Black Mountain Review

You can read my review of Black Mountain's In the Future in this week's edition of The North Coast Journal. I just reread the review because I had written it a few weeks ago and forgot what I had to say. There's a part where I kind of rag on the record label's press release for comparing one of the tracks to Pink Floyd's "Echoes." It's a bit of a tangent, but I'm frustrated with comparisons that argue or suggest the accomplishments of contemporary retro-rockers are on the same plane of significance as the older bands to which they are clearly paying homage. A comparison in the interest of situating a band's sound is something I can understand. Claiming that a band like Black Mountain has achieved a monumental feat that challenges the legend of Floyd's body of work from the late 60s and early 70s is simply presumptuous and naive. Read the review. Give me your thoughts.

One thing I did not get to discuss in the review is the record's art work. I am intrigued by the cover's cube effect and found myself perusing my record collection in search of similar art. I found Klaus Schulze's Blackdance and the Fixx's Phantoms:

I don't know what else I want to say here, but I am trying to connect the three records. There must be some strand or theme that can logically connect Schulze's kraut offering from 1974 to the Fixx's synth-driven new wave sound of 1984 to today's Black Mountain. The Fixx seems to be the odd duck of the three, but perhaps I don't give them enough credit. Is it possible that I'm missing out on some perspective on The Fixx that presents them as more than a cheesy top 40 new wave band from the 80s?

Also, check out this NPR link that will lead you to a full one hour and fifteen minute set of Black Mountain recorded last week in Washington DC.

Edit!
My buddy Alex alerted me to an oversight in my discussion of cubes.