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R.E.M. becomes a trio - 1994-2000 |
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Written by krotzyk
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Wednesday, 12 September 2007 |
After piecing together two slow-paced albums in a row in the studio, 1994's Monster was, as Buck said, "a 'rock' record, with the rock in quotation marks." Though the result was conceived as a back-to-basics album, the recording was difficult and plagued with tension. Like Out of Time, Monster topped the charts in both the US and UK. The singles "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" and "Bang and Blame" were the band's last American Top 40 hits, although all the singles from Monster—including the UK-only singles "Crush With Eyeliner" and "Tongue"—reached the Top 30 on the British charts.
In January of 1995 R.E.M. set out on their first tour in six years, beginning several collaborations with prominent  stage and lighting designer Willie Williams. On March 1, two months into the tour, Berry collapsed on stage during a performance in Lausanne, Switzerland. It transpired that he had suffered a brain aneurysm. He had surgery immediately and had fully recovered within a month. Berry's aneurysm was only the beginning of a series of health problems that plagued the Monster Tour. Mills had to undergo abdominal surgery to remove an intestinal adhesion in July; a month later, Stipe had to have an emergency surgery to repair a hernia. Despite all the problems, the group had recorded the bulk of a new album while on the road. The band brought along eight-track recorders to capture their shows, and used the recordings as the base elements for the album. After the tour was complete, the band entered the studio and recorded the rest of the album.
R.E.M. re-signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1996 for a reported $80 million, the largest recording contract in history at that point. 1996's New Adventures in Hi-Fi was their longest album to date. The album featured the seven-minute "Leave," the band's longest song to date, which was composed by Berry. Another notable track on the record was its lead single "E-Bow the Letter," a collaboration with Patti Smith, who had been one of Michael Stipe's earliest influences. Critical reaction to the album was mostly favorable; however, in light of such a huge contract sum, the album marked a considerable downfall of the band's commercial success. Though it debuted at number two in the US and number one in the UK, the album failed to generate the sales of their previous three albums'. Also in 1996, R.E.M. parted ways with their long-time manager Jefferson Holt, allegedly due to sexual harassment charges levied against Holt by a member of the band's home office in Athens. The group's lawyer, Bertis Downs, assumed managerial duties. |
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Cult and breakthrough success 1982-1993 |
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Written by krotzyk
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Monday, 27 August 2007 |
R.E.M. had recorded its debut EP, Chronic Town, with Easter for Hib-Tone when the band's demo tape found its way to I.R.S. Records. The band turned down the advances of major label RCA Records and signed with I.R.S. in May 1982. Chronic Town was released by I.R.S. in August 1982 as the label's first  American release. A positive review of the EP by NME praised the aura of mystery the songs presented, and concluded, "R.E.M. ring true, and it's great to hear something as unforced and cunning as this." The band was initially paired with producer Stephen Hague by I.R.S. to record their debut album, but Hague's emphasis on technical perfection left the band unsatisfied and asking the label to let them record with Easter.
I.R.S. subsequently agreed to a "tryout" session, allowing the band to return to North Carolina and record "Pilgrimage" with Easter and producing partner Don Dixon. After hearing the track, I.R.S. gave the green light to record the album with Dixon and Easter. The completed album, Murmur, was greeted with critical acclaim, with Rolling Stone listing it as their record of the year. The album was warmly received by college radio, and its success there pushed the album to number 36 on the Billboard album chart. A re-recorded version of "Radio Free Europe" was the lead single from the album and reached number 78 in 1983. Other notable tracks included the piano-led "Perfect Circle", "Sitting Still" (a re-recorded version of the Hib-Tone B-side), and "Talk About the Passion", which was re-released as a single in 1988. Despite the acclaim awarded to the album, Murmur only sold about 200,000 copies, which I.R.S.'s Jay Boberg felt was below expectations.
