Albums that changed my life! The Bridge: Ace of Base

Greetings to all the readers. The second installment of my favourite albums is here. Although I would like to mention a few external factors here. I am extremely hard pressed for time as my end-semester examinations are underway and as I found out to my dismay today( today being the first day), there is absolutely no scope of cheating!! Curses! If that weren't enough I have a pressing engagement in which I am supposed to record and mail a song to a friend. So this shall be shorter and definitely sweeter than the other posts that shall follow in this segment! Sweeter?? Well today I shall chronicle a pop band. Ace of Base!!
This is another album that I heard in my infancy as a musician and a person. Having heard "The Bridge" in the same month as "Appetite for Destruction", the two very contrasting styles was quite the spectrum for me then. What stands out that this album was heard during a very distressing time for the world in general, and to a lesser extent, me. I heard this album during the time of the death of Princess Diana. I still remember reading the newspapers for every article about her life and death while this album was playing on the discman. The haunting quality of some of the songs made it a very profound experience. It's like tripping, only a very miniature version.
Before I jump into the evaluation of the album I would like to take some time to talk about the band. Ace of Base are natives of Sweden and comprise of four members. Sisters Jenny and Malin "Linn" Berggren, brother Jonas Berggren and Ulf Ekberg. Often compared to Swedish powerhouse ABBA, Ace of Base personify a lot of the good and bad qualities to be found in popular music culture today. They have excellent vocals, catchy tunes, well produced, and the songs were the right songs at the right time in the music scene. The album preceding "The Bridge", called "The Sign" was listed in the TOP 100 bestselling albums of all time by the Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA). It doesn't take a genius to figure it out, this band had their moment under the sun. The factors that probably contribute Ace of Base to being a very minor act now are that they were pushed for media airplay by managers who only wanted record sales, not quality or longevity. Once their sound was decided upon, the managers never let them explore new territory, so once the music audience were tired of their brand of pop, they were pushed to the sidelines. This might have even contributed to Linn being gradually more disillusioned which ultimately resulted in her departure from the band. However I can only guess that, what is sure is that Jenny's voice does not have the same quality as Linn's whose powerful vocals were one of the features of the band's sound.
Onto the album then, "The Bridge" is different from the band's traditional sound. Ace of Base made their reputation mixing their unique mix of reggae, electronica, europop and funk that catapulted them to the top of charts in various countries. This album however has songs that are more ballad and chorus oriented in their nature than their earlier offerings. Linn's vocals are outstanding as always and she is definitely one of my favourite female singers(that is a very short list). The orchestration and song arrangements are slightly different than what one might expect but the songs are definitely listener friendly. The album starts with "Beautiful Life", and with most songs on this album there is a beautiful pull in the songs that captivates the listener. Although I have grown out of Ace of Base I was listening to these songs last night and I still found them cool, unlike most other pop songs that I hear. My personal favourite on the album however was and is the acoustic mix of the song "Lucky Love". This single was also the highest selling single of this album. Now my reason for liking the acoustic mix is the absolutely lovely guitar rhythm that accompanies the track. I mean when I heard this all I wanted to do was to play my guitar in that particular rhythm, and that helped me a lot in my fledgling stage as a guitar player. Although I must say that I would be hard pressed to play that guitar part even now, 12 years later, there is just such a beautiful feel in the chord structure. Even though the progression is simple there is an ebb and flow in the rhythm that makes this song enchanting.
Short post has turned into medium length post! Anyway, if you ever get the chance, please do hear the album. Also check out other Ace of Base songs like "Happy Nation", "All That She Wants" and "The Sign". If not anything else, you shall find that a lot of bollywood songs have been made off them!! Cheers!

Albums that changed my life! Appetite for Destruction: Guns n' Roses

Since this is supposed to be a music forum( at least that's what the name says), it is about time that I started discussing music on a more frequent basis. My last post was about Indian rock powerhouse Motherjane but I am going to go for something a bit different. I am going to make a series of posts on my influences as a musician and they shall be wide ranging, from musicians to songs to albums! Well this month I have decided to talk about all the albums that influenced me. And I am trying to keep them in a chronological manner so if someone were to deduce a progression in my tastes they probably could try.

