New album: Anything Goes
Artist: Florida Georgia Line
Label: Republic
Rating: 1 star out of 5
As earnest as a truck commercial but not nearly as subtle, the new Florida Georgia Line album is destined to become a huge hit.
“Anything Goes” continues the shiny-happy vibe rolled out on the duo’s massively successful debut album, yet somehow this new collection is even more annoying than the first. The marketing genius who decided to throw his or her dough behind these guys is as calculating as Florida Georgia Line’s tepid music, and it’s doubtful the assembly line of dollar-generating banality is going to stop anytime soon.
This new Florida Georgia Line album is like a great Hollywood set: The buildings look impressive from the outside, but in reality they’re nothing more than propped-up plywood covered in sparkling paint. “Anything Goes” looks like a collection of songs that would be fun to sing on the way to a part, but anyone who could make it through three of these songs without intentionally driving into a light pole will no doubt skip the party and crawl under their porch in the hope of not accidentally hearing anymore Florida Georgia Line songs.
Incredibly, it took a team of people to craft this auditory offense, as many of the songs boast upwards of three or four writers. Like a group of savvy web developers, keywords/phrases such as ‘dirt,’ ‘boot,’ ‘drink’ and ‘good time’ that apparently trigger sales are peppered throughout. Throw in some pitch correction and a video with cool dudes and trucks and you’ve got a blockbuster on your hands.
“Anything Goes” is more of a testament to market research than anything within 100 miles of art (or even decent entertainment). If you’re in the market for some new country music, check out the latest releases from Lee Ann Womack or The Earls of Leicester.
Classic album: Shades of Deep Purple
Artist: Deep Purple
Label: EMI/Spitfire
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Although “Shades of Deep Purple” was released in 1968, most lazy fans pick up the Deep Purple story in 1970 when Ian Gillan and Roger Glover joined the band and hard rock nirvana ensued.
While 1970’s “In Rock” was a milestone in hard rock, the band’s first three albums contained some fantastic material that is finally getting its due. “Shades of Deep Purple” was the band’s first release, and while it doesn’t feature the knuckle busting rock of later Purple albums, such as “Machine Head” or “Abandon,” it was a harbinger of things to come.
The best known track from “Shades” is the hit single “Hush.” With its chugging rhythm and spastic guitar lines, “Hush” was one of the heaviest songs to achieve chart success in its day. The inclusion of “Hush” in a car commercial brought it to a whole new worldwide audience in 2008, which just goes to show that something good can come from advertising.
As was par for the course in the late 1960s, the band recorded a mixture of original material and cover songs. While it may seem sacrilegious to some, the band’s takes on The Beatles “Help” and Billy Roberts’ “Hey Joe” (no, Hendrix didn’t write it) are monumental and have a power that at worst matches the intensity of the originals.
Deep Purple’s knack for jamming also creeps into the mix. Album opener “And the Address” kicks things off with an interstellar jam that sounds like Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd filtered through Mozart’s charts.
While fans and critics alike now marvel at the band’s inventiveness at this early stage in its career, at the time the band was completely ignored in native England. Thankfully, the band has persevered and continues to produce compelling albums and tours.
Jon Dawson’s books available at www.jondawson.com.
Jon Dawson’s album reviews appear every Thursday in The Free Press. Contact Jon at 252-559-1092 or jon.dawson@kinston.com.