ER - The Complete Seventh Season

Written by Hombre Divertido

Not too much; not too little; Just right.

Even with the absence of George Clooney and Julianna Marguilies, this is a fine season of ER, though it may be considered the beginning of the end. Strewn with storylines that will eventually lead to the departure of several key members of the ER staff, this season still contains enough of the original cast being vulnerable, strong, humorous, and serious to keep any fan of the series or of episodic television happy.

Where this season fails is a general loss of focus on the patients and their stories. This season is about the development of the characters on staff. Though not necessarily a bad thing, it does stray from the foundation on which the show was built i.e.: the patient’s stories. Luckily the writing is strong enough that we don’t mind the departure. We don’t mind it in season seven. Eventually, any true fan of the show will grow tired of the focus shift, but not here.

Noah Wiley as Dr. Carter really comes into his own in this season as we begin to see him take more of a leadership role in preparation for…well, that’s not to be discussed in a review of this season. Developments in the lives of Dr. Benton (Eriq La Salle), Dr. Weaver (Laura Innes) and Dr. Greene (Anthony Edwards) are at the forefront of this season and definitely keep the audience intrigued.

As previously mentioned, there is a good amount of humor this season. Paul McCrane as Rocket Roman is at his antagonizing best, but it is Greene and Corday dealing with Poison Ivy in the first episode that creates some of the funniest moments in the season and possibly the series.

Season seven is highlighted with guest appearances by Sally Field playing the mother of Abby Lockhart (Maura Tierney) and James Cromwell as a terminally ill Bishop. Their respective storylines run through several episodes and are well written and brilliantly acted.

As in previous season releases, the extras are few, the gag reels seem forced, and the packaging is bland. What stands out in season seven is the writing. You would not have to be a fan of the show to enjoy these episodes. They stand strongly on their own.

Recommendation: Get two and give one away as a gift. It’s a great season to get someone hooked on the show.

THE HOST

Written by Jámon Y. Huevos

Korean director BONG Joon-ho has created the most memorable “monster” movie in decades with his beautiful film The Host. Taking place in present day South Korea, The Host is about three generations of a family dealing with the disappearance of their youngest member, Hyun-seo. When an extremely large catfish-looking, monkey-climbing, human-consuming, chemically-created monster comes out of the river to wreak havoc on the locals, it’s up to Hyun-seo’s father, aunt, uncle, and grandfather to ignore their idiotic government and rescue her before she loses her life to a gruesome digestive process.

There is so much to praise about The Host, but the most astounding accomplishment is its ability to walk the thin line between humor and pathos. BONG Joon-ho somehow finds a way to get the audience to laugh while a family mourns and to feel like crying while government clowns make a mockery of dealing with an emergency. This is done by paying attention to depth of character in the way that only Jaws has accomplished previously. You want the family to achieve its goals; you want the government to be knocked down; you want the host to find peace in a society it neither created nor necessarily wants to be forced to live in.

There is a long-standing theory that to show the monster is to kill the effect. When examining Aliens, we can agree that this theory is not always correct: it is not necessarily what the monster looks like, it is how it is utilized. The monster in The Host is especially frightening because it invariably shows up in broad daylight, in full view, and moving fast, fast, fast. There will be complainers about the realism of the CGI in spots. To this, I say, deal with it. The audience is told in the first thirty seconds that the real monster here is governments that wish to clean up what they have decided is dirty in this world. And, believe me, those monsters couldn’t be more lifelike. If you cannot take a jab about American warmongering, then this film is not for you; the gloves are off here, and the United States (and, to a lesser degree, the South Korean government) takes a brutal, funny beating in every other scene.

The Host is the end result of pitch-perfect directing, acting, writing, cinematography, special effects, and two pinches of luck and charm. It will make you laugh while it frightens you. The Host reaches the greatest heights of filmmaking and is a gift to those of us who believe movies can not only be entertaining, but also stand as great art.

Rush: Snakes and Arrows

Written by Fumo Verde

As an avid surfer, I always have a tune in my head to keep me in rhythm, and Rush’s Snakes & Arrows has a collection of songs that will keep me charging all the way through summer. The album drops in like a heavy wave at the Wedge with power not only in the music but in the lyrics as well, tapping into the Rush of old by combining the storytelling of the past with the ideas and passions of the present. Charging guitar solos, ripping bass lines, and the hard working drive of one of the world’s greatest drummers creates the fetch for the new swell of Rush rock while questions about the very ideals we believe we should stand are examined.

