Backstage Past

As I was growing up in the sixties, I tended to listen to "underground" music (read as "Not your average pop radio music"--FM radio was GREAT then, with new and daring DJ's willing to play their own record collections and tell you a bit about the bands--it was like visiting a friend in their home [or yours]). I bought LP's based on what these guys shared with me. I even bought LP's (for you youngsters, that is vinyl) without ever hearing the acts first. GASP! Unheard of! And yet I was seldom disappointed, because I had a nearly fool-proof system.

I knew that the average pop bands on the radio did not write their own music and lyrics, but had talented writers doing that for them. This gave jobs to the A&R men (artists and repertoire). Today it is different. Almost everyone thinks they can write something worth listening to. Few of them are right, but that is not the issue. Back in the day, my system was to check two things: (1) How long were the songs on the LP and (2) who wrote them. Yes, it was that simple. And lest you think me simple-minded for doing it that way, let me explain.

My reasoning went thus: If the songs were much more than the average 1 minute and 50 seconds to 2 and 1/2 minutes (yes, formula songs were that long--and you thought the MTV generation were the only ones with short attention spans), then I took them as being possibly a bit more inventive--had to be, if they were to keep from being boring and repetitive. Then I checked to see if the guys in the band had actually had a hand in writing the songs they performed. If so, they likely had put some heart and thought into the work. What I got were LP's with songs of 4-1/2 minutes up to 17 minutes (remember Iron Butterfly's Inna Gadda Da Vida?) This was in the day before Fleetwood Mac were known by any but a privileged few that knew how great they were (ahhhh....Peter Green....) and Pink Floyd and Mountain were concert venue only--no radio play.

As I said, I was seldom disappointed in my purchases at that time. That was in a day when the bands were not Xerox copies of other bands ("...sounds like....who sounds like...who sound even more like...."). Bands like Ultimate Spinach, Blue Cheer, Clear Light, Small Faces and others were wonders to Behold and See. Humble Pie, Gypsy (fabulous and polished in their melodic guitar and vocal work), Fevertree, The Flock (still love Dinosaur Swamps LP), the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Uriah Heep and Jethro Tull, Cold Blood, Free, Yes, Kansas, Genesis, Traffic, Air and others knew what uniqueness and being faithful to their own sound was like. They never sold their dignity for money, but still managed to sell out to large crowds. Many went on to become legends and many morphed into the pop bands they despised back then. The Beatles are still music pioneers, heros and geniuses, no matter what you may think of them. Black Sabbath's first LP was unlike anything we had ever heard--they created a whole new genre of rock.

Some of my all-time faves at the time were Glass Harp (with phenomenal guitar virtuoso Phil Keaggy--named by Jimi Hendrix (another obvious fave) to be the greatest guitarist in the world), the James Gang (Joe Walsh in his more serious and productive years) and Ethos, from Ft. Wayne, IN. I liked Ethos better in concert than on their LP's. The studio robbed them of the excitement they bore live. I learned to record live concerts by following them with my equipment. I wanted to play guitar like Will Sharpe did. I loved another local band called Hun and never got to see them more than once in a battle of the bands where the stuffed-shirt judges should have awarded the winning position to them (I played against them in that contest, so I know what I am saying). Another fave was a local Indiana band called Crazed Pork. They did a lot of Blood Rock covers. I loved Blood Rock and these guys had it down to the vocals as well! Monkey Butter (I didn't make that up) did a lot of Grand Funk covers very well (not your pop radio Grand Funk, either). Grand Funk in concert was amazing!

Am I sad for the youngsters who are missing so much with all the copy machine CD crap that is being sold to them as music today? Well, there is a LOT of crap music out there, but I have to admit that there are a lot of good acts, as well; but their recordings are over-produced, over-processed and over-compressed (I am an audio engineer and many of the best in the business say this, as well--it happens because producers demand it, not the consumers). And with the advent of earbuds and MP3's, the kids today have no idea what good fidelity sounds like and what dynamic range is. I will take old-fashioned vinyl over standard CD's any day of the week. Now, SACD's (super audio compact disc) are a different story. These recordings would leave kids with their mouths open in amazement. Even our 20%-deaf high school kids (a real statistic) would notice a huge difference. Get an SACD of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon (still in the top 100 best sellers today--a credit to their skills and the engineering of their studio). Listen to this in 5.1 surround and tell me you still want to pay the exact same amount for a lousy 16 bit disc sampled at 44.1 Khz. You are being robbed! You will gladly pay the measly $100 needed to buy the SACD player and listen to such music again and again. And your demand will change an industry! Your ears will be delighted and thank you profusely for your act of courage and wisdom.

