There's plenty more where that came from...

Artist: The Verve Pipe
Album: Villains
Released: March 25, 1996

I mentioned in an earlier post that Gin Blossoms might be one of the past generation's most underrated bands.  I still find that to be the case, but I also find it to be true of Michigan's very own, The Verve Pipe.  In fact, I am honestly amazed at how little attention they receive.  If you're a fan of music from this era, you've probably heard their big hit single "The Freshman" many times, but for many that seems to be the extent of their knowledge of The Verve Pipe.  And that's a shame... true, "The Freshman" is a good song, but not only is it just one of many, but I don't think it's even close to being their best track.

When discussing Gin Blossoms, I suggested that perhaps they were overshadowed because they offered a more down-to-earth, radio-friendly sound at a time in which many bands were trying to be outlandish, each trying to be more groundbreaking and "different" than the other.  But that era came to an end almost as quickly as it arrived, and rock moved a little closer towards the mainstream.  Villains, The Verve Pipe's first major label album, seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle while many other bands were trying to capitalize on the post-grunge craze.  It's true that their song writing abilities many not have been quite as polished as those of other post-grunge bands that achieved greater success in the mid-1990s, and they certainly didn't do much in terms of sound to distinguish themselves from everyone else.

But just because we look back now on The Verve Pipe as just another late 1990s/early 2000s post-grunge band, that doesn't mean that there aren't some really enjoyable tracks on this album.  I have seen a few people compare them to the alternative/jangle/folk rock stylings of R.E.M.  I can see that comparison being valid, though The Verve Pipe's sound is probably a little more down-to-earth and mellow, "updated" for the mid-to-late 1990s.  Many R.E.M. songs are laid back and fun to listen to; that's not as often the case with The Verve Pipe.

"The Freshman" is an obvious example of that, as it is about the difficulty of going through an abortion.  This song was on the radio constantly when I was about 12, and even to this day, the fact that it has been played so much still makes it, in a way, difficult to listen to.  Only in the past couple of years, as I have moved away from listening to the radio virtually completely, have I been able to appreciate this song again.  I guess we could place this song in the "so overrated, it's underrated" category.  "The Freshman" and "Photograph", the latter being the other main hit from this album, are curiously placed right in the middle.  "Photograph" was actually their first radio hit, and in some ways I actually like it more than "The Freshman".

This album, at least the first half, is different from so many other albums in that it slowly picks up steam as it moves along.  "Barely (if at all)" is an uninspiring way to start the album; it's a decent song, but it doesn't really give the listener a good idea of what the rest of the album will bring.  "Drive You Mild" is more laid back and much easier to listen to, as is "Villains", which picks up in intensity as it progresses.  The album peaks with tracks 4 & 5.  "Reverend Girl" is my favorite; it's the most enjoyable and one of the most well-written songs on the album.  "Cup of Tea" and "Myself" aren't far behind; they're a little more intense, but still very enjoyable.

If you've listened to "The Freshman" and "Photograph" (or even just the former) a lot on the radio, it might seem as if the album loses the great flow it had going once you get to these tracks.  After these two, "Ominous Man" sets the tone for the rest of the album; it's a very pleasant song to listen to and also a lot calmer than the first half of the album.  "Real" is the one exception to this; even though it's nearly two minutes long, it almost serves as an interlude.  "Penny is Poison" is similar to "Ominous Man", though I prefer the latter.  "Cattle" is probably my least favorite; it's not bad, but like "Barely (if at all)", it doesn't quite draw me all the way in.  "Veneer" is a good way to end, though it's a little drawn out.

To summarize, Villains is a really good album, despite the few minor issues I brought up.  However, I've found that it's not the type of album I can just pop in and let play when I want something that's upbeat and easy to listen to.  It takes some serious effort to listen all the way through, more so than many other rock albums.  It's too bad that it has basically been ignored; hopefully over time more rock listeners will discover it.