Whisking one away to the past or opening one’s eyes to world events are ideas that fill this album. "Far Cry" and "Armor and Sword" differ in their musical aspect; the latter has the tone of elder songs such as “Red Sector A” or “Witch Hunt,” but both question our humanism and ask us to look in the mirror carefully. In the song "Armor and Sword" the lyrics are "Sometimes the damage is too great/ Or the will is too weak/ What should have been our armor/ Becomes a sharp and burning sword./ A refuge for the coming night./ A future of eternal light./ No one gets to their heaven without a fight." These words ask us the reasons we as humans are so quick to get into a conflict with each other. Similar ideas are expressed in "Far Cry," the opening track that bursts in like Vikings on a rampage. The trio crash down like a pipeline in late December and hold that beat throughout the song as the lyrics remind you, "It’s a far cry from the world we thought we’d inherit./ It's a far cry from the way we thought we'd share it."

Complex lyrics blended with the intricate and ever-changing instrumental structures have always been the mark of a good Rush album, and S&A has them. "The Larger Bowl" is a pantoum, a rare form of poetry where the second and fourth lines of each stanza are repeated as the first and third lines of the next and the first line of the poem is the last. Again, Neil Peart shows us his intellect as Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson show theirs by fitting chords and beats, making this song one of my favorites on this CD. With few words Rush can open such big doors where giant questions lay. "The golden one or scarred from birth/ some things can never be changed/ such a lot of pain on this earth / it's somehow so badly arranged." Yet not all the songs on this CD are socially energized. Tracks such as "Spindrift" and "Workin' Them Angels" open a window into the life of wordsmith Peart. One can hear his pain and his joy as he puts it all out there with no regrets, and for those reasons alone I admire this man.

Writing profound lyrics with amazing melodies isn't anything new for Rush, yet S&A has a harder edge, as "The Main Monkey Business" will prove. One of three instrumentals, it keeps Rush at that fine edge their fans have come to adore. "Hope" is guitar only and was composed and performed by Lerxst Lifeson (that's what it said in the liner notes). My hats off to Lerxst for this composition is beautiful and brings my mind back to trips into the Arizona desert, as Lerxst's guitar leads the way.

This CD has brought me back into the Rush fold, and even if the band moves into another direction with the next album, this one is a testament to a band that isn't afraid of making rock music with a point. "Faithless" is a song that holds true to that statement. "I don't have faith in faith/ I don't believe in belief./ You can call me faithless/ But I still cling to hope/ And I believe in love/ And that's faith enough for me." These men will stand behind what they believe in and aren't scared of some old crone who challenges others while skirting around the faults of those she supports.

I have to say that Counterparts, Test for Echo, and Vapor Trails left me wondering if Rush was still the same band I was looking for. I know bands change over time, that's a given, they have to if they want to succeed. Snakes & Arrows will go down as another change in the direction of Rush and one that will bring them a legacy of standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. The music is pure Rush while the words cut and sting like the lip smack of a cold winter wave. The melodies will keep you moving as the lyrics make you think, and thinking leads to change, and change is what these modern day Tom Sawyers are all about.

If you get a chance to see Rush this summer, make it so. Look me for me on the lawn in Irvine with El Bicho.

Animal Liberation Orchestra: Roses and Clover

Written by Fumo Verde

Hey katz and kittenz, it's Fumo here with the new CD by Animal Liberation Orchestra and let me tell you, this is one of the reasons why I do this job. Roses & Clover plays as sweet as the name proclaims with its gentle blend of rock, jazz, and rhythm and blues-- prepare yourself for a journey. With melodies and harmonies reflective of the sounds of the ‘70s and lyrics that echo the feelings of today, ALO has captured the magic of Steely Dan and Boz Skaggs, bands with the musical talent to play and write. ALO crafts each song to perfection and Roses & Clover proves that right here.

