UPLIFTER - 311

The first couple of times when I listened to 'Uplifter', I bummed. I was expecting hooks, 311 and Bob Rock brought smoothness. I was disappointed.

Then, like had happpened many times before, it grew on me. It's good. Although, partially, there's the fact that I just couldn't find other band than 311 that consciously and continuously brings positive vibe without getting too mellow (actually 311 did get too mellow, but not on this album).

The highlights, as the way it was, are the lyrics.

Musically, these guys has been solid since couple albums before, so there's nothing surprising. All smooth and so 311-ish... It's good. Yeah :)

First is 'Hey You', an upbeat about the gift of music (which I relate to, obviously). It's a good song, which somehow 'blanket' the subject of music into human relation. "Hey you" commonly used for people, not a subject. Initially, I thought it is about someone... a friend. Lines like

"You always let me explain just what I'm saying",
"When so many others come and go",
"You never turn back on me, when I gave up on myself",

all are usually attributed to a person. But, at the last section, Nick and SA changed "Hey you" with "Music"... Wow. Cool.

Next, 'It's Alright' started as a mediumbeat but morph into upbeat at the chorus (which is the initial part that stuck with me).

"It's alright, wherever you are right now, I tell you, it's alright, that's where you supposed to be right now"...

kinda remind me to be grateful with what I had and let go of what I have not. And then the lines

"Right in this instant, not in the distant",
"Here in the present, your time is so elsewhere"...

reminded me that my future is full of promises, but my present time is actually what matters.

'Mix It Up' has the line

"...misfits that no one else gets, everyone else in the place becomes a silhouette"...

that I attribute to those common strangers who just misunderstood and resisted my mere existence around them. Not so positive act, but works :P

'Golden Sunlight' has the line

"What if I could just let my guard down, What if I could live wide open".

Utopia. Dreamy but nice. Could happen to me someday. Had happened, really, in small instances, long time ago. I want more :)

'India Ink' is an unordinary sweet song, Nick's best. "Are you with me?" is the hook here, which somewhat out of place because it can be attribute to more common people instead limited to a lover.

'Daisy Cutter' is sweet. I actually met someone with this name, about the same time this song started to grew on me. Sweet synchronicity...

'Too Much Too Fast'. The title says it all. Sometimes we have to move so fast, we can't do the things that we love the most, loving one another.

"Much too fast, oh",
"Too much too fast, for the moment to last",
"Because that's just no way to live, I got so much love to give, too much too fast".

'Never Ending Summer' is a common 311 goodtime anthem. Celebrating, remembering, letting go. Nice.

'Two Drops in the Ocean' is a love story. Sweet metaphor. Sweet song.

'Something Out of Nothing' is about witnessing extraordinary things/works/outcomes that obviously unexpected from ordinary situations/people. Gift from others. Gift from God.

I read a review that called 'Jackpot' as being completely out of place here. I dunno... whatever... "Everybody jump!" Goodtimes!

'My Heart Sings' is a very sweet closure. It makes me feel that the whole album is so awesome... it made me played the album all over again :)

"I'm not made of stone, I'm only flesh and bone",
"You figure it out, the answer will come so clearly dear, let it all go because we can't know just what will be",
"A melody that will settle me",
"My heart sings".

Good album.

The somewhat low-lights for me, the guitars are less present than before. They're somehow downtuned at the rhythm. Almost overshadowed by P-Nut's mighty bass works (no complaints to Mr. Wills there). They are solid, but it's like they're up enhancing a base that's already solid, instead of standing-out to bring more color. I feel that their distortions are not as 'upfront' as usual, especially when I compare it to them live. I sense it as a work of Mr. Bob Rock... you've done it again! Poking with Metallica wasn't an experiment after all. It's in your blood dude. Ha, ha...

So, again... it's a good album.
Wish there's more alike out there.

Stay positive!
 

BCSL (Black Clouds and Silver Linings) DREAM THEATER

The first play, I skipped on the first song ('A Nightmare to Remember'), sorry. But, it's about another helpless victim of life without hopeful conclusion.

Then, I also skipped 'A Rite of Passage', sorry again. I simply wanted to hear the stuff I never heard before, and I already got this song from YouTube, so this song is kinda too familiar by now.

Then I listened to 'Wither'. I also got this song from the Net before I got the CD, but it's way cooler than 'A Rite...' by now so I still dig it very much.

Then comes the bummer...

'The Shattered Fortress' is basically a medley of some pre-BCSL songs with 'morphed' lyrics. A good idea... as a live performance. As part of studio release... lame! Mostly it's 'Scenes from a Memory' songs... I'm not sure, because I SKIPPED IT immediately after I realise what an ugly thing it is. Bad idea guys, sorry. You probably tried to put 'SFAM' concept to a new level... well I'm telling you: It's the WRONG level. It's not even on the same galaxy! C'mon...

'The Best of Times' is awesome! It's simply beautiful!

Then I skip 'The Count of Tuscany' to get back to 'Wither' and 'The Best...'.

The second time I played BCSL, I gain the ability to 'digest' the helplessness song ('A Nightmare...') and the fictional songs ('The Count...').

DT is still great. BCSL is not all just another album in the discography. The talent is there.

What becomes more evident is the lack of freshness.

Mike speaks frankly when he said that the band has never come to a writer's block and in the contrary they constantly have an abundance of ideas.

I'm your fan Mike, but... here's the ugly thing behind an abundance of ideas: It's getting harder and harder to find a fresh one from that stacking pile. As more ideas get tangled up, stale ones can appear fresh at a glance... but when you (and we) crack it open, it reveals something ugly and stinky... ugh!

So, I hope they see what I'm trying to say. I'll always be a DT fan. I think the talents in the band are so amazing, there's gotta be a lot more to come.

But, frankly, it's sad that I can't initially 'digest' an entire new album anymore, as it used to be with all previous albums. In fact, I already 'chewed' longer and harder since 'Train of Thought'. It's getting tiring...

I understand that their live is much settling now: Amazing career, happy family, growing respect from other bands (even legends), and so on.

Live's getting so at hand. No more big struggle, no more hard questions, not much to talk about (into lyrics).

But, that's what I dig about DT lyrics. It talks about real life struggle, through awesome journey (which is the music).

I was already gritting when SFAM concept of mental disorder (and helplessness) was repeated in 'Octavarium' (the song). What a waste! All that Genesis melody... only to serve the same talk all over again.

But, talks about mental disorder is somewhat still way more relevant to me than those fictional talks that came later in 'In the Presence of Enemies', 'The Dark Eternal Night', and of course, here in BCSL, 'The Count of Tuscany'.

That's why I think 'The Best of Times' is the best song here.

'Wither' does talk about helplessness but I think it concludes to good ending. Maybe I got it wrong, maybe it's about suicide. The way I get it, it's on the same sense as 'The Answer Lies Within' from 'Octavarium'.

I dunno, but it seems that the relevancy curve is going down between me and DT, for quite some time now. Please guys, don't hit the bottom, for me!

Having such an amazing career means that you can draw inspiration from more sources (families, other bands, crews), instead of resourcing to fiction and cliche... and worse: Repeating yourself!

Once again, I'm still a fan, DT is still great, BCSL is not disappointing at all, and I believe there's still more to come.

Rock on guys! Keep on the talent!