuller sound, complete with wall-of-sound guitars and orchestration. "Whisper" is another rocker that brings the album to a close with your typical chanting-over-orchestration (don't let my sarcasm fool you - it is a cool ending!).

Surprisingly, I haven't seen Evanescence compared to Garbage. While Amy Lee sounds nothing like Shirley Manson, both bands are clearly obsessed with details when it comes their music. This comes across loud and clear in their flawless playing and rock-solid arrangements, where every note and blip seems to be there for a very specific reason. In any event, Fallen is definitely a rockin' album that you need to add to your CD collection today!

Official Evanescence web site: http://www.evanescence.com

Pearl Jam: Live in State College 5/3/03
May 29, 2003
Leave it to Pearl Jam to revolutionize the live album. Live albums have been around for decades, but they are inherently flawed. While many "official" releases boast both great sound quality and solid set lists, they are seldom recorded at the show that you went to see. Audience bootlegs provide some satisfaction in this area, but in most cases these recordings suffer from horrendous quality. Soundboard bootlegs are few and far between, and profit all the wrong people.

A couple of years ago Pearl Jam took the first major step toward solving these problems by selling fully-mastered soundboard recordings of every show on their Binaural world tour. Finally, an opportunity to own a pristine copy of the very show you braved the traffic and long lines to see! There was just one problem remaining: A few months had passed since that terrific show, and some of the euphoria had worn off by the time those CDs made their way into your hands.

Fast forward to 2003, and Pearl Jam has closed the loop. As soon as I got home from the State College show in the wee hours of May 4 this year, I visited Pearl Jam's web site and ordered the CDs from the show. By noon the very same day (a mere twelve hours after the show ended!), unmastered MP3s of the show were available for download to everyone who ordered the CDs. The quality of the MP3s was intentionally on the low side, but they held me over until I received the fully-mastered CDs - less than two weeks later!

OK, I realize this is an atypical CD review since I have yet to say anything about this particular album. That's kind of the point: Buy the show you went to! But if you insist, here are some details on this particular show: 1) It was the last night of the first leg of the Riot Act tour. 2) The set list was amazing. I'm a big fan of the "old stuff", and that's mostly what we got. 3) At nearly three and a half hours, it was the longest show in Pearl Jam's history. All but two of the shows from this tour fit on two CDs; This one required three. :-) 4) The CDs simply rock! There is just one catch here: These CDs are available online only, and for a limited time. Visit the link below today and order your copy!

Official Pearl Jam Bootlegs web site: http://www.pearljambootlegs.com

Chevelle: Wonder What's Next
April 18, 2003
I'm pretty sure I first heard about Chevelle in Rolling Stone or another one of the four music mags I read cover to cover each month. I think I remember seeing them drawing comparisons to Tool (due, in large part, to the lead singer's voice and the band's crunchy sound) on a "next big thing" list. I think I may have heard a single off of their first album, Point #1, but I don't really remember. Hey, that was 1999, and I'm getting old.

Fast-forward to early 2003, and I'm really digging the single "The Red" from Chevelle's sophomore CD, Wonder What's Next. Looking for some new tunes for the car, I picked the disc up for some ridiculously low price at Best Buy. I was immediately underwhelmed. "The Red" definitely rocked, but the rest of the disc didn't do much for me. Nonetheless, I continued listening (hey, 2003 has gotten off to a bit of a slow start musically, IMHO).

After 4 or 5 listens, I found myself really liking this disc. I've always found that some albums are instantly enjoyable while others take some time to grow on me, and Wonder What's Next epitomized that notion. "Send The Pain Below" is a great second single, and "Comfortable Liar" is an equally incredible song. "Don't Fake This" and "Forfeit" totally rock out, and every single track on this album is really quite good. On the merits of this disc I picked up Point #1, and am finding that it is also growing on me more with each listen. Chevelle's discs are definitely worth checking out. Just make sure you give them a few listens so you too can discover their greatness. :-)

Official web site: http://www.chevelleinc.com

Zwan: Mary Star of the Sea
February 13, 2003
Top Ten Reasons Why Zwan is the New Smashing Pumpkins: 10. They're from Chicago, 9. Penned far more songs than one CD could hold, 8. "Endless Summer", 7. "Ride a Black Swan", 6. "Honestly" (the first single), 5. Fourteen-minute title track, 4. Layers of distorted guitars and swirling feedback, 3. Drummer Jimmy Chamberlain (still rocks!), 2. Head honcho Billy Corgan (still bald!), 1. They rock!

Top Ten Reasons Why Zwan isn't the New Smashing Pumpkins: 10. No breakup rumors yet, 9. Pastel album artwork, 8. The band name (duh!), 7. A song with harmonica? ("Come With Me"), 6. Currently sporting original lineup, 5. Predominantly happy lyrics!, 4. Guitarist Dave Pajo, 3. Guitarist Matt Sweeney, 2. Bassist Paz Lenchantin, 1. You probably haven't heard of them!

Seriously, this is a good album (would you expect anything less from Mr. Corgan?). Go pick it up while you can still get the limited edition DVD with it. If you like the later Pumpkins material, you should dig this album. A song or two could have even been right off of Gish! :-)

Zwan official web site: http://www.zwan.com

The Exies: Inertia
February 13, 2003
It seems like there's been a new "next big thing" band every few months since the untimely demise of Nirvana. As I was reading Rolling Stone's "10 To Watch" in 2003 article, a band called "The Exies" stood out from the rest. They made John Lennon's nickname for existentialists their own, and their work drew comparisons to Stone Temple Pilots and Linkin Park. I was intrigued, so I checked out their web site and caught their video for "My Goddess" on MTV2. I liked what I heard, so I picked up their sophomore CD, Inertia for less than $10 at Circuit City.

Now I'm not here to tell you The Exies are the new Nirvana. In case you haven't noticed, there hasn't been a new Nirvana since, well, Nirvana. But I will tell you that The Exies have released a very good album that will be feeding the radio and MTV2 for the better part of 2003. I would describe their sound as melodic modern rock with a dash of electronica.

The Exies clearly wear their influences on their sleeves. The best song on the album is the single, "My Goddess", but the rest of the CD is by no means filler! "My Goddess" has a heavy Fuel and Filter vibe going on. "Without" has a soaring chorus that is also reminiscent of Filter. "Can't Relate" sounds like Stone Temple Pilots on uppers. "Creeper Kamikaze" is a ballad that evokes newer Silverchair. "Calm and Collapsed" reminds me of an early Foo Fighters song. "Lo-Fi", a remix of a song from their first album, is a dead ringer for Nuno Bettencourt (if you don't know Nuno's work, you should!). But if you give this disc a listen, I think you'll understand how The Exies took these styles and made them their own. Inertia should get The Exies noticed, and I fully expect them to do great things in the future!

The Exies official web site: http://www.theexies.com