No anthology of heavy metal would be complete without an entire section devoted to the band with "Metal" in its very name.

Metallica – Ride the Lightning (1984)
This, folks, is thrash-metal. How to describe thrash-metal? Hummingbird-fast palm-muted ribcage-pounding rhythm guitar at volume 11 (that’s a This is Spinal Tap reference, in case you didn’t know), double-bass-drum-pedal insanity, harmonized (sometimes three-part) lead guitar riffs executed with laser precision, relentless bass lines, and extended “danger zone” guitar solos. Seriously…this is what heavy metal is all about! To fully appreciate it, you need to grow out your hair out so that when you rapidly move your head up and down to the beat (aka headbanging), it looks like Cousin It jumping on a trampoline. Ride the Lightning is best known for the songs “For Whom the Bell Tolls," “Fade To Black," “Creeping Death," and the instrumental “The Call of Ktulu," which draws its title from the chilling H. P. Lovecraft horror story “The Call of Chtulhu."

Metallica – Master of Puppets (1986)
I would love for you to check this album out of the library. Honestly though, you would be better off searching through your couch cushions for enough pennies to just go and buy it. It can be summed up with two words: Magnum Opus. The opening track “Battery," sets the tone…a steady build-up of classical guitars that undergoes a sudden transformation into heart pounding epicness.

Metallica’s next two releases are really just as good and should not be overlooked. 1988 gave us …And Justice for All, which featured the Grammy-winning song “One." In 1991 they released a self-titled work commonly referred to as the Black Album, which includes the anti-lullaby anthem “Enter Sandman."

Discerning listeners will draw parallels between these four albums and great works of classical musicians, especially those of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Their lyrical content is dark and unforgiving. Recurring themes include death, hypocrisy, misplaced justice, monsters, hopelessness, violence, and the human capacity for evil (which I appreciate, but in moderation).

Stay tuned for more heavy metal reviews!

Dan Curry – Savage Branch

On August 19, 1988, Nanci Griffith returned to her roots for the first of two performances at the Anderson Fair Retail Restaurant in Houston, TX. The result was One Fair Summer Evening, which is as fine a live concert CD as you’ll hear anywhere. Griffith is a musical traveler, a collector and carrier of the culture that she catalogs so astutely in her songs. When she plays live there’s something of the “tour guide” in the performance. When introducing her material, Griffith provides comic gems about how they were inspired or received; her enthusiasm and energy are infectious. "Love at the Five and Dime," for instance, follows Eddie’s courtship of Rita, whose beauty “really made the Woolworth counter shine.” Griffith recalls a European tour when she “landed in London, and by golly there was a Woolworth store, and I wanted them to stop the car so I could go fill up my suitcase with unnecessary plastic objects…”

This CD includes the classics "Trouble in the Fields," "The Wing and the Wheel," and Julie Gold’s "From a Distance." One Fair Summer Evening closes with a personal touch as Griffith performs “Spin on a Red Brick Floor,” a song she wrote about the unique character (and dance floor) at her host institution Anderson Fair. In introduction, she pays tribute to the bricks and to the other artists who had played the venue before her. It is a fitting end to a great live music experience. Take a listen to One Fair Summer Evening and enjoy Nanci Griffith’s stellar performance.

John Jewitt – Savage Branch

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a new review series called "I Wish I’d Been at That Concert," where we’ll introduce our favorite live performance CDs. We hope you enjoy our selections!

I’m back with part two of my chronological review of the Library’s growing collection of heavy metal! We’re going to skip ahead a few years to 1978…

Van Halen – Van Halen
When punk began to influence the heavy metal scene, metal music was infused with a heavy dose of speed…Van Halen’s 1978 self-titled debut album being a prime example. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen put the new "fingertapping" method of guitar solos on the map, which you’ll hear when you listen to the epic song "Eruption."  If the general rule is that a band’s first album is their best, Van Halen is no exception.

Motörhead – Ace of Spaces
Guaranteed to cut your commute in half, Ace of Spades is one of the most relentlessly heavy metal albums of all time. Period. The trio, led by bassist/vocalist Lemmy, delivers an unapologetic onslaught of pure rock. The speed, simplicity, and sheer volume of this album is amazing. Released in 1980, it coincided with Judas Priest’s landmark album British Steel.

Def Leppard – Pyromania
Def Leppard’s third full-length album Pyromania epitomizes 1980s glam-metal in so many ways. This overly produced anthemic masterpiece pumps up everything. The year 1983 gave us huge drums, who-knows-how-many-part vocal harmonies, and crispy-clear guitar solos that dominate from beginning to end. Listen to this one on a hot day with the car windows down.

You can read part one of this series here.  More heavy metal reviews are on the way, so keep your eyes peeled!

Dan Curry – Savage Branch

Howard County Library has a quaint, yet growing, collection of some of the finest heavy metal albums ever released. Below is a chronological sampling of the best of what we own. Needless to say, use discretion when listening to these around children…heavy metal isn’t known for being tasteful and radio-friendly. That being said…these discs rock hard!

Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II
Let’s start here. 1969. Led Zeppelin, although they shouldn’t be categorized as a heavy metal band, was a crucial component in heavy metal’s development. Led Zeppelin II took blues-rock and amplified it to a level never before reached. Again…not heavy metal yet, but without it, heavy metal may never have existed. Robert Plant’s obsession with mythology (particularly J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings) gave subject matter to the new sound, which would be incorporated into much of heavy metal’s lyrical content.

Black Sabbath – Paranoid
Essential, foundational (released in 1970), and very accessible to folks who want to ease themselves into the world of heavy metal. It’s a relatively slow-paced album (although the title track is one of the best driving songs ever); while it may lack in speed, Paranoid more than compensates with crushing guitars and pounding drums. Ozzy Osbourne’s vocal melodies aren’t particularly melodic, but they are perfectly suited for the music behind them. Also be sure to check out Master of Reality, their 1971 follow-up.

Deep Purple – Machine Head
Vocalist Ian Gillan actually enjoyed a brief stint as Black Sabbath’s frontman, and you will notice similarities in musicianship between the two bands. Machine Head (1972) is Deep Purple’s most lasting accomplishment, including the songs "Highway Star," "Space Truckin’," and the immortal "Smoke on the Water."

Stay tuned for more heavy metal reviews!

Dan Curry – Savage Branch

For the last few days I’ve been driving around with Diana Krall…on CD, that is. Jazz is a genre which eludes me – maybe I can’t relate to the (occasional) smooth (when I’m craving passion in my music) or possibly I don’t understand the (sometimes) free form (when I’m seeking structure). But given that, I’m fascinated with Quiet Nights, Krall’s latest release.

I’m not from Generation Y, or even X. I’m sharing this information because what I find most intriguing about Quiet Nights is that it seems like the ultimate adult music…..for sophisticated adults, at that. And yet despite the fact that I hail from the generation starting with Baby and ending with Boomer, I often don’t quite feel like an adult. (Please don’t pass this confession on to my kids!) Quiet Nights is music to which I aspire.

Listening to Krall, I imagine dining after dark with my lover on a Manhattan rooftop as millions of stars and building lights compete to illuminate our private table. I’m dressed in a simple floor length black gown, my dining partner matching my elegance with a beautifully cut tuxedo. The food is sumptuous, but secondary to the tone set by the evening’s soundtrack. My imaginary rendezvous is the stuff of dreams and a tribute to the amorous power of Quiet Nights.

While her work is a listening departure for me, it is definitely a welcome one. My only suggestion to Krall might be to change the title of the CD to Romancing the Nights — a more apt name defining and harnessing the heightened sensual mood set by the music.

Fritzi Newton – Miller Branch

At a party she sees a confident, sensual woman reflected in a mirror across the room. Only after a few minutes does she recognize the image as herself. Being in a passionless marriage has diminished her spirit, so the bouyancy she feels while flirting with an attractive man is intoxicating. It’s at this point that Josie realizes she must leave her husband.

Although dreading the confrontation, she can’t postpone the inevitable. When she tells Anthony their marriage is over, he’s nostalgic about the past, yet eager to get back to reading his book. Their adopted daughter also takes the news in stride and chooses to stay with her father.

A clinical psychologist, Josie traditionally takes several weeks of vacation during the winter holidays. Her patients reliably balk, but year after year find the fortitude to survive without their mentor. When Raquel, one of her closest friends and a celebrated rock singer, implores Josie to join her in Mexico City, the decision to travel comes easily. Each has her own reason for escaping. Josie is struggling to understand her newly minted identity/reawakened sexuality, while Raquel has fled the spotlight of a highly publicized breakup with a much younger actor.

The impromptu trip turns out to be cataclysmic…in more ways than one.

(This title contains mature content.)

Fritzi Newton – Miller Branch

I’m driving to Virginia this weekend and the forecast is for THE consummate day — brilliant blue skies and a light quilt of 70 plus degrees. Such perfection demands the freedom of open car windows and equally supreme music. With Andrew Bird’s Noble Beast, I think I’ve found the ideal CD.

I had flirted with Bird’s music for the last few years, but it took immersing myself in Noble Beast to become an appreciative fan. Bird defies comparison to other artists. His intriguing (sometimes disturbing) yet more often than not, nonsensical lyrics provide an unusual contrast to the accompanying ethereal music with its splashes of folk and latin rhythms. A unique harmony of sounds — not the least of which is whistling — blends together to create something both understated, yet simultaneously rich and powerful.

