Customer Reviews

Hard Grind

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One question: what is that "official" reviewer (not) smoking? To say "this meandering, formless sonic splatter painting is terrible" is not only completely unnecessary, it's just plain wrong! He must have some personal grudge against Sherwood or else is just completely clueless about On-U Sound in general. Maybe both. Any fan of Sherwood/On-U Sound, and of the first Little Axe CD in particular, will love this CD. I have been a hardcore On-U Sound freak for many years, starting with African Head Charge and now encompassing pretty much the entire On-U catalog. "Hard Grind" is awesome, combining the Tack>Head crew with the dubwise sounds of Dub Syndicate and the "captured sounds" and chants of African Head Charge -- following up "The Wolf..." nicely. I had feared that "The Wolf That House Built" was a one-off project, but man am I happy to now have this disc in my collection. The only real difference between "The Wolf..." and "Hard Grind" is that the new one is definitely more laid-back, with more slow to mid-tempo grooves and slightly more restrained production. But it's a very small difference. Bottom line: This CD is killer, and is absolutely a great follow up to "The Wolf...". Take it from a true On-U head.

A couple of years ago, Skip McDonald took a break from his Tack Head duties and, together with Adrian Sherwood, produced and released "The Wolf That House Built" the first so-called "ambient blues" project. That CD was a dark mix of blues artists, sound sampling, dubs and tape loops. The result was fantastic. However, because many reviewers panned the CD, sales were dismal and the disc quickly faded from the scene and is presently difficult to find although rewarding if you can get your hands on it. "Run Here Boy" is very typical of what you will find on the first release. As such, I was surprised that McDonald would once again return to the same format that had such dismal results the first time out. I for one am glad that he did. While the songs here are as dark as on "The Wolf" CD, those tunes are, at the same time, refreshing and should be welcome by anyone with an open mind. It is true, that this is not your typical blues and you will not be driving down to see this performed in concert anytime soon but at the same time, it is truly an interesting listening experience which mixes Reggae rhythms, with blues and gospel music. This is anything but traditional blues and is recommended for the adventuresome only. One thing is for sure, this will be one of the more controversial releases this year and will play to some very mixed reviews.

... It's like criticizing a batch of Lee "Scratch" Perry dubplates for being "meandering" and not following straight song-based reggae. The dubs were meant to be something different, a stretching out of studio effects that take elements from songs and weaves them into something new and - often - much cooler.

Even though the record is on Fat Possum, it's not intended to be a typical blues album. Little Axe uses blues as a starting point for a rich mixture of textures, moods, and yes, dub effects. The album makes more sense when seen through Adrian Sherwood's musical history than through Fat Possum's tamperings with straight blues. Little Axe would be out of place in the blues section of a record store.

Skip McDonald's guitar playing is tight and solid throughout Hard Grind, while weird sounds circle about his head like ghosts. Yes there are a lot of samples woven through the record, but together they form a more varied and interesting record than say Moby's new one, which seems plastic, dry, and weak-kneed in comparison. But really there is little in common with the two records despite several reviews that have lumped them together. Moby is starting from the POV of a guy with a computer and stacks of old vinyl. Little Axe features actual musicians who first started playing together as the house band for Sugar Hill Records (!) and their understanding of the music is only sharpened by a skillful producer who keeps the pace always moving, never boring, and very rewarding.

I would highly recommend this for fans of bands such as Primal Scream, 70s reggae wizards like Lee "Scratch" Perry, African Head Charge, and yes even Moby's blues experiments. I would not begin to recommend it to someone looking for a straight Fat Possum blues album. It's easy enough to see if you'd like it though: Just listen to the samples. enjoy.

Ever wondered where `Moby' got inspiration for his incredibly successful "Play" album???...Looking at this album will throw up some answers to those questions. Legendary producer `Adrian Sherwood', handles the mixing side of things, and the exceptional blues-Guitar playing is courtesy of `Skip McDonald' has understated guitar playing is a revelation in itself...adding much in atmospherics & Mood, throughout the album there is a element of the "Techno Blues" that `Moby' would later go on to reinterpret (although amazing `Little Axe's' album doesn't feature any electronic elements), and it's a carefully considered listening experience, with the mood gradually ensnaring the listener with seductive vocals, smoky Dubbed out Delta Blues, and various echoing reverberated loops & effects to marvellous effect. Although not the eclectic Dance-oriented beast that `Moby's' classic album is, it's Blues-rock influences & Modern Rhythm & Blues are far more pronounced & successfully implemented.

I think it's what the editorial reviewer *wasn't* smoking that is the problem, it's all about grooves, feels and emotions. and it's all the better when the form is either incoherent or absent.
let's not get into a heated debate about "what music is" or anything, but this music is supposed to meander... just like the river from which the music draws it's meaning and power.

Lost in this third Little Axe release is the edge that characterized their first, "Wolf that House Built" and the accessibility of the second Little Axe,"Slow Fuse", inexplicably unreleased in the U.S. Instead, as some reviews have noted, there's much meandering and shifting sound textures, interesting if you can pay attention to the subtlties rattling around deep in the mix but very little grit and the sense of the tragic that underlies the best blues surfaces.

The conception behind Little Axe has real potential- an update of the blues preserving some of the original form but not slavishly wedded to traditional structures - but more experimentation and hardness next time would thrust the potential of this groove forward.

Little Axe, IMHO, should have the menace of a roadside juke joint and not the reverential ambiance of a well-behaved country church Sunday afternoon outing.

Funky , Bluesy and trippy. There isn't a weak track on this record. Wimbish' bass washes down the walls while perfectly in sync with leblanc. Can you think of a tighter rhythym section? skip rattles around in the soundscape popping up and fading off. beautiful.
Why aren't these guys millionaires? i love the stereophonics employed here. No, there isn't a track as mind blowing as 'dayton' or 'ride on' on the cd, but overall, the parts that make up the whole here, make it my favorite of their efforts.

If you're into blues and dub you will love this. If you're not into dub you may like it anyway. If you're into dub you'll get the blues and probably really like it.
So just go buy it. You won't regret it .. trust me, ha ha ha.

an earlier review discribed this album as phony and forced .i say you need to listen again . the tracks ( a long way to go )and (tight like that ) are wicked tracks . having worked in the dub business for 20 years i know phony and i know good music when i hear it . to the earlier reviewer you try a make 10 tracks that please everybody.

Little Axe "The house that wolf built" and Sacred Spirit II are two of my most played albums both offering a new direction of the blues which my friends can't believe I love. Little axe's second album (slow fuse) was good but in general lack direction. Hard Grind has elements of 'Wolf' but does not quite measure up. Some of the tracks are brilliant with the most significant tracks being those which a band could translated to non-dub and often involve the harmonica of Alan Glen. The album is still worth the money, but for a blues lover, some tracks head in other directions and two are absolutely infuriating: One 'Tight like that' with (I hope) a pretend preacher's spiel and another with a sendup of the 23rd psalm I could do without.