Customer Reviews

Rock Collection

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an odd coloring book. There are outlines of playing cards inside. You decide to place your own face over that of the Queen because you are, of course, royalty. Just ask your mother. She thinks the world of her little girl, and spoils you with all the crayons you want, and larger-than-life dreams, and a puppy.

Years go by and the colors in the coloring book fade. So do the colors in your eyes. And your aspirations. And your natural hair color. Addiction is no prettier in real life than it is in the movies. You were the golden girl, but that was the past. Your sister turned out so much better.

The first song on "Rock Collection" is called "Spokes". It tears you right down the middle of that emotional divide between expectation and disappointment. It is not for the faint of heart. Nor is the rest of the album. Sometimes we need the darkness to see the light because we are all flawed, yet beautiful. Listen with caution and with an open mind.

This, as many of may not know, is the final recording by Pond. While not as spritely as their first effort, it most certainly demostrates how much the band has matured over the years. The album is a fantastic blend of chords and slide guitar and imagery. You must also check out their sophomore release "The Practice of Joy Before Death," which is also brilliant. Unfortunately for music fans in the Northwest Pond was also great on stage. If you are having Pond withdrawals as I am check out the band Mandarin which features Chris Brady on bass and lead vocals. They also rock.

This is the kind of album you listen from cover to cover...it came out to be one of the best representations of a bunch that broke apart from an exhausted grunge scene to build the foundation of Indie Rock...and they did a great job with this one!!

Despite being released in 1997 (14+ years ago at the time of this writing), this album sounds current. Having released one very good album ("Pond") and one amazing album ("The Practice of Joy Before Death") on Sub Pop, Pond signed to Sony's Work label (3 record deal, as I recall) and released this fantastic album. It captured a lot of the raw energy of their first, and expanded upon a lot of the narrative loops and recurring themes found on their 2nd, but polished it off with an accessible sound. Standout tracks include: "One Day in the Future", "Twins", and "Greyhound".

Too bad it got zero promotion and they were dropped as the label was folding. The group broke up, but this album captures the band still at their peak. An interesting companion to the Pond saga is the Goldcard album Goldcard. It compiles bits and pieces of songs put together by Charlie Campbell right before and after Pond's breakup. He'd given me a cassette with many of these songs in 1997, but the CD didn't come out until 2003. Make sure and read the liner notes; Charlie gives some fascinating insights into his "creative process" and many of the mental health he dealt with at the time.

Sadly, this was Pond's last offering although many would argue their best. It's too bad they were virtually unknown outside of thier rabid fanbase, because this one was of Sub Pops true rock gems. This release has everything that Pond was known for - great musicianship, incredible song writing, catchy riffs and beautiful melodies. They were lumped in between grunge and post-punk/emo, but certainly take a listen for yourself. Their self titled first release would be a great place to start, but this release is certainly worth a spin...

This album has it's moments. I feel it be a mix of both previous albums. Take the seriousness of 'Pond' and the weirdness of '...Practice..' and you're getting close. Very close. Opener, Spokes is simply wonderful, with the most amazing outro. And songs like Twins and You're not a seed show the thought that the 3 of them are able to effortlesly put into them. Their web page describes how each song was recorded and what exact instruments were used. Even what snare! It's sad they've called it a day.

Not quite as energetic as their first release and not quite as daring/expiramental as their second. It's saving moments, however, are contained in such songs as "Spokes" and the very lovely ending to an otherwise staightforward song in "Flawed", proving that singer-songwriters Chris Brady and Charlie Campbell are a duo to contend with. The slide guitar is haunting and the harmonies harken back to their first album.

Rock Collection is Pond's masterpiece (so far). It's not as fun and energetic as their first album, but for the first time (as a whole) the songs have real meaning. I was very surprised to see how far Pond has come lyrically especially in songs like Twins, Spokes, and Scoliosis. This album seems to have a theme. I think it's about dealing with rejection, finding inner-beauty, and also remembering the past, and learning from mistakes. I look forward to the next Pond release with great anticipation.

You might not have heard of them, but if you want to hear of them, buy this one first...it is there most recent and best, followed closely by their self-titled debut sub-pop record. Worth your money.

You might not have heard of them, but if you want to hear of them, buy this one first...it is there most recent and best, followed closely by their self-titled debut sub-pop record. Worth your money.