Foo Fighters- In Your Honor (RCA)
review by Jim Clark

Track Listing

1. In Your Honor
2. No Way Back
3. Best Of You
4. DOA
5. Hell
6. The Last Song
7. Free Me
8. Resolve
9. The Deepest Blues Are Black
10. End Over End

1. Still
2. What If I Do?
3. Miracle
4. Another Round
5. Friend Of A Friend
6. Over And Out
7. On The Mend
8. Virginia Moon
9. Cold Day In The Sun
10. Razor

 

 

Asia broke some traditions with the release of their eighth studio album, Silent Nation. First, their previous seven releases all had one-word titles that began and ended with the letter ‘a.’ Additionally, all of their previous discs featured artwork by Roger Dean or the Dean-inspired Rodney Matthews. Here, stylish black-and-white art graces the cover.

Musically, though, Silent Nation continues where 2000’s Aura left off, but with a slightly harder edge to it. And while Aura featured guest appearances from numerous musicians, Silent Nation is a self-contained, self-produced effort. Joining Asia founder/keyboardist/producer Geoff Downes and long time bassist/vocalist/producer John Payne are guitarist Guthrie Govan and drummer Chris Slade, who has played with AC/DC, the Firm and David Gilmour, among others.

The musicianship on Silent Nation is superb, especially on the darker, more progressive tracks. ‘Blue Moon Monday’ sees Downes getting a workout on various keyboards, ranging from piano to synthesizer to Hammond organ, while Payne adds an impassioned vocal. ‘Gone Too Far’ gives Govan his turn in the spotlight as he supplies some impressive solos. The song includes cool, monk-like chanting that wraps up the track. ‘Darkness Day’ opens with another chanting part before leading into a cinematic, John Carpenter-like synth riff that carries the number. Payne shows off his range as a vocalist here, going from quiet to angry to most points in between. Govan adds some strong electric guitar riffs in the background while Slade pounds out an aggressive rhythm.

As for the more mainstream numbers, they’re largely hit-or-miss. ‘Long Way From Home’ includes a catchy chorus and some nice playing by all of the band. ‘Ghost In The Mirror’ sounds like classic Payne-era material. Downes carries the track with a Hammond riff that Payne gives a soaring vocal over. Some understated guitar adds a nice touch to the song.

On the other hand, the vocals in ‘Midnight’ are too repetitive and the music in ‘I Will Be There For You’ is a bit too disjointed. And the opening song, ‘What About Love,’ plods along a bit too much and is not the best way to start off the disc. While not really bad tracks, they’re not nearly as strong as some of the others on Silent Nation.

One of the things that stands out on Silent Nation is Downes’ playing. While always a part of his keyboard arsenal, Downes really gives the Hammond a workout with its flourishes on most of the tracks represented here. I’ve always admired Downes, both for his work in Asia as well as the Drama album he made with Yes. His playing is never over the top. He plays what’s needed for the given song, and most importantly for a progressive rock keyboardist, he knows what not to play.

So while Silent Nation isn’t quite as good as the defining Payne-era disc, Arena, it’s an impressive collection of songs nonetheless. And now, perhaps a new tradition of two-word titles has begun. Only time will tell.