Anyway, to the post then. Well I hail from a family which had very humble beginnings and there was absolutely no English music happening in my house. My parents loved music and I was exposed to all the old Bollywood classics and Bengali classics as well. I didn't know that a separate world existed, but my reverie was to be broken. I remember my elder brother(God bless him) bringing home a cassette from one of his friends. This was when I was ten and my brother had just gotten a guitar as a gift from dad for doing exceptionally well in his board exams. The guitar later came to me but that story is for a different day. Anyway my brother heard the thing for quite a few times and I was firmly asked to stay away. But such is the nature of the bored mind that I sneaked the cassette and gave it a listen anyway.
What makes Appetite an excellent album to listen to is that it can give you the same euphoria every time you hear it. The starting riff of "Welcome to the Jungle" can give you goosebumps every single time. You might have heard the song live too right?.... ("Do you know where the fuck you are??? You're in the jungle baby,wake up...it's time to dieeeee.....") and Axl Rose's howl transports you to a darker, almost sinisterly romantic place. That one line and riff captures the basic essence of metal! The feeling that you can never deny.. it creeps up on you and makes you submit. And for a ten year old kid who had never heard a distorted guitar before that thing was almost scary.. like forbidden fruit. It ends after four and a half minutes of gut wrenching music.. of riff and solo.. of bass line and drums.. of Axl crooning midway to the song as Slash's harmonics cut through the mix. Metal had pervaded my universe.. and although the next time I heard the album was after an interval of 8 years I recognized all the songs instantaneously.
To the other songs.. "It's so Easy".. lyrics that twisted my head( made me look up fuck in the dictionary..ha ha) and the same power of rock that was a feature in all of their songs. As Slash had said about Appetite.. "Appetite was the best record we made.. cuz it wasn't dictated by industry pressures or producers.. It was just us doing our thing".
The lyrics of the songs still make for interesting listening. "My Michelle" was about( as Axl put it).. " this crazy girl i knew.. doing drugs and shit". "Night Train" was about a bottle of whiskey by the same name. One has to love the cowbell intro to Night Train, and the twin guitar parts in the solos..first time i had heard that too.
"Mr. Brownstone", definitely one of the funkiest and probably most understated rock riffs ever. It's kinda like Aerosmith's "Walk this Way".. not just quite up there but pretty good in it's own right. I mean I could ramble on about how good each of the songs are.. but you should give it a listen if you haven't yet.
The thing about GnR is that they introduced cool to the mainstream rock audience. They were more public than most other bands who were flaunting their act at the time. Motley Crue and the entire glam rock movement were pretty flashy, but none of them sold as well as GnR. Well, Axl had proclaimed that Appetite for Destruction was going to be the largest selling debut album by a rock band. And he was right.. At 15 million record sales.
But truth be told.. these songs are good but not worth 15 million in record sales.. that was accomplished by the two songs that really kicked the album to the sky.. "Paradise City" and "Sweet Child o' Mine". Radio friendly in the last true period of mainstream rock, these two songs were the reason for the notoriety that followed during GnR's reign at the top. They spent their advance money for Appetite on clothes!!! And they still lived in a hovel somewhere near Sunset Strip!The intro to "Sweet Child o' Mine" is like a guitarist's "First ten licks to learn" kinda thing. The solo is still difficult to pull off. There hasn't been a guitar god since the Les Paul straddling, cigarette and hair dangling, Slash. Even though he plies his trade with "Velvet Revolver" now, it's not the same thing. Nonetheless, they were( were.. not are, the money spent on recording Chinese Democracy could have erased a few nation's hunger issues) one of the best rock bands that ever were.. erased from meaningful existence by MTV and their 90's flagship Nirvana, but they gave us some really good songs that will last for a really long time.
Summary, well it's a great album. Guitars, bass, drums, riffs, solos, vocals, lyrics.. the complete hard rock package. Lessons in sex, drugs and rock n' roll by the best in the business. Cheers!

