10179 - ROGER COLE / PAUL BARRERE - MUSICAL SCHIZOPHRENIA (2015)
ROGER COLE / PAUL BARRERE
''MUSICAL SCHIZOPHRENIA''
2015
37:45
1 The Quiet Man 03:08
2 Moto's Monkey 03:18
3 Breakdown 03:28
4 Breathe 03:25
5 Who's Right 03:50
6 Bad Blood 04:35
7 Just Keep Walking 05:06
8 Mary 04:10
9 Sail Away 03:31
10 Your Virtual Life 03:09
REVIEW
Alex Faulkner, www.thefaulknerreview.wordpress.com
Roger Cole & Paul Barrere are an American blues/rock duo with a wealth of talents and musical experience between them. Roger is a multi- instrumentalist, composer, producer and audio engineer. He has worked with Steve Vai, Dweezil Zappa and The Monkees, amongst many others. Paul Barrere was a member of the feted rock band Little Feat, and has recorded and performed with Jack Bruce, Robert Palmer and Carly Simon.
Together, they formed not just this musical partnership but also a record label, Better Daze Records. They set this label up to release their music outside of the traditional music industry paradigm, where the emphasis is on commercial viability rather than musical craft and development. This album, Musical Schizophrenia, is their second and consists of ten tracks. Musically, they create a sophisticated blues-influenced rock, and you can hear the influence of Dire Straits, Traffic, Pink Floyd and Leonard Cohen, just to name a few.
First song The Quiet Man is a mid-paced track that tells the tale of man who’s become wise with experience: “He wore the crown of ambition long enough to see the flaws, the cloak of greed creates insatiable need, leaves you wanting more and more….”.
The song leads us through some unexpected chord progression which suits the enigmatic subject matter ( “He stands on the sidelines, feigning indifference…” runs the Sultans of Swing-esque chorus). Roger Cole’s understated vocal performance allows the poetic lyrics to shine, and there’s some tasteful lead guitar work throughout.
The following Moto’s Monkey is a big contrast, a piece of blistering funk rock that surges with flashes of wah-wah and an insistent vocal melody that brings to mind Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues.
Both members contribute vocals in a very inventive way, singing at the extremes of their range. It seems to be an ode to sex, drugs and rock n roll: “Johnny wants an inch of wine, makes him happy all the time , drippin’, sippin’, so sublime…”. It leads to a biting guitar solo section in the middle.
Breakdown is a gritty rock track with a turbulent, claustrophobic lyric about feeling the pressure and “people running in every direction on a psychopathic caffeine high“. The cascading backing vocals that echo the lead vocal on the chorus make for a very effective hook, and there’s a fantastically wiry guitar solo near the end.
Breathe is a slow paced, haunting song that begins with finger picked acoustic and shows their Pink Floyd influence. It features a ghostly lead vocal that sits far back in the mix and there’s also some very intricate drum fills which are allowed to shine owing to the sparse nature of the track. Who’s Right is more of a traditional pop/rock song that could have been recorded in the 1970’s, with rich Eagles-style harmonies on its catchy chorus. Again, it provides excellent contrast after the ethereal Breathe.
Bad Blood is undoubtedly the darkest song on the album, about the misery and demons of drug addiction. Musically, it is a murky kind of blues-rock that suits the subject perfectly. It depicts the horror of being a heroin addict with the conviction that comes from experience: “Blood burns, guts churn, the needle takes its toll…fall down, hellhound begs for your return…”. It’s the most affecting
song about addiction I’ve heard since Neil Young’s classic The Needle and The Damage Done.
Seventh song Just Keep Walking is along the lines of Who’s Right, though with a more anthemic chorus. There’s a world-weary melancholy in the music, but the message is positive: “Just keep walking that same old road…follow your dreams now and you’ll never grow old….”.
This is followed by Mary, another very emotionally affecting song. It paints a poignant portrait of an old lady on the verge of passing away and reflecting on her life: “She sits within the shadows in a room just down the hall, searching for the reason for it all…”. The chorus is one of the most memorable here and perhaps contains the album’s most profound line: “We are just children, sometimes we fall…doing time in the grand illusion…”.
Sail Away is another fine song, a mid-paced acoustic track incorporating exotic percussion, which fits with the theme of escaping from a humdrum life to an idyllic one: “On a distant shore, our troubles will be no more, hold each other closed in the sands…spend our days peacefully in a self-made reality, listening to the waves rushing in...”. The vocal melody is echoed in some lovely acoustic lines on guitar.
Your Virtual Life closes the album and it’s a fine way to finish; both musically and lyrically it recalls The Kinks. Ray Davies’ style of acerbic social observation gets a modern reboot – an apt word, as the lyrics satirize those who spend more time surfing the internet than living ‘real life’. Over a bluesy acoustic shuffle full of seventh chords, Cole parodies this modern obsession that has become all pervasive: “Your virtual life, better than the real one….a social conquest as big as your friends list, taking up all your time…”, which makes for a very catchy chorus. A quirky kazoo section highlights the dry humour behind the words.
Overall, this is an excellent album that displays a large musical range within their chosen genre, and an equally sizeable emotional range in their very well crafted lyrics. The songs vary from serious to satirical, from playful to poignant, all with the appropriate musical backing that reflects what the song is trying to convey, rather than merely a vehicle for virtuosity. For guitar aficionados, there’s some gorgeous playing here, but this album’s real appeal is the high quality songwriting.
