Mastodon - "Leviathan" (Relapse Records, 2004) [Key Tracks: Blood and Thunder, Hearts Alive, I am Ahab]
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"I think that someone is trying to kill me...Infecting my blood and destroying my mind! No man of the flesh could ever stop me... The fight for this fish is a fight to the death. White whale - holy grail. What remorseless emperor commands me, I no longer govern my soul! I am completely immersed in darkness as I turn my body away from the sun... White whale - holy grail. Split your lungs with blood and thunder when you see the white whale; Break your backs and crack your oars, men, if you wish to prevail! This ivory leg is what propels me... Harpoons thrust in the sky, Aim directly for his crooked brow and look him straight in the eye! White whale - holy grail"
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I immediately recognized "Blood and Thunder" as a 5 Star song. There have been so few 5 Star ANYTHING in the last 10 years... especially on major labels. So I was suprised as I got into Mastodon to find that not only are they an epic metal band, but that they are also epic song writers. And "Leviathan," a concept album based loosely around Melville's "Moby Dick" is a 4 1/2 Star LP. Not since the early Metallica days has metal been this fantastic, heavy and cranial, innovative and yet so familiar to the genre, and I would say, for all the world to hear, that MASTODON IS 100% BETTER THAN METALLICA EVER WAS! You heard it hear first.
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Carl's Favorite Songs - #28 - Outshined by Soundgarden
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It was hard to get my hands on this LP. Even among the endlessly loyal metal fans, there was a lack of willingness to share. Underpressed and overvauled, getting a copy of this LP secured my collection as one of the upper-deck record libraries of forgotten lore. The sleeve is filled with gorgeous mythological paintings of the white whale and the gods of the sea conspiring to thwart Everyman and Ahab alike, its a piece of beauty as well as a piece of Aenid-grade metal. There is a picture disk pressing floating about which is easier to grab, but be warned... pictures disks sound a little bland, and contrary to what you may think, the art on the gatefold standard release is much, MUCH better represented than the truncated, blurry art of the pic disk.
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I find myself trying to explain how powerful and beautiful this stuff is to you all, realizing if you don't like metal, you'll never understand. If you hate anything harder than White Lion, you will not like this. But if you lean heavy, even in your past glory days, this is a must listen (as is its follow up "Blood Mountain"). When they assemble the catalog of LPs that shook the world (of metal), this will no doubt be on there. And if it isn't, the single for "Blood and Thunder" (featuring otherworldly heavy guest vocals by Neil Fallon of Clutch) damn well better be.
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Horns up!
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Tom Petty - "Full Moon Fever" (MCA Records, 1989) [Key Tracks: Runnin' Down a Dream, Love is a Long Road, Free Fallin', I Won't Back Down]
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"My sister's ex-husband can't get no lovin', walks around dog-faced and hurt. Now he's got nothin', head in the oven... I can't decide which is worse "
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Since the last time I posted (the epic Melvins "Houdini") I have received a lot of new records, none perhaps as cool and unexpected as today's entry. My friend Matt, with whom I don't get to do enough with, gave me Tom Petty's epic LP, which is not only one of his best, but is also the last great rock album of the 1980's.
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Carl's Favorite Songs - #29 - Dream On by Aerosmith
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Full Moon Fever was a solo album for Petty, although the term solo has never been so inappropriate. True, his Heartbreakers sidekicks were not technically involved with writing this LP, but most of them appear to play regardless. Other significant musicians appear as well. Jeff Lynne, of ELO fame, played huge role in songwriting with Petty. A few lesser known stars also appear, such as Roy Orbison, George Harrison, and Del Shannon (I kid, I kid, these guys are icons). Petty even covers a Byrds song, which seems unnecessary, but fun. Petty has always flown under the radar but maintained integrity (although "Last Dance with Mary Jane" almost shattered that streak).
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Mostly this album is about time and place. It brings back a lost sound of rock and roll, and as Matt informed me and I later confirmed in biographies, this LP was known as Travelling Wilburies Vol. 2 to many since it was a continuation of the vibe and theme started by the all star super-group. It threw away everything that the 70's and 80's did to music and tried to reinvent the wheel... being at once a tribute to early rock without being a throw-back novelty. Petty is at the top of his game here, and if you ever wanted to buy one LP from him, not counting the endless parade of greatest hits repackages, this would be an excellent start to hear Petty as the musician and rock icon. Its rare that an artist's most commercially embraced LP is one of his best artistic achievements as well, but here you go... proof that the exception proves the rule. Sure, "You Got Lucky" isn't on here, but what album is perfect?
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Horns up, and its good to be back. And thanks again Matt!!!
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Dear Fans of Carl's Records, Carl, or bored surfers... expect a flurry of posts today through next Monday, as I start school next Monday and woefully neglected my site! Time to get back into the habit! Next up, Tom Petty, Chiodos, and more!