I'm still debating which song is my favorite. Out of the ten tracks I have yet hit a song where I could say, "This wasn't needed here," or "How does this fit with the rest of the album?" I've had this CD for four days and haven't stopped playing it. As I write this, “Water Song” is playing. Reminiscent of James Taylor, there’s a feeling of being out on the open range with the crickets chirping, as the lone piano comes into play. "Canyons carved by oceans beneath a light of a billion stars./ The Old ones knew the truth about us,/ the purpose is to be just what we are." If you were ever looking for deep lyrics that really make sense, ALO is that band. This song rolls through your mind like a river, reflecting the pictures of your life in their words. If this tune doesn't get you back to thinking of things that you once held near and dear, then I don't know what will.

Each song has that similar sensation to it, giving the listener a chance to engage the images and emotions that flow thru words. “Maria” is a love song and the lead track off the album. It opens with the piano pumping out that '70s feel-good sound, which made its way into almost every film soundtrack from that decade. This song gives me the idea of jumping in my truck and taking a ride on the 101 heading north towards Ventura, but then I remember that this is 2007 and I could play this disc five time over while sitting in stop-and-go traffic on the 10, but I would still be in the "get out of town" mode.

“Try” has more of the R&B root to it but with a funk twist. If the slapping of the bass doesn't get you, the organ’s wha wha pedal will. It even sounds like they had a little bit of a brass section drop in to play. With an old blues beat, “Roses & Clover” taps into the funky blues with a tiny drop of jazz. “Monday” has a jazz/rock essence to it with its easy drumbeat, soft guitar riffs, and backing vocal harmonies. It becomes that Monday morning commute song that wakes you up smoothly as you drink your coffee on the drive into work. “Shine” slows the album down, adding more of a jazz aspect while giving the song a European flair from what sounds like a harmonica. This song makes me imagine Paris in the rain with all the people biking around.

Although each song is different from the next, one gets the impression that ALO wants you to use your mind when listing to their music, which isn't a bad idea nowadays. If people weren't taking ALO seriously, the better start now. A contemporary album with an old school flavor, Roses & Clover is sweet and sharp like its namesake. It may not get the airplay some of the other “music” out there is getting but it does deserve respect.

One last thing, see these guys in concert. It is well worth it.

SMOKIN' ACES

Written by Fumo Verde

So if it took El Bicho a whole Zip of the Red Diesel to remove this movie from his head, then why would I, Fumo Verde, attempt to watch it on DVD? Well, unlike my compadre El Bicho, I have a higher tolerance for great weed and bad movies-- and yes Smokin' Aces put it to the test. I must admit at times I do love the ultra-violent, bad guy shoot'em-up where everybody gets whacked and the blood pours out of the TV, but these movies should and usually do contain the humor element to lighten or comment on the violence, such as was done in Pulp Fiction.

Unfortunately Smokin' Aces didn't have any funny shit like that, although I did chuckle when Ben Affleck got shot. Jeremy Piven, who always gets typecast as "the prick," plays a pretty good one here, but my favorite character was Jason Bateman as a fucked wacko lawyer. The best acting came from Alicia Keys, Taraji Henson, and the .50 cal. Damn I love big guns, and watching a room full of F.B.I. guys get cleared did give this anarchist a Cheshire cat grin, for a moment.

What mystifies me is the thought that the Italian Mafia would out-source for a "hit" so crucial. Don Corleone would be rolling over in his grave if Michael had given the contract to anyone other than Luca Brasi - may he sleep with the fishes. And what’s with the psycho neo-Nazi Road Warriors? Clownshoe mercs like that walk through booby-trapped doors, get their balls blown off, then go crying back home to mommy? Here's what gets me, if Aces is on the run, then why hide out in Tahoe? As if the Mob doesn't know where the world’s eighth deepest lake is, come on. Plus, if the Mob were going to do the hit, why not pay off his bodyguard, have that guy take him fishing, and say, "Hi," to Lou for us-- know what I mean?

As for plot twist and layers of secrets, babies, I've had a harder time finding Waldo. You could see the end coming before your ass got the seat warm. Would this be a waste of your time? Only if you were wasted and had better things to do. If you are stuck in jury duty and it’s on one of those big TVs in the back, it would give you something to bitch about to the other jurors beside the fact that you're in jury duty.

The extras on this DVD are your usual suspects: interviews, camera work, and assorted crap like that. They also have an alternative ending, but even that doesn’t change how fucked up the movie itself was. If you have to pay more than a dollar to rent it, I say forget about it.

Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard & Ray Price: Last Of The Breed

Written by Fantasma el Rey

Picture, if you will, a lonely honky-tonk on the outskirts of town, a glow from inside draws you near as the sound of clinking beer bottles and laughter calls your name. As you get closer the music from jukebox becomes clearer, three legendary country baritones stand out and shine like the North Star leading you home. You step through the swinging doors, is it honky-tonk heaven? Do you have enough change for said jukebox? Or are you simply dreaming again of records that don’t exist, as I often do? Nope, it’s the sounds of two outlaws and a real survivor. It’s true my fellow followers of great honky-tonk hardwood floor heroes! Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Ray Price have come together for the first time and the result is Last Of The Breed, a collection of classic tunes made current and standing tall among the mountains of rabble called country music.

These three pillars of classic country music have been kicking this idea around for years but as always things turn up, schedules clash, and side projects are put aside. Finally the stars aligned and the three paths crossed in the spring of 2006. Producer Fred Foster quickly put together a jamming band of pros, including fiddle master Johnny Gimble. After only two days of everything and everyone being in place, the songs that would make it onto this killer collaboration were put down. The big three had it in mind to sing the songs that they all knew and liked, drawing inspiration from such names as Lefty Frizzell, (“Mom And Dad’s Waltz”) Floyd Tillman (“I Love You So Much It Hurts”), and cowboy crooner Gene Autry (“That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine”); Simple and to the point, it’s how these men operate and why we love them.

Twenty-two tracks over two CDs, and from the get-go these honky-tonk heavyweights hit hard. Opening with Bob Wills’ western swing classic “My Life’s Been A Pleasure,” these gentlemen take turns at the lead vocal chores while the Jordanaires do what they do best, smooth background vocals. This solid sender is the first of many that set the stride and had me up and two steppin’, taking me back to my mother’s kitchen where I learned to dance.

Other classic covers include Harland Howard’s hardwood floor standards “Heartaches By The Number” and “Pick Me Up On Your Way Down.” From Leon Payne they take on the lonesome rambler’s lament “Lost Highway” and the sweethearts’ ballad “I Love You Because.” We are also treated to a number from fellow outlaw Kris Kristofferson, who helps with lead duties and harmony vocals on his ultimate sinner’s question song, “Why Me Lord.”

Tapping from the well of more recent songwriters, we get two from Willie’s pal Cindy Walker: the quiet, tear-in-your-beer “Going Away Party” and the Hymn-inspired “Night Watch.” From Willie himself, we get the beautifully poetic “Back To Earth,” which finds Willie and Merle on a duet reminiscent of their work on Pancho And Lefty. And not to be left out Merle chimes in with the self-penned sinner’s prayer “Sweet Jesus.”

Last Of The Breed finds these three distinct voices in fine form, blending perfectly and as entertaining as ever. Each legend brings his own brand of magic to the microphone delivering flawless performances from the last of the original Honky-Tonk Heroes. The only voice missing is George Jones’. Truly these men are the Last Of The Breed, yet once in a while someone comes along and gives the world hope and lets us know that real men still sing in a timeless style, the way these gentlemen do. George Straight, Alan Jackson, and my personal favorite Dale Watson kept that flame alive and have passed it to the few newcomers brave enough to take it. These willing young artists have the power to keep the hardwood floors packed with people and to keep the sound of clinking beer bottles mixed with loud laughter ringing in our ears. And yes, some where on that floor will be Fantasma el Rey and his honky-tonk angel dancing a two-step. Thanks, Ma.

The Infamous Stringdusters: Fork In The Road

Written by Fantasma el Rey

The Infamous Stringdusters are comprised of six young men, Andy Hall, Jeremy Garrett, Jesse Cobb, Chris Eldrigde, Chris Pandolfi and Travis Book, who have been kicking around Nashville for a few years. They became friends after running into one another around town, either doing session work or at live gigs with other bands. It didn’t take long for them to realize that they all shared a passion for true and innovative bluegrass and string music. Not long after that, they decided to give it a go of their own and the result is Fork In The Road.

Their debut album is filled with original material, including some jumping instrumentals. From the opening picks and Andy’s vocal licks on “No More To Leave You Behind,” these kats are on fire, getting you moving and toe-tapping. The song sets the tone for all those on this disc, highlighted by expert picking and plucking, heartfelt vocals, and straightforward lyrics that tell a good story.

