REM - Automatic for the People

As REM bring a long and distinguished career to an end, it seems a suitable time to reflect on a band that helped fly the flag for alternative rock in the creativity vacuum that afflicted the late 1980s and 1990s. Having made their name as a high end college rock outfit they hit the big time with Green, reaching a point where they combined their originality with savvy mainstream appeal.

For many 1992’s Automatic for the People represents the band’s best shot at an album which is both ambitious and faultless. The result is a record that has to be lauded as one of the best of the post-Beatles era; a commercial triumph that hit new heights of innovation while realising the band’s own fiery ambitions. In the dying embers of REM’s life this will be remembered as the outing that guaranteed global superstar status, holding their own against established giants U2 as trailblazers of contemporary rock.

The album begins in understated fashion with Drive, a slow burner that grows into a towering anthem, a salute to teenage freedom. Try Not to Breathe displays a completely different rhythm, showing the musical range that constitutes a major theme of the album. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite was a commercial hit, a slice of unashamed tongue-in-cheek pop that forms a relief to the overriding world-weariness of the record.

Every classic record needs a hook, a song that is instantly recognisable and entices the casual listener to buy an album. Everybody Hurts is the standard-bearer here, having become the signature song for anti-suicide campaigns and a string of British and American charities. The track-by-track quality of the album is too high to suggest that this towers high above as the rest, but its status as a career highlight is deserved and the song itself catapulted the band to new heights of fame and created legions of fans. Sweetness Follows is a sobering reminder of the regret felt in middle age at lost opportunities, and is powerful and stark, an epic showcase of the album’s signature themes.

This is followed by the shuddering narrative of a doomed man’s demise, Monty Got a Raw Deal, a visceral highlight which continues the morbid nature of the album while adding power and visual drama. Ignoreland heavily underlines the band’s political standing, but Star Me Kitten provides a blissful departure from the industrial nature of the album, almost dream-like in its serenity and packed with harmony, complete with the hushed vocals of Michael Stipe. Man on the Moon is another radio classic, while Nightswimming and Find the River together form a near-perfect nirvana at the album’s end.

There is enough hear to keep revisiting over a lifetime, and long after the death of the band this album will be a symbol of superior songwriting and musical invention. This is not to overshadow the band’s other achievements in its 30-year history of which there are many, but if the next generation and beyond are to discover the magic of REM, this is the ideal introduction. The vision of the band is yet to be truly replicated in the modern era, but if any group is seeking to make the complete rock record it could do worse than to draw inspiration from this.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You, Aug 29

When a world-famous band has been away from the scene for five years there is extra pressure to come back with a new era-defining album to appease fans for the long wait. In the case of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, I’m With You doesn’t threaten to take the music world by storm, with classic examples of what made this band internationally loved isolated among heavy expanses of filler. With this offering the Chillies have made a respectable return but are unlikely to become the sensation that came to define modern rock two decades ago.

Gone is the sonic mastery of old, which is largely down to the absence of John Frusciante. Without his contribution the album is enjoyable but also surprisingly ordinary. With such a signature component of the band missing the band has had to start again and instantly evolve the band’s sound, which had won so many fans since Frusciante returned to the band in 1999. Josh Klinghoffer, a long time collaborator with Frusciante, fills his place here, and although accomplished and inventive he clearly needs time to forge his place among illustrious company. Throughout the album the vocals of Anthony Kiedis take extra precedence and, although an accomplished singer, he has had to rely on his bandmates in leading the band. Oozing charisma and style, Kiedis as a frontman has defined the band’s image, but his voice has merely been one instrument in the band’s sound, perfectly complimenting the peerless Frusciante and an irresistible rhythm section.

Here Kiedis has had to cover for Frusciante’s absence, and on tracks like Brendan’s Death Song his vocal deficiencies are painfully brought to light. This is no criticism of Kiedis’ performance on the album; he is at his best on Look Around where he delivers an increasingly rare rap lead which used to grace much of the band’s finest work. With much of the creativity gone with Frusciante however, many of the songs lack bite and the best moments are when the band’s old sound is replicated. The harmonising vocals on Did I Let You Know hark back to the band’s By the Way era, while Klinghoffer’s kaleidoscopic guitar and Flea’s swirling basslines on Goodbye Hooray show the band’s funk origins have not been completely deserted.

The opening track, Monarchy of Roses, points to a new direction in the band’s sound with its uptempo dance beats, also used in the lead single The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie. The band has tried to adapt in response to a new line-up, but it is when the old sound is revisited that the album is most enjoyable. With most of the members in the twilight of their careers, the album was always going to be a watershed moment, being either an exciting new chapter in the band’s history or the point of decline. Missing the edge and originality of previous recordings this seems to be the latter. Unless they recapture the spark that brought them worldwide adulation the band will no longer be seen as one of rock’s leading lights, and with a glittering past you feel this would be a decisive turning point.    

Goldtrip @ Ronnie Scott's, Sept 20

Taking place in the distinguished surroundings of the Ronnie Scott’s club in Soho, rising band Goldtrip checked off another distinguished performance in which they blended old songs with new. If the sell-out crowd had come to see a sparkling performance packed intensity and showmanship, including a hardwired Dom Little fizzing around the stage, they got it.

The band demonstrated their knack for anthem rock with the recent hit Burn to Fade, while proving the old material still stands strong with a blistering performance of live favourite Laura. Throughout the show they performed with the confidence of stadium stalwarts, often taking them far beyond the pokey confines of one of London’s most renowned jazz holes. Jazz was not the name here, but pounding rhythms and big vocals were as Goldtrip delighted yet another venue.

Another reason for confidence is the ease with which the band delivers each performance, thriving on the increasing expectations and coming to life under the spotlight. You get the impression that they are ready to have a festival stage on which to play, and no matter the quality of studio recordings would always be the real deal on a live platform. Time on BBC Radio has exposed the band to homes across Britain, but a major label is needed to bridge the gap to album releases and chart invasion.

The next year will be a defining one for the band, but confidence is high and more shows like this will help their rise towards prominence. The night’s standout, Running out of Love, deserves a headline slot but this is well within reach and the release of equally impressive material make the band an attractive pick for big labels. And you can bet their enthusiasm would make them a favourite at future festivals, should they receive a strong backer... 

See here for the pinnacle of blogging...