marillion- happiness is the road
tilt- million dollar wound
mickey simmonds- the seven colours of emptiness
ukz- radiation
pain of salvation - scarsick
icon- icon II, icon live
the pineapple thief- tightly unwound
planet p project- levittown (go out dancing part II)
nosound- lightdark
dengue fever- venus on earth
art of all- morgan
marillion- somewhere else
abigails ghost- selling insincerity
blackfield- blackfield II
damien rice- 9
the who- endless wire
the beach boys- good vibrations
the pineapple thief- little man
the killers- sam's town
tom petty- highway companion
hem- funnel cloud
emm gryner- the summer of high hopes
jeremy enigk- world waits
razorlight- razorlight
gps- window to the soul
iron maiden- a matter of life and death
thom yorke- the eraser
richard butler- richard butler
the flaming lips- at war with the mystics
ray davies- other people's live
david gilmour- on an island
nosound- sol29
jackson browne- running on empty 5.1
neal morse- ?
king crimson- 21st century guide to king crimson
shriekback- cormorant
depeche mode- playing the angel
pallas- the dreams of men
my morning jacket- z
riverside- second life syndrome
roger waters- ca ira
various artists- backs against the wall
riverside- out of myself
sigur ros- takk
killers- hot fuss
queen + paul rodgers- return of the champions
journey- generations
yes- the word is live
emmylou harris- heartaches & highways
van der graaf generator- remaster series
rob dickinson- fresh wine for the horses
annie- anniemal
dredg- catch without arms
foo fighters- in your honor
dream theater- octavarium
belle and sebastian- push barman to open old wounds
the go-betweens- oceans apart
porcupine tree- up the downstair (remaster 2005)
coldplay- x & y
nine inch nails- with teeth
aimee mann- the forgotten arm
van der graaf generator- present
christopher o'riley- hold me to this
glen phillips- winter pays for summer
new order- waiting for the siren's call
ben folds- songs for silverman
john doe- forever hasn't happened yet
trashcan sinatras- fez
adrian belew- side one
kaki king - legs to make us longer
longview- mercury
stereophonics- language. sex. violence. other?
for against- echelons
over the rhine- drunkard's prayer
kathleen edwards- back to me
kasabian- kasabian
porcupine tree- deadwing
the wedding present- take fountain
super furry animals - songbook
arena- pepper's ghost
snow patrol- final straw
rpwl- world through my eyes
tori amos- the beekeeper
kino- picture
monarch- the grandeur that was rome
spocks beard- octane
the wonder stuff- escape from rubbish island
richard barbieri- things buried
the pineapple thief- 12 stories down
the pineapple thief- 8 days later
the innoncence mission- now the day is over
zero 7- when it falls
pain of salvation- be
california guitar trio- white water
jelly jam- 2
tim bowness- my hotel year
van halen- the best of both worlds
glen burtnik- welcome to hollywood
charlie mars- charlie mars
porcupine tree- voyage 34 (2004 remaster)
saint etienne- travel edition
lanterna- highways review
hellboys- cha cha with the hellboys review
persona non grata- the fine art of living review
tegan and sara- so jealous review
guadalcanal diary- 2x4 reissue review
voices in the wire- signals in transmission review
roger waters- to kill a child/ leaving beirut review
luna- rendezvous review
jim white- drill a hole in that substrate and tell me what you see review
the drive-by truckers- the dirty south review
the blue nile - high review
lovedrug- pretend you're alive review
twilight singers- she loves you review
keane- hope and fears review
winds- the imaginary direction of time review
kristeen young- x review
asia- silent nation review
macha- forget tomorrow review
crystal method- legion of boom dvd-audio review
kevin moore- ghost book review
marillion- don't hurt yourself singles review
attrition- dante's kitchen review
rush- feedback review
tortoise- it's all around you review
division of laura lee- does not compute review
peccatum- lost in reverie review
iq- dark matter review
bass communion- ghosts on magnetic tape review
the push stars- paint the town review
virgin black- elegant... and dying review
marillion- marbles review
the streets- a grand don't come for free review
the veils- the runaway found review
all about eve- let me go home review
john young band- live review
mary lou lord- baby blue review
the divine comedy- absent friends review
pink floyd- the final cut (2004 remaster) review
prot-kaw- before became after review
jeffrey gaines live review
mocean worker- enter the mowo review
starsailor- silence is easy review
pineapple thief- variations review
lloyd cole- music in a foreign language review
david sylvian- blemish review
spock's beard- feel euphoria eview
guy manning- press pack sampler review
magellan- impossible figures review
the tangent- the music that died alone review
john gorka- live from grace church photos and review
hothouse flowers- into your heart review
charlotte martin- on your shore review
rasputina- frustration plantation review
stellastarr*- stellastarr* review
vast- nude review
sparks- lil' beethoven review
the damnwells- bastards of the beat review
dave gahan- paper monsters review
king crimson- power to believe review
fish- field of crows review
porcupine tree- in absentia dvd-audio review
new model army- great expectations review
antimatter- unreleased 1998 - 2003 review
catie curtis: dreaming in romance languages review
the gathering- sleepy buildings review
twilight singers play blackberry belle review
vienna teng- warm strangers review
opeth- lamentations dvd review
courtney love- america's sweetheart review
blackfield review
anathema- a natural disaster review
nearfest 2003 coverage
neal morse solo photos- metuchen, nj
porcupine tree broadcast
alpha- stargazing review
david sylvian at the tla
emm gryner at the point
barry andrews at the tin angel
tweaker:2 am wakeup call review
cure- join the dots review
fish live from the tla with john wesley
spearhead- everyone deserves music review
miles hunt (wonderstuff) live

full archives coming soon!

 



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