BIOGRAPHY/WIKIPEDIA
**********
TO THE TOP
**********
''MUSICAL SCHIZOPHRENIA''
2015
37:45
1 The Quiet Man 03:08
2 Moto's Monkey 03:18
3 Breakdown 03:28
4 Breathe 03:25
5 Who's Right 03:50
6 Bad Blood 04:35
7 Just Keep Walking 05:06
8 Mary 04:10
9 Sail Away 03:31
10 Your Virtual Life 03:09
REVIEW
Alex Faulkner, www.thefaulknerreview.wordpress.com
Roger Cole & Paul Barrere are an American blues/rock duo with a wealth of talents and musical experience between them. Roger is a multi- instrumentalist, composer, producer and audio engineer. He has worked with Steve Vai, Dweezil Zappa and The Monkees, amongst many others. Paul Barrere was a member of the feted rock band Little Feat, and has recorded and performed with Jack Bruce, Robert Palmer and Carly Simon.
Together, they formed not just this musical partnership but also a record label, Better Daze Records. They set this label up to release their music outside of the traditional music industry paradigm, where the emphasis is on commercial viability rather than musical craft and development. This album, Musical Schizophrenia, is their second and consists of ten tracks. Musically, they create a sophisticated blues-influenced rock, and you can hear the influence of Dire Straits, Traffic, Pink Floyd and Leonard Cohen, just to name a few.
First song The Quiet Man is a mid-paced track that tells the tale of man who’s become wise with experience: “He wore the crown of ambition long enough to see the flaws, the cloak of greed creates insatiable need, leaves you wanting more and more….”.
The song leads us through some unexpected chord progression which suits the enigmatic subject matter ( “He stands on the sidelines, feigning indifference…” runs the Sultans of Swing-esque chorus). Roger Cole’s understated vocal performance allows the poetic lyrics to shine, and there’s some tasteful lead guitar work throughout.
The following Moto’s Monkey is a big contrast, a piece of blistering funk rock that surges with flashes of wah-wah and an insistent vocal melody that brings to mind Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues.
Both members contribute vocals in a very inventive way, singing at the extremes of their range. It seems to be an ode to sex, drugs and rock n roll: “Johnny wants an inch of wine, makes him happy all the time , drippin’, sippin’, so sublime…”. It leads to a biting guitar solo section in the middle.
Breakdown is a gritty rock track with a turbulent, claustrophobic lyric about feeling the pressure and “people running in every direction on a psychopathic caffeine high“. The cascading backing vocals that echo the lead vocal on the chorus make for a very effective hook, and there’s a fantastically wiry guitar solo near the end.
Breathe is a slow paced, haunting song that begins with finger picked acoustic and shows their Pink Floyd influence. It features a ghostly lead vocal that sits far back in the mix and there’s also some very intricate drum fills which are allowed to shine owing to the sparse nature of the track. Who’s Right is more of a traditional pop/rock song that could have been recorded in the 1970’s, with rich Eagles-style harmonies on its catchy chorus. Again, it provides excellent contrast after the ethereal Breathe.
Bad Blood is undoubtedly the darkest song on the album, about the misery and demons of drug addiction. Musically, it is a murky kind of blues-rock that suits the subject perfectly. It depicts the horror of being a heroin addict with the conviction that comes from experience: “Blood burns, guts churn, the needle takes its toll…fall down, hellhound begs for your return…”. It’s the most affecting
song about addiction I’ve heard since Neil Young’s classic The Needle and The Damage Done.
Seventh song Just Keep Walking is along the lines of Who’s Right, though with a more anthemic chorus. There’s a world-weary melancholy in the music, but the message is positive: “Just keep walking that same old road…follow your dreams now and you’ll never grow old….”.
This is followed by Mary, another very emotionally affecting song. It paints a poignant portrait of an old lady on the verge of passing away and reflecting on her life: “She sits within the shadows in a room just down the hall, searching for the reason for it all…”. The chorus is one of the most memorable here and perhaps contains the album’s most profound line: “We are just children, sometimes we fall…doing time in the grand illusion…”.
Sail Away is another fine song, a mid-paced acoustic track incorporating exotic percussion, which fits with the theme of escaping from a humdrum life to an idyllic one: “On a distant shore, our troubles will be no more, hold each other closed in the sands…spend our days peacefully in a self-made reality, listening to the waves rushing in...”. The vocal melody is echoed in some lovely acoustic lines on guitar.
Your Virtual Life closes the album and it’s a fine way to finish; both musically and lyrically it recalls The Kinks. Ray Davies’ style of acerbic social observation gets a modern reboot – an apt word, as the lyrics satirize those who spend more time surfing the internet than living ‘real life’. Over a bluesy acoustic shuffle full of seventh chords, Cole parodies this modern obsession that has become all pervasive: “Your virtual life, better than the real one….a social conquest as big as your friends list, taking up all your time…”, which makes for a very catchy chorus. A quirky kazoo section highlights the dry humour behind the words.
Overall, this is an excellent album that displays a large musical range within their chosen genre, and an equally sizeable emotional range in their very well crafted lyrics. The songs vary from serious to satirical, from playful to poignant, all with the appropriate musical backing that reflects what the song is trying to convey, rather than merely a vehicle for virtuosity. For guitar aficionados, there’s some gorgeous playing here, but this album’s real appeal is the high quality songwriting.
BIOGRAPHY/WIKIPEDIA
**********
TO THE TOP
**********