Chapter 526 526 The First Batch of Music Reviews

After the release of Glory to Death's debut album "Almost Famous", the media attention was to be expected. After all, the band's nearly five-month road tour had already created a topic, and Hugo, the band's lead singer, was even more It is relying on "Schindler's List" to become the hottest topic at the end of 1993.

From this perspective, the band's first album is naturally the focus of attention. Even if the band chose the venue for its official debut in Berkeley, an independent record store, Amoeba Music, it attracted more than 30 people. Reporters arrived at the scene to report, which is evident.

However, after the release of the album "Almost Famous", it caused a media reaction like a volcanic eruption, which no one expected. Hundreds of reports before and after and the discussion rhythm of the radio program three times a day, this Almost making the album "Almost Famous" almost as hot as the recent Jewish reaction to "Schindler's List" is an absolutely unpredictable situation.

It has to be traced back to the first reviews of "Almost Famous".

After the release of "Almost Famous" on Thursday, two music reviews appeared at the same time on Friday due to the high level of attention. Two music reviews from two magazines, "Rotation" and "Alternative. Press".

Both magazines can be said to be the pioneer magazines of alternative music. "Rotation" has now become the most representative magazine in independent music, and its sales can even compete with "Rolling Stone"; and "Alternative Choice" is. Founded in Ohio in 1985, this magazine focuses on hardcore rock and includes a large number of underground bands of alternative rock, pop-punk, and metalcore. Each issue of the magazine is based on interviews, photos, and works of underground bands. host.

The main subscription group of "Alternative Choice" is the loyal rock lovers. It is more professional and niche than "Rotation". The music category concerned by "Rotation" also includes different music types such as hip-hop, reggae, and country, so Although they all focus on independent music, alternative music, and underground music, the subscription groups of the two are intertwined and different.

The two magazines, also founded in 1985, have been huge competitors since their establishment. "Alternative Choice" has a higher prestige among hardcore rock fans. Its sales are mainly concentrated on the West Coast, and the East Coast market is very sluggish; Focusing on a wider range of music types, it has also become an idol-level publication in the independent music industry. Its insistence on alternative music is also different from the conservative and public of "Rolling Stone", which makes the magazine an irreplaceable existence for loyal music fans. .

Obviously, the two magazines themselves are direct competitors, but for now "alternatives" are still limited to the West Coast and among rock enthusiasts, and the "rotation" market has fully blossomed throughout North America, even for some pop music hobbies Anyone who is interested in independent music will pay attention to this magazine.

This time around, the first reviews of "Almost Famous" set off a rivalry between "Rotation" and "Alternative Choice," apparently two magazines with very different views on the album.

"Dislike" or "hate" to describe "alternative choice" music critic Vincent Brooke is no longer enough about the "almost famous" album, his choice of adjective is " hatred," and added three overlapping adverbs "ten" to this adjective.

"I hate this album, I hate this album very, very, very much!" This is the first sentence of Vincent's "Almost Famous" music review, which is shocking.

"When the grunge rock represented by Nirvana went mainstream, all the bands began to follow suit, which gradually lost the vitality of rock music, and the rock that had only been revived for three years seems to have come to an end again. Under such circumstances, People are eager to seek new breakthroughs. Only by breaking the shackles of the style represented by Nirvana can rock and roll continue to develop.

This is a fact.

But it doesn't mean that the band can be messed up, because the music woven with the guitar strings is not rock, it may be country; because the music played with the keyboard is not rock, it may be blues; because a complete group is formed. The band is not rock, it may be pop. The reason why rock is called rock is that rock has an inspiring spiritual connotation, rich in the spiritual refraction of the entire era, and at the same time, it must have unforgettable passionate melodies and unforgettable moving lyrics! Not all music can be called rock, because rock is rock, irreplaceable rock!

When a band doesn't have technical solo guitar playing, complicated arrangements, or even a distinct personal style, can the band still be called a rock band? No, of course not! So can the songs this band play still be called rock? Absolutely not!

The album "Almost Famous" dedicated to the death of glory, is just that.