And while you are at it, try some old vinyl--perhaps a taste of "The World's Smallest Orchestra" (A.K.A. The Moody Blues). And, while we are in the color mode, try some Blues Magoos for an intimate lesson in psychedelic history. Have fun and happy listening.

Houston, we have liftoff! Adriel O'Dell is on fire!

A Fire-breathing Breath of Fresh Air—A Review of the Music of Adriel

If you have never experienced the music of Adriel, you are in for a real treat. I have to warn you that Adriel’s music is dangerously addictive. I found myself listening over and over and still do. I already know that I will be a fan for life. The demo CD of this young man from Washington State shows a range and versatility that is usually lacking in much of today’s rock. The spectrum of feelings and emotions he evokes and his evident mastery of lyrics are refreshing. One moment you are experiencing an extremely wild musical chase, being lovingly pounded with exotic phrases or instruments that you never thought could fit into rock music. The next, you are disturbed that you have been so accurately pegged by the lyrics and are deeply moved by words that strangely seem to be your own. This young man is already writing classics, I assure you. He strives to intentionally evoke emotion in his listeners. This is no ordinary rock. This is Adriel’s rock. He has managed to blaze a trail, open up new territories and stake his claims far ahead of others.

From the first note to the last, the songs captivate you in a way that few of today’s radio hits do. Adriel’s approach is totally different, completely unique. Ethnic influences, unusual instruments, strange blends of wording, phrasing and scales, etc.—all adding up to songs that grab you and don’t let go—ever. His lyrics seem beyond his years and experience, but they manage to be quite poignant and touch a wide spectrum of listener ages. The songs speak for themselves. Though it is of course my purpose to write a review, these songs are of such quality that no one need speak for them—not even me.

What Went Wrong

Like a giant metallic gong, this song literally explodes with a surprising ferocity that astounds and delights. Both the unleashed guitar fury and the seemingly understated, but powerfully sharp political commentary of the lyrics hit you like a sledgehammer, but with great skill and finesse.

Musically, imagine a body slam. This full frontal sonic assault somehow manages to make you a more-than-willing victim, coming back repeatedly to be bulldozed again and again. His use of oriental scales is intriguing in this exotic rock masterpiece. East meets Best in what must be the shortest five minutes in rock history. The subtleties and detailing of Mike Stone’s hand percussion and Jeremy Lightfoot’s bass set the instrumental bridge in this song apart from any I have ever heard. Kudos to these gentlemen, as well.

Lyrically, I am somewhat shocked that such apparently “stripped down” wording can be so bluntly effective, as in this example: Laws founded on truth—now fiction to our youth. No hope that it can be saved. Or this one—Freed with the muzzle of a gun—now enslaved with a pen. What went wrong? No pablum-soft, namby-pamby phrases here. Adriel knows what he wants to say and he goes directly after it via the shortest route. Overall, this is a high-pressure atomic blast that I intend to hear again and again.

• Think: being inside Big Ben at the critical moment.


• Think: a million angry bees flying in perfect formation.


• Think: a mega-dose of adrenaline-infused aural caffeine.


• Think outside the box—this is Adriel.

The Beast (Within)

Ominous, brooding and threatening, yet immediately identifiable to the average man, who may even see himself in it. A strange whirling blend, drawing visions of mental imbalance trying desperately to mesh gears and right itself, but narrowly missing with each attempt.

The odd guitar patterns set an almost evil feel, right from the start, and lyrics like these reinforce the effect of dark corners: His intentions are made clear. On my fear he intends to feast.

Adriel again employs odd-sounding scales and breaks away from the “conventional wisdom” with his lyrical style. Each successive verse becomes less structured and less rhyming, yet the listener finds this unusually appealing and strangely natural. The interplay of layered guitar tracks only seem to be in complete cooperation, but the tension created in this song is surprising in that it makes you like it, rather than making you uncomfortable. Again, Mike Stone and Jeremy Lightfoot provide admirable support. Worth many joyous replays.


Time

This piece sneaks up on you and lulls you at first with a false sense of calm and security in the opening strains, then draws you into its masterful and spellbinding lyrics, reinforced by the haunting atmosphere created in Lori Goldston’s cello phrases, which resonate in your heart and mind for hours afterward. The feelings provoked by this piece will be of a quite personal nature, but if you are left untouched then you have no heart at all. Note that Lori has been featured on recordings with Nirvana, Bush, Nancy Wilson, Presidents of the United States of America and numerous soundtracks. This song is an instant classic and Lori’s contribution is as memorable as it is beautiful.

