Search - Concrete Blonde :: Bloodletting (20th Anniversary Edition)

A great album from perhaps the most underrated band of the 9

zlh67 | Austin, TX | 07/16/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The first two Concrete Blonde cd's were re-mastered years ago (the debut "Concrete Blonde" from 1986 and 1989's "Free") and most everything from 1992's "Walking In London" and beyond sounded pretty good upon initial release, so oddly enough, that left 1989's breakthrough "Bloodletting" - Concrete Blonde's biggest selling and undeniably best cd in their catalog - as also the worst SOUNDING cd you could pick up from this underrated band. Low volume and muddy sound didn't do any justice to the magic on this cd, so clearly, that was something to be remedied.



And now... it is.



If you're already a Concrete Blonde fan looking to upgrade your original release, you're already sold on the merits of this band and album and need only know that the re-mastering here sounds fantastic. The volume is louder but the sonics remain full-bodied, with solid lower frequencies and clearer highs. This album now sits much more nicely along their other works, so a definite thumbs up on the remastering effort.



The other reason for fans to upgrade is the generous offering of six bonus tracks, but the die-hards will quickly spot that four of these six bonus tracks including all of the live tracks were previously released and easily found on the "Still In Hollywood" compilation from 1994. Only "I Want You" (the b-side to "Joey") and the French version of the title cut are hard to come by, so those are good to see, but I do wish the powers that be here could have given the long-time fans something new instead of serving up 4 tracks from a previous compilation. Or at least instead of serving up the same live version of "Roses Grow" again (the studio version of which appears on "Free"), how about the acoustic version of "Joey", also from "Still In Hollywood"? That not only makes more sense due to the fact that it's an alternate version of an original "Bloodletting" track, but it's also more likely to pull more fans into buying this re-release. So... for me the bonus tracks are a mixed bag, but all in all they're worthwhile -- particularly if you don't own "Still In Hollywood -- and a welcome addition to this new release. Also included is a full color booklet with a short essay, full lyrics and some photos of the band.



Now for the unconverted... If you've only heard of Concrete Blonde but not explored their music or if you've only heard their big MTV hit "Joey" and wondered if the rest of this album was worth picking up, I strongly advise that you lay down your hard-earned cash and pick this one up. Right here, right NOW. I was lucky enough to get this CD when it first came out in 1990 as an unexpected gift. I'd heard and liked the single "Joey", but for some reason I still fully expected not to like this band or this cd, other than "Joey".



THEN I put it in and listened. And then I listened again. And again. And what I found was that I could not have been more wrong. While not much else in their catalog or on the "Bloodletting" cd is quite as poppy and instantly infectious as "Joey", they do have plenty of songs throughout their catalog and on this album that resonate more deeply, more powerfully and with longer-lasting impact than "Joey". They are more than a top 40 or MTV band and it's unfortunate that they gradually faded from public view when they didn't deliver a 2nd "Joey" type of hit. Hits or not though, their music is compelling and stands the test of time, and this cd is the proof.



So buy the cd for "Joey" if you must, but you're in for a treat with the rest of this cd and will likely want to hear more from this band after taking in "Bloodletting". The darkly haunting title cut that opens the cd perfectly sets the mood and "Caroline" is another personal favorite that I can't believe didn't get more airplay when it was first released. "Tomorrow, Wendy," which closes the album is as powerful a song as you will find. It was written by Wall of Voodoo's Andy Prieboy as an ode to a female friend dying of AIDS, but Concrete Blonde make it all their own here. In between, the band delivers their unique sound across 10 tracks, all of which are well-written, well-played and most definitely well sung (can anyone doubt the amazing talent of Johnette Napolitano?). It all adds up to a cd you can put in and play from start to finish time and time again.



So if you're even slightly intrigued by the prospect of this CD, definitely pick it up. There's not a bad cut on it and you won't be disappointed. And if you like this one half as much as me, I also highly recommend their last two releases, the oft overlooked "Group Therapy" cd from 2002, and even better, "Mojave" from 2004 (the latter of which just might be their 2nd best effort after "Bloodletting").



Sadly, Concrete Blonde went under-appreciated for a little too long and disbanded without touring after "Mojave", but they did just reunite for a short tour to commemorate this 20th Anniversary release of "Bloodletting". Hopefully they got the bug again and will give us more music and concerts in years to come. For now though, this CD is an excellent reminder of the power and the soul of this great band.



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