The Melvins - "Houdini" (Atlantic Records, 1993) [key tracks: Hooch, Honey Bucket, Set Me Straight, Night Goat]
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"Los ticka toe rest. Might like a sender doe ree. Your make a doll a ray-day sender bright like a penelty. Exi-tease my ray-day member half lost a beat away. Purst in like a one way sende,r war give a heart like a fay. Cuz I can ford a red eed only street a wide a ree land. Die-mond make a mid-evil bike a sake a like a ree caste. Cuz I can ford a red eed only street a wide a ree land. On a ree land. Find a ree land. "
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Wow, these posts get further and further apart. Rest assured that I have been studying, not record shopping. My newest wastes of time have been shopping for a Stratocaster (I am trying to learn to play surf guitar... and I have a few licks, so I got that going for me...) and playing MLB Power Pros on Nintendo Wii. So as you can see, I still haven't grown up.
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Carl's Favorite Songs - #30 - Won't Get Fooled Again by The Who
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Here is a list of my 6 favorite rock guitarists... #1 Frank Zappa, #2 King Buzzo (Melvins), #3 Josh Homme (Kyuss, QOTSA), #4 Dick Dale, #5 Dave Mustane (Megadeth), #6 D. Boon (Minutemen)
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I won't lie... it took a semi-commercial, easy to access album on a major label for me to get exposed to The Melvins. That is hard to admit, since they are icons in underground music for being so D.I.Y. and un-reliant on rock radio, MTV, or major labels. Thanks to the explosion of grunge, The Melvins enjoyed a small run of LPs on Atlantic... which despite conventional thought are very good entry points to their sound.
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The Melvins are about "grunge" beyond the genre... they have mastered a punk-meets-metal sound that often plods, crawls, and lays gasping for several minutes. Its no wonder that the biggest influences on the Melvins' sound are Flipper and Gene Simmons (his bass tracks, not KISS per se). The music is heavy, low, and brutal... then suddenly wistful and playful. Not in a The Shins way, but in an AC/DC way.
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To me, "Houdini" is an LP that introduces you to this style of stoner/sludge/doom/grunge/punk rock. You have a wide variety of flavors on one LP... experimental ("Pearl Bomb"), heavy metal (the unstoppable "Honeybucket" and "Hooch" show their heaviest chops ever), cover songs ("Going Blind"), and of course, that huge Melvins sound. An incredible find on this LP is "Set Me Straight" which is a captivating song in its own right, but even more so when you hear it played on their "Mangled Demos from 1983" LP... they had a fully realized version of this song, almost completely the same, in '83... meaning the Northwest was already having its glands shaken by the monstrous Melvins sound a decade before the word Nirvana was ever said outside of a World Religions class.
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Buzzo is always very concerned with the fan, which means good packaging and better production. So when you get a Melvins LP, it is a self contained object, part of a larger catalog project... much in the style of Frank Zappa. Therefore what you get is an experience, not a lame concept album, but a snapshot of a band doing what it does best at that given time. "Houdini" represents the time when the Melvins had help invent a sound from the ground up, which was bastardized and marketed ad nauseum as grunge. Any music fan needs to hear it done by the Melvins, which is to hear it done right.
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Ladies and Gentlemen... one of my top 5 favorite LPs ever... Houdini.
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Horns up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Public Enemy - "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" (Def Jam, 1988) [Key tracks: Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos, Night of the Living Baseheads]

