That Lindsey Buckingham is a pretty smart guy. He’s always been a serious musician who’s been able to mix both commercial hits and maintain his creative expression. It’s kind of like fooling your little brother by grinding an aspirin in his chocolate pudding. His sixth solo offering is the interesting Gift of Screws (Reprise). Interesting because the tracks come from different artistic places.
By that I mean there’s real commercial material here that would fit very comfortably next to anything he’s done as a Fleetwood Mac member, as well as stuff that stands tall next to his creative solo material.
So, on one hand there’s “Did You Miss Me” that has hit single written all over it, and on the other there’s “Time Precious Time” that’s very thought provoking. In between, runs that gamut with “Gift of Screws,” “Wait for You,” “Great Day” and “Treason” standing out.
While he can get a little too homemade on his solo stuff for me with too much drum machine and samples instead of live musicians, it seems, just because he can do it, “Gift of Screws” is very welcome in my collection.
I have to admit I’m a bit disappointed here. I was really looking forward to the new Ne-Yo Year of the Gentleman (Def Jam) album. Here’s a guy that is really a dynamite performer, a much-in-demand song writer and uses his gifted tenor to his advantage.
His previous albums In My Own Words and Because of You were great efforts, and one could only assume that this would at least match, if not succeed them. Especially since he wrote the hits “Irreplaceable,” “Unfaithful” and “Spotlight” for Beyonce, Rihanna and Jennifer Hudson, respectfully.
Let me put it this way, Usher did it better earlier this year on his Here I Stand album. True, it was entirely different subject matter, but production, sound pacing and imagery were all the same.
I said disappointed; that doesn’t mean Gentleman should be thrown in the scrap heap. It just means that when an artist has the ability to release an album where every track kills and it doesn’t, it’s disappointing.
OK ones include “Closer” and “Miss Independent.” I’m a firm believer in giving credit when credit is due. Way back in 1966 Brian Wilson made Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys. It changed the approach artists used in making full-length albums.
As brilliant as it was though, it was a fluke. It came at the right place and right time, like winning the lottery. Since then the pressure of matching its success caused Wilson great mental distress, at times creatively paralyzing him.
His latest, That Lucky Old Sun (Capitol) returns Wilson to the forefront as a working musician. It isn’t the first time the Wilson camp has rallied around him in an attempt to recapture past glories.
Since his first solo offering in 1988, as well as 2004’s Getting’ In Over My Head and re-recording 1967’s unreleased Pet Sounds’ follow-up, Smile, Wilson’s been spotty at best. Everything had at least one gem like “Love and Mercy,” “Your Imagination” and “Soul Searchin’.” Otherwise his stuff was undeserving.
His latest is a very cohesive, well-written and produced concept album. The problem is that it’s corny, dated and dull. It sounds like the music that’s performed at those Great America stages in Gurnee, Ill.
Not to say that his prime is past, but tracks like “Forever She’ll Be My Surfer Girl” and “Mexican Girl,” as sincere as they might be, made me laugh out loud. “Oxygen to the Brain” is as rudimentary as Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat.
If anyone deserves a break though, it’s Wilson. Here’s a guy that’s survived the deaths of his two younger brothers Dennis and Carl, was beaten with a board by his Pop as a kid and is still recovering from years of drug abuse.
Brian Wilson deserves the break. hardly That Lucky Old Sun.
It’s been three plus years since Nelly has released an album of new material. His 2004 effort, Sweat Suit, was filled with what one would expect from the St. Louis rapper and more.
Here’s Brass Knuckles (Universal), and it seems as though Nelly’s been paying more attention to his abs than his songs. Filled with too many guest appearances, it seems like Nelly’s getting in the way of his own album.
Maybe his acting career and Vokal clothing line is getting a little too much attention. I remember being in New York the summer of 2000 and buying a bootleg copy of Nelly’s debut Country Grammar. I just knew it was going to blow the roof off Manhattan – and it did.
I’m getting the same advanced vibes about Brass Knuckles, except it’s all negative. While radio might have embraced “Body On Me,” the album overall isn’t very catchy. It’s almost a parody of itself, of the style Nelly mastered.
Outside of “Self Esteem” and “Let It Go” not very much of Brass Knuckles has merit, and that’s too bad. Nelly’s the guy from St. Louis who represented us here in the Midwest. Hopefully soon he’ll regain his form and proper place as a voice to be reckoned with.
