Tintin in America (1932)

Tintin in America

Herge

(1979 edition, Originally published 1932)

For the longest time I always thought Tintin in America was one of the weakest of the series, which makes sense considering it was only the third one out of 23 (24 if counting the unfinished Tintin and Alph-Art). Now after reading it for the first time in many years, I think it's a fantastic comic. However, as a Tintin comic, it is one of the weakest. When I first think of the Tintin series, I think of the classic characters with strong contrasting personalities, Hitchcock-esque suspense, and sinister villains who seem deeply-rooted in their world with many contacts. The trio of Tintin, Captain Haddock, and Professor Calculus is an iconic combo of characters that defines the series and their distinct personalities play off of one another really well.

As Tintin and his dog Snowy are basically the only main characters at this point, Tintin in America lacks all of that. However, taking it on its own merits, it's incredibly enjoyable. It's so fast paced, that there's no room for suspense and character development, but there's no need for any with how the story is structured. The plot is hilariously absurd, the idea of a single freelance journalist being able to take down the entire gangster circuit in 1930's Chicago is both far-fetched and flat-out funny. It all fits though, because with the snappy pace, the absurdity works wonders.

A perfect example of the pacing is right at the beginning, Tintin just arrives in Chicago and is immediately led into a gangster trap. It never lets up, each page will usually have some gangster's attempt to snuff him out. It's hard to tell if the gangsters are really incompetent, if Tintin is just really lucky, or if he's just ridiculously sneaky. Whatever the case, it just adds to the comedic qualities. It's a rare case of a book begging for a film adaption, as this would work perfectly as an over-the-top "cops and robbers" kind of film.

The worst part is the misleading cover artwork. It implies that it's mainly him with Native Americans, but that only takes up a small part of the comic, when one of the gang leaders (Bobby Smiles, what a name) escapes into the west and tricks the Americans into thinking that Tintin is one of their enemies.

If someone's never read a Tintin comic and is looking for a place to start, this is not a good starting point. I would say The Crab with the Golden Claws is a good introduction, introducing Captain Haddock. That or The Calculus Affair, which is where all the characters, suspenseful plots, and the world were really perfectly defined. It was the first I read and perhaps my favorite. However, as just an entertaining stand-alone comic, Tintin in America is an exciting and often hilarious time.

The Crystal Method - Vegas

The Crystal Method

Vegas

(1997)

"Why can't you trip like I do?"

When it comes to creating an atmosphere, The Crystal Method is one of the best. Few albums bring you inside a futuristic nightclub as much as Vegas, a world with speeding cars on barren highways, the only streetlights being flashing neon signs, electronic bleeps and beats surround the universe, and everything about it just exudes the vibe of bustling city nightlife.

The album has a great flow, and is made for complete listening. However, songs like Cherry Twist, High Roller, Jaded, and Vapor Trail are especially fantastic and show off best what this album is all about. It's nocturnal without ever sounding dark or menacing in any way. It embraces the sound of midnight drives and should be the soundtrack for either a film or a racing game that centers itself around the same subject.

It's hard to describe the music itself when it comes to The Crystal Method, because they give you more of an experience in the world they create more than anything.

Originally posted here: https://rateyourmusic.com/review?id=116148390

Welcome to the Wicked Nest

I'm a lover of art, which can come in the form of painting, sculpture, books, comics, music, and more.

The Wicked Nest (Named after the album by thrash metal band Helstar) is simply a blog for writing my thoughts on the aforementioned subjects whenever the mood hits. It started as solely a place for music reviews, but my style of writing has changed so I've removed my old reviews. Since half-abandoning this blog, I've posted my since written music reviews over on RateYourMusic, and will post a few choice reviews from there to restart things off here, but you can just read them over there if interested.

If you happen to stumble across this blog, I hope you enjoy the random meanderings.

Album Cover Analysis #3: Soundgarden - Superunknown

SOUNDGARDEN

Superunknown

Artist: Kelk (Design), Kevin Westenberg (Photography)

Album release date: 1994

Soundgarden's Superunknown is an album that's always been part of my life, and a great one at that. Not only is the music an amazing combination of grunge, alternative rock, sludgy doom metal, and psychedelic rock, but the album cover is one that has always fascinated me. It's all very ominous and even quite freaky. The only thing that's perhaps easily recognizable are the trees reflected in the water at the bottom of the cover. However, the main focus in the picture is certainly what is contained in the complete darkness. What is it? I've always thought what is in the middle looked like some freakish screaming goblin-type thing. I still see that, but now I know that it's a distorted photo of the band members.

The beautiful part of the photograph and what makes it a masterpiece of modern surrealism, is that even once you know what it actually is, it still retains it's mysterious quality. The distorted band photo isn't representational enough to make it clear even after you learn what is, and the contrast between the black and white photo of the darkness-engulfed forest with the bright infrared-looking things in the sky never loses its effect. It certainly fits in with an album with a title like Superunknown, and you can only guess what kind of music will be contained until you listen. 

For the most part, the cover art reflects the music nearly perfectly. Many of the songs reflect the ominous and brooding quality of the album cover. The songs I think of in particular when I see the cover art are: the apocalyptic "4th of July", the somber gloom of "Head Down" and "Like Suicide", the haunting mellotron of "Mailman", and the roaring yet ominous title track.

