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Colt ” rides a paranoid , funky swagger that has been the band ’ s calling card ever since they were one of the only grunge bands to cover Motown songs back in the early 90s . Imagine The Talking Heads if they owed a large debt to the mob . The pacing of the album is one of its strong suits . Like a great Scorsese film , one thing leads perfectly into the other , giving it a cinematic feel that reflects the fact that Dulli albums usually state “ shot on location in ” instead of “ recorded at ” in the liner notes . There ’ s plenty to love here , from the Westerbergmeets-quiet storm balladry of “ Please Baby Please ” to the disorienting tremolo rush of “ A Line Of Shots .” While many of these flavors are familiar for fans of Greg Dulli , the album might be the best full-length set he has released since 2006 ’ s high water mark Powder Burns by his side project , The Twilight Singers , and is highly recommended to even a casual Dulli fan .
- Andy Derer
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PINK FLOYD Animals 2018 Remix
( Pink Floyd / Sony )
Pink Floyd released four consecutive classics between 1973 and 1979 , including 1973 ’ s The Dark Side of the Moon , 1975 ’ s Wish You Were Here , 1977 ’ s Animals , and 1979 ’ s The Wall . The public at large tends to hold Dark Side as the band ’ s crowning achievement , but among hardcore fans , the debate often pivots between ** Wish You Were Here and Animals . 45 years after its original release , Animals is offered for fresh evaluation in a respectful and often revealing new mix . The retooling was performed by engineer James Guthrie not long after his involvement in Pink Floyd ’ s 2016 remastering campaign . No parts are added or subtracted , but the adjustments in balance allow elements obscured in the familiar mix to be more clearly heard . After a few years spent hashing out details between Roger Waters and David Gilmour that resulted in the elimination of a new essay from the liner notes , the remix is now available . Available formats include CD , a 180-gram vinyl LP , a Blu ra disc and a deluxe box containing all of those formats plus DVD . This review is based on access to the LP and Blu-ray media , with a comparison to the 2016 remaster . Drawing influence from George Orwell ’ s novel Animal Farm , Waters ’ narrative reflects a troubling view of faltering British society in the late ‘ 70s that remains equally relevant at home and abroad . As identified in the song titles , people are divided into three classes represented by pigs , dogs , and sheep . The pigs represent those in power . The dogs are the enforcers and those who would abuse their neighbors . The sheep do what they ’ re told for the ultimate benefit of the pigs . In 2017 , Waters repurposed Animals as the centerpiece of his Us + Them tour , which directed scathing condemnation toward the White House . The album is bookended with Waters ’ solo acoustic “ Pigs on the Wing ” pieces . Part 1 introduces the album in a worried frame of mind , and Part 2 closes the album with a sense of peace and hope . Guthrie ’ s remix removes layers of reverb and renders the simple arrangements as more conversational and intimate . In addition to its potent theme , Animals is notable for spirited and sizzling guitar work by Gilmour , which still sings in Guthrie ’ s remix even when not flying as far ahead as the other rebalanced instruments . Although Gilmour notches only one writing credit on Animals , his expansive “ Dogs ” occupies the bulk of the album ’ s first side . Gilmour ’ s lone lead vocal for the album also appears here , and he makes the most of it with an expressive and emotive performance . Guthrie enhances the dramatic delay , and vocal effects mid-song as Gilmour pointedly suggests that his antagonist should “ have a good drown as you go down all alone , dragged down by the stone .” Richard Wright ’ s sinewy synthesizer leads are brought forward in the remix and settled into beds of a shimmering cathedral organ . Nick Mason ’ s drumming also has renewed resonance and presence . Wright ’ s spacious synthesizer interlude during “ Dogs ” revisits tones from “ Welcome to the Machine ,” enhanced by dogs barking through a vocoder . The song had its origin as “ You Gotta Be Crazy ,” which was performed as early as 1974 . Although considered for Wish You Were Here ; it was deemed a poor fit for that album ’ s theme of absence dedicated to mentally ill Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett . Based on bluesy funk , “ Pigs ( Three Different Ones )” was a close cousin to “ Have a Cigar ” from Wish You Were Here . Waters ’ venomous lyric castigates two unknown characters before naming British conservative activist and morality crusader Mary Whitehouse as a “ house proud town mouse .” Wright ’ s carnivalesque but mournful keyboards are featured in a duet with Waters ’ chorused bass during the intro , but his acoustic piano sits lower in the song ’ s bridges . The rhythm section of Waters and Mason have a bigger punch in the new mix , giving the song more weight and swagger . Gilmour ’ s snarling guitar still bites . The most noticeable difference is the presence and sound of Waters ’ voice , which is boostd d i lt d i t t t
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