The title track is where we get to hear the second of three of the Stringdusters lead vocalists. Jeremy Garrett does a fine job and handles the majority of the CD’s lead vocal chores with confidence and ease. For “Starry Night,” the band slows just a bit, but loses absolutely nothing. Instead, they gain ground and pull the listener further into their world. Jeremy’s sweet vocal delivery paints a picture of a Virginia night sky.

John Mayer’s “3x5” is where Travis makes his first vocal appearance. His baritone is a hint deeper than Jeremy’s and stands out against Andy’s sweet-voiced traditional bluegrass tenor. Having three lead vocalists works fine for this sextet, and with the addition of Travis, the last to join the group, they can pull off that high lonesome sound made popular by The Stanley Brothers.

Two good examples of the band’s brilliance are “Tragic Life” and “Poor Boy’s Delight.” Andy and Jeremy penned “Tragic Life,” a true cowboy lament about love, being on the run, and shooting a lawman in the back. The whole back-shooting lyric gives the narrator the mark of the anti-hero. Adding to the foreboding vibe is the line, “I feel my blood flowing colder every day”. What sets this “chased by a posse” song apart from other country cow-punch tunes is the song is played with all string instruments, giving it an authentic touch, as if it could have been played over a hundred years ago around a trail drive campfire.

Benny Galloway wrote “Poor Boy’s Delight,” and it shows these gentlemen can make any tune their own. This little number finds our pals in a mellow mood and places the listener smack in the center of an outdoor summer night dance in Virginia. With Travis’ voice, you can almost feel that soft Southern wind in June that he’s singing so quietly about.

The Stringdusters display their diversity with their three instrumentals, penned by various members of the band. “40 West” is a lighting fast race down the highway everyone will enjoy. All you have to do is imagine yourself in Granddad’s supped-up 1940 Ford pick-up truck and let the music whisk you down a tree-lined Virginia road at 90 miles per hour.

“No Resolution” keeps the pace moving, only a bit slower than “40 West,” yet the musicianship here is amazing. These young lions have this string music thing packed up tight and are running wild with it. Their creativity shines as the tempo slows a tad more in the middle of the song only to pick right back up again and tear the place down.

The closing tune and third instrumental is “Moon Man,” a seven-minute long “jamgrass” session. It opens slow and low, then kicks up its heels “faster than all get out” bluegrass style. You can almost picture legends such as Bill Monroe or Ralph Stanley pickin’ up a storm in a fever pitched duel.

The Infamous Stringdusters hit hard on their first outing, showing the world their creativity and individuality by expanding on the music and sounds they know and love. This band will carry the bluegrass torch while bringing in new fans and passing a branch of American music on to the next generation of pickers and grinners, as well as those of us who can’t play but know a good thing when we hear it. So while you’re out trying to find this one at your local record shop or on-line (it’s just easier that way), I’ll be dusting off my old six string acoustic and strumming an outlaw love song. Goodnight y’all.

hey Negrita: We Are Catfish and The Buzz Above

Written by Fumo Verde

If you are looking for a fresh take on some old genres, then hey Negrita is the band you've been looking for. Coming out of the UK, they have grasped the sounds of Americana, Southern rock, R&B, and blues, and use those textures to create vivid pictures that drive your imagination on a trip that covers the entire globe. Bold melodies mixed with thoughtful lyrics create songs with meaning and heart. Here is a band that seems to have something for everybody and it all sounds good.

We Are Catfish started with the song “Devil In My Shoes.” Strumming guitars chords open up the tune, as the keyboard pipes out like a Hammond B-3 organ. My feet began tapping immediately and I had to get up from my seat as I be-bopped about my room. A driving drumbeat keeps the rhythm alive and hopping, as the guitar and keyboard lend extra voices to the tale being told. Now this is how to open up and keep'em coming.

On “One Mississippi,” a simple blues melody may be the root but hey Negrita expands on it, bringing it to a different level. The use of slide guitar etches an image of a slow riverboat moving through the old ports of New Orleans back in the late 1930's. This song rolls along like the mighty river itself.

