Search - King's X :: Manic Moonlight

King's X need a PRODUCER!!!

01/03/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I gave this CD every chance I could, and all I have to say is..where has the magic gone. King's X used to make incredible, no make that life altering CDs. Whether it was the magic of the band's flawless first four CDs (produced with Sam Taylor), or the emotionally draining masterpiece Dogman (produced by Brendan O'Brien, and still one of the most underrated rock CDs ever), or even the uneven but at times excellent Ear Candy (with former Frozen Ghost member/current Our Lady Peace producer-songwriter Arnold Lanni), the band has consistently put out mind blowing work..and unfortunately never gotten the album sales they deserve.But since the band have signed to Metal Blade and started to produce their own albums, things have gone significantly downhill. Their first independent outing, Tapehead is probably the best of the last three, which despite it's terrible production has some classic songs. Bulbous was a step down, and now we come to Manic Moonlight, without a doubt the worst King's X CD. That's not to say there aren't glimmers of what once was...track 1 is a totally unpretentious relaxed piece of effortless songwriting, the bridge of False Alarm is both melodically genius and incredibly moving ("if i could wave a magic wand and make my dreams come true, i'd make my feelings go away or make you want me too"), and Vegetable is a glorious piece of 70's style funk that would do Sly Stone proud. The problem is outside of these rare moments, King's X has never sounded more uninspired and never been so out of songwriting fuel. It's not a matter of techno influences/drum loops either. In fact the loops that start each song are a breath of fresh air compared to the underproduced rec room hi hat bashing that started many of the bands songs on the last two albums. It has become apparent King's X CANNOT do it alone, they need a producer to work off of, to offer suggestions. I know they might not have the $$ to do it but there are great producers who come to mind such as Dave Meegan (who always finds the greatness in bands) who could help tremendously. I understand what King's X have been trying to do...make the music flow more effortlessly, have it be more funky, more natural...that's fine but you need good songwriting to go along with that, and a producer that can at least make the drums sound like they aren't recorded with a $2 mic down in the basement."

Finally, it's here

Brian Ekberg | 09/26/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know why King's X isn't the biggest band in the world. They have three incredible vocalists, a huge sound that has carefully incorporated (but not parroted) modern styles, fabulous lyrics and uncompromising musicianship, all in a very attractive package.Forget the God trappings and "Christian band" albatross that constricted the band's success in the early 90s. "Manic Moonlight" is a fantastic album by a band that is long past controversey and completely confident in its own place in the music business. Starting with the band's last album "Please Come Home... Mr. Bulbous" King's X has found comfort in their niche of writing powerful, melodic hard rock that are at once adventurous and fun. I don't think the band is even striving for a "hit" anymore (as they have in the past) and the result is a relaxed, easy flow to a great album of songs.The songs on Manic Moonlight are fun and feature the astonishing triple harmonies that the band has come to be known for. In addition, this album makes a subtle use of drum loops and other samples. No, this isn't King's X meets Fatboy Slim, it's a band experimenting with new sounds.Musically, the band seems to be experimenting in the separation of Ty Tabor's guitars from Doug Pinnick's bass. Several songs seem to focus primarily on Pinnick's bass playing, with Tabor's parts being very minimalist. Also, there's a lot of call and response between the two instruments. An interesting variation, and when all three instruments (bass, guitar and drums) come "together" that huge King's X sound is truly wonderous to behold.I'm still making my way through this album for the first times but I'm happy with what I've heard so far. If you're a King's X fan, you don't need me to convince you to buy this CD. If you're not and you want to hear some interesting music from a talent deserving wider recognition, pick up Manic Moonlight."

The most left-field offering to date

Worgelm | United States | 09/26/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Man, listening to this guy, I believe Bulbous was the warm-up party. This record sounds like a band that still has quite a bit left to say, even if their Gretchen-era fans are by now plugging their ears and singing "LALALALALA". Let's get it over with : Yes, there are loops all over this thing. Its going to annoy some people without a doubt. But is it a shocking new sound, destined to drive fans away in hordes? Well, if you can survive the first five seconds or so, you should be okay, quite frankly leveled by the blast that follows. Even with the sampling and experimental song structures, _Manic Moonlight_ seems to be overall much more cohesive than last year's _Mr Bulbous_, which was more of an oddball collection of good moments than an album proper. It's darker, funkier, looser and more open and psychadelic than ever before. On far-out songs like the ultra-funky single "Vegetable" and the oozing "Manic Moonlight" the loops seem to inspire the jams that follow. On the intriguing "Static" the band builds, layer by layer with a simple vocal mantra over a tabla loop until the sonic foundations threaten to crumble. On the other hand the cheezy loop, travelling through time and space from some Jimmy Jam-R&B production circa 1988, on the otherwise solid power ballad "False Alarm" seems rather pointless, even obtrusive. But if songs like "Skeptical Winds" and the stunning, darkly beautiful closer "Jenna" - with another one of those killer bizarro-world Ty Tabor chord progressions - are any indication, KX is hell-bent on redressing their singular prog-soul-sound and forging a completely new sonic frontier to explore. How many bands sound this restless after 20 years together?Take it : Jenna, The Other Side, Believe
Leave it : The intro to "False Alarm""