Classic Rock Bottom

1 Everything_Now (continued)

2 Everything Now 5:03

3 Signs of Life 4:36

4 Creature Comfort 4:43

5 Peter Pan 2:48

6 Chemistry 3:37

7 Infinite Content 1:37

8 Infinite_Content 1:41

9 Electric Blue 4:02

10 Good God Damn 3:34

11 Put Your Money On Me 5:53

12 We Don't Deserve Love 6:29

13 Everything Now (continued)

47:11

It was my intention to review the new Steven Wilson today, but I think it's too early to give my "final verdict", since I've only heard it twice. But I felt like reviewing something today, and the new album by Arcade Fire makes a good choice for me. I've "had it" for a month or so now, and I'm ready to give it a shot.

A brief history for those, who don't really know about Arcade Fire: Arcade Fire is a canadian so called Indie- or/and Art-Rock band. They consist of husbond and wife Win Butler and Regine Chassagne, but also Win's younger brother William and (enough with the names) 6 other musicians, making it a rather big band. And a rather new band, since they were founded in 2001, making "Everything Now" their only 5th album. I went along for the ride in 2007, where they released their second album, liked it so much, that I also bought their first album, and ever since, I've purchased every new album. I even had tickets for a concert in Copenhagen in 2010, but sadly wasn't feeling very well on the night, and had to stay home. As with much of the music, I listen to today, I don't really care if it's Prog, Rock, Disco, Funk..whatever. For me, there's only music I like and music I don't like. Arcade Fire may not be a wet dream of a true believer in Heavy Metal, but I like them, and still do after this release. Some people might call this "Dance-Rock", but wtf is that? Enough of the labels. It bores me!!

1. EveryThing Now (continued) starts with a 46 sec intro (the same that ends the album)

2. Everything Now the actual song, you might know by now. I never ever listen to the radio these days, so I have no knowledge about how much this is played, but to me, this sounds like a radio-hit, probably one of the 3 hit's on this album. Win Butler might not be one of the best singers, but he has...what to call it...charistma or whatever, in short I like him, and I likes his voice. A cool dude! Being a big band, they have lots of different instruments on their songs, and a Pan-flute solo is one of the "interesting" things on this song. If this isn't a hit, something's wrong with the world. I certainly feel like dancing, listening to it.

3. Signs Of Life starts out as a 70's Disco-song with hands-clap, and then Butler starts to rap, but it's another good song, not as great as the first track, but I like the feel of the song, and the Disco-style, but I don't feel like dancing. Only a bit.It's obvious, that AF this time is much more about "dance-music" than earlier, but still, it's not music like Rhianna or ? This music has soul. I mean it must have, since I'm a fan.

4. Creature Comfort has a killer intro-riff. Sounds a bit like (once again) like U2 in their "Discotheque"-periode. This is the second hit on the album. And on this song, enter "the female voices". I'm not the biggest fan of female singers. I very rarely put on albums with only female singers, but I love bands/albums where there is one or two female singers, who has parts of some of the songs, but also sings lead on one or two songs. AF is one of those bands, like Anathema, where "the female" has a part, as in this song. Hear it, and you know what I mean: not the best singer she/they is/are, but I still love the way she/they sing "on and on, I don't know if I want it". Good song, good melodi, good singers, nice beat. Maybe best song so far, maybe second-best.

5. Peter Pan is the first weak song on the album. It's slow, and I don't really like the lyrics: "Be my Wendy, I'll be your Peter Pan....I feel like flying" Yawn!! I don't know if it's a "skip-track", but it's damn well near. Luckily it's a short song, less than 3 minutes.

6. Chemistry sounds like Tom Waits in some way. The trompets and the percussion, and then it get's "heavy". Yes, for HM-freaks, it get's heavy, with guitars!! Kind of like Def Leppard on Hysteria, but only the chorus. You can hear, that the band doesn't take themselves THAT serious listening to this track, and that's another thing, that attracks me, like Waits and Zappa. Humor is important in music, at least sometimes. Good riff, good voices, on the right track once again. But not the third hit.

7. Infinite Content - hey they really rock now, on this speed up-track, but it's not HM, there's violins and stuff, and again it's a very short track, but a good one, and I like the speed. This kind of sound like AF maybe 10 years ago.

8. The song is decided into two parts - one fast and then one "country" version which is very slow, I mean the song Infinite Content. But as a whole, another good song. Not much Disco here, and for me, that's good. Make albums where there are lot's and lot's of different styles, and I'll be interested.

9. Electric Blue - the start sound very much like The Flaming Lips (when they were good), and then she starts to sing, and I love it. The melodi is very good, and after a few listenings, this song is now one of my favorites on the album. "...but I found out, I don't know shit", sounds "cute" to me, when she sings it. Her voice sounds like she could be 14, but I know she's not. I really like this track!! Could also had been made in the end of the 70's, kind of like Kraftwerk, maybe.

10. Good God Damn is another song, that has developed in to a favorite of min. This time Win Butler in front, and I love it, when he sings "..with a good God..damn". Cool and funny. A nice slow song, but not too slow. "Maybe there's a good god...damn". Good melodi. No Disco here. For a minute I though of "Push Comes To Shove" by Van Halen, something with the guitar. I sing along to this song, each time I hear it.

11. And here's the third hit, and I think this should be a hit!! This time, they sound like Abba, of all bands, but still they mostly sounds like Arcade Fire. This is a song, I would like to dance to, if I could dance. "Put You Money On Me", nice title and good lyrics. Good riff as well. Probably my very favorite on the album. "..tuck me into bed, and wake me when I'm dead". This is AF when they are best.

12. We don't Deserve Love is the last real song on the album. It's a slow song, but it's good. It reminds me a bit of a song from "So" by Peter Gabriel, but again mostly like an AF-song. Nice melodi again, which means the album is full of good tracks and melodi's.

13. The album ends exacly as it started, and I just love that fact. It's like it's a whole album, kind of a concept-album. Brilliant ending on a fine album!

Overall, this album is definitely better than the latest AF-album, which was the double-album "Reflektor". I never got in to that album, and eventually gave up. This is AF back on form, and even though the sound now is more pop and disco, they still sound very much like Arcade Fire, meaning a good band, with lots of musicians, with Win and his wife in front, with lots of charisma, both of them, and lots of good songs, and a style as a whole, you don't really find anywhere else, as I like it. If I feel like listening to Arcade Fire I put on AF, not like if I wish to listen to Zeppelin, I put on the new BCC-album, yuk!! Is this then album of the year? I doubt it. It's a good album, probably not even the best by AF, but it's definitely among my 5 favorites so far, maybe even top 3 (not counting Wilson just yet).

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No-no. There's no hostility.

For that, I would have to hate him, which I don't. Mind you, I don't like him either. I'm kind of indifferent. Not sure that's a good or bad thing, but because of that, I'd like to figure out what people see in Steven Wilson?

The only other person I know, who likes his music is the guy I work with. He runs one of those sites were people steal music, so his opinion doesn't count. Here we have fans who can switch from Ayreon to SW or from KWS to Steven Wilson. Now, that's a mystery I want to solve. Having a great deal of respect for those other acts, I'm puzzled to say the least.

And next week, it's a date. You post yours and I'll post my horse. Be prepared for a competition.

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