Once back on dry land, the band heads straight to the pub with “Old Britannia.” "So lets drink to dead companions/ hiding in the shadow’s wake/ and when you're on your own/ For it’s one to Old Britannia/ two because you're under/ three when you're on the floor." Now if this isn't the chorus for a good drinking song, I don't know what is. Compare that song to “Beaujolais Villages.” The melody and rhythm are being played ever so gently as are the lyrics being sung, yet the words are sharp and to the point; "Your fruit’s a little bitter/ You come across like Jesus with a gun./ I give you everything/ all I seem to get from you is drunk." One can taste more than just sour grapes in these words.

We Are Catfish has fifteen tracks and like little snowflakes, each song is different from the next in regards to genre. These men are fantastic musicians and the best way to prove that is to listen to another CD of theirs, The Buzz Above, which begins with “Can't Walk Away,” a sweet R&B track that is similar to a rock ballad, but better. The guitars cry out and the keyboard chimes in, yet the lyrics are mellow and relaxed.



I would have to say that my favorite song on this disk is “Abandon Ship.” "Easy now/ wipe the smile from my face./ I've forgotten the touch/ I remember the taste./ And there's the torture/ asleep in my bed/ under the sheets in the back of my head.” With the haunting sound of the keyboards in the back, these words take on a heavier tone, painting a dark picture of the emotions that brought them about. Yet, the band doesn't take you down a desperate road just to leave you in a state of depression.

Like a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds on a balmy London afternoon, “Charlene” rekindles the fire that ignites the spirit. “The Message” follows and is another song of hope and faith, which brings a tear to the eye and a smile to the face. “Hold Tight” is one of those fighting songs that might get you into trouble if you put away the Jack & Cokes like El Bicho used to do back in the day-- he's got a mean right hook. This song has a Johnny Cash attitude so don't fuck with it.

If you haven't had a chance to hear hey Negrita hit their myspace page or check them out on YouTube. If they ever get a chance to come out to Southern California, I would make these guys a must see. Pick up We Are Catfish and The Buzz Above and you won't be disappointed; these guys have talent, courage, heart, and soul, and they've put it all into a small band of friends they call hey Negrita.

This is Fumo Verde saying stay green and be just.

Apocalyptica: Life Burns Tour

Written by Fantasma el Rey

The Apocalyptica Life Burns Tour DVD is a powerhouse showcase for this creative and talented band from Finland, in top form and rocking from the first drum kick to the last cello bow stroke. These gentlemen display their talent by mastering and mixing the moody classical world with the dark world of heavy metal to form a hybrid all their own. Their name reflects the sound, from the material they choose and by the relentless way they bang out songs on those cellos.

Formed just over a decade ago by four classically trained cellists, the band has changed little over the years. Although primarily a core of three now, Eicca Topinen, Paavo Lotjonen, and Perttu Kivilaakso are joined by drummer Mikko Siren and when on tour by original member and fourth cellist Antero Manninen. What remains the same is their power to move an audience and keep them in a frenzy for an hour and a half.

Apocalyptica moves swiftly from one song to another. Tearing through such tunes as Metallica’s “Master of Puppets,” “Nothing Else Matters,” “Enter Sandman,” and ripping the place apart with the hyper-aggressive “Seek And Destroy”. Hitting just as hard are original Apocalyptica songs like “Heat,” “Hope,” and “Life Burns.” These men have proven, and this DVD shows, that they rock just as hard and heavy as anybody else on the metal scene.

They control the crowd to the full extent, from the slower ballads to rippin’ rousers. Eicca acts as front man and co-lead along with Perttu, introducing songs and whipping their hair around in unison, much the same way that the Kiss guitarists sway together side by side on stage. Paavo is the equivalent of the bass player whose job it is to constantly interact with the crowd, keeping them worked up. He does this wonderfully by employing shouts of encouragement on choruses, pointing at them with his bow, and getting folks to clap along with the drums that crash behind him. As true showmen, they “abuse” their instruments, playing as they spin the cello, holding it in the air, or beating it as it lies on the ground, all without missing a beat or stroke. Not letting the masses forget that they are classically trained, the show closes with a hepped-up version of the classic “In The Hall Of The Mountain King.”

Now and then throughout the show there are flashes of light or minor pyrotechnics that illuminate the skull-carved backrest of the chairs they sometimes sit in as they play. Other than that, there’s nothing fancy about the stage. The music is what carries the day.

