{"id":11467,"date":"2016-09-19T05:30:11","date_gmt":"2016-09-19T09:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=11467"},"modified":"2016-09-20T09:36:16","modified_gmt":"2016-09-20T13:36:16","slug":"hundred-word-reviews-for-september-2016-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2016\/09\/19\/hundred-word-reviews-for-september-2016-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundred-word Reviews for September 2016, Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This week, I&#8217;m publishing 25 album reviews, each a tidy 100 words. In no particular order.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11485\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/asia_phoenix.jpg\" alt=\"asia_phoenix\" width=\"300\" height=\"267\" \/><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01BXNXCAM&amp;asins=B01BXNXCAM&amp;linkId=a9e512a31487450fe00f481ee33146f8&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Asia \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Phoenix<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nFor most listeners, Asia was a one-and-done proposition; their self-titled 1982 debut was a huge hit that spawned three Top 10 hit singles. True, their second and third albums charted and had singles, too, but nobody seems to remember them. For the most part, neither do they know that the original foursome of prog heroes gone mainstream \u2013 <b>John Wetton<\/b>, <b>Geoff Downes<\/b>, <b>Steve Howe<\/b> and <b>Carl Palmer<\/b> \u2013 released this very good reunion set in 2008. If you liked the first album, you&#8217;ll dig this solid prog-meets-pop set. The new 2CD reissue includes the American and European configurations of <i>Phoenix<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11486\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/krautzone.jpg\" alt=\"krautzone\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/krautzone.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/krautzone-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B010WDZS74&amp;asins=B010WDZS74&amp;linkId=2231dddb43b40eff8363c9871a20d029&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Krautzone \u2013 <\/b><i><b>The Complete Works<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nAs an aficionado of the subgenre known as krautrock, when I stumbled across this title in a catalog I simply had to hear it. Though escaping my notice at the time, the five-piece group (sometimes augmented by a dancer) released 2013&#8217;s <i>Komische Ritual<\/i> and one side of a two-group LP in 2014. Both were strictly limited vinyl releases. This 2CD set compiles that material for those of us who missed the vinyl releases. It&#8217;s modern-day vintage krautrock: static, droning works that \u2013 depending on your perspective \u2013 either go nowhere or are wonderfully hypnotic. The smart money&#8217;s on the latter.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11482\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/magnet_animals.jpg\" alt=\"magnet_animals\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/magnet_animals.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/magnet_animals-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01DNXLSL0&amp;asins=B01DNXLSL0&amp;linkId=38dd75e9f68741a382c4f7156ea1483a&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Magnet Animals \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Butterfly Killer<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nFor the most part, RareNoise Records specializes in avant-garde-leaning jazz artists. But this release is quite far from that aesthetic. Try to imagine a hybrid of angular art-prog and blues-rock: that&#8217;s what you&#8217;ll find on<i> Butterfly Killers<\/i>. Noisy, skronky guitars that suggest <b>Primus<\/b>, <b>Aristocrats<\/b> or even <b>Buckethead<\/b> are fronting a band that sounds a little bit like <b>Cream<\/b>, or maybe <b>Blue Cheer<\/b>. Elsewhere \u2013 as on \u201cAtayde\u201d \u2013 the band adopts a film noir-esque vibe that suggests <b>Television<\/b> at their quieter moments. They play with the precision of 80s-era <b>King Crimson<\/b>, but with a much more playful attitude. Quite intriguing.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11475\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/raptor_trail.jpg\" alt=\"raptor_trail\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/raptor_trail.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/raptor_trail-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01CGLFZTG&amp;asins=B01CGLFZTG&amp;linkId=53f2d5090421b5d2847313a36147c0c5&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>The Raptor Trail \u2013 <\/b><i><b>New World<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nPeople forget just what fertile ground the small city of Macon, Georgia has long been. The latest form that southern mini-metropilis is The Raptor Trail, but \u2013other than a bit of a drawl in the pronunciations \u2013 don&#8217;t come expecting <i>suthun rawk<\/i>: this trio leans in a progressive rock direction, one that emphasizes strong lead vocals, equally solid vocal harmonies, and catchy, hook-laden melodies. Guitar heroics abound, but it&#8217;s all done with a large does of good taste. Think of it as 70s album rock for the 21<sup>st<\/sup> century; in a just world, <i>New World<\/i> would get a wide hearing.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11476\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rainbow_1981.jpg\" alt=\"rainbow_1981\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rainbow_1981.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/rainbow_1981-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01CN5AFPE&amp;asins=B01CN5AFPE&amp;linkId=37567bba33b69b1e1587aa46913bec7d&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Rainbow \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Boston 1981<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nAfter decamping from <b>Deep Purple<\/b>, hotshot guitarist <b>Ritchie Blackmore<\/b> followed a not-wholly-dissimilar musical path by forming Rainbow with <b>Ronnie James Dio<\/b>. But by the early 1980s and the dawn of the MTV era, Dio was gone, replaced by vocalist <b>Joe Lynn Turner<\/b>. This live set dates from that period, including songs from their album <i>Difficult to Cure<\/i> (including the MTV hit \u201cCan&#8217;t Happen Here\u201d alongside Dio-era tunes like \u201cMan on the Silver Mountain.\u201d If power rock is to your taste, this slightly histrionic performance is sure to please. The set closer is a medley focusing on classic Deep Purple tunes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week, I&#8217;m publishing 25 album reviews, each a tidy 100 words. In no particular order. Asia \u2013 Phoenix For most listeners, Asia was a one-and-done proposition; their self-titled 1982 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11485,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,49,56,62,64,65],"tags":[240,2829,2830,2832,2831,1848],"class_list":["post-11467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-krautrock","category-new-release","category-prog","category-rawk","category-reissue","category-review","tag-asia","tag-krautzone","tag-magnet-animals","tag-rainbow","tag-raptor-trail","tag-ritchie-blackmore","cat-43-id","cat-49-id","cat-56-id","cat-62-id","cat-64-id","cat-65-id","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11467"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11520,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11467\/revisions\/11520"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}