Monday Music Monkey Review

Damien Rice - O Hello my bitches, today I am reviewing the one and only - Damien Rice and his kick ass album "O". This would have to be one of the most incredibly beautiful albums ever released. It was released in 2002 and as it is Christmas time I thought I would visit this great album again. An album of this calibre will never age, it will be timeless. so let's get into it shall we? The album kicks off with the track "Delicate" the song starts slowly with the strings and his awesome voice and some great acoustic guitar a perfect start to an album. It really picks up with the next song "Volcano" it cuts straight into a string arrangement and some amazing vocals from one Lisa Hannigan and when she sings the second stanza her voice is like liquid silk, so smooth and smouldering, pure aural heaven this song.  The next track is “The Blower’s Daughter”, it starts with Rice's voice and this song builds, both in musical and vocal intensity that when he sings the lyrics “Can’t take my eyes off of you”. your hooked immediately and when Lisa Hannigan sings with her oh so hauntingly beautiful voice makes this a tremendous song and an ageless classic, this will be around when I am old and grey. True musical genius! We then move onto "Cannonball" with it's gorgeous guitar start and hauntingly beautiful music and lyrics it is another absolute gem of a song, so simple, so refined and so genuine. "Older Chests" is the next track and is one of my favourites I love the acoustic guitar intro I love the lyrics and I love the music. The next track is "Amie" from it's building string arrangement, it's stirring lyrics and music that sounds so heavenly, it is a killer track on the album. I especially love the strings towards the end of the song, very cinematic.  The next track is "Cheers Darlin" with it's so cool 1920's Jazz bar feel, with the clinking glasses as percussion, this song is so smooth and so cool and I love Rice's voice on this song, it sounds so pained it feels so genuine. The next track is "Cold Water" a slow ballad that cranks when Lisa Hannigan voice kicks in and takes it to a whole new level, just kick-ass. "I Remember" is the next track and with Lisa Hannigan singing at the start you realise you are in for a treat, what a song and true duet with shades of a haunting Gaelic anthem, truly mesmerising. We then move onto the last track "Eskimo" which starts so slow and almost operatic when the Inuit kicks in the whole song becomes a completely different song, kudos for being so adventurous and daring, truly inspiring! As far as debut albums go, this is the bomb, so genuine, so cool and still after all this time it sounds good, I urge you to go out and get this album and for this week only I am giving it 5 egg-nogs out of 5, that's how seriously cool this album is. Get out and get it with your Christmas money! Merry Christmas and until next week Peace out my Bitches!

Monday Music Monkey Review

Led Zeppelin IV Hello my bitches, today I am reviewing the GODS of rock, the one, the only Led Zeppelin and the legendary IV album. This is what musical gods at their finest sound like! First released in 1971 it has been come an absolute classic as great today as it was back in '71 and that is the true testament of a great band and album, it has stood the test of time and smashed it! So let's get into it shall we? The album opens with the song "Black Dog" and the iconic opening verse; `Hey, Hey Mama, said the way you move, Gonna make You sweat Gonna make You groove, My, My Child when You shake that thing, Gonna make you burn, Gonna make You sting.`... What a song, Robert Plant's voice, the guitar riffs from Jimmy Plant and the awesome drumming from John Bonham make this song spectacular and it is easy to see why they are one of the greatest Rock 'n Roll bands of all time, what a cracker start to the album. We then move onto the song "Rock and Roll" another pure fucking awesome song from the amazing drum intro to that kick ass guitar riff, this song smash through your speakers and doesn't let up for the duration. I prefer to play this a full volume to really appreciate just how good this song is and the drumming from Bonham is pure talent. This is followed up by the song 'The Battle of Evermore' a folksy ballad with an amazing mandolin intro and the hauntingly beautiful voice of Plant, it is the perfect song to follow the previous songs, such is the talent of Led Zeppelin. Their next song and arguable their most famous song 'Stairway to Heaven' a slow start to the song that just builds and builds to a thunderous end, the way they have crafted this song to absolutely be one of the greatest songs ever written, the lyrics are eerily beautiful, the music is so pure and it really paints the picture for the lyrics, the voice is sublime, the musician ship unequalled. I, Herbie, hear by state that this would have to be one of the greatest if not the greatest song ever written! The next track is 'Misty Mountain Hop' another classic song. this is one of my favourite rock and roll songs. From Jimmy Pages catchy riff, to the the vocals of Robert Plant, I love this song. The next song 'Four Sticks' is a really cool song. It seems a lot funkier than the other songs on the album but it it is still an awesome song, turn it up to fully appreciate it! When then move onto 'Going to California' the slowest song on the album and another folk ballad, the mandolin, the acoustic guitar, it is like poetry with music. What a fantastic song and another of my favourites, great song. The we move onto the epic 'When The Levee Breaks' - a great bluesy song and a great way to end the album. I love this song, I crank it up and rock out with my cock out to this song! One word to describe it "EPIC" As you know by now I don't give albums 5 shots of whiskey out of 5, unless they are musical perfection, and this album is. Do yourself a favour and see what good music should sound like, then go and listen to some of the crap that passes for music these days and tell me that this is not the greatest album of all time! that's it from me now I shall finish the bottle of whiskey while I listen to it again! Go get yourself a musical education and this is one album that is a must for your collection, GO BUY IT NOW! Till next week Peace out my bitches!