Extras include music videos, mostly of songs that the band has done with guest vocalists. The “Repressed” video begins with women who look like victims of abusive relationships but by mid “vid” it is reveled that they are members of an all-female fight club. Sepultura’s Max Cavalera and Bullet for My Valentine’s Matt Tuck provide vocals for this one and amongst the more up-tempo thrashers, this is the tune I like best. My favorite video is the slower “Seemann” filmed in black and white and featuring the darkly sexy, strong voiced German vocalist Nina Hagen, dressed in black and looking very Vampira/Morticia-esque. Wow, is all I’ve got to say about that one.

The addition of vocals also brings the addition of a more mainstream heavy metal sound. Making the cellos sound like distorted guitars and bass takes away from the band as something truly unique. The sound and musicians are good and I don’t mind Apocalyptica with vocals once or twice, but on the whole I hope that they keep to what has and will continue make them different and stand apart. If you get the chance, check them out next time they’re close to you. The DVD captures the night well but there is nothing like the vibe that these bad ass Fins possess live.

Robert Plant: Shaken ‘n’ Stirred

Written by Fumo Verde

If life only had a rewind button, but then it better have an erase button to go along with it. That's how I felt about Shaken ‘n’ Stirred and what upset me most, it was done by one of the greatest voices in Rock n' Roll history: Robert Plant. Even greatness has off-days, and not that Plant was off by any means. It was the ‘80s where most of the mainstream music pretty much blew ass. I should know I was a junior in 1985 when this album was released. Now it's 2007 and the music companies are trying hard to stay afloat by re-releasing music such as this. If it weren't Robert Plant, I wouldn't have even listened.

Sorry to shit in everyone’s cereal, but during the ‘80s I was not a Cure fan, nor a Depeched Mode fan. I did watch Madonna to give me ideas to think about late at night. I couldn't stand dancing with my arms out at my sides while extending one leg at a time and touching the floor with only the big toe of each foot. Oh yes, and don't forget to wear black with many accessories and a funny hat. Fuck that, I followed the Dead, Rush, Pink Floyd, and The Police. I was stoked that Plant had come out with a new album, until I heard it. It wasn’t the Plant I wanted; it wasn’t very rock n’ roll. Shaken ‘n’ Stirred had stopped at #20 on Billboard’s Top 200. The single “Little By Little” hit # 1 for Mainstream Rock Tracks while “Sixes and Sevens” peaked at #18. At least Plant had the courage to go somewhere else with his music, to try and experiment with new sounds and ideas that were coming out of the radios at that time.

In the ‘80s it was all about electronics, and Shaken ‘n’ Stirred was no exception. Synthesizers were a mainstay for the recording industry, and if you weren't a pro with it, then it either sounded like shit or came out to sugar-coated. That's how this CD sounds, sugar-coated, but then like I said that's most songs from this time period. Take for instance “Kallalou Kallalou,” it starts out with keyboards and drums and immediately I hear the soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop in the back of my mind with Axel Foley and the banana in the tailpipe bit. “Pink and Black” has the same vibe. Plants voice carries this track as the drums rarely diverge from their formatted beat. The synthesized guitar and keyboards rehash over the same cords as they did the track before. With the exception of his voice, the music sounds the same.

“Little By Little” is the diamond in the ruff here. With the drifting sound of guitars and the electronics all coming together, this song gives way to images of hazy-colored sunsets as Plant’s voice cruises in and out of the melody. The bass line can be felt as the drums keep a steady drive going. The extra on this disc is the remix of “Little By Little” with a slightly longer, synthesized intro but that's really about it. The original sounds better.

There is nothing wrong with the music on this CD. Robert Plant has no fear when it comes to trying new genres of music and Shaken ‘n’ Stirred isn't any different. He tried to go the way of the ‘80s and did a pretty good job at it. Music back then was blowing up everywhere and by 1985 the punk craze was waning and bands like Wham and Culture Club were the big draws at the time. Rock ‘n’ roll still had a heartbeat, but it was barely alive. Robert Plant was one of the few who tried to mix the hard rock sound with the new wave sound that was winning its way through the MTV world. I give Plant kudos for trying, but I have to be honest when I say, that this CD I could do without in my collection. It’s just too ‘80s for me.