Regina Spektor: Soviet Kitsch

I know it's hard to believe, but I heart Regina Spektor.

Regina's last indie release (which was later re-released on her Major Label) is a schizophrenic romp through the musical genius that is Ms. Spektor. It seems to bridge her brave and creative anti-folk beginnings and her pop-rock endeavours of the present and future, as heard on Begin to Hope.

The beautiful Kitsch is heavily piano-driven pop/rock/folk/anti-folk album with a lot of character and spunk, filled with the charm that is Regina Spektor and the staying power of most any Zep album.

Poor Little Rich Boy plays on the starkness of the instruments, with just a quieted piano and two drum sticks banging on a table, exquisite; Us is, perhaps, your top 40 pop track of the album, with an upbeat tune and lyrics; Sailor Song is a favourite simply for the chorus lyrics of "Mary ann's a bitch," and either you get the joke, or you don't; And the album finishes with Somdays, which is beautiful, sad, and yet up-lifting, ending the album on this bittersweet note.

In the end: Many people enjoy this album more than Begin to Hope, and they have every right to. It's more imaginative and inventive. If you enjoyed Hope, you'll most likely love Soviet.

On the Web: The Hype Machine helps people help themselves. If you can find the remix of Us on there, it's worth the download.

Technorati Tagged: Regina Spektor | Anti-Folk | 2001

The Beatles: Love

The year was 1994. I didn't know a thing. Some would say I still don't.

My grandmother (a brisk 15 years younger than my grandfather) had suggested we all go to some special presentation at Andover High featuring this band who "imitates" the Beatles. Who the hell are the Beatles, my 14 year old mind wondered.

That night, I saw an impressive show. These four guys up there playing fun, if soft, pop tunes. I went home with stars in my eyes. Over the next year, I began gobbling up Beatles CDs, making my mother take me to Lechmere to get the Anthologies as well as any of the other albums I could find. I had to have them all.

Since then, I've collected much of their solo works, projects, etc. Word of Love came down from the "blog-o-sphere" a few months ago, and I won't deny I was a bit giddy. The thought of the Beatles Producer, George Martin, as well as his son, mixing and remixing tunes from the orginal source material seemed genius. But I was also hesitant.

That brings us to now. What the producers Martin have done is mesh 36 Beatles tunes into 25 tracks of musical bliss. The cross fades, the joiners, the edits, they are all perfect.

Love runs a full 78 minutes, with 2 "track breaks," and takes the audio from all released material. I've yet to find any audio I don't actually recognize, but with the layering of music and effects, I've not gotten through it all yet.

Saying "listen to these tracks" on a Beatles album is like picking apart a Monet. You just don't. The album works as a whole, and that is how it should be taken.

In the end: Do I need to say anything? The Beatles Love is genius in it's composition (even if it may feel a bit like a grab for cash) and respectful to the source material. Overly obsessive purists may be upset, but just about everyone else will be in Love.

And, yes, I made the joke.

On the web: The Hype Machine may be a bit hit-or-miss as everyone loves Beatles tunes, but some digging will get you some of the tracks.

Technorati Tagged: The Beatles | Remixed | Classic Rock | 2006