Track #, Name of Song, Duration, My Rating

1. Barely (if at all) (3:46) - 8/10
2. Drive You Mild (3:02) - 9/10
3. Villains (4:42) - 9/10
4. Reverend Girl (4:28) - 10/10
5. Cup of Tea (4:27) - 10/10
6. Myself (4:48) - 9/10
7. The Freshman (4:29) - 9/10
8. Photograph (4:56) - 10/10
9. Ominous Man (4:21) - 9/10
10. Real (1:53) - 8/10
11. Penny is Poison (3:29) - 8/10
12. Cattle (3:45) - 7/10
13. Veneer (5:34) - 8/10

You better start doing it right...

Artist: Genesis
Album: A Trick of the Tail
Released: February 20, 1976

This is my first blog post on Genesis, and I plan on writing several more in the future.  My take on Genesis will probably be different from that of the majority of fans.  The British band has enjoyed a long run of success, and while it might be a bit of a generalization, their music can more or less be divided into three eras: the Peter Gabriel era of the late 1960s and early 1970s, in which the band was known for their progressive, non-traditional rock, characterized by longer tracks, quasi-intellectual lyrics, and lack of hooks and memorable riffs; the period from roughly 1976 to 1985, when Phil Collins replaced Gabriel as lead singer and the band began a very slow, complicated movement towards mainstream pop/rock; and the era from 1986 forward, when that transition was complete.

While a lot of Genesis fans like music from their entire career, most fans seem to strongly prefer either the first or the third era.  I seem to be one of the few people whose favorite is the second era, as their music from around this time seems to either be frowned upon or forgotten altogether.  Fans of the older stuff often don't like that they were moving away from their progressive sound, while fans of the newer stuff often can't quite get into it.  What I like about that transitional era is that it tends to combine elements of both the first and third eras, and while the band at times sounded lost or confused about their direction, it nonetheless made for some good and interesting music.

A Trick of the Tail, the first Genesis album with Phil Collins in the lead, is a great example of what late 1970s & early 1980s Genesis was all about.  The songs are still longer and well-developed; only one of the eight tracks is shorter than 5:52.  If fans were wondering what post-Gabriel Genesis would be like, the answer came quickly with the first track, "Dance on a Volcano", which also happens to be my favorite.  It beautifully combines catchy riffs with several changes in tone, thus creating a six-minute song that isn't at all repetitive.  These same characteristics are also found in "Squonk", which is a close second on my list of favorites, though overall it's a little slower-paced and not quite as intense.  Some fans have claimed that they sound a lot like Led Zeppelin on this track, and I would have to agree.  At the same time, the song retains the whimsical nature of past Genesis tracks, as it's about a mythical creature from Pennsylvania.

Though the album starts off with a bang with "Dance on a Volcano", that song is not representative of everything else on the album.  There certainly is variety, as the band moves back and forth between their older and their newer sound, sometimes in the same track.  "A Trick of the Tail" is a catchy song, while "Entangled" is an interesting yet somewhat solemn track.  I also like the instrumental "Los Endos", which features a reprisal of the riffs from both "Dance on a Volcano" and "Squonk".  "Robbery, Assault and Battery" is a more light-hearted, almost comical, song that is fun to listen to and provides a nice break from some of the other tracks, though it is a little drawn out and at times comes close to slipping into disco.  The old Genesis sound is most apparent in "Mad Man Moon" and "Ripples".  The latter is probably my least favorite track, as it isn't quite clear what type of sound they are going for here.  "Mad Man Moon" is a little more interesting, especially as it transitions a few different times; I certainly like the instrumental middle part.

If you are a brand new listener to Genesis, I wouldn't necessarily advise against listening to this album first, though it's probably going to sound a little confusing.  If you're a mainstream music fan, I'd recommend Invisible Touch or Genesis first.  You might even find some of their early stuff to be interesting.  In any case, though they are clearly in transition and searching for direction at this time, A Trick of the Tail is a really solid first effort by the Phil Collins-led Genesis, and over time I have come to appreciate it all the more.

Track #, Name of Song, Duration, My Rating

1. Dance on a Volcano (5:58) - 10/10
2. Entangled (6:27) - 9/10
3. Squonk (6:30) - 10/10
4. Mad Man Moon (7:35) - 8/10
5. Robbery, Assault and Battery (6:18) - 8/10
6. Ripples (8:05) - 7/10
7. A Trick of the Tail (4:35) - 9/10
8. Los Endos (5:52) - 9/10