The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, October 19. 1999 -- 3REAKING RECORDS OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY'S NEW RE CLAPTON SELLS OUT WITH HITS COMPILATION Controversial Corpse returns with 'Thirst' . a 9~ $ k ..., a In Bob Dole's 1996 presidential cam- paign, Dole named Cannibal Corpse was one of the indicators of the decline in values in our youth. With songs that go by titles like "Fucked With A Knife" and "Dismembered And Molested" it was easy to see why the group was an easy scapegoat for our society's bigger problems. Three years later Cannibal Corpse returns with "Blood Thirst" and proves that it still has plenty of the goods that politicians love to hate and will likely help bring the band's name into speeches by election candidates in next year's elections. Listeners this time are treated to cheery numbers such as, "Ecstasy In Decay," "Raped By The Beast" *** and "Dead Cannibal H u m a n C o CI e c t i o n ." Corpse Compared to the Biood Thirst group's last Metal Blade album, "Gallery Reviewed by Of Suicide," Daily Arts Writer Cannibal Corpse Adlin Roshi have gone back to faster playing and are experimenting less. What makes this release special from other Cannibal Corpse albums is the production handled by Colin Richardson. The man responsible behind capturing Machine Head and Carcass' best works has done an amaz- ing job crisply recording Cann Corpse's performances. The songs are relentless in their fury powered by the amazing guitar riffti of Pat O'Brien and Jack Owen. It isthe. two's electrifying technical yet furi.u contribution that really make til album stand out from the homoeou selection of Death Metal releases. The dueling guitar solos of the two are also terrific. O'Brien's neo-classical styling is a great contrast to Owen's pumpedtp blues licks. Everything you could want in a Death Metal release is all here, the gu- tural vocals, the heavy riffing, the blast beats and the bass player buried to deep' in the mix. Sure there isn't anything all that groundbreaking to this release, but damn to these guys are good at what. they do! track crowd. The trend started with the hit "Change the World" from the film "Phenomenon" and two sappy new songs, "Blue Eyes Blue" (from "Runaway Bride") and "(1) Get Lost" (from "The Story of Us") are shamelessly pro- moted through their inclusion on the disc. Both are sure to get plenty of air time on VH-l. Whether the release of "Chronicles" was the result of a contractual loop- hole, the idea of greedy record company executives or of Clapton himself, its sole purpose is to get some extra mileage out of merely mediocre material. Shepherd stakes claim to fame He's been compared to Stevie Ray Viughan. Some say he is a modern Hendrix. IHe's toured with Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Van I lalen. It's time to quit using words like "sounds like" and "reminds me of' and start A live album is always received with a2crtain amount of caution. Either the d performs the songs perfectly and me. off as competent but boring or thiiv surprise the listener with some- thinig new. What Sunny Day Real Estate accomplishes on their live album is nrid blowing. They reinvent them- seles by performing the songs not only vith furious and clear eiotion, but also ih the voice of Jeremy Enigk doing something new. His voice is mysteri- admitting the most Kenny Wayne Shepherd Live On Giant Reviewed by Daily Arts Writer Gautam Baksi obvious fact: Kenny Wayne Shepherd is a budding modern guitar legend. With his third album, "Live On," Shepherd takes a deep stab into establishing himself as one of the foremost blues rock guitarists ... ever. "Live On" erupts with a hard- driving, wah-wah screaming "In 2 Deep." Don't know what blues- rock is all about? These opening 3 minutes 14 seconds define it. Vocalist Noah 1Hnt's deep, pas- Sunny Day Real Estate Live Sub Pop Reviewed by Daily Arts Writer ,- Andy lein ously different in the live setting. It has a machine quality that gives the band a rawer sense of power than they achieve with Enigk's high pitched shyness in the studio. And with the depth of lyrics that Enigk writes, power is definitely an asset. funny Day Real Estate began in 1992 without Enigk who joined in 193, adding the final touches to one of the most influential bands of the early '90s. A band that drew the blue prints for all emo-core to follow. In 1994 they were signed to Seattle based Sub Pop where in