When I was working on the final installment of The Big Three here, I decided I needed to listen to some Alan Parsons to get into the mood, and decided to go with this one. It’s one of the earlier ones, so we get more of a progressive rock feel with the symphonic flourishes and the songs blending from one to the next.
As I mentioned in that other article, the APP tend to focus on topics for their albums, and this one is obviously about the Egyptian Pyramids and Egyptology in general. Using this material, the songs focus on the eventuality of humanity’s mortality and how even the things we build will eventually crumble or lose their original meaning. Even the song “Pyramania” focuses on the silly and shallow nature of how the symbols of Ancient Egypt still crop up on modern culture.
However, don’t get the impression that the album is downer. It’s more of an observation on how much this one culture has affected so many others, and made us wonder. Even the instrumental songs portray the grandiosity of Egyptian folklore and mythology, tying the whole thing together. Definitely a great album from beginning to end!
David Gilmour - On An Island
Despite being a big Pink Floyd fan, I admit that I haven’t really bothered much with the solo work of any of its members. I knew that of the members of Pink Floyd, I would be most interested in David Gilmour’s solo work, so I decided to give On An Island a shot, as I’d heard good things about it.
As expected, I got a set of some nice, mellow bluesy pieces, full of nostalgic moods and textures. However, I noticed there wasn’t any of the Floyd’s melancholy or bittersweetness, with this one settling in to something more calm and leisurely. It does have its darker moments, but they are often swept away by the breezy, almost pastoral vibes.
I don’t know if there is anything really mind-blowing here, but I do think I need to give a few more spins before I can really collect all of its pieces. It’s certainly nice to hear Gilmour play his seemingly effortless licks, but the song-writing doesn’t seem to be as strong as the playing.
Dragonland - Holy War
Last time, I listened to Dragonland’s first album, so now I’ve giving the second one a go, and to be honest, it’s really more of the same. Epic grandeur, lighting fast guitar riffs and solos, sweeping symphonic scores, all telling a fantasy story.
This album does seem to have some better songwriting than the first one, though. There are still a few rough lines, as the lyrics are forced into melodies, but things seemed to shift from moment to moment a little more naturally, making it easier to follow. No real surprises, but a better effort from clearly talented musicians.
Oh, and their cover of “Neverending Story” is amazing!
Pearl Jam - Vitalogy
While I know I focus on classic rock and melodic metal sounds, I wouldn’t want anyone to think I’m above styles and impact of alternative rock, especially grunge. I’m always in for good, crunchy riffs. That being said, I admit that my knowledge base for this genre is not as strong, so every now and then, I’ll pick something up from the early 90s sounds to try and broaden my horizons, and (due to other circumstances) I decided to give this one a shot.
My only real knowledge of Pearl Jam was listening to Ten a few years back and thinking it was okay. This album, while still very grungy, has the band dipping more into late 60s psychadelia for inspiration. While I think it works for songs like “Not For You,” “Tremor Christ,” and “Corduroy,” they do take it pretty far, with “Bugs” being a strange, accordion-driven track, and “Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me” being more of a sound collage of psychiatric patients.
Still, there’s good rock to be heard here. While your mileage with grunge may vary (and depend on your nostalgia for the time period), this album serves as a solid example of the sound at its peak while also trying to break out of the box at the same time. Perhaps not something I’d listen to often, but not bad while it’s on.
I feel like I'm getting into more of a groove with this blog. I admit I haven't been covering new stuff as I would like, but I'm getting there. Hopefully, I can maintain this kind of consistency moving forward. Until then, rock on! \m/
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