Rick Rubin

B-SIDES: LINKIN PARK- NO ROADS LEFT


This might come as a shock to some of you but, over the past few years, I’ve taken a liking to Linkin Park. A lot has gone on over those years and for a myriads of reasons I got drawn into it. One day I’ll elaborate on that. The 20th anniversary of their album Meteora really put it in my head that, I was hating on them for no real good reason. As I dug through their catalog and found the songs and albums I enjoyed, I made a note to come back to a few songs and highlight them. This one song in particular was a b-side from their sessions recording their third album, Minutes To Midnight. The song is “No Roads Left” and was a composition that was written mainly by Mike Shinoda and features Mike on lead vocals. There was a version recorded with Chester singing the song but, the band especially Chester thought that Mike’s version was the best one and they went with it. Sadly though, this song didn’t make the album. Had it made the album, I’m more than sure this song would have made that album better than it is. That’s not to say it’s a bad album, the sequencing of the song order is a bit iffy (but that’s for a whole other topic another day). This song is another example of good songwriting and shows that Mike Shinoda really is the glue that makes Linkin Park what it is. I’d love for this song to get it’s full due from fans as well as being added to their set lists. It’s too good to just be a b-side!

Linkin Park- No Roads Left:

That Was A Bad Idea: Sheryl Crow covering Sweet Child O’ Mine

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Back in 1999, on the soundtrack and in the movie to the Adam Sandler film Big Daddy, something truly wrong happened. There was an atrocious cover of a song that should have never been allowed to be released. Sheryl Crow’s version of the Guns N Roses classic “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” I still remember hearing it in the movie and thinking this was terrible, and guess what, it still is. Her version was originally released as a bonus track on her third album. And even more interestingly, the recording not only won her a Grammy but, it was also produced by Rick Rubin. Over the years, Crow’s version has been regarded as one of the worst cover songs ever, and rightfully so. Despite all the negativity towards it though, it became somewhat of a hit in areas like Australia, Canada, Iceland and the U.K. I still want to know who thought this would be a good idea and who approved it to be in the movie.

Sheryl Crow- Sweet Child O’ Mine:

 

Unsung Masterpieces: Red Hot Chili Peppers- One Hot Minute
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The year is 1995 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to release their follow up to Blood Sugar Sex Magik. John Frusciante left the band and was replaced by Dave Navarro. By adding Dave Navarro, the Chili Peppers sound changed rather drastically. The lyrics grew darker, exploring the perils of drug use, depression, grief and many other themes along those lines. Navarro also added a heavier approach with his style of guitar playing. Granted this album was a bit of a detour from what the band had put out with Blood Sugar, One Hot Minute has become an album that with age, has become a true unsung masterpiece in the bands catalog. The history of the making of One Hot Minute is quite the story. Anthony Kiedis had relapsed, thus causing a slow down in the writing and recording of the album. But the end result was something special. Songs like “Warped,” “Aeroplane,” “My Friends,” “Tearjerker,” “One Hot Minute,” and “Transcending” are stellar compliments to a very underrated album.

One thing I’ve noticed over the years listening to the album is that Dave Navarro really brought something  special and different to the band. He brought a different style to the band than what John Frusciante did, leaving a signature mark on the one album he did with the band. Interestingly, One Hot Minute isn’t an album that the Chili Peppers visit often. In fact they have even come out to say that “We don’t really feel that connected to that record anymore. No special reason, not to say we would never play those songs but we don’t feel that emotionally connected to that music right now.” Which is quite sad, considering how good the album really is. Hopefully there will be a time again that they revisit some of these songs.

What do you think of One Hot Minute?

 

Red Hot Chili Peppers- One Hot Minute:

 

 

 

 

Underrated and Amazing: Ours

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It’s a crying shame that so many talented bands go unnoticed. Some of the time it’s the label that they are on’s fault for not doing the work to get these bands to the level they should be at. And sometimes the band is just ahead of their time, that the people out there just can’t quite grasp it. Ours is a perfect example of all that. In 1997, Jimmy Gnecco restarted Ours again after a few year break and quickly drew the attention of many labels industry. Ours signed with the now defunct DreamWorks Records and after four years,  finally released their major label debut the wonderfully masterful Distorted Lullabies in 2001. This album was produced by Steve Lillywhite (early U2 producer). Distorted Lullabies was met with mixed reviews (probably my journalists that just didn’t get it) but led to many successful tours with bands such as The Cult and Pete Yorn.  The first single off the album “Sometimes” was a powerful track.  Other wonderful songs from the album include, “Medication,” “Fallen Souls,” “Drowning,” and “Bleed.” In 2002 Ours released their follow-up, Precious. Precious featured a more stripped-down sound and received much more positive reviews. I find that to be odd considering that Distorted Lullabies is a much better album than Precious. Songs like “Leaves,” “Realize,” “In A Minute,” and “Disaster In A Halo” are all stand outs. There is even a really good cover of The Velvet Underground’s “Femme Fatale.” In 2004, Jimmy Gnecco relocated from New Jersey to Los Angeles to work with Rick Rubin for a upcoming album. The end result was the beautifully masterful Mercy…Dancing For The Death Of An Imaginary Enemy, which was released in 2008. This album stands out not just for the songs, but for Jimmy’s hauntingly, soulful voice, He has always had comparisons to Jeff Buckley, but definitely comes into his own on this album. Songs like “Mercy,” “Black,” “Live Again,” “Willing,” and “The Worst Things Beautiful” really capture the essence of the mood of the album. In 2010, Jimmy released his highly anticipated self-produced first solo acoustic effort, ‘The Heart’ and followed it in 2011 with the release of ‘The Heart: X Edition’ in which built upon the intimacy of his solo album with a full band version of the record. In 2013 Ours released Ballet The Boxer, a re-inspired and resurgent self-produced release. This album builds upon the moody, soulful and epic sound captured on Mercy but with a greater sense of purpose that expands on the emotional state of previous releases.

Ours is a band that deserves to be bigger than they are. Jimmy Gnecco has a real knack for creating music with meaning and purpose. His voice is unmistakable and chilling. Give Distorted Lullabies and Mercy a listen and you’ll hear exactly what I mean.