Supergroups & Alicia Keys Review
Jim and Greg explore the history of the Supergroup. Plus they review the new album from "Girl on Fire" Alicia Keys.
Supergroups
This week Jim and Greg ponder the history of the Supergroup. This is the rock phenomenon where musicians from different bands blend together to form a new group. Take one 1 guitar virtuoso, sprinkle in a legendary drummer and add a dash of star singing-sometimes this is a great success, and sometimes the ingredients just don't mix. Recently there have been a number of new supergroups such as The Good, the Bad and the Queen, Them Crooked Vultures, Tinted Windows, Dead Weather and Monsters of Folk. For Jim the keys to a winning supergroup are that the members be individually "super," and that they have chemistry together. Greg adds that there needs to be something especially compelling about the super-union for it to be more than just business.
Here are some hits and misses throughout history:
- Traveling Wilburys
- Chickenfoot
- Million Dollar Quartet
- Cream
- Blind Faith
- Crosby, Stills, Nash (and Young)
- UK
- Golden Palomino
- Electronic
- Temple of the Dog
- Audioslave
- Lucy Pearl
Songs in A Minor Alicia Keys
Since sweeping the Grammys in 2002 with her debut album, Songs in A Minor, some things have changed for piano pop star Alicia Keys. She's married to producer Swizz Beatz and has a young son named Egypt. Alicia might be a "Brand New Me," but on her fifth studio album, Girl on Fire, she's out to convince us that she's still "red hot." Does she succeed? Unfortunately, Greg says there's no spark here. While there's no questions Keys has chops, and she's heavily involved in the songwriting, album number five still doesn't let us in on who this pop diva really is. He adds that Alicia reminds him of a talented pro-athlete who, when faced with an interviewer, spouts mindless clich'es. Jim agrees-there's no soul here. Girl on Fire is a piece of pop product circa 2012, and it gets a double Trash It.
Featured Songs
- Traveling Wilburys, "Handle With Care," Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, Wilbury/Warner Bros. Records, 1988
- Tinted Windows, "Kind of a Girl," Tinted Windows, S-Curve, 2009
- Chickenfoot, "Soap on a Rope," Chickenfoot, Redline, 2009
- Damnocracy, "Take It Back," demo, self released, 2006
- The Million Dollar Quartet, "Just a Little Walk With Jesus," The Million Dollar Quartet, Sun Records, 1981
- Cream, "SWLABR," Disraeli Gears, Atco, 1967
- Blind Faith, "Can't Find My Way Home," Blind Faith, Polydor, 1969
- The Good, the Bad & the Queen, "History Song," The Good, the Bad & the Queen, Parlophone, 2007
- The Jeff Beck Group, "I Ain't Superstitious," Truth, Epic, 1968
- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, "Teach Your Children," D'ej`a Vu, Atlantic, 1970
- UK, "Night After Night," Night After Night, E.G. Records, 1979
- Asia, "Heat of the Moment," Asia, Geffen, 1982
- The Golden Palominos, "Omaha," Visions of Excess, Celluloid, 1985
- Electronic, "Get the Message," Electronic, Factory, 1991
- Foo Fighters, "Everlong," The Colour and the Shape, Roswell/Capitol, 1997
- Temple of the Dog, "Hunger Strike," Temple of the Dog, A&M, 1991
- Lucy Pearl, "Don't Mess With My Man," Lucy Pearl, EMI, 2000
- Alicia Keys, "Girl on Fire (Inferno Version)," Girl on Fire, RCA, 2012
- Alicia Keys, "Fallin'," Songs in A Minor, J, 2001
- Alicia Keys, "Brand New Me," Girl on Fire, RCA, 2012
- The Black Angels, "Telephone," Phosphene Dream, Blue Horizon, 2010
- Sufjan Stevens, "Justice Delivers Its Death," Silver & Gold, Asthmatic Kitty, 2012
- Twin Shadow, "Five Seconds," Confess, 4AD, 2012
- Def Leppard, "Pour Some Sugar on Me (2012 Remastered Version)," single, Bludgeon Riffola/Mailboat Records, 2012
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