Tansen who? Baiju's here!! The painted face of Indian Rock: Motherjane

I have been part of a band for the past 6 years. But a long time before I had formed my band I was listening to a variety of music. From the normal fare dished out on MTv and Channel [V] like boybands and Britney( yes Britney! Dude she's hot and I was 15!) to mellow rockers like Eagles and Bon Jovi. However, being a part of a band means exposure to a whole new world of music(read : METAL). Enter Metallica, GnR, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. Over the years, the list has grown quite long but what was missing from the list was an Indian presence. Well, smashing through the ranks, I give to you, Motherjane.
Although I am a very recent addition to their ever-expanding fan-base, my respect for them borders on reverence. As a guitar player whose sole ambition in life is to be a professional musician, these guys are living my dream and kicking some major ass while they are at it. The pre-defining element of Motherjane is India. Their innate "Desipan"(serious lack of a better term) sets them apart from the crowd of deep-throating, mosh-pitting metal messiahs. From kathakali faces to carnatic guitar solos, they move across diverse genres of music with such seamless ease that one can't help but marvel at the skill that is involved. It is fusion, but unmistakably rock. Anthemic choruses, progressive riffs, funk drumming and the cherry on top of this formidable cake, Baiju's solos.
On to the different members of the band. Firstly, the voice, the frontman, the poet, Suraj. As tight and classy in the studio as he is live, here is one performer who will never let you down. Plus he writes the words, and the lyrics are as progressive as the music. People tell me he doesn't sound international enough. Hello, he is the voice of the band that has just won the AVIMA Best Rock Band award, and they are opening for DreamTheater in Indonesia. Ask all of the guys who sound international whether their musical CV can mirror his. I would think not.
Next up, Clyde on bass, one half of a very formidable rhythm section. The 5 string Fender he tots turns into a groove box once he gets going. Aside from the normal bass playing which he carries out with elan, a stand-out feature are his runs that accompany most of the acoustic sections of their songs. My personal favourite however, are the unison lines played by the bass and guitar when they launch into their progressive riffs. Very reminiscent of Geddy Lee- Alex Lifeson, or more recently Myung- Petrucci. A true stalwart in his own right.
We move to John, drummer, percussionist par excellence. It is so easy for the drummer of a metal band to just let loose a flurry of double bass mania, and John is technically capable, but he refrains from that temptation and switches on a groove instead. His drumming style is most similar to Chad Smith of RHCP. The funk he plays in response to the prog riffs of the guitars makes for a most delicious combination.
On rhythm guitar we have Deepu. Always running the risk of being overshadowed by the brilliant Baiju, Deepu bring a lot to the plate. Super tight rhythms, handling the riffs live when Baiju is playing solos or fills and putting in a tight shift as the back-up vocalist, no one should underestimate the value of this musician. Baiju's solos might be the icing on the cake but Deepu is the cake.
And finally, Baiju. What can I say!! Being a solo guitar player myself it is hard to not write a full post about him alone. With looks like Hendrix and a playing style somewhere between Dr. L. Balasubramanium and Eddie Van Halen, Baiju has redefined the way that rock and carnatic music can be fused. His solos are unlike anything that anyone has ever played. His technique is exceptional, all my time spent shredding seems wasted once i hear his two handed tapping( you know he might break the sound barrier with the speed of his legato). Those carnatic fills that he puts in the middle of his solos are so sharp that they immediately yank a listener's ear to attention. What sheer genius, for me he is one of the greatest guitar players because he is stretching the boundaries of the instrument. Those classical runs are executed by slides and not bends, and from personal experience I can say that it is both difficult to execute and control. Plus he is an exceptionally gentle and humble human being. I do not have enough words to describe the man.
To sum it up, they are the thing. They are not some fad, nor the result of a marketing strategy, they are the heart and soul of where music should be. Of lyrics and melody and that infinite sense of pride that one feels that these are our countrymen. Hats off to Motherjane.