the same year they released their first full length album, "Diary", to the delight of fans and critics. The album was successful but the band Ierwent internal problems and after putting together a mix of B-sides and new songs for "LP2, they decided to break up in 1995. Drummer William Goldsmith and bassist Nate Mendel went on to play in Foo Fighters while Enigk created a solo album and Daniel Hoerner pursued per- sonal interests. But in 1997 the band decided to get together again putting out an album and going on a sold-out t of halls. n May 26, 1999 they performned in Eugene, Oregon and recorded their live album. Just the fact that the entire album was recorded on one night proves the point that Sunny Day Real Estate is a live powerhouse. They play selections from all of their recordings and keep a constant mood. So well in fact, that this concert could work as a studio album. The playing is certainly proficient enough. One thing that Sunny Day Real Estate has been able to incorporate into their songs that many bands fail to is the bass. Most rock bands use the bass as background rhythm. Bassist Nate Mendel, however, creates his own bass theory, using it as a tool for melody and it comes out surprisingly clear in a live atmosphere. The interplay of guitar, bass, drums and vocals is astounding because there is no one instrument that stands out more than another. What is produced is pure music as if being played by one instrument. The highlight of the album is "The Prophet." It begins with a soft but steady rimshot pattern on drums that is eventually accompanied by a repeating guitar line. As the volume grows Enigk hums high and mournfully until the song explodes into poem about the dan- gers of leaving a safe place and ends with a scream of terror just as the music reaches a fevered pitch. The album ends with "Days Were Golden" which features the soft beauty of Sunny Day Real Estate and Enigk's voice switching between high-pitched grace and eerie calling. The music slowly fades out in the saddest lullaby ever played. The crowd was obviously captivated, as there is complete silence until the end of this eight-minute epic when just the drums carry out the song with the crowd clapping along. From the first note to the last silence, Sunny Day Real Estate has created a new stan- dard for live albums. sionate voice cuts through the song like a downhill skier's skis through a slalom. Look for "In 2 Deep" to receive radio play crossing over more genres than the band's previous hit, "Blue on Black." Shepherd's sit-in soloists read like a Who's Who of great musicians: Les Claypool from Primus, Stevie Ray Vaughan's former band, Double Trouble, and old friend Dr. John. After touring for more than 6 years with none but the greats, it's surprising Shepherd doesn't have more sit-in legends on the album. However, with critics crying that Shepherd's music is simply an echo of blues greats, past and contempo- rary, I applaud his choice to limit guest musicians and showcase his own impressive talent instead. Every aspiring blues musician will appreciate "Shotgun Blues." A classic example of 12-bar blues mixed in with a screaming harmonica over timeless lyrics: "I ain't afraid of no man / Whiskey and wine are my only friends / Yes, I ain't afraid of no man / Still got a shotgun in my hands." Yes, even John Lee Hooker would be proud. "Every Time it Rains" features an incredible slide- guitar intro. Lyrically repetitious, this song is anything but boring. Shepherd has already learned that blues lyrics need not be eloquent words of poetry. Simply the title, "Ever Time it Rains," sums up the voice of Shepherd's guitar throughout this song. Critics will complain "Where Was I?" is a direct Keb' Mo' rip off. There's no denying that this young guitarist incorporates many contemporary and legendary sounds into his music. But to be able to sound like acoustic greats Keb' Mo' and Howlin Wolf, and then also make the electric guitar scream, wail, and sing like no man has ever done requires far more than copy-cat talent. Shepherd finishes off the CD with a mellow instru- mental aptly titled, "Electric Lullaby" This song beauti- fully illustrates the fact that blues songs aren't about what notes are actually played, rather where these notes are taken. Each note is bent, drawn, and hammered to perfection with the delicacy of a fine-handed surgeon. Often accused of sounding too much like Vaughan, this album firmly plants Shepherd on