R.E.M. made its first national television appearance on Late Night with David Letterman in October 1983, where they performed a new, unnamed song. The unnamed song, eventually titled "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)," became the first single from the band's second album, Reckoning, which was once again recorded with Easter and Dixon. The album met with critical acclaim; NME's Mat Snow said that Reckoning "confirms R.E.M. as one of the most beautifully exciting groups on the planet."
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R.E.M. - Formation: 1980-1982 |
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Written by krotzyk
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Monday, 20 August 2007 |
R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980 by Bill Berry (drums), Peter Buck (guitar), Mike Mills (bass guitar), and Michael Stipe (vocals). R.E.M. was one of the first popular alternative  rock bands, and gained early attention due to Buck's "jangly" guitar style and Stipe's cryptic vocals. R.E.M. released its first single, "Radio Free Europe" in 1981 on independent record label Hib-Tone. The single was followed by the Chronic Town EP in 1982; the band's first release on I.R.S. Records. In 1983, the band released its critically-acclaimed debut album Murmur, and built its reputation over the next few years through subsequent critically-acclaimed releases, constant touring, and the support of college radio. Following years of underground success, R.E.M. entered the mainstream in 1987 with the hit song "The One I Love." They signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1988, and began to adopt broad political and environmental concerns while playing large arenas worldwide.
By the early 1990s, R.E.M. were viewed as pioneers of alternative rock and released their most successful albums, the multi-million-selling Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), which veered from the band's established sound. R.E.M. released Monster, which was a return to a more rock-oriented sound, in 1994 and began its first tour in six years. However the tour was marred by a number of difficulties. In 1997, R.E.M. re-signed with Warner Bros. for a then-record $80 million. The following year, Bill Berry amicably left the band, with Buck, Mills, and Stipe continuing as a three-piece. Through some changes in musical style, the band continued its career into the next decade with mixed critical and commercial success. In 2007, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. |
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System Of A Down - Mainstream success |
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Written by krotzyk
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Thursday, 12 July 2007 |
The group's big break arrived when their second album Toxicity debuted at #1 on the American and Canadian charts, eventually achieving multi-platinum certification. The album has since sold 6 million copies worldwide. It was still on top in America on the week of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the political environment caused by the attacks added to the controversy surrounding their hit single "Chop  Suey!" causing it to be taken off the radio as it contained politically sensitive lyrics at the time such as "(I don't think you) trust in my self-righteous suicide." Regardless, the video gained constant play on MTV as did the second single, "Toxicity". Even with the controversy surrounding "Chop Suey!" which earned a Grammy nomination, System of a Down still received constant airplay in the United States throughout late 2001 and 2002 with "Toxicity " and "Aerials". In May of 2006, VH1 listed Toxicity in the #14 slot in the 40 Greatest Metal Songs.
In 2001, the band went on tour with Slipknot. In late 2001, a few unreleased tracks made their way onto the Internet. The group released a statement that the tracks were unfinished material. Soon after, the band released the final versions of the songs, which were recorded at the same time, but hadn't been used for Toxicity. The result was Steal This Album!, released in November 2002. Steal This Album! resembled a burnable CD that was marked with a felt-tip marker. 50,000 special copies of the album with different CD designs were also released, each designed by a different member of the band. The name of the album is a reference to Abbie Hoffman's counter-culture book, Steal This Book and as a message to those who stole the songs and released them on the Internet. Dolmayan said in an interview "I don't care if fans download our songs from the internet but I don't like it when fans get our songs before the release date". The singles "Innervision" and "I-E-A-I-A-I-O" were released as radio-only promos and received constant airplay on alternative radio. A video for "Boom!" was filmed with director Michael Moore as a protest against the War in Iraq. |
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System of a Down - In The Beginning... |
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Written by krotzyk
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Tuesday, 26 June 2007 |