While "Oh No" and "Fitz and the Dizzyspells" receive airplay on alternative and public radio stations, "Not a Robot, But a Ghost" and "Anonanimal" emerged as two of my favorites. A bit more accessible in its meaning, "Not a Robot" examines a relationship plagued with discord, where at least one person wants to "end the war." To a subdued cacophony of percussion, Bird seems to create multiple songs within one. Although clueless to its meaning, "Anonanimal" swirled through my brain, overloading my senses and possessing me with its syncopation and beauty. But it’s tough to highlight the best cuts as they all shine — you’ll just have to check out the music for yourself.

I’m passing on the multiple steps to true happiness; find the perfect day, seek a novel destination, allow soothing summer breezes to disperse your worries, and, most importantly, cruise along to Andrew Bird’s Noble Beast!

Fritzi Newton – Miller Branch

I was shelving CDs a few weeks ago when I thought, "Hey, we’re getting a lot of new music. I should check some of these out." I really felt old when I realized at first glance that I had not heard of most of the titles, but I figured I’d just grab a couple CDs and check them out anyway. The first title I tried was A Hundred Million Suns by Snow Patrol.

When I popped it into my CD player at home, I was nicely surprised — I liked it! Not quite the same result I got when playing one or two of the others I had chosen, but that was good enough for me! The music was mellow, reminding me of U2 a little bit. Great vocals with guitars in the background, not too much to muddle the sound. Songs like "Crack the Shutters" and "Take Back the City" have taken hold of me and won’t let go.

I hope to try my experiment again sometime soon!

Michele Happel – Miller Branch

Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant by Belle & Sebastian surprised me in many ways. First, I was taken off guard when I learned that they hail from Scotland. There aren’t many Scottish bands that I know by name. Second, the instrumentation and organic production quality reminded me of the music I grew up listening to…the Guess Who, the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, the Doors, and especially, the Mamas & the Papas. When I learned Belle & Sebastian’s first album was released in 1996, and this one came out in 2000, I just about fell out of my seat in disbelief.

I made a conscious decision about a year ago to not to hit the "skip" button when I’m listening to a CD. I feel like albums are intended (or, at least, should be intended) to be appreciated as a whole, and I should honor them as such. It’s been very hard for me to find discs that I can listen to all the way through without feeling that irresistible urge to fast-forward. Fold Your Hands didn’t present such a problem. The more popular sounding, optimistic songs are balanced well with introspective, solemn tracks. The storytelling is fantastic, and each song depends on the human ability to fill in the blanks (i.e., the concept of "closure"). "The Chalet Lines," for example, is haunting in its simplicity, disturbing in its subject matter, and assumes that the listener will view it in the context of a world that is not what it ought to be.

The music, though, is just wonderful. It’s light and easy, and the songs are the right tempo to tap your foot without breaking a sweat. Harpsichord, trumpet, and a string section are used to give the songs the right tones at the right times. My favorite tracks include (1) "I Fought In a War," (5) "Don’t Leave the Light On Baby," (6) "The Wrong Girl," (7) "The Chalet Lines," and (8) "Nice Day for a Sulk."

I checked out a few more CDs by Belle & Sebastian, but was rather disappointed by how different they sounded from Fold Your Hands. Albums like The Life Pursuit and If You’re Feeling Sinister were a little too avant-garde for me at this point. They did have their moments, but I had to pass on them in the end. Start with this, their fourth full-length album, before listening to the others.

Dan Curry – Savage Branch

Recently, you may have noticed some great new additions to the expanding music collection at Howard County Library. In particular, I’d like to recommend three CDs by The Killers: Hot Fuss, Sam’s Town and Sawdust. A band in the vanguard of the post-punk revival, The Killers do a great job of taking the 80s New Wave sound in new directions and producing music that is somehow familiar and yet original, distinctive, and fun.

The Killers‘ debut album, Hot Fuss, includes Mr. Brightside, a wonderful collection of jealous neuroses set to music, as well as a number of other standout tracks.

The follow-up, Sam’s Town, is a CD that has been put together in sequence and plays best, even in this MP3 era, when listened to as a whole. After the rip-roaring title track opens Sam’s Town, the CD is framed by a Sgt. Pepper-like intro welcoming listeners to the CD – hoping you “enjoy the show" – and an outro that sends us on our way feeling good about having listened to the whole collection. In between are some great pop-rock songs including For Reasons Unknown, Bones, and the exceptional Read My Mind. Each track on Sam’s Town possesses depth beyond the melody and has something forceful to say, making this CD a collection that can stand repeat listening.

The newest Killers‘ CD in Howard County Library’s collection is Sawdust, a B-sides and rarities collection that fills in some musical gaps and recovers the best stuff from the cutting room floor. There are seventeen tracks here, and although a couple of the covers and remixes fail to soar, the majority of the CD is vintage Killers. Under the Gun and a cover of Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town are standouts.

The Killers‘ Day and Age, is due for release in late fall. There’s plenty of time between now and then to catch up with Hot Fuss, Sam’s Town and Sawdust, so that you’re fully prepared when the new CD is released.

John Jewitt – Savage Branch