Superunknown went on to be Soundgarden's best selling album, and a defining album of the grunge scene. With a cover as attention-catching as this, it's quite easy to see why people would pick it up as a blind buy.

Stay tuned for the next album cover analysis.

Kraftwerk - Ralf and Florian Review

KRAFTWERK

Ralf and Florian (1973)

Genres: Electronic, Krautrock

Ralf and Florian is the third studio album from electronic group Kraftwerk. While the strange Kraftwerk 2 didn't feature any electronic elements as well as having little to do with the self-titled debut, Ralf and Florian (named after the duo themselves, Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider) shows the first signs of the groups pioneering electronic sound. It would take Autobahn for these ideas to fully take form, as there are still remnants of the band's Krautrock beginnings, but that has no effect on the quality of this release.

The thing that sets Ralf and Florian apart from it's predecessors is that they took the best elements of their Krautrock style and melded it with classical music and the very beginning of electronic music. "Kristallo (Crystals)" shows these beginnings of an entirely new kind of music, and is one of my favorite Kraftwerk songs in general. In front of a toe-tapping beat and catchy galloping electronics, are serene keyboards with a slight bittersweet tone. "Ananas Symphonie (Pineapple Symphony)" features more electronic innovation, but on the ambient end. This is a very relaxing track, as well as the longest clocking in at just under 14 minutes, with subtle musical changes that mix together very naturally. It's a song that makes one feel like laying down on a hammock outside and just letting the stress float away. "Heimatklänge (The Bells of Home)" showcase the influences from classical music, in the form of soulful piano.

Often transitional albums can have some inconsistency, but Kraftwerk were able to take the styles they knew and blend them perfectly with new ideas. This is an album that sounds both focused and free at the same time, with a goal to create music but with the only boundary being the band's own creativity. Unfortunately overshadowed by Autobahn, Ralf and Florian deserves to be heard as it's both a very enjoyable and historically important album.   

Deadmau5 - Vexillology Review

DEADMAU5

Vexillology (2006)

Genres: Electronic, Breakbeat, Techno

Vexillology is the second studio album from experimental electronic musician Deadmau5. Returning a year later from his eclectic debut album, Get Scraped, Vexillology bears little resemblance to the aforementioned album.  Perhaps this is because the debut was more of a compilation of sorts, featuring songs written from various years. However, despite being less eclectic, Vexillology is an album that benefits from its repetitive sound.

On the surface this may seem like overly-repetitive minimal techno album, which to a certain extent is true, but it's an album that is more about atmospheres, subtlety, and accents. Each song is made up of hypnotic breakbeats and pulsing rhythms, however, each track has its own distinct sound yet at the same time work as a cohesive whole as well. After many listens, all the songs show their flavors. Some songs are as direct as they can get, such as the appropriately titled "Bounce", which would certainly get a party moving. The same goes with "Dr. Funkenstein", which is a real techno powerhouse. The one experimental oddball that's on the album is the wacky glitch techno "Fustercluck", which is certainly what the title implies. 

The upbeat yet slightly melancholy "Lai" and "Orca" provide the atmospheric side of the album, with the former having somewhat of a crashing industrial touch at the beginning. "Plus" combines the directness of "Bounce" with serene atmospherics emoting the feel of a wind tunnel. "TL7" and "Trepid" are my favorites on the album, and showcase the tribal electronic sound that deadmau5 would expand upon on the following releases.

While not eclectic like Get Scraped, Vexillology is a masterpiece in a different way. It took a while for it to really grow on me, but the more you listen the more you notice each nuance. Sometimes the most subtle albums can be among the best. If you already like your electronic music hypnotic and repetitive, this is one underrated gem to check out.

Album Cover Analysis #2: Kraftwerk - Autobahn

ALBUM COVER ANALYSIS

#2

KRAFTWERK

Autobahn

Artist: Emil Schult

Album release date: 1974

Welcome to the second installment of Album Cover Analysis. Today's album cover to be highlighted is none other than Kraftwerk's breakthrough album Autobahn. Musically, Autobahn was among one of the first electronic albums, which further explored the electronic ideas featured on Kraftwerk's previous album Ralf & Florian. This was a far-cry from the noisy and drone-oriented Krautrock of their first two albums.

The incredible nearly 23-minute long title track is certainly the main event on the album, and despite the length does not overwhelm the listener. It's a pretty repetitive chill electronic track that really brings the mood of a casual drive down the road. The cover art really reflects the images imagined from listening to the title track. The song is just like a relaxing drive in the hills on a sunny day. Not only does the subject matter work here, but the style as well. The painting featured on the cover is reminiscent of scenic artwork that you'd see in an old magazine from the 1950's or an artist such as Norman Rockwell.

I'll talk more about the music once I get to reviewing the album, but this cover art works very well. While Iron Maiden's Powerslave album cover is epic and grandiose, by contrast Kraftwerk's Autobahn is much more humble. That's just how this album feels, humble. This album is just like a casual drive through the day and night, and I think that's what the band was going for.

Stay tuned for the next album art analysis!