Hey man, nice try

Four years after its first release, a revamped Filter surfaces with an inconsistent and disappointing follow-up

By MARK CARPOWICH
Diversions Editor

Evan Dando, Dave Grohl, J Mascis and Richard Patrick may not be close friends or fans of each others' music, but they share something in common: All masquerade as frontmen of bands. In fact, though, each has kept a band name intact, all the while enduring lineup changes in both studio and touring backups.

If ever there was a one-man band, Filter fits the bill.

Founded by Patrick, whose acrimonious departure from his gig as Nine Inch Nails' lead guitarist helped stir a buzz for the band before any of its material had been released, Filter made waves with its 1995 debut, Short Bus, and appeared on several prominent movie soundtracks with hit songs like "Hey Man Nice Shot" and "Jurassitol." Out of sight and mind since then, Filter has re-emerged with Title Of Record, a release that jumps out like a track star at the starting gun but pulls up lame.

In spite of the departure of Brian Liesegang, who lent a hand with Short Bus but was dumped from Filter for wanting to involve himself in the songwriting process, Patrick's new material does not stray from the pre-programmed beats and samples that showed prominently on the band's debut. In fact, it appears even more boldly at spots, as in "The Best Times."

The best times you will get from this record come from the first few songs. Following 30 seconds of throwaway introductory sound, Title of Record explodes into its first single, "Welcome To The Fold." With a heavy yet simple riff and Patrick's signature scratchy-throat screaming vocals, the song sets the bar high for the tracks to follow. Though it appears on the record in a longer and more drawn-out format than the single version, "Welcome To The Fold" does not lose its grasp around the listener's neck.

The momentum continues into "Captain Bligh" - a speedy, skater-anthem-sounding tune more reminiscent of a rock band like Fu Manchu than the heavy drudge usually associated with Filter - and "It's Gonna Kill Me," which features a vintage Filter driving bass line intro that rages into full throttle. "It's Gonna Kill Me" is perhaps the hardest-rocking track on Title Of Record and - if the band opens with it on its upcoming Family Values Tour dates - will help make a tremendous impression on rock fans timid about turning onto Filter's borderline electronica.

From this point on, though, the record heads southward. The unsatisfying "The Best Things" brings Title Of Record to a grinding halt, which then becomes a static idle with the acoustic "Take A Picture" and "Skinny." Though other songs like "Cancer" and "I