One More Time For The World Some More is the second volume of covers with a sprinkling of originals that Hans Annellson has put together. Included are a few Yes classics like "Close To The Edge," "South Side Of The Sky" and "Yours Is No Disgrace," as well a few Beatles/John Lennon pieces including a funky, new wave-y, reggae-like version of "Woman Is The Nigger Of The World." John Marshall Gibbs provides the vocals here and on the rest of the album, giving many of the pieces that upbeat and friendly poppy 70s feel, Donovan, Oliver, etc. though on "Woman Is…" he does have a bit of Lennon's cadence (though I also thought Gibbs sounded a bit like Steve Hogarth). When recording covers, one can go one of two ways faithful rendition and total rearrangement. Most go with the first option, and the results are usually harmless exercises. Those that go with the latter had better say something new or original with the material. Here Annéllsson has gone with the latter, and the results are that only handful of the album's 16 tracks that really work well and are worth hearing more than once or twice. The cover that I liked the most is Frank Zappa's "What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body." I'm not familiar with Zappa's original, but here Annéllsson mixes 50s doo-wop with a Hawaiian sway and a segment of two falsetto or helium induced vocals a la Frankie Valley/Frankie Avalon. Given the kitschy-smart material that they started with, it does make this piece stand out. It's great kitsch, a la well, Zappa, I suppose, but also shades of "Weird Al" Yankovich. Of the other tracks that work the best, we have King Crimson's "Prince Rupert Awakes," a piece that features a (programmed) drum beat you can dance to having re-listened to the original, I actually like this version better. Genesis's "Afterglow" is a warm ballad that sounds quite good and doesn't tarnish the original. I like Annéllsson's take on "Close To The Edge," too. However, I will admit that it would be a unique version only if it didn't seem so much like what The Flower Kings would do with the very same piece, adding a little swing to the arrangement. It does sound good, moving along smoothly, flowingly. Add in "Woman Is…" and you find that 5 of the first 7 tracks work. If you're doing the math, that means 11 tracks don't work, or don't work well (exluding a short, cheery synth instrumental as a "bonus" tacked on to track 16). The album loses momentum right after "Afterglow" (track 7) as "Magical Mystery Tour" is a little lackluster and then given a kitschy reprise at the end, that I actually imagine that Transatlantic might have done with the same tune if Mike Portnoy were at the helm of what/how to cover. "Fracture" is uninspired and way too synthetic… it's all parpy keyboards. This also mars the later "South Side…" cover, where Gibbs voice is just too whiney and the vibes sound off. Things do pick up a bit with "Yours Is No Disgrace," but the programmed drums give this too much of a dance-club feel; maybe that was the intention. If this were the 80s, it'd have made its way into new wave clubs. So while the energy is picked up, we still can't put it in the "works" category. The instrumental pieces are the Annéllsson originals, including "Anabolic Parabolic," an instrumental that is one part hard rock drive, and two parts tinkly keyboards and warped keyboards. "Let's Rock! (The Boat)" is a guitar rock outing, though not truly a instrumental as "Let's Rock!" is vocalized everyone in a while. "It Conquered The World" is a wheezy (keys/synths/bass), piece filled with numerous soundbytes and bloopy/bubbly sound effects and Middle-Eastern guitar textures… there's just not very much movement in the arrangement (but for the guitar) which after a few moments makes this a very trying piece. "Sit.com" is interesting once, but once you get the "joke," it just becomes repetitive. Of the Annéllsson originals, "Anabolic Parabolic" probably works the best, but then it is within the first half of the album. I'd recommend waiting for a "best of" album, and even then I'd look to see which tracks Annéllsson thought were his best covers. Otherwise, I'd say this worked better as a concept rather than an acted upon idea. It's one of those cases where you just take the one that worked the best and release a single (or EP) rather than a full length album. Rating: 2.75/5 . |
| Stephanie Sollow |
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