Music Review: Peter Gabriel – New Blood

NewBloodIn Peter Gabriel latest LP New Blood, the singer/songwriter has decided to cover himself… orchestrally. Incorporating selections from all corners of Gabriel’s solo songbook, New Blood offers familiar compositions in new arrangements (orchestrated by regular Gabriel collaborator John Metcalfe) where rock instrumentation is replaced by orchestral strings, woodwinds, and brass, with piano making occasional appearances. With Ben Foster conducting the 46-member-strong New Blood Orchestra, this enterprise lends itself most suitably to touching ballads and sweeping emotional gestures, so don’t be surprised that certain, more energetic Gabriel staples such as “Sledgehammer” and “Shock the Monkey” didn’t make it onto this tracklist.

New Blood often trades in high drama, inundating much of the record in epic symphonic dread. “Rhythm of the Heat” is dominated by ebbing, thrusting strings that might bring to mind an impending battle upon the plains of Middle-Earth. Later on, “Darkness” is characterized by an ominous march rhythm and pulse-pounding performance by Gabriel that adds hearty slices of danger to its fairy tale vibe.

The melodrama can be overbearing in places, and Metcalfe’s approach threatens to rob many of the songs of their individuality by making them conform to the album’s game plan. Other reworkings simply do not pan out. The record’s overblown reinterpretation of “In Your Eyes” , doesn’t stand a chance of living up to the immortal original. Instead of the sighing, stirring beauty of the studio version, the New Blood Orchestra offers up a rendition that sounds like intro music to a National Geographic TV special, gazelles galloping across the savannah and all. On the duet “Don’t Give Up”, Ane Brun’s choked, mousey groaning are not an adequate substitute for the aching faerie swoon of the song’s archetypal other half, Kate Bush. At the end of the record, the listener is offered “A Quiet Moment”, an entire track of barely audible bird chirps and flowing water that is at best a curious diversion.

Don’t think that all this grousing means that New Blood is totally flawed, though. There are indeed instances where the orchestral overhauls suit the material quite nicely, like on the already-foreboding “Intruder” (sans the Phil Collins drum track) and the majestic sweep of “Red Rain”. On “San Jacinto”, a steady pitter-patter of woodwinds builds up to a chesty body-elevating surge that subsides to a relaxed calm by the track’s end. Although a bonus track, the Orchestra’s take on Gabriel’s first solo single “Solsbury Hill” might well be the LP’s standout; the jaunty upbeat tone of the song is a welcome contrast to the somberness that populates the rest of the record.

Warm-voiced, soulful, and precise at slipping into his higher falsetto range at the right moments, Gabriel’s performances on New Blood are faultless—in fact, the man sounds better than ever. Hearing Gabriel at full power at the emotional high-point midway through “Don’t Give Up” is a monumentally satisfying experience. On “Darkness”, he offers of demonstration of his range as a performer, switching from his normal voice to a hoarse, scary growl like some progressive rock Jekyll and Hyde.

There’s no denying that voice, though—histrionic backing or not, the man proves once again that he can still handle himself quite capably in front of a microphone more than 40 years since he began his career as a member of Genesis. Though not everyone’s cup of tea, New Blood features many fine performances, and there’s room for the record to prove the true depth of its merits upon further listens.

Benjamin Zander on music and passion

A musical leader whom I love listening to. Both his musicality and his insights on how it impacts our lives.

How does music move us?

SAMind_Jan_Feb_2012

click image for larger view

A Yo-Yo Ma Tribute

A Sensational musical tribute!

WHAT YOUR FAVORITE ’80S BAND SAYS ABOUT YOU.

boomboxTears For Fears: You have used whiteout on a pair of white loafers.

Art of Noise: You have been paid to be furniture at a party.

Pat Benatar: You have had three or more Superball bruises at one time.

Air Supply: You have punched an arcade game hard enough to injure yourself.

Eddie Money: You have eaten several Shrinky-Dinks on purpose.

