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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Jah Wobble

Metal Box - Rebuilt In Dub

Review by Gary Hill

The whole post-punk thing is pretty fascinating. I mean, it really does largely qualify as progressive rock, although clearly not of the 70s variety. The whole idea of fitting punk and prog together might seem counter-intuitive to those who thing that punk was a reaction to prog. I've read that it was more a reaction to disco and over=produced pop rock of the 1970s, though. I do know that John Lydon was a pretty big Hawkwind fan. So, I'm not sure that the melding of punk aesthetics and prog are all that strange. It's appropriate that I mention Lydon in this review because Jah Wobble was the bass player in Lydon's post Sex Pistols band Public Image, Limited. In fact, these selections started as PIL songs. Whatever you call this, though, it's an effective and intriguing album that's definitely entertaining and artsy.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2022  Volume 1. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2022.

Track by Track Review
Albatross
I'm reminded quite a bit of Robert Fripp on a lot of this cut. It's driving, but in a real 80s King Crimson way. It's a powerhouse tune. It's a great way to open the set, too.
Memories
I love the bass work on this cut. The track has some smoking hot proggy jamming built into it. It leans toward space rock in so many ways. This works in jazzy directions later. This has some killer grooves. I dig the almost surf guitar feeling of some of the track a lot.
Swan Lake
This gets pretty intense. It's driving, powerhouse music that has a real arsty angle to it. In fact, it drops to a classical music based section mid-track.
Poptones
There are spoken recitations on this number  The track is more magical proggy jamming. It is quite an intriguing rocker.
Careering
A driving tune, there is a real Hawkwind meets reggae vibe to this. The bass work is particularly funky. The vocals are a nice touch.
Graveyard
I dig the cool punky groove on this piece. The cut works through some intriguing changes. There are some nearly classical moments and some great melodies that emerge as it continues.
The Suit
Another with vocals, this drives in some cool ways. It has a great post punk vibe to it.
Socialist
This is a driving cut with cool echoey vocals. There are dream-pop elements to this along with plenty of post punk concepts. This has some cool guitar moments and some intriguing keyboard-like ones.
Public Image (Bonus Track)
Bass brings this in, and drums join from there. The cut fires out into a hard rocker with a real punk edge. There are some sound-bits from "Star Wars." Actually it's Jabba the Hutt from "Return of the Jedi." The spoken vocals on this are better than the sung one.
Fodderstomp (Bonus Track)
This is a super cool electronic proggy tune. I am glad this track was included because it might be the best thing here.
 
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