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U2
The Best of 1990-2000
Interscope
Since U2′s formation in 1978, they have sold more than 115 million records and continue to rock arenas any rock star would be blown away to play in. They have solidified their staying presence in rock history with their second greatest hits album, The Best of 1990-2000.
This compilation of blistering rock songs catalogs what some would consider to be U2′s height of musical enlightenment and popularity. The greatest hits CD includes new mixes of “Gone,” “Discotheque,” “Numb” and “Staring at the Sun.” Not only do U2 fans receive monumental hits like “One” and “Beautiful Day,” they also get two new songs U2 has completed within the past year: “Electrical Storm” and “The Hands That Built America.”
The beauty of this CD is that U2 has placed a few songs on it that few will be quickly recognized as hits. “Stay (Faraway, So Close)” and “The First Time” are gems among the U2 catalog that can be seen as a gift from the band to be placed on such a earth moving CD.
For early buyers, the greatest hits CD came with a limited-time DVD and B-sides album. The DVD includes a collage of U2′s career from 1900-2000, something any U2 fan would feel lucky to view. The B-sides album includes hard to find remixes and obscure rockers, such as “Lady With A Spinning Head” and “Summer Rain.”
Overall, this CD could end up in anyone’s stocking as it appeals to a wide variety of tastes with the extensive scope of music it covers.
-Marshall “The Fury” Dury
Eric Clapton
One More Car, One More Rider
Warner Brothers
I have always thought of Eric Clapton as one of the best blues guitarists of our time. His new CD, One More Car, One More Rider, proved this beyond doubt. The album, a live collection from his 2001 tour, is somewhat mellow. This isn’t the CD you want to put in your stereo before going to a party on Friday night. It’s geared more for those lazy Sunday afternoons when you’re nursing a hangover from too much Tequila.
It seems that since his son died, Clapton has turned his life around; sobering up and putting away the cocaine. Because of this, his music is all the better. His guitar licks are clean, he can free-style in blues, solo like a madman and play heavier, distorted rifts.
One of my personal favorites on this disc is the intro to “Change The World.” I hate the rest of the song but the intro is pure guitar magic, smooth and nimble, which sort of reminds me of Anna Kournikova.
I would recommend this album mostly because Clapton covers Muddy Water’s “Hoochie Coochie Man.” Covering a Muddy Water’s tune is like covering the Beatles, you can’t make it sound any better than the original. But Clapton does an admiral job.
One More Car, One More Rider is not his best work but it is a great demonstration of his guitar mastery. I give it a seven out of a possible 10. But don’t take my word for it, go out and buy it you dweebs.
-Aaron Plourde
Pearl Jam
Riot Act
Epic
Pearl Jam hasn’t had it easy in recent years. Despite resisting creative stagnation after over a decade of recordings, their recent releases were met with commercial disappointment. Their latest effort, Riot Act, returns to a raw, emotional sound as in their early albums.
All of the staples of a great Peal Jam album are present in Riot Act: driving guitar by Mike McCready and Stone Gossard, haunting and emotional vocals by Eddy Vedder, and intelligent songwriting and lyricism. All of these things come together nicely to create many memorable songs like “I Am Mine,” “Get Right,” “Save You,” “1/2 Full” and “You Are.”
Songs like “Get Right” and “Save You” share the energy of many of the tracks on the venerable, but classic first album Ten. Many songs are mellow, like “Thumbing My Way” and “All or None,” and provide a pleasant contrast to the aforementioned songs.
Eddy Vedder continues to remind us what a truly talented rock singer sounds like, unlike so many of the vocalists today (refer to Puddle of Mudd, Disturbed, and Linkin Park).
“Bushleaguer” is a less-than-subtle stab at President George Bush.
“He’s not a leader, he’s a Texas leaguer. / Swinging for the fence. Got lucky with a strike. / Drilling for fear. Makes the job simple. / Born on third. Thinks he got a triple.”
Pearl Jam is still fighting the good fight, both artistically and politically, because someone has to.
-Christopher Barter
Trapt
S/T
Warner Brothers
All hard rock bands today sound like one of three bands: Incubus, Hoobastank or Creed. On Trapt’s self-titled debut, the band manages to sound like all three. Therefore, they could safely be referred to as “Hoobincucreed.”
In the vein of other nu-metal bands like Limp Bizkit, Staind and Puddle of Mudd, Trapt also feels the need to spell their name incorrectly. Perhaps they think it will make them look “cool” and give them “street cred.” In reality, it just makes them look “mentally challenged.”
Like the rest of today’s hard rockers, frontman Chris Brown tries incessantly throughout the album to show that rockers have feelings too. In “Still Frame,” Brown croons the deep and emotional lyrics: “Please help me ’cause I’m breaking down, this picture’s frozen and I can’t get out of here.”
In addition to the tear in his eye, Brown also can shake an angry fist in the air. In “Hollowman,” Brown belts out angrily, “I don’t ever want to see, I don’t ever want to be like you, Hollow Man.”
Unfortunately, Brown never rises above a fourth-grade writing competency on the album with his simple and clich�d “tortured artist” lyrics.
As for the rest of the band, they play your standard heavy alternative fare. They use the same four power chords that all the other bands do.
So, if you are fan of Incubus, Hoobastank or Creed, buy Trapt’s CD. You won’t be able to tell the difference.
-Nathan “Coffee Boy” Webster
