CD Review: The Summit Spring 2008

CD Reviews

Pretty. Odd.
Panic at the Disco


Now in their early twenties, the four members that make up Panic at the Disco have had the ability ride on the coattails of their first release, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out for longer than any of their fans have surely wanted. With no other ties to their breakout album other than Ryan Ross’ peculiar lyrics and Brendan Urie’s unconventional voice, these young men managed to reinvent the sound of Panic.
Little more can be said for the quartet’s newest release other than it is in fact, pretty odd. To say the foursome have captured the essence of some of the Beatles greatest hits would be an understatement. It seems they have picked up clippings directly off the editing floor at Abbey Road studios.
Aside from the fact that Pretty. Odd. comes across as a slightly regurgitated Fab-Four record, I believe these guys made the smart decision to not emulate the innovative sound of their debut.
In hopes of showing their growth and maturation over the last three years, they have decided to turn the tables on their fans and deliver something completely unexpected. Only time will tell if this risk is to their advantage.



Morrissey Greatest Hits
Morrissey

As the lead singer of The Smiths in the eighties, Morrissey brought post-punk rock to the masses. Since cutting his ties with the band in 1987, he has released enough music to keep an indie rocker entertained for days on end.
With over 30 C.D.’s and singles available for download on iTunes, it must have been pretty difficult to choose the 16 singles that make up his newest Greatest Hits release.
This isn’t the first compilation disc under Morrissey’s belt and may not even be considered up to standard to most die-hard fans, but all the songs have been completely remastered and the C.D. does offer two new singles.
For me, I believe this is a good jumping off point for new fans of the singer and gives a sense of what he’s been up to in the last decade. To get a taste of some of his earlier work I suggest, The Best Of! Morrissey (1997). Morrissey will be heading out on tour later this year to promote his new album.