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System of a Down (also referred to as System or abbreviated as SOAD) is a four-piece, Grammy-award winning band, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles, California. All four members are of Armenian descent, grandsons of Armenian Genocide  survivors, and are widely known for their outspoken views found in many of their songs. System of a Down has achieved commercial success over five albums, with singles such as "Chop Suey!" and "B.Y.O.B.". System of a Down is a part of the Axis of Justice, a non-profit organization formed by band member Serj Tankian (along with Tom Morello) that is dedicated to bringing together musicians, music fans and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. The roots of System of a Down lie in the band Soil, a group from Los Angeles that included Serj Tankian on vocals and Daron Malakian on guitar, as well as Dave Hakopyan (Bassist for Apex Theory) on bass and Domingo Laranio (Local Hawaii Drummer) on drums. Shavo Odadjian joined Soil quite down near the end as a guitarist. After three years, and only one live show and one jam session recording, the band split up. |
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RHCP - Anthony Kiedis |
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Written by krotzyk
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Monday, 04 June 2007 |
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We've prepared for you a little about Red Hot Chilli Peppers members. Today a little introduction of Anthony Kiedis. Anthony Kiedis (born November 1, 1962) is the lead singer and a co-founder of the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. He is also responsible for writing most of the band's vocal melodies and lyrics. Though his style was originally a rap/rock fusion, over time Kiedis developed his singing voice. Anthony Kiedis was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to John Kiedis and Margaret "Peggy" Idema (née Noble), who  divorced in 1965 when he was three. He has two half-sisters, Julie and Jenny, and a half-brother, James. His great-grandfather, Antwon Kiedis, is Lithuanian and his paternal grandmother has some Mohican blood. His godfather was Sonny Bono.
Kiedis lived with his mother in Grand Rapids until he was 11, then moved to Los Angeles with his father, a soon-to-be actor and drug dealer. Keidis himself has admitted that his love for heroin was influenced by his drug addict father. His father was the person who introduced him to drugs; Anthony would later go on to use and abuse many drugs in his lifetime. Sexual activity also became recurrent in the boy's life; according to his autobiography Scar Tissue, he lost his virginity when he was around 12 years old to his father's girlfriend.
Kiedis spent much of his youth listening to Sly & the Family Stone, Led Zeppelin and Stevie Wonder - artists who would influence the Red Hot Chili Peppers' sound. Around the age of 15, while a student at Fairfax High School, he met future bandmate Michael Balzary (Flea), Hillel Slovak, and Jack Irons. In Scar Tissue, Kiedis tells of how he took up the role of a "protector" in school, defending all the kids who were outcast or bullied. When Flea was playfully putting his friend in a headlock, he told Flea to back off. However, when the misunderstanding was revealed, the two teenagers became friends.
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RHCP: Californication, By The Way and Stadium Arcadium |
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Written by krotzyk
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Sunday, 20 May 2007 |
In the years following his departure from the band, it became public that John Frusciante had developed an addiction to heroin, which left him in poverty and near death. He was talked into admitting himself to Las Encinas Drug Rehabilitation Center in January of 1998. He concluded the process in February of that year and began renting a small apartment in Silver Lake. He acquired many injuries/problems in the years of his addiction, some requiring surgeries, including permanent scarring on his arms, a restructured nose, and new teeth to prevent fatal infection.
 In April 1998, Flea visited his former band-mate and openly invited John to re-join the band, an invitation an emotional Frusciante readily accepted. Within the week and, for the first time in six years, the reunited foursome gathered to play, and jump-started the newly reunited Red Hot Chili Peppers. Anthony Kiedis said of the situation:
„For me, that was the defining moment of what would become the next six years of our lives together. That was when I knew that this was the real deal, that the magic was about to happen again. Suddenly we could all hear, we could all listen, and instead of being caught up in our finite little balls of bullshit, we could all become players in that great universal orchestra again.“
Despite the band's elation by Frusciante's return, he was both mentally and physically torn. John had not played in several years, having previously sold every guitar he owned for drug money, and experienced a difficult time resuming life prior to his drug usage. His former talent did, however, resurface and new songs began to roll out. On June 8, 1999, after over a year of production and meticulous practice, Californication was released as the band's seventh studio album. An almost instant achievement, the album ultimately sold over 15 million copies worldwide and became the band's most successful recording to date.