Monday Music Monkey Review

Lenny Kravitz - Are You Gonna Go My Way Hello my bitches I am back! Today I am reviewing a hero of mine, namely Lenny Kravitz and his killer album "Are You Gonna Go My Way" released in 1993 and his third album. I remember seeing him in concert when I was a wee little chimp and it was one of the best concerts ever especially when he put the mike down and said "I just want to hang with y'all" and I actually got to shake his hand - seriously cool musician!  Let's get into it shall we? The album kicks off in blistering style with the title track 'Are You Gonna Go My Way' which features Lenny's amazing guitar work, the pace of the song is fast and furious and I especially love the way he say's the line "What I really want to know is..." just before he amps it up and say's the chorus line "Are You Gonna Go My Way". One smokin' hot song with a real hard rock/metal energy. We move onto the next song "Believe" which is a slower song and has a real orchestral sound to it. I especially love the the indian vibe this song gives of, it also gives you a chance to catch your breath after the first song. we then move onto the song "Come on and Love Me": The drum beat is incredible and when the bass and guitar kick in (the riff is amazing) It is one hell of a song, so retro yet so modern? "Heaven Help" is the next track and it features piano and is a really catchy song, it seems to just grow on you, it has a cool sitting in a smoky bar vibe that I totally love, it is one of the standout songs on the album and his voice is just pure bliss. A song written from the heart with so much soul. The next song is "Just Be a Woman" which feature acoustic guitar work second to none, the music is first class and shows Lenny's versatility as a musician and artist, slower song done amazingly well, the lyrics are kick ass. When then move onto the next track "Is There Any Love in Your Heart" and Lenny is back to his rock n' roll best, the lyrics are kick ass and I love this line "You say i'm the only one, but you're fucking all my friends". Lenny's guitar work especially the guitar solo on this track is fucking awesome. One of the standout songs on the album, so cool. "Black Girl" is the next song and it has a real  R&B sound to it which he does so well, the vocals and the lyrics on this track are the first class as well as the guitar solo (man I love guitar solo's). The next song"My Love" is so retro that it becomes so modern, it is all about guitar in this song, the riff is unreal, a stripped back and bare song that kicks major ass on the album. the vocals are unreal you can really feel his emotion! The next track is "Sugar" another retro feel song with a real 1970s R&B. I love how Kravitz can make a song so retro yet it sounds so modern. A real sexy song. I love this song and is one of my favourites on the album. The next song "Sister" this song starts with acoustic guitar, quite slow in the beginning and then kicks off and features an awesome guitar solo that would rival most guitarist, the vocals are first class, this song really showcases the talent of Lenny Kravitz. One of the greatest songs on the album and one of the best. "Eleutheria" is the last track and has a real reggae feel, I am a huge fan of reggae and Lenny Kravitz, is there anything you can't do? This whole album really showcases one hell talented musician and I am giving it 5 shots of whiskey out of 5, that's how seriously cool this album is, so do yourself and your collection a favour and buy it for fuck's sake. Till next week Peace out my bitches!