his own two feet. Shepherd and his 6-string Fender are inseparable. Take 6 promotes early gift-giving with Christmas release. JL OF %-F %wp %-P Although the holidays are more than two months away, Take 6's "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" already manages to inspire thoughts of gift-giving and snowflakes. Take 6 has been producing successful religious music for more than 10 years. "Christmas," their eighth album, only strengthens their reputation. With Take 6's greatest hits album released earlier this year, they are now at the status level where they can feel comfortable doing whatever they please. That's exactly what they do with "Christmas." Take 6 turns l l traditional holiday songs into i 1 very non-tradition- al tunes. Mostly a cappella, songs such as the jazzy be-bop "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" or Take 6 We Wish You Merry Christmas Reprise Reviewed by Alisa Claeys For the Daily What remains remarkable is the fact that Shepherd keeps most tracks under four minutes. Great guitarists tend to drag on songs with extended solos longer than a Phish concert. Blues "founder" Robert Johnson is quoted to have said, "The blues is a deep, down feeling." Kenny Wayne Shepherd manages to remarkably capture that feeling at an infant age of 22. Given the maturity and evolution of his style through three albums, Shepherd is taking giant steps in engraving his name with the legends. ., Kenny Wayne Shepherd may be the most influerial product to come out of Louisiana since Tabasco. Like Tabasco, beware, large doses of Kenny Wayne may cause an addiction to burning sensations that don't go away.,. the gospel-tinged "Go Tell It on The Mountain" sound completely differ- ent from the origi- nal. "We Wish You a M e r r v Christmas/Carol of the Bells," with at times 10 differ- ent singing parts, illustrates the group's attention to detail. Also, "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" belts out an assertive attitude towards Christmas that is not usually heard any- where. Guests like Brian McKnight, Kirk Whalum, Paul Jackson, Jr. and three of the member's wives complete this soulful dedication to the holidays. Contrary -to many of the holiday albums available-on the market, "Christmas" captures- the spirit with rich, strong vocals and har- monies. "Christmas" satisfies the listener with the feeling that each song is sung straight from the heart. New CD set celebrates Woodstock '99 This summer, more than 50 bands and solo artists invaded Rome, New York to play in a three day festival marking the 30th anniversary of the original Woodstock. A two-disc set highlights 32 of the event's widely ranging performances. The two discs present the festival as an amalgam of performers from across the musical spectrum. While Breaking Records Star System ***** ~k- Classic - Excellent *** - Good ** - Fair - Poor No stars - Don't Bother If you missed a week of Breaking Records, check out the Daily's, archives online at, http://www.michigan- daily.com Various Artists Woodstock '99 Epic Reviewed by David Reamer For the Daily the album as a whole faithfully reproduces the music played at Woodstock, it cannot recreate the festival's atmosphere. The pump- ing fists of more than 200,000 people during Metallica's "Creeping Death"; the swirling clouds of dust during Sevendust's "Bitch"; the Canadian flags fly- ing during Our Lady Peace's "Superman's Dead"; Elvis Costello standing alone onstage for his entire set: All of these images wete as much a part of the performances as the actual music. The album's insert does contain action shots of most of the performers, but these stills do not do the actual events justice. The only non-musical event addressed by the col- lection is the stoppage of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' set, the last performance of the weekend, due to a fire on one of the speaker towers. Some listeners may be surprised by the fact that the album does not simply ignore this ugly side of the festival. Instead, an entire track is devoted to the announcement that fire trucks are on the way. Although the album does not give an accurate por- trayal of the true Woodstock experience, it stands on its own as a compilation, presenting a wide variety of pop- ular and cult favorites in their element, performing in front of hordes of adoring fans. Where will you be in stunmer 2000? The Medical Scientist Training Program I A-% nY' A# d% -I -P-* - -I-