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"I got a letter from the government the other day. I opened and read it, it said they were suckers. They wanted me for their army or whatever; Picture me givin' a damn - I said never! Here is a land that never gave a damn about a brother like me and myself because they never did... I wasn't wit' it, but just that very minute...it occurred to me the suckers had authority"

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The floodgates are open and here come the classic LP's I have been ranting about. I haven't much to say non-LP related, so on with the show. This one will make Matt smile, I am sure (Matt and I, the 2 whitest kids in the world, know all the words to this LP. Pretty cool huh?).

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Carl's Favorite Songs - #31 - Tusk by Fleetwood Mac

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Where to even start with this one? Public Enemy's "It Takes..." is a landmark LP in many ways. I would even say that this album is of historical importance. With this LP, hard core hip hop was swept off the streets and into a bin called "consciousness." Public Enemy was street level, but was also militant, intelligent, and talented. They were able to on the same song criticize the system for marginalizing blacks, yet call the black community to task on its own demons. Unlike Bill Cosby, who seems to be seen as a bit of an Uncle Tom with his criticisms, PE leaned further into the Afrocentric realm; which was not a surprise considering the band's fascination with the Black Panther movement and the Nation of Islam.

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At the time of recording, "It Takes..." had all of the PE elements locked into place. They had worked out some of their kinks on their debut album, and taken on their stage persona's fully. Chuck D: the educated former-DJ, defender of the marginalized and fearless of the machine. Flavor Flav: the hype man, seemingly a cross between Daffy Duck, a crack addict, and Kool Moe Dee. Professor Griff: back up MC and leader of the S1W's (which was a paramilitary dance troop... the lines of fiction and reality really got blurred). Terminator X: hands down the most vicious and abled DJ of the times. Better than Grandmaster Flash.

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Things started to get interesting as PE gained attention outside of the urban circles they came from. White America was very threatened by the militant nature of the lyrics; even at times depicting unapologetic violence against the establishment. Where NWA was easy to write off as hoods, PE posed a new threat; the Educated Black. While most of PE's material is an exercise in martyr fantasies, stories revealing a deep persecution complex, and conspiracy theories gone wild, they hit a nerve. Afrocentrism was not going to go away, and the system was indeed exposed for being an Old Boys Club for whites. PE was one of the few acts that could point out the disparities of America and also express adequate anger to mobilize troops. The album had very little distraction; critics had to deal with the message. There was no gang-bang glorification, there was no misogyny. "It Takes..." was a voice unheard in many corners of the nation, and because it was so perfectly executed musically, the message spread.

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Even though it is cartoonish at times, PE's "It Takes..." represents the first real intelligent rebel music since Bob Marley. It made those of us in the white Midwest ask some questions. Does this stuff really happen? Are drugs that out of control in big cities? Is our government actually using prisons as a file cabinet for blacks? Is TV really ruining the minds on lower and middle class America? Is there more to life than partying? Who is Malcom X? What is the Nation of Islam? Do people really run around with berets and bazookas in NYC? Did the government kill black leaders?

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Many of the answers we came to may have been different than depicted on "It Takes..." but the fact remains that we became informed, enlightened, and aware. Any true concern for racial justice that I have within my heart is rooted in my exposure to Public Enemy. Malcom X was born in Omaha, and I hadn't even heard his name until I heard PE. Chuck D 1, System 0. I began to read about Douglas, X, King, Ghandi, and Farrakhan. While I still think that Afrocentrism is just injustice of another color, I think I have become a lot more culturally sensitive and aware since.

