Crash Test Dummies

A Worm’s Life

After that smash hum-a-long hit, “Mmm Mmm Mmm” some would have thought they would never hear of Crash Test Dummies ever again.

But they have proved they can be more than just a one hit wonder with their latest release A Worm’s Life.

The opening tracks might scare off the listeners who are used to the Dummie’s usual country-western style.

For instance the song “Overachievers ” mixes in a heavy Alice In Chains like guitar riff that seems horribly out of place and even the song “My Enemies” comes off a little too pounding.

But after further inspection into the album, you come across several tracks that show the somber, beautiful side of CTD, including the unconventional love song “My Own Sunrise” and the waltzing tune, “Swatting Flies.”

As on their previous efforts, Brad Roberts’ crooning, bass vocals are the center to their artistic style, while he is nicely accompanied by the distinct harmonies of Ellen Reid.

What really grabs the listener’s attention is Roberts’ idiosyncratic lyrics that take the ordinary and mundane and turn them into elaborate and insightful stories.

Such as contemplating the spiritual side of teeth pulling in “He Liked to Feel It” and pointing out the dangers of sticking a fork in a toaster in “There Are Many Dangers.”

It’s safe to say that Crash Test Dummies are clever and bewildering musicians, but dummies they certainly are not.

—Brendan Greiner

Nirvana

From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah

The long awaited live Nirvana record, From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah, holds up to the huge expectations passed on to it as the sequel to the Unplugged In New York disc.

While Unplugged flirted with the lighter side of Nirvana, Muddy Banks was originally created to capture their true essence and it does. The new record is a perfect compliment to Unplugged, in fact, only one track made both discs, “Polly,” and it’s hardly the same song.

The aggressive vocal and guitar approach that separates Nirvana from other bands is vastly portrayed on Muddy Banks, but the genius behind the album is when the recordings were done.

Most of the tracks were recorded in 1991 or sooner, before Nevermind had taken off. Cobain’s song writing may have improved from this point, but his love for the stage was never the same.

From song to song, Cobain’s excitement can be heard, not only through his words, but in the feel of the guitar behind them.

The two years Nirvana members Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl spent choosing the songs for Muddy Banks was time well spent.

Versions of radio friendly tunes such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Heart Shaped Box” are spiced up just enough to make them different, but left alone to where you can bang your head to the familiarity.

The hardest punch of the record is the one-two-three combo of “Lithium,” “Sliver” and “Spank Thru.” Each of the tracks express a different Cobain, most interestingly on “Spank Thru,” which seems to root a little bit from the Doors’ “Gloria.”

“Tourette’s,” which was taken from The Reading Festival in England and was added to the end of the show for fun, adds a cool feel of “Nirvana encore” to the record.

The sound quality is perfect. The songs blend together like a dream concert.

And so the Kurt Cobain tribute set is complete, placing Nirvana in the books and ending their awesome recording career. As Novoselic says in the liner notes, “Crank this record up and realize the bliss, power and passion … TOTAL NIRVANA!”

—Corey Moss

Tool

AEnima

Tool continue to do what they do best, the layering of Maynard James Keenan’s vocals behind heavy mystic sounds, on their follow up to Undertow, AEnima.

Keenan rarely sings before the one minute mark on each song, leaving plenty of room for guitar and drum work to bring you into the song. Once Keenan gets going with his clear and precise lyrics, the band’s strong musicianship plays a low-key role in any further development.

The change-ups on AEnima are complimentary from song to song, while the mood within each track generally rocks back and forth between gentle and forceful.

“Useful Idiot” and “Message To Harry Manback” are among the tracks that serve as turnover noise to develop the feel of the upcoming track or tracks.

At first these noise interludes seem annoying, but by the time the next song enters it’s core, the point is clear.

A perfect example is “Intermission” leading into “Jimmy,” the childish sounds of a carnival interrupted by Keenan’s plead for understanding.

The biggest surprise of AEnima is “Die Eier Von Satan,” the band’s first exploratory industrial effort. The German conversation in the background of the song bleeds with fear, as it is cheered on by a large crowd.

AEnima is right on the same level as Undertow. The babies crying on “Cesaro Summability” is a bit too much for me, but in most ways, their psychotic influences are not as obvious. The sound they have developed is perfected to some degree, but it is rarely explored further.

***1/2

—Corey Moss

Weezer

Pinkerton

Peter Brady on amphetamines. That’s the sound of Weezer’s new album Pinkerton.

Ten new songs and a testosterone filled driving guitar still can’t mask the fact these guys sound like a pre-teen garage band playing their first junior high dance.

In it, lyricist Rivers Cuomo recounts the past two years of his “love life” with simple, straight forward storytelling.

Too bad his love life wasn’t very exciting. In fact, it must have been pretty pathetic. At least guitarist Brian Bell had a good time with the music.

The uncomplicated lyrics are blended in with mismatched harmonies and juxtaposing sounds. Gone are the hummable tunes like “Buddy Holly” and the days of your favorite geek boys hanging with Richie and The Fonz.

Instead, you find yourself trapped in the dark world of “Butterfly” (“I’m a dog and you’re a bitch) and confusion in “Pink Triangle” which Cuomo labels tribute to a “shadier portion of my masculine side.”

What does carry over from their self-titled debut are the three chord riffs and falsetto sounds. “Why bother?” is an example of the former, so metered you could waltz to it.

The gem of the disc is “el Scorcho.” The ode to a woman who screws the singer over is definitely good drunken bar room material. Even rhythmically challenged people can swing a mug to this tune.

Perhaps victims of the sophomore curse, Weezer fall short of the expectations many had for the fun loving foursome. But they don’t hit rock bottom.

Let’s all hope Cuomo gets some lovin’ so maybe their third effort will resemble the Weezer we’ve come to love.

— Kris Fettkether