Rock Albums
This past week I have been obsessed with 4 different rock albums that are all very different. But all amazing. I have not been able to stop listening to “Is This It” by The Strokes, “Getting Killed” by Geese, “Ten” by Pearl Jam, and “Audioslave” by Audioslave. These four albums all bring something extremely different and unique to the table that has captured my ears.
“Is This It” by The Strokes started a whole movement in the Rock and Roll scene when it debuted in 2001. This album debuted right after the collapse of Grunge rock, and people were looking for something different, something new. The group of 5 kids from New York gave the people exactly that, and started a movement, paving the way for bands such as the Arctic Monkey and The Killers. It is famously documented that Brandon Flowers, lead singer of the The Killers, said that once he heard “Is This It” that they scrapped the entirety of what they had for the album except for “Mr. Brightside”. It is safe to say that the rock community and everyone in general loved The Strokes’ debut album. What caught my attention immediately was the production. It is a very minimalistic, sometimes muddy type of production. There are few records out there with similar production sounds. It instantly caught my ear and I grew to love it as the album continued. The Strokes also have a way of writing insanely catchy guitar riffs and infectious beats that end up stuck in my head all day. What steals the show for me though, is the amazingly creative bass lines of Nikolai Fraiture. My Personal favorites on the album are “Alone, Together” and “When it started”. The song “New York City Cops” which was not on the original, is an absolute banger as well. I have a ton of respect for Julian Casablanca and all of The Strokes.
I want to start “Getting Killed” paragraph with a story. I had seen Geese’s album popping up everywhere but had not listened. I decided to play the song, “Au Pays du Cocaine”. I instantly was intrigued by what is seemingly randomness that makes complete sense that I eventually found in all their songs that keeps you guessing the whole time you are listening. I sent this song to my sister, my dad, and my dad’s best friend, Ed. Ed has a very set music taste that he has acquired through an entire lifetime of listening to different music. When I sent him this song, the only thing he replied with was, “That was weird”. And as I read it, I just ended up nodding my head in agreement, because Geese’s music is definitely weird. But it is weird in the best way possible, and I have completely fallen in love with their music. Cameron Winter, the band’s lead singer, is an outstanding singer who most definitely has an acquired taste. I think my favorite part of this album is the percussion. Not only is the drummer absolutely fantastic, but the other percussions that get thrown in there make each song sound complete, and full. The song Trinidad smacks you in the face with a heavy chorus, while Winter screams, “There’s a bomb in my car”. If you asked me right now, as a new Geese fan, what Geese is, that is what I would say. I think my favorite song on the album is most definitely “Taxes”. A beautiful song with an absolutely beautiful lead guitar part, Winter does a great job vocally and lyrically here, and this song is a certified classic for me.
My dad was in a band about 20 years ago. They sang cover songs but also made one complete LP. The lead singer of my dad’s band, Lacy Cod sounds in my opinion just like Eddie Vedder. Even though it may not sound like it after the description I just gave, Eddie Vedder has such a unique voice and I instantly fell in love with it when I listen to “Ten” for the first time this week. Sitting here typing this I cannot believe it has taken me this long to listen to “Ten”. My dad will be extremely disappointed in me for that one. But now that I have listened to it, I fully understand the Pearl Jam hype. I mean every song just has that perfect 90’s grunge sound that is amazing. The album is filled with outstanding performances from head to toe from the Guitar Solo’s, the vocals, the bass, and the rhythm that drummer Dave Krusen brought was next level. Almost every song I listened to the first time through made me just think, “this is awesome”. What were my favorites were “Garden”, “Porch,” and “Once”. This album is quintessential Rock and Roll. What I think should be considered a “blueprint album” What is funny is that every album on the list today is a debut album, but listening to this it blows my mind that is was a debut album. There will 100% be more Pearl Jam on this blog in the future.
The last Rock album on the list is not a new listen for me. I have loved Audioslave for a while and I just recently came back to it for the first time in a while. Safe to say it hit me just as hard, if not harder than I remember it. If you are not aware, Audioslave is made up of the late Chris Cornell, and the band from Rage Against the Machine. Chris Cornell is one of the most legendary rock vocalists ever. Pair that with Rage Against the Machines band, and you 100% have a superband. This album is absolutely breathtakingly awesome. This and Ten I have been listening to all week and just smiling in a state of nirvana. Something I respect so much of this band is how there is only one guitar, but every song still sounds full and you can easily have the ability for Tom Morello to go do solos. It is a testament to how good the rhythm section is. Morello is also nothing short of spectacular. While at HARVARD, of all places, Morello practiced guitar for at least 4 hours a day, he said in an interview once. Thank God he did. His practice paid off tremendously as it led to one of the greatest guitarists of the 90’s and 2000’s. Cornell’s voice lends itself perfectly to long build up songs, such as “The Last Remaining Light”, which is one of my favorites alongside “Gasoline”. This album is amazing. Absolutely breathtaking.
