Rowland S. Howard - Pop Crimes
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CD Details
Artist: Rowland S. HowardEdition: Music CD
Format: Import
CD Release Date: 2010-01-05
Music Label: Indie Europe/Zoom
Music reviews of Pop Crimes
Music Review: another masterpiece
Rating: 5 Stars
fellow aussie musician and beasts of bourbon/kim salmon and the surrealists' bass player, brian henry hooper (check out his solo albums as well - they are well worth the investment), has referred to rowland s. howard as the "laziest" musician in the business, obviously in regards to the 10-yr gap between howard's solo albums (on which hooper contibuted his bass playing to both), but considering the circumstances in which these albums were made (death of his mother, divorce, relapse into heroin addiction, getting hep-c and liver cancer, and facing death with superhuman grace when many others might well have taken the easy way out), one might conclude that hooper's criticism of a rock and roll legend of howard's stature was more out of encouragement, love, and admiration. that being said, the 10-yr gap was well worth the wait and quite an achievement when one considers the circumstances in which pop crimes was made.
after several well-documented and intense years backing nick cave in the seminal swamp/noise/blues/punk/rock legends, the birthday party (who have influenced everyone from pj harvey to the jesus lizard to the drones), and stints playing with crime and the city solution and lydia lunch in the '80s, howard made a name for himself as a virtuoso guitarist - the "crown prince of the crying jag." it wasn't until fronting his own outstanding and often overlooked band, these immortal souls (featuring epic soundtracks [swell maps] on drums), until the mid-90s that howard began getting well-deserved recognition as a singer/songwriter as well, as his songwwriting contributions were often overshadowed by those of nick cave (many seem to have forgotten or are unaware that howard wrote one of the birthyday party's first "hits" ["shivers"] before they had changed their name from the boys next door and moved to england).
in this writer's opinion, howard's first solo album (teenage snuff film) outshined most, if not all, of cave's post-birthday party output, and that is a bold statement to make when one considers cave/bad seeds classics such as your funeral, my trial and from her to eternity. still, i stand by that statement and will go a step further in stating that pop crimes is just as solid, if not more so, than his first solo outing. unlike teenage snuff film, howard's guitar playing is more succinct on pop crimes, while his goldilox lyrics, as a whole, present a dictum that could only be articulated so well, direct, and without artifice by someone with the experience, humility, and intelligence to grasp the reality of not only his own condition, but the human condition as it stands (check out "the golden age of bloodshed"). hashing it out posthumously, songs such as "shut me down" and the well-chosen and venerable interpretation of talk talk's "life's what you make it" are redefined with a vexatious, yet dignified demeanor. getting down to brass tacks, the original tracks are well-crafted and affecting, as are the judicious selection of covers. as a result, pop crimes, like all great art, draws you into its distinct nature and is a exceptional experience for the listener; it's more than just a collection of great songs.
dear rowland - may you rest in peace (if mr. pew allows, of course).
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Description of Pop Crimes
Seminal Australian punk rocker's first new solo album in almost 10 years. Produced by Lindsay Gravina.Pop CDs
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