Signal Transduction

ANVIL

April 17th, 2009 * Trocadeo, Philadelphia

Forsaken Canadian metal band Anvil are touring in support of the new documentary about them by director Sacha Gervasi, entitled Anvil: The Story of Anvil.  The format is pretty unique.  The documentary is shown, the screen rises and the band jump out full force to perform a set, and then the band comes out on stage and answers questions from the audience.

I grabbed a couple of buddies and went to experience it for myself in Philly.  It was a truly amazing event.  The film paints an incredible portrait of the artists’ imperfections and deep passion to create, taking the audience from the band’s origins among the top metal bands of the eighties, thru to current times chronocling the band still rocking on despite an almost complete lack of success.

It goes without saying that I relate completely with these dudes, and love their passion for music.  They are such passionate underdogs that when the movie is over you are rooting for them and want them to success so badly – and then they actually jump out on stage to blow everyone’s minds with their incredible talent.  My friend Dave told me that he didn’t know what to expect beforehand, but was rooting for them so much during the movie and then when they came out to play it was like ‘that’s the guys from the movie!!’  I could hear Dave getting really into the show, shouting and cheering.   That was an awesome feeling also, knowing that me and my friends were having such a great time.  The band should really be proud of how they positively affect people.

I have to say it is amazing how much fun they seemed to be having on stage.  I saw one of their 80s counterparts not that long ago, and while the music was good, they just stood on the stage and looked serious.  Anvil are not afraid to be dorky and let loose.  Frontman ‘Lips’ Kudlow was jumping around while playing his guitar, making insane faces and movements.  In the movie, their local fans are incredible.  One of them drinks beer through his nose.  The point is, from the movie, their performance, and the Q&A afterward, it comes across that these guys are totally down to earth and genuine, even if they’re a bit lost in fantasy.  Perhaps they learned this quality the hard way but not rocketing to success in the 80s.  They seem to know that friendship, family, and music come before the success they so desparately want.

I had a wonderful time, really appreciated the experience, and took their latest CD ‘This is Thirteen” home with me.  I listened to it this morning and it is a lot of fun.

Anvil: The Story of Anvil

Anvil – wikipedia

Anvil – last.fm

You hopefully agree that Einsturzende Neubauten are an incredible band, and an incredible live band.  If you are not already familiar with this masterful ensemble, i won’t bother to explain who they are, except to say that you need to become familiar as soon as possible.

This glorious performance features all their typical instrumentation, among which are: trash mounted on a turntable; spings; car tires; tubing;  sheet metal;  air compressors;  plastic tanks; rotating metal gears; styroforam packing peanuts; planks of wood; magnets; and a metal vibrating dildo.

Other instruments featured include: keyboards; electric bass; electric guitar; am/fm radio; and a laptop.

This performance, held in the Palast Der Republik, the former seat of the East German parliment, is proof that popular music is in worse shape then ever,  putting pussy wannabes like blue man group to absolute shame. Over many years, EN have aged into a confident, almost perfect, blend of silence, noise, rhymth, and melody.  It is either extremely simple music played complexly, or complex music played simply.  While minimalism and complexity are both present in their music and performance, no allegiance is held to either, their music created seemingly without barriers.  One of the concert highlights is when they play the building itself, turning it into a percussive instrument.

Another great moment is when percussionist N.U. Unruh crashes into the middle of the stage with metal gas cans tied together with rope like inverse balloons, and runs through the crowd, and around the building with them.

The crowd is amazingly respectful, remaining extremely quiet except when conducted by Blixa Bargeld.  There is something scarey about a crowd of germans singing and chanting in unison, but it is ok, because 100 supporters of the EN website were selected by the band to be a giant choir from the crowd.

It is funny that Bargeld has to read his own lyrics from a printed sheet during one of their most popular peices, Was Ist Ist, since I can relate to this from my own performances.

As an experimental guitarist, it is fun to watch Jochen Arbeit play.  He uses magnets, slides, and of course the vibrator, to create sweet noise.   This special dildo surfaces again in the final peice, an amazing rendition of Alles, when Alexander Hacke uses it to play his bass.

Rudi Moser is the epitome of cool rocker with his ultra-modern hair style and custom-built percussion.

Watching them perform inspires me to build some of the instruments that I have designed on paper, but I fear that my German tendancy to build may be outweighed by my Irish tendancy to destroy.  Sometimes it works for me, sometimes I just make a big mess.  When you see their amazing creations, you will understand why it may seem daunting to a hack like me.

Einsturzende Neubauten live encompasses pretty much everything that I love about music.  It is available from netflix both as dvd and as a stream.

Load it up when you won’t be disturbed and enjoy yourself.

If you care about these things, check out the actual facts at wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palast_der_republik

Probably, it is impossible to discuss the music of 1967 and extact the music from the Summer of Love consciousness movement and LSD, but I will do my best, by saying that for whatever reason, 1967 was an amazing, wildly creative year in pop music.

So much happened, it is mind-boggling, and the deeper you dig, the more you will find.

So many debut albums from amazing groups: The Doors; The Velvet Underground; Jimmy Hendrix; The Grateful Dead; Procol Harum; Big Brother and Holding Company; Moby Grape; Captain Beefheart & His Magical Band; and David Bowie.  My personal favorite: Pink Floyd, Piper at The Gates of Dawn.

The Doors, Rolling Stones, Jimmy Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and The Beatles all released two albums in the year 1967.  The Beach Boy’s follow up to 1966’s mind-blowing Pet Sounds, SMILE, was shelved and replaced with two albums, which in my opinion are in their own  right undervalued.

Rolling Stone magazine debuted in the same year.

Here are some of the best album’s from 1967:

• Love – Forever Changes
• Pink Floyd – Piper at The Gates of Dawn
• Rolling Stones – Between the Buttons
• Rolling Stones -  Their Satanic Majesties Request
• 13th Floor Elevators – Easter Everywhere
• Beach Boys – Smiley Smile
• Beach Boys – Wild honey
• Bob Dylan – John Wesley Harding
• The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
• The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour
• Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Safe as Milk
• The Doors – The Doors
• The Doors – Strange Days
• Procol Harum – Procol Harum
• Jimmy Hendrix – Are You Experienced?
• Jimmy Hendrix – Axis: Bold as Love

Check out a good chronology of music-related events in 1967 by going to wikipedia

The Cows Cunning Stunts (1992)

♦♦♦♦♦

This gem is one of those mind-blowing albums that deserves greater recognition.

From the baby-slap, and frenetic horns that open the album, this album is a soundtrack for angry insanity.  I love it.  The album is literally given birth to.

It is extraordinary in its raw execution, and the sound is truly unique.  In my opinion, The Cows never again quite captured the same magic as on this album.  Like other 5-star records, Cunning Stunts is equal in quality from start to finish, and the album as a whole embodies a specific world.  The songs on this record seem to tap into every dimension of rock music simultaneously.

Singer Shannon Selberg spouts pathetically of the disillusioned and marginalized in lyrics that are sometimes too real.  The guitars are beautifully dislodged, and the bass and drums follow in suit.  Kevin Rutmanis isn’t quite at the same level of bass playing he would grow into later with the Melvins, but he gets the job done here, and his playing is definitely recognizable.

Listening as I write this, the guitars are just amazing.

Every track is awesome, but if you can’t lose your mind for 40 minutes or are just an asshole, here are my individual track ratings

1. Heave Ho *****
2. Walks Alone ****
3. Contamination ****
4. Mr. Cancelled ****
5. Mine *****
6. Midnight Cowboy ***
7. Everybody *****
8. Two Little Pigs *****
9. The Woman Inside ******
10. Terrifique ****
11. Down Below *****
12. Ort ******

• Wikipedia: The Cows
• Last.Fm: Cunning Stunts

* An interesting note is that Faith No More’s Angel Dust, another of my 5-Star Classics, was released earlier in 1992, and also contains a cover of Midnight Cowboy.  Mike Patton of FNM would later work with Rutmanis.