Search - Concrete Blonde :: Concrete Blonde (Spec)

Undeservedly rare album, brilliant writing and singing

Gordon M. Wagner | Suburbia | 12/11/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm amazed that this album is so hard to find. My ancient vinyl version was bookended by the two versions of "True." This album came out at a time in the late eighties when rock music had pretty much ceased to respirate.





"Beware of Darkness" is a great cover of an old George Harrison song, "Little Sister" features some of the personal and vibrant lyrics on the album. The vocals and playing are excellent throughout the album.



Found some change in my pocket, thought I'd take a chance and dial...



This album came out during a dark period in my life and the music has intense personal value and meaning. It's more than worth the money. You ought to buy a copy while it's available. You never know when you're going to need it. Music has kept more than one lost soul off the rocks. This isn't music for idiots. You'll need to bring a little something to the table.



A feeling of urban grit but delivered with a clear, sober exactitude that feels much more like poetry. From what I can recollect the band instantly fell into the standard L.A. black hole of one-album-success-and-a-lifetime-of-heroin-use. But I'm surprised to have to dig to find this album again, this truly is one of the best rock albums ever recorded."

Great First Album

Snorts | 06/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Evolving from Dream Six, CB 's first album is short, loud, and sweet. Slower, soulful songs like "Beware of Darkness" and "Make me Cry" with its awesome harmony vocal, are mixed with full speed ahead hard rock monsters like "Over Your Shoulder", "Still in Hollywood", and "Your Haunted Head".



In between are mid tempo rockers like "True" and "Cold Part of Town". There is not a bad song on the album, and most are memorable. "Little Sister" (only half a heart away) and "Song For Kim" are superb.



The band at this early stage is solid. Harry Rushakoff is not flashy on drums, but solid as a rock, his bass pedal mixed up front, working with Johnette Napolitano's bass guitar to lay down a very effective rhythm. Jim Mankey is outstanding on the rhythm guitar parts, but has not evolved into the blazing fast, agonizingly tortured demon he would become. He sounds more like The Edge than Jimi Hendrix on this album, but is effective enough.



Johnette's voice and songwriting are the attraction, however. The songs always mean something, are never just words to sing for the song. But, the true attraction with Concrete Blonde was Johnette's voice.



She has a low voice compared to most female singers, and it is soulful and powerful. She hits the notes, and does it with great control and volume. It is as good a female rock and roll voice as there has ever been. If you are looking for a high pitched, cutesy little voice, popping along with peppy tunes, and a massive backbeat for dancing being the only memorable part of the instrumentation, pass this one by. If you are thinking Avril Lavigne, or Madonna, forget it. Think Janis Joplin with power and even more attitude, with great lyrics, and you are close.



What you have is exactly how most of us would put together a Chick fronted Rock band. Powerful drumming, blistering guitar, and a Chick with attitude, thrashing the bass while she belts out songs with a set of pipes you won't believe."

A rebuttal to the previous reviewer...

Wanda4Nick8 | Fredneck, Merlin | 11/26/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Contrary to what Gordon Wagner said, Concrete Blonde did not fall immediately into "...the standard L.A. blackhole of one-album-success-and-a-lifetime-of-heroin-use." CB has recorded a few more albums --and I believe are still a band and recording new material-- since this one; and, although they may not have duplicated the chart success with their later efforts over the subsequent years, they did have a modest hit on college and mainstream radio with the Bloodletting tracks "Joey" and "Caroline." Because CB had established a loyal fanbase on alternative radio --when that term still meant something--, singles from subsequent albums had regular airplay on the modern rock stations I listened to throughout the early and mid-'90's, long outlasting the shelflife of fellow bands that emerged at the same time in spite of the fact that the band was led by a female bassist-vocalist which was an original twist on the typical band format. Though rare, there have been bands over the years led by bassist-vocalists and there have also been bands with female bassists as well, but CB is the only one I can recall --Sonic Youth not included b/c Kim Gordon isn't SY's only vocalist on all of that band's songs - swaps singing duties with now-husband Thurston Moore-- to combine the two wildcard band line-up formats. They long outlasted the shelflife of those other bands because they had new things to say and new thematic territories to explore beyond what their first efforts offered, promised and delivered where the vast majority of bands fail to come up with something new to say after the success of thier first effort, hence the term "somphmore jinx." CB experienced no such shortfalls; in fact, they grew in new directions lyrically and mucically and became, in my opinion, one the better of the non-grunge alternative/modern rock acts of the late-'80's to mid-'90's.



--not having been familiar with this particular CB album prior to encountering it here on Amazon, I assigned the rating of 4 stars b/c, based on my high regard for CB's songcraft and musicianship, I'm sure this album's at least above avg., but due to my not actually having heard I'm reluctant to assign any value greater than 4 stars. However, I do plan to buy a copy as soon as I can, so I can get a listen and determine if it's worthy of a rating of 5."