Stampede 100 Miles From Graceland

SteveK on Hell Yeah! and Sheryl Crow–

Two very different albums by two very different styles of artists this week; let’s start with the ass-kicking Metal supergroup, Hell Yeah!

Hell Yeah! Stampede

Composed of former and/or current members of the Metal groups Mudvayne, Nothingface, Damageplan, and Pantera.  ‘Stampede’, their second album belies more of a Hard Rock than Hard Metal.  The sound tends to be somewhat uneven; different songs seeming to showcase sounds and styles that were endemic of the bands Hell Yeah!’s members came from, rather than demonstrating the new band’s own sound.

“Cowboy Way” opens the album capably, establishing the defiant, unapologetic attitude that predominates the rest of the disc, followed by the intense and ominous “Debt That All Men Pay”, a track that reminds me of Pantera’s “Slaughtered” from ‘Far Beyond Driven’.  The song I found most visceral on the album is the downtempo and very Grunge-sounding “Better Man”, a ballad as told by a son to his abusive, neglectful and ultimately absent father.  Other power tracks on this one include “Pole Rider” and  the closer “Order The Sun”.

In spite of its flaws, ‘Stampede’ is a worthy second outing and a refreshingly listenable album, well worth it if you’re a fan of Metal, of Hell Yeah! or of any of the groups that spawned this ragtag band of screwball Metalhead musicians.

Hell Yeah! Stampede

Epic

Steve’s Rating: 8/10

Sheryl Crow: 100 Miles from Memphis

This is album #7 from Sheryl Crow, and I will admit to having been a fan of her work since album #1.   This time the music is inspired from that which Crow listened to, growing up, as the album title suggests, in a small town “100 miles from Memphis”.

The music here is has very strong Motown-influenced Rhythm and Blues and Southern Delta Rock influences than Crow’s usual Pop-Rock offerings.  She also indulges in covers and collaborations, such as working with Justin Timberlake on “Sign Your Name”, originally recorded by Terence Trent D’arby, or working with Citizen Cope on a cover of his tune, “Sideways”.  The album likewise closes with a spot-on Jackson 5 cover, “I Want You Back”.

As a whole it is very interesting to witness Sheryl Crow taking wing in a new direction, experimenting and expressing parts of her musical personality rarely seen.

However, on the aforementioned “Sign Your Name”, I found guest vocalist Justin Timberlake was under-utilized in his role as a background vocalist.  The song could have been far more sultry and sinewy had Timberlake’s talents been unleashed on the song’s chorus.  Instead, Crow’s high-register voice makes the chorus into a whiny shadow of what could have been.

“Long Road Home” is an outstanding Country-Rock ballad that marks the albums middle four songs.  The ballad “Stop” is an effective blend of Country and R&B into a pretty-much guaranteed single and slow-dance favourite, while the funky, sweaty “Roses and Moonlight” more than makes up for the loss of sensuality on “Sign Your Name”.

This is an awesome addition to the Sheryl Crow catalogue, and even if it’s just a one-off, this album demonstrates what has made Sheryl Crow into the power house performer she is today.

Sheryl Crow: 100 Miles From Memphis

A&M

Steve’s Rating: 8.5/10

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