Bryan Adams: Your hair smells faintly like barbecue sauce.

Dexy’s Midnight Runners: Your shower smells like Skittles and unfiltered cigarettes.

Dead or Alive: Your pet smells like Goldschlager.

Tangerine Dream: You have a half-full can of Sanka at the back of your cupboard.

Devo: You have dissected a Nintendo game.

Simple Minds: You have tasted a scented pen.

Kajagoogoo: You have used AquaNet in self-defense.

Limahl: You have used Nair in self-defense.

Naked Eyes: You have almost been tricked into eating silly string on a saltine.

Gary Numan: You own more than one pair of sock garters.

Mike and the Mechanics: You have thrown a Rolodex at a raccoon or skunk.

Peter Gabriel: You know what Fimo tastes like.

Roxette: You have injured yourself with a Q-Tip.

Madonna: Your bedroom smells like Midori.

B-52s: Your laundry room smells like Midori.

Richard Marx: You have woken up to a dog licking your hair.

Wham!: You have made nachos while on ecstasy.

The Cure: You have several bracelets or rings you cannot remove.

Berlin: The last book you read used “countenance” as a verb.

This Mortal Coil: You know the act, scene and line that “this mortal coil” comes from.

Billy Idol: You own a piece of clothing that involves both argyle and leather.

Robert Palmer: You have used “argyle” as a verb.

Tommy Tutone: You have attempted to use a Polaroid picture as an ID.

Rick Astley: You have used a hairnet as a handbag.

Bangles: You have chewed gum while delivering a keynote speech or eulogy.

Psychedelic Furs: You have worn sunglasses through an entire tooth cleaning.

The English Beat: You have injured yourself while doing the Electric Slide.

General Public: You have injured yourself while doing the Centipede.

Madness: You have injured several bystanders while doing the Centipede.

Men at Work: You wear shorts with boots at least once a week.

Eurythmics: You have lost a mood ring in a hot tub.

The Smiths: You have read aloud to a hamster, ferret, or turtle.

Joy Division: You have been bitten by a cat while trying to dress it in period costume.

New Order: You own several fish tanks but no fish.

A Flock of Seagulls: You have destroyed a calculator watch in anger.

Men Without Hats: You have accidentally dropped a pager into a tub of frozen yogurt.

Nena: You have put a cigarette out in a piece of birthday cake.

John Cougar Mellencamp: You have put a cigarette out in an
industrial-sized jar of relish.

Loverboy: You have eaten relish as a meal.

Rick Springfield: Your wallet weighs over a pound.

Falco: You have killed a fly with a program from Cats.

Michael Jackson: You have exploded a beanbag chair by landing on it.

Huey Lewis and the News: You are hanging from monkey bars in two or more successive class pictures.

The Police: You have shattered a Rubik’s Cube with a rock.

Sting: You have tried and failed to shatter a Rubik’s Cube with a rock.

Big Country: You have a Highlander poster in a tube in the back of your closet.

Soft Cell: You mouth the words when you watch Highlander.

A-ha: You own a VCR with a copy of Highlander stuck in it.

Survivor: You have cut a Nerf football in half to see what was inside.

INXS: You have knocked someone over with an Aerobie.

Thomas Dolby: You have used a laserdisc as a shaving mirror.

Pet Shop Boys: You have woken up next to an empty bottle of Magic Shell.

Mr. Mister: You have forgotten soup in the freezer and ice cream in the microwave on the same night.

Wang Chung: You have a money clip with an amusement park logo printed on it.

Bauhaus: You know what LARPing is.

OMD: You have gone to a party dressed as a dark elf.

Culture Club: You have woken up under someone who was dressed as a dark elf.

Ministry: You have thrown up on someone who was dressed as a dark elf.

Cocteau Twins: You have spilled Zima on someone who was dressed as a dark elf.

Toni Basil: You have spilled Zima into a motel heating vent.