Again, think outside the box as you listen. All hype aside, I believe Adriel is here to stay and, after hearing these demo “teasers”, I am extremely anxious to see what a full-length CD will bring. The wait will certainly be worth it. My recommendation: Turn it on, turn it up—loud—and enjoy.

For bio information and streaming song samples from his demo CD, go to talentmatch.com/adrielodell and click the ‘media’ link button.

UPDATE: Talentmatch.com has been blocked by Google as an attack site for malicious software. You may check out his music at http://broadjam.com/artists/songs.php?artistID=24973&mediaID=186232 (where he rated #1 in the hard rock category for What Went Wrong) and at myspace.com/adrielodell, where he has posted all of his demo CD for your considerable enjoyment.


Steven Gregory
Independent reviewer

Great Music--in the studio

In early September I had the opportunity to be with my oldest son, Adriel, in the studio (Chroma Sound in Seattle). He was there to record demo tracks for a CD and I was in 7th heaven as I saw the process and heard the results. First of all, it is a lot of fun, but it is also a lot of work. Several days were spent in getting three songs exactly as he wanted to get them. His style is an eclectic approach to Rock, utilizing ethnic and experimental influences, themes and scales. He may inject flamenco at one moment or middle eastern at another. The results are somewhat astonishing at times. Definitely unique. You can listen at talentmatch.com/adrielodell. Click the "media" button and it will stream in high quality, if you have the bandwidth to do so.

I need to mention here that engineer Brad Zeffren was amazing in his ability to record and mix the tracks. His suggestions were poignant and right on the nose. I recommend him in a heartbeat to anyone wanting to record. I also recommend highly the other musicians Adriel hired to play the instruments that he was not able to or chose not to--Mike Stone on drums and hand percussion, Jeremy Lightfoot on bass and Lori Goldston on cello. Mike was an animal on the drums! Wow! And the hand percussion was great--first time he had played a dumbek and he did an admirable job. Jeremy was impressive on his bass, adding bends and detunes that created subtle , but powerful atmosphere that certainly made the songs more fun. Lori has played on the Nirvana (live and unplugged in New York CD), as well as for others like the Presidents of the United States of America, Ann Wilson (of Heart and Lovemongers), Bush and others, including various soundtracks. She knocked these tracks out in record time. Amazing! Her contribution to the track "Time" is very moving. In short, these three are to be admired and applauded for their accomplishments--not one moment's hesitation in recommending them.

Adriel impressed me because he knew just what he wanted and there was very little wasted time. Preparation was needed to do charts for the other musicians, etc., but that went fairly quickly, well in hand by the very able Brad Zeffren.

It was fascinating to be there throughout the whole process--recording, mastering and replication, etc. The end result has been very gratifying, as well. Give a listen to his solo project and see what you think. Talentmatch.com/adrielodell. Click the "media" button.

Bragging on my sons--my most fave music.

http://artists.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Jainism_/ Check out Classical, Beast and Let Go. These are songs written by my oldest son, Adriel O'Dell. He is the one doing the solid rhythm guitar lines and the finger-picking. The demo is not as good as what they paid for, but will give you an idea. Adriel will be going into the studio again in the near future, solo, to do his own project and this time with a professional engineer.

My son Trevor is also a very talented musician in his own right--particularly in the realm of composing. his work leaves you saying, "this is suited for film." I can't wait to get a good recording of it all.

The Greatest Music You Never Heard

Yeah, I know the idea is weird, but it may have occurred to you, too, that there is a lot of awesome music out there that has yet to be appreciated by the common folk in general. I want to change that. This site will help to make a difference, I hope. I want to cover two areas--old music that is still modern and powerful and absolutely new music that deserves to be heard. Some of the first genre may be such things as a band from the sixties that escaped the teens of today. The second genre may be music of today that has yet to be heard by yesterdays teens, if you catch my drift--I listen to a lot of what my kids do and they listen to a lot of what I grew up on. Let me say here that the music does not have to be Rock, either. Some of my faves are what one would call Classical and Modern pieces--from Bach to Stravinsky. I also like foreign bands such as Lacuna Coil, from Italy, Gathering, from Netherlands and others. And, some of my VERY favorite music is written by my sons. So, if you have suggestions to make or want to have your own compositions heard, let's talk, shall we? Together we may change the way music is heard.