13 BY BLACK SABBATH

(Note: This review refers to the deluxe edition of 13 with three bonus tracks)

I put off listening to Black Sabbath’s reunion album 13 because I assumed it would be awful.  Well, I am pleasantly surprised to report that it is not that bad!

Black Sabbath to me was the first heavy metal band in that it contained in its music all the different components of what we associate with heavy metal – Fuzzy downtuned riffs, horror movie lyrics, wailing vocals, heavy drums.

Black Sabbath was a better version of Led Zeppelin whom I never cared for that much.  Tony Iommi was a better soloist than Jimmy Page, Geezer Butler more of a thumping presence on the bass guitar, Bill Ward like John Bonham only quicker and more nimble, and Ozzy Osbourne whose voice can be a bit annoying is still nowhere near as irritating as Robert Plant.

It is Iommi who sounds the most inspired on 13.  His riffs and solos are big and aggressive and way out in front.  Osbourne sounds no different than he normally does.  Butler comes in and out of the mix.  The drums are handled by Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave.  He does a good job of mimicking Bill Ward’s style.

The best moments on 13 remind one of past Sabbath glories.  Loner, my favourite song, is a speedy barnburner like Symptom of the Universe, Supernaut, and Paranoid (which it also lyrically resembles).  The acoustic overdub freakout Zeitgeist is like an updated Planet Caravan.  The rocking Methademic brings to mind Hole in the Sky.  End of the Beginning makes me think of Iron Man or Into the Void.  Peace of Mind is similar to Killing Yourself to Live.

I have heard some criticism of Rick Rubin’s production and it is a bit too clean at times.  I would have liked the nastier, blurrier tone of earlier Sabbath records.  Still, he does get the large size of Sabbath’s music right, the depths of its heaviness.

Black Sabbath had plenty of brilliant songs but never made a great record all the way through as there was always some dumb filler present (a silly instrumental, acoustic throwaway etc).  13, at over an hour long, is no different but that is also a good thing as this very well could be a Black Sabbath album from their 70’s heyday.     

A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT THE RIDICULOUS, UNFAIR, UNPRECEDENTED TREATMENT OF DEVYANI KHOBOGRADE

A few thoughts about the unprecedented arrest of Indian Deputy General Counsel Devyani Khobograde in New York.

1.) In the past, diplomats from South America and Arab countries have been detained for the same crime involving domestic staff and their wages.  They were instructed to leave the country and were given 48 hours to do so.  This is the appropriate punishment not the overreaction that occurred – Arresting Khobograde in front of her daughter, strip searching and sexually assaulting her through cavity search then throwing her into a cell with drug addicts.

2.) The maid in question attempted to blackmail Khobograde prior to contacting the police.  Her family in India was involved in this

3.) It is customary to pay a domestic servant a chunk of money up front and then littler amounts once they follow their employer to the country where they are posted.  The USA may not like it but that is the policy of a lot of other countries beside India.

4.) Trotting out naturalized Indian American Preet Bharara, New York US Attorney, to defend this action just looks cynical and cheap and doesn’t in anyway justify this overreach.

5.) Khobograde is of the Dalit caste, traditionally the lowest caste in India, not a Brahmin, the highest caste in India, as was misreported by some news outlets.

6.) Recently, the Indian Supreme Court once again criminalized homosexuality which is something the USA objected to.  Could this be payback for that?

7.) If the USA can do something unprecedented and against protocol like this India is well within its rights to remove barricades from the front of the US embassy that slow up traffic, kick out same sex partners of embassy/consular staff ( in keeping with anti-gay supreme court decision), hold up special discounted shipments of liquor and other goodies etc.

8.) The USA owes India a huge apology.  One thing that George W Bush, an otherwise terrible president, did was wisely cement Indian relations at a time when it was important but India is not America’s poodle and they don’t have to go along with unfair treatment like this.

9.) I’d say strip search and cavity search Obama but he’d probably enjoy it too much.

THE GLOBAL INTERNATIONALIST PRESIDENCY VS. THE MILEY CYRUS PRESIDENCY

Two incidents that occurred at the Nelson Mandela memorial service the other week, one good one bad, both reflecting on President Obama.

President Obama shaking hands with Raul Castro was a good thing.  The violence done towards Cuba over the years by the United States from supporting the dictator Batista to attempting to undermine the Fidel Castro government at every step to actual acts of terrorism against that government is disgusting and criminal and relations should have been normalized a long time ago so that was a step in the right direction much like Obama’s handshake with Hugo Chavez after taking office.

Even though Obama has been a complete disappointment in the areas of foreign affairs and human rights what with the continuation of neo conservative policies like drone strikes and other war on terror abuses, Israel, Yemen, Honduras, Egypt etc., this type of gesture still sends a good message.

On the other hand, Obama publicly flirting, carrying on with the blond, vivacious prime minister of Denmark while Michelle looks on disapprovingly and then taking a selfie with the Danish PM as well as David Cameron was disgraceful and disrespectful.

It further pushes the notion that this is a Miley Cyrus president, a self-absorbed shallow cretin.

It is good that the ridiculous conspiracy theories associated with birtherism have been discredited and are now shut out of reputable media.  This allows real, credible, and necessary criticism of Obama to be given without an attack that it is part of a right wing plot or a crazy conspiracy theory.

It is clear Obama loves being a celebrity but he needs to tone that down, tone it down a lot!  The people elect those they feel can solve problems not who can star in a reality show (like the always odious Sarah Palin).      

THE BEST RECORDS OF 2013

Reviews for all the records below can be found over the last 12 months in my blog archives.

ADRIAN YOUNGE PRESENTS THE DELFONICS – Producer Younge’s painstaking recreation of the 70’s Philly soul sound bringing back two of the original Delfonics. Just a beautiful record and my favourite album that I heard this year.

AM – Arctic Monkeys – The record Alex Turner co. should have made after their second album.  Sounds like adult monkeys. Not a bad song here.

DON’T FORGET WHO YOU ARE -Miles Kane – Pure Britpop nostalgia. Short punchy songs.  Working with great collaborators such as Paul Weller and Andy Partridge.

ARC -Everything Everything – Expands their music, slows it down, less frenzied than the debut, great vocals.

BITTER RIVALS – Sleigh Bells – Keeps their highly original sound intact while adding some instrumental diversity.  Very enjoyable.

II - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

LOST SIRENS - New Order

HEARTS AND KNIVES - Visage

BLOODSPORTS - Suede

HESITATION MARKS - Nine Inch Nails

OUT OF VIEW – History of Apple Pie

STRANGE PLEASURES – Still Corners

GRACELESS - Sulk

SUPER DE LUXE - Attic Lights

MBV – My Bloody Valentine

IDIOTS – Electric Soft Parade

THE NEW LIFE – Girls Life

ORES AND MINERALS -Mazes

HONKY TONK – Son Volt

ROCK AND ROLL ANIMALS – Luke Haines

NEW – Paul McCartney

WISE UP GHOST - Elvis Costello and The Roots

CRIMSON/RED – Prefab Sprout

CHANGE BECOMES US - Wire

ELECTRIC - Richard Thompson

UNEMPLOYED MIX TAPE

Well, I am currently unemployed.  The university where I teach opted not to renew my contract due to budgetary issues so I am sitting around with five days growth of beard, eating like a pig, trying to stay positive.  I have had some interviews as well as some coming up and I hope to have a new position soon.

I wrote about prior unemployment experiences here http://rgdinmalaysia.blogspot.com/2013/01/unemployment-memories.html

In the meantime, here’s a song mix I made in grooveshark.com for listening pleasure....All N All and March of the Gherkins share brass parts and fade out exactly the same way , In My Life and Tramp share keyboard parts albeit different speeds which Separate Beds also builds on melodically.  Listen to The Byrds and The Smiths back to back (Hope to blog more about Gene Clark soon) and the last three songs complement each other in meaning and sound....Time, the measurement and spending of it, is the theme here.  

SPRING HEELED JIM – Morrissey

THE BALLAD OF EL GOODO – Big Star

TOYMAKER – The Association

TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT – Spandau Ballet

ALL N ALL – Al Green

MARCH OF THE GHERKINS – Madness

BIG FOOL OF THE YEAR – George Jones

TRAMP – The Stranglers

IN MY LIFE – The Beatles

SEPARATE BEDS – Squeeze

IF THIS WORLD WERE MINE – Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

TEDDY PICKER – Arctic Monkeys

SHE DON’T CARE ABOUT TIME – The Byrds

ONE IN A HUNDRED – Gene Clark

THESE THINGS TAKE TIME – The Smiths

FOOT OF THE MOUNTAIN – Paul Weller

SHADOW OF THE SUN – Paul Weller

SOMEBODY’S WATCHING YOU – Sly and the Family Stone

BOTH ENDS BURNING – Roxy Music

PARTY GIRL – Elvis Costello