The Pointer Sisters: You dot your i’s with hearts.

The Pretenders: You are excellent at dodgeball.

ABC: You were one of the first ten people in history to drop a cell phone in a toilet.

Lionel Richie: You have shaved a word into your hair.

The Cars: You have hit a whiffle ball with a fake lightsaber.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood: You have woken up under your high school gym teacher.

Joan Jett: You have woken up on top of your high school gym teacher.

Simply Red: You have temporarily blinded someone by whipping your hair into them.

Europe: You think Europe is Asia.

Asia: You think Asia is Europe.

REM: You minored in something.

Cyndi Lauper: You have lost several silk scarves to escalators.

Starship: You consistently pay for extra cheese at Subway.

The Fixx: You have sunbathed in a suit.

Phil Collins: You have worn shorts while accepting an award or diploma.

Go-Go’s: Your favorite air freshener is Vanillaroma.

Bananarama: Your favorite air freshener is New Car.

Prince: You have used a hamster ball as a cocktail shaker.

Depeche Mode: You have drawn Tintin or the Little Prince in the margin of a math test.

Erasure: You have been caught kissing a copy of The Little Prince.

Thompson Twins: You have been spanked with a copy of The Little Prince.

Human League:
You have been spanked with a VHS copy ofThe Neverending Story.

The best cover songs of all time [infographic]

Cover-Songs-Cartesian

click image for larger view

Musical Idioms

Musical-idioms

Click image for larger version

What is Sound?

SoundCloud, the neat “social sound platform” that allows users to create and share sounds with anyone who has an internet connection, turned to design company, The Wilderness, to help answer the question, “What is sound?”

See what the experts—Moby, Imogen Heap, Julian Treasure, Martyn Ware, and others—have to say.

Music Review: Michael Bublé – Christmas

Michael-Buble-Christmas-2011-front-coverI just found a Christmas album that will give you the warm festive feeling of the season. Michael Bublé is the consummate crooner, with a voice tailor-made for performing merry, holiday numbers. He is a hybrid of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin for the modern generation. He is at once a throwback and current—that’s not easy to do—but Bublé does it with grace, class, and most of all, infinite style! Bublé is the entire Rat Pack rolled into one.

The singer’s latest Christmas offering, simply titled Christmas, is a batch of standards and familiar fare, given the Bublé treatment. It’s a holiday marvel, one you will want to blast while wrapping presents, baking Santa-shaped cookies; sipping cider with a cinnamon stick floating in it; and decking the halls. Buble’s warm voice is worthy of an invite into all of your holiday parties. He doesn’t overdo it with chimes, bells and whistles, either! It’s all about that mellifluous voice with the backing arrangements produced by the genius of David Foster.

"It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" is as warm and toasty as a mug of peppermint-spiked hot cocoa and is true to Bublé’s Rat Pack style. His "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" is big-band, old world and epic. He partners with The Puppini Sisters (a headline act in their own right) for "Jingle Bells", with its bass-heavy kick contrasting with the female trio voices. Bublé is matched with fellow Canadian, Shania Twain for “White Christmas”. They make a decent team on the classic tune. "Silent Night" is rich and creamy, a true showpiece for Buble’s voice. On "Ave Maria," he shows his spiritual side. It may be the most beautiful he’s ever sounded. He turns "Blue Christmas" into a festive room-filler. The charts are world-class on Christmas.

A surprise song is "All I Want For Christmas is You," a sweeping re-make of Mariah Carey’s bouncy, upbeat original, but Bublé slows it down and gives it a gorgeous, slow and striking makeover. He makes the song fit his strengths. Few artists can take a popular song, cover it and give it such a twist that they reinvent , but that’s just what Bublé does.

The album is rounded out with the standards “Holly Jolly Christmas”, “Santa Baby” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”. Christmas, with its 15 strong songs has plenty of music for entertaining this holiday season. If you can’t tell, I absolutely recommend this CD!