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05 Sep, 2010
One to Remember
3 of 3 found this helpful http://keninthecity.blogspot.com/2010/09/on-night.html
One of the best things about music is the discovery process, because by and large, music is a constant pursuit. This explains why we often only like music that we find ourselves.
Last month I discovered On The Night, a gem of a live album by classic rock outfit Dire Straits. This was a treasured find for two reasons. One, because Dire Straits' already great songs sound greater live, where the band has room to explore their unique sonic textures. And two, because I can't help but feel that this album was overlooked when it was released in 1993, lost in the shuffle of grunge's heydey and the twilight of a career.
Fronted by Mark Knopfler, one of the most masterful finger-picking guitarists of our time, Dire Straits made music that was always a little left of center. The British quartet emerged in the post-punk era of the late 1970s to play what was decidedly not post-punk. Actually, their body of work makes for an interesting study, given the melding of roots rock, blues-jazz stylings, MTV-made singles, and slow-burning ruminations. And even as their sound grew to incorporate some of the cheesier earmarks of the '80s, Dire Straits maintained a pop sensibility while never losing their mature edge.
"The band's music was offset by Knopfler's lyrics, which approximated the winding, stream-of-conscious narratives of Bob Dylan."—Allmusic
On The Night works so well because it does what any live album should do, which is capture a band at its peak with the intangible energy that can't be felt from a studio recording. As evidence: the exuberant buildup of the already happy-go-lucky "Walk Of Life"; the realization of arena-rock power on "Heavy Fuel"; the palpable eeriness and dark intrigue of "Private Investigations"; and the simple romantic beauty of the three-note licks on "Romeo And Juliet". Although some of these moments are represented musically in their studio counterparts, none can actually be felt.
But the greater success of On The Night is the transcendence of the songs themselves, over half of which are augmented with more progressive arrangements. With the free reign of the live setting, songs like opener "Calling Elvis" and closer "Brothers In Arms" expand gracefully without overstaying their welcome. Moreover, most of the 10 tracks here are jazzed up and countrified with liberal use of saxophone and pedal steel guitar, which provides a warm richness that plays to their advantage.
On The Night provides a snapshot of an under-appreciated band in their prime, not long before they hung up the guitars. And even though Dire Straits is long out of the collective cultural consciousness, on this night, we can all look back and savor the moment with a fond sense of nostalgia.
06 Jul, 2006
Welcome to the Moby Hotel
1 of 3 found this helpful Moby’s Play is one of the most ubiquitous albums of all time, with all 18 tracks being licensed for commercial use. His follow-up 18 was more downbeat, but followed a familiar formula of moody trance and dance rock. In short, Moby is a melder of genres, successfully mixing elements of ambient, blues, dance, funk, rock, and techno music.
With his stay at the Hotel, Moby returns to the varied styles and tempos found on Play. But he packs his bags a little lighter by eschewing his signature samples that were central choral elements in his previous two outings, opting to take the mic himself.
The results are mixed. Thankfully though, he enlists the help of alterna-rocker Laura Dawn to fill the void of the requisite female vocals, especially on the mesmerizing cover of New Order’s “Temptation” and the lubricious writhing of “I Like It”.
Dawn’s alluringly breathy vocals are one of the album’s strengths, but the same can’t be said of Moby’s monochromatic vocal palette. With exceptions like the arachnid anthem “Spiders”, there’s little emotion in his relatively robotic voice, maybe because he knows his limits. Still, the album feels more organic and personal sans samples.
Moby’s often abstract lyrics are another weak spot. While it’s respectable that he’s writing more of his own material, his words are either too sophomoric, repetitive, nebulous, or some combination of said qualities.
But Moby’s focus is on the music, and he can probably get away with rhyming “bad” and “sad” over and over again if you’re more of a mindless listener.
With that in mind, Hotel’s music is mellifluous with its danceable beats, kinetic guitars, and pensively permeating synth progressions. The album opens with a dreamy “Hotel Intro”, only to be aroused by the driving drumbeat of “Still Raining”. The first single, “Beautiful”, follows with an attractive guitar groove and Moby taking potshots at pulchritudinous celebrities like Nick and Jessica.
As a result of frequenting New York City’s club circuit, there’s also Joy Division-inspired tunes like “Very” and “Lift Me Up”, the latter of which may prompt you to get up and do a leg-kicking, tribal disco dance (even if you’re not drunk).
Hotel comes with a second disc of amenities: the Eno-inspired Hotel-Ambient (call it Music For Hotels). This round of slow-Mo-bee is replete of enveloping soundscapes and slow-burning instrumentals, though it probably won’t get too many spins in your CD player.
When taken as a whole, Hotel / Hotel-Ambient is somewhat of a mélange of Play and 18. It’s nothing really new or groundbreaking by Moby standards, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Still, you’d like to see Moby try something different on his next album, either in one of the many musical genres he juggles, or maybe something completely different.
Moby doing country? We’ll see just how eclectic he can get.
–Ken Devine
Standout Tracks: “Raining Again”, “Beautiful” “Temptation”, “Spiders”, “Dream About Me”
19 Sep, 2018
Don't waste your money on Apple TV!
Excellent, affordable product for cord-cutters!