With the addition of a sneering keyboard player, the band's style is separated from the gorgeous and heavy metal rock, leaving only the circus-like simplicity and hilarity, and the gripping guitar strings are mixed with soft keyboard sounds. After that, the song became a clown wandering around Disneyland with a balloon — not only ridiculous, but boring.

It would be forgiven to say that the band made only this mistake, but the album "Almost Famous" is much more than that. The album has several classic songs that can be achieved, 'Don't. Look. Back. In. Anger', 'Second. Chance', 'Nothing' ' Wait, but these songs were all woven into a joke by a 'second-rate actor'.

'Don't Worry About the Past' simplifies the melody into a vulgar pop track that relies solely on guitar and keys; 'Second Chance', the hard rock style full of staves, is reduced to the hands of street performers ignorant and uninteresting noise; the rich British style of 'Nothing' but played with only monotonous guitar strings, making it look like a down-and-out bald old man on Broadway who would never qualify for a stage performance...

These songs have the potential to be a great song, 'Don't worry about the past' if you can replace the cheap keyboard sound with guitar and bass; 'Second Chance' if you can add guitar as a performance, add a chorus Part of the momentum; 'Nothing' If the melody could be more complex and flamboyantly arranged...these songs would suddenly turn out to be great rock songs. but……

Glory to Death is clearly trying to differentiate themselves from Nirvana's style, but their attempt was so bad that they differentiated themselves from rock, and now Glory to Death is neither hard rock, It's not metal rock either. Even if they are called alternative rock, it doesn't change the fact that they have lost the soul of rock.

Even though the album has the only rock 'Lithium' on the album, it's the closest four minutes and fifteen seconds of rock to the band, it has the glam and rage of metal rock, and at the same time It also has a profound and extensive ideological essence, and also has the band's attempt to a new type of music, which can be regarded as a breath of fresh air in the rock field where Nirvana dominates the world.

But the song didn't save the album, and it didn't save the band.

Hugo Lancaster, the lead singer who created the song to die for glory, but his job is an actor, which is more ridiculous than a tiger jumping through a ring of fire, he completely insulted rock, It has made the rock-and-roll full of personality and ideas a product of the popular commercial assembly line, which is not worth mentioning!

Under Hugo's single-handed creation, this album of glory to death has completely reduced to pop music. They abandoned their beliefs in order to please the audience. Most of the tracks in the album are composed in a concise and clear style. Seeking the audience's approval, the arrangement of the songs in 'Almost Famous' is completely at the level of children's songs compared to the tedious and gorgeous grunge arrangements, which can undoubtedly attract more audiences' attention.

Maybe those vulgar young people who don't know anything about rock will buy the album and listen to it when they see the word 'rock'. Win more audiences for them who don't know much about rock.

But they can't deceive us, and they can't deceive themselves. The music they make is not rock at all, it can only be said that they are degenerates who sold their souls to commercial pop!

When technology is no longer important, an open and concise structure will only obliterate the essence of rock and roll; when ideas are no longer important, the shouting that is close to the masses and life will only be reduced to nonsense; when the arrangement is no longer important, it is easy to understand The melody of the mouth will only gradually assimilate rock into a melody without personality - it can't even be called music!

This is a disaster! Glory to Death is such a band that can't find a place at all. I don't want to use the sacred word "rock" to describe this band, because it is an insult to rock.

Roaring, aggressive, masculine, rambunctious metal, with gorgeous and dazzling arrangements interspersed with hearty guitar playing, this is the true meaning of rock. But all of this is lost in the glory of death. The brand-new style of music that prides itself on to death is humiliating and ravaging the entire rock music. This kind of music is regarded as a classic by those media. This is simply a depraved behavior. Maybe, rock and roll will really perish again. .

So, I hate this album and I hate this band even more! "

Vincent simply criticized "Almost Famous", and he hated the glory to the death. This extreme critical attitude also represents the always strong and sharp music criticism attitude of "Alternative Choice"; Correspondingly, the "Rotation" magazine has a completely different view.