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As a side note, PE's controversy went far beyond the lyrics on their LP. Professor Griff was very outspoken on his beliefs related to the nation of Islam. As we all know, any blanket criticism of the Jewish community had better be well founded. His was not, and a poorly written expose on his views (think a non-drunk Mel Gibson) got him into a bit of hot water, and he was soon out of PE. Not to be upstaged, on the follow up LP "Fear of a Black Planet" Chuck launches a salvo at the Jews; "Crucifixion ain't no fiction... so-called Chosen frozen, apologies made to whoever pleases...still they got me like Jesus." By the time they were done calling out Hollywood, the government, media, Jews, and the United States health system it was hard to take all of it seriously. Thus the eyebrow raising lyrics became (in the eyes of detractors) shtick. Oh, and then Flav got in trouble with drugs and illegitimate children. Go figure.

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As a less interesting side note, this album was also one of the first to take an unapologetic stab at the then new sport of music copyright litigation. I know, I know, Ray Davies sued the Doors. It had happened before. But now they were suing the hip hop industry over use of samples... trying to break hip hop at its core; rap had always been deeply rooted in the MC scene... reggae MC's rapping over the songs a DJ chose. It evolved into hip hop when just the break beats were used to create a wave of body rockin' rhythm, where an MC could brag and boast and call out his rivals. Without the source material, hip hop would have to rely on producing its own beats, its own breaks. The only other option was to pay royalties, which seemed ludicrous and impossible, as hip hop in its infancy was the voice of the poor and outcast (much as punk was in its early days). As Chuck would say "this is a samplin' sport." The rise of litigation against hip hop acts (sadly, even my beloved Flo and Eddie sued De La Soul) forced a shift in approach to hip hop. It evolved, but in a very limited manner. To this day you hear the same recycled synth and drum machine riffs and beats. If there ever was a conspiracy to shut down the voice of Black America, this was a masterstroke in operations. However, thanks to the litigation we have less good hip hop, and more Diddy. A classic LP, a historical turning point, and a great listen.

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And it makes me miss track meets. Horns up.

Traffic - "John Barleycorn Must Die" (Island Records, 1970) [key tracks: Glad, Stranger To Himself]
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"There were three men came out of the west, their fortunes for to try. And these three men made a solemn vow; John Barleycorn must die! They've plowed, they've sown, they've harrowed him in, threw clods upon his head. And these three men made a solemn vow; John Barleycorn was dead."
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As I sit and stare at a pile of records, most of which need sleeves, all of which are incredible musical milestones in my life, I cannot decide what to photograph. I have been looking at the pile for an hour. Four new Anthrax LPs, a modern classic Melvins set (that I accidentally defaced opening...thanks for nothing lazy Ebay seller), a southern rock hidden gem, and the usual cast of stoner rock and alternative masterpieces. I have an embarrassment of riches. So today, I am going the safe route, and using one of my "backup" plans. Behold, Traffic.
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Carl's Favorite Songs - #32 - Karma Police by Radiohead
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As hinted at above, I need to save excitement and hyperbole for the coming months of posts. I wish all of you would just start coming over to my house and get the adoration and reviews in person. It would be easier on this man with his limited vocabulary. But much like my fingers need a preemptive pause before the onslaught of posts, my ears needed a break from extreme metal, avaunt-garde post punk, and blunting stoner rock. Traffic perfectly fits that groove. A jazzy, bluesy, rock outfit featuring Steve Winwood (who has a fantastic voice despite his questionable solo milk-toast-pop 80's hits) and a lot of flute. Not that they are Jethro Tull, or even progressive. Instead, they are musicians. Pure and simple. The compositions are very technical, and enjoyable. Think of early and mid era Fleetwood Mac, but enjoyable. For anyone who enjoys rock and roll, Traffic is a no brainer.
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The standout track is the title cut, an arrangement of an old folk song about, well, you decide. The controversy is that it is a call to alcohol abstinence, others say it was a literal reading of a murder done to benefit the community, yet a few retain that it has to do with the nature of business (the big guy pushing out the little guy). Closet whisky fans, like myself, prefer to see it as a call to enjoy as much uisce beatha as possible before Johnny is killed.
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Some trivia about this burlap-sack-themed LP; it was originally intended as a Winwood solo LP, but as the compositions grew more interesting and varied in genre (hippy psychedelic folk jazz pop prog hard rock), members of Traffic started signing on one by one. Soon it was a fully realized Traffic project. Go figure. So put it on, let it spin, and toss one back. Rest up honey, you'll need your strength for the coming storm of vinyl. Don't worry (hic), I'll be here to guide you. Me and John (hic).
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Horns up.
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The Haunted - "The Dead Eye" (Century Media, 2006) [key tracks: The Medusa, The Shifter, The Flood]
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"High on fire and solid confidence; truthful rantings, but no one is listening. Check collateral, sweep the corners... the fear of words in a fu**ed-up reality. Steal my freedom of speech, my liberty, fail my rights to express myself... All this Half-Life semper-fi stone-faced bullsh** infecting me to deplete my design. I'm drowning in the fear of gods; the more I see the less I want. I was not raised to shut my mouth, but as long as it holds me I'll fight it and scold it, all my life!"
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Next week is going to full of fun posts for me. As I mentioned, in the last month I scored 4 of my top 5 most wanted LPs, and even scored 2 of my favorite LPs ever which I was not even aware existed on vinyl. Happy month for me! Back to the metal today as we look at a modern classic...
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Carl's Favorite Songs - #33 - Cure for Pain by Morphine
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The Haunted. How did I ever miss these guys' existence? Oh wait, I know, because their earlier albums were above average modern Euro-metal. That isn't to say they weren't good, there were just so many others like them. Hailing from Sweden, you sort of build a pre-conceived notion of what to expect... nihilistic black metal right? Screams and blast beats? Until the LP before this one, yep. "rEVOLVEr" was a watershed moment... you could still hear the old recipe at work, but something in their eyes changed focus... you could tell they were jumping off into a new direction. And which direction is that? Where were they looking to for the future?
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How about brutal, industrial-influenced thrash-and-emo-metal. That maybe undersells how great it is. Let me put it another way... "The Dead Eye" is better produced, heavier, and more thrilling than any Tool album since "Undertow." Stunned? I was too. They resisted the urge to turn sludge metal cum whining (ala Isis), or over dramatic concept driven metal (ala Neurosis) and just unleashed a grind/thrash album with a message and a soul. Thank God thrash music still exists without the horrible Nordic cliches that usually come packaged with it. There is still plenty of screaming and violence, but there are also down tempo pieces; movements that do an unexpectedly good job at evoking true emotion, just to set you up for a tidal wave of fury. It never becomes tiring, repetitive, or self-indulgent. It was as if they were aware at all times to throw out even one solo that smelled of past offerings. The bar for modern thrash has now been set higher.
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My favorite song, "The Medusa," is a must hear for anyone being neglected or rejected by a woman. The macho helplessness-slash-murderous-hate that comes out of lead singer Doving's mouth are sinister in every aspect of the word. "She is a saint, her womb is a place of rejection. She washes her perfect skin quietly, and hates me for being real!"
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I would say that "The Dead Eye" is a sleeper smash, and the most overlooked LP of 2006. If you are looking for something that has some real power behind it, and a hell of a lot of talent, this is a must buy. From art direction to production values, this is a perfect modern metal LP. And in my humble opinion, it ranks up in the pantheon of all time metal classics (somewhere lower than "Number of the Beast" and higher than "Justice for All"). Not since Sepultura's "Chaos AD" have I heard a diversion from form this drastic come out so perfect. I hope they can keep it up!
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Horns up!