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RHCP - Blood Sugar Sex Magik and One Hot Minute |
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Written by krotzyk
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Monday, 14 May 2007 |
In 1990, the group switched labels to Warner Bros. Records. Rick Rubin was hired to produce their fifth album, which was, at the time, still untitled. The writing process was far more productive than what was  written during Mother's Milk. Kiedis said that: "(every day) now, there was new music for me to lyricize".
Throughout the entire 6 month process, the long periods of rehearsal, songwriting, and the incubating of ideas led the band to record the album. Rubin, however, was discontented with an everyday recording studio, implying the Chili Peppers would bear fruit in a more unorthodox setting. He came across an "amazing, huge, empty historically landmarked Mediterranean haunted mansion a stone's throw from where we all lived." For the next approximate month, Frusciante, Kiedis and Flea remained in seclusion, never once leaving the house during the entire recording process. Smith, however, decided not to stay, as, according to many, the mansion was haunted; he had no intention of remaining, and would leave on his Harley Davidson each night.
The title of the album was still uncertain to the band, however, one particular song title stuck out: "Blood Sugar Sex Magik". Although it was not a featured song, Rick believed it to be "Clearly the best title we have now....." |
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Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Part II |
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Written by krotzyk
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Tuesday, 08 May 2007 |
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 Today we would continue in talking abour RHCP.
George Clinton was selected to produce the next Red Hot Chili Peppers album, Freaky Styley. Clinton successfully fused various elements of punk and funk into the band's repertoire, allowing the Chili Peppers to be musically diverse and varied, meeting their fruition. Compared to Andy Gill, Clinton was not only undemanding to work with, but believed in the band from the moment production began. Released on August 16, 1985, Freaky Styley, as its predecessor, saw little to no commercial viability. It failed to mark any impression on any chart, whatsoever, and the resulting tour was unproductive and financially futile.
Cliff Martinez departed from the group in the summer of 1986, and the band temporarily hired Chuck Biscuits to finish the tour. Jack Irons, out of work and finally separated from another commitment, rejoined the group, shocking Anthony, Flea, and Hillel. The band chose Michael Beinhorn to produce their next album. Songs began to form quickly, and the album's shape came within sight; it would blend the same funk rhythm and feel as Freaky Styley had, but also take a harder more immediate approach to punk rock and funk metal. Having all four original members allowed for creativity to flow, and flourish.
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Red Hot Chili Peppers - Part I |
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Written by krotzyk
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Thursday, 03 May 2007 |
 Red Hot Chili Peppers are a multiple Grammy Award-winning American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983. For the majority of their 24 years as a band, they have mainly consisted of, Anthony Kiedis (vocals), John Frusciante (guitar), Michael "Flea" Balzary (bass), and Chad Smith (drums).
Throughout their career, the band has fused various elements of punk rock, funk, heavy metal, alternative, and rap. They hold the record for most number one singles on the Billboard Modern Rock Chart with 11, and has held a record of 81 weeks at number one.
Inconsistent and unstable lineups have influenced the band's music, style and success throughout the nine studio recordings they have produced. The band originally featured Hillel Slovak on guitar and Jack Irons on drums. After Slovak died of a heroin overdose, Irons resigned, and they were replaced with guitarist John Frusciante and Chad Smith. With the band, Frusciante assisted in propelling the foursome's once turbulent musical career into a successful and popular affair. Their second album together (fifth collectively), 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magik, has since gone multi-platinum in numerous countries, and become an international sensation selling over 12 million copies, being labeled one of the most influential albums of all time. However, during the process, Frusciante became uncomfortable with the new found success of the band, abruptly parting from the group in the late summer of 1992. The Chili Peppers thus employed former Jane's Addiction guitarist, Dave Navarro for their subsequent album, One Hot Minute. Released in 1995, it failed to meet the recognition which Blood Sugar Sex Magik saw, and, as a result, sold roughly 5 million units, less than half of its predecessor; vast creative differences between him and the rest of the band caused Navarro to be fired from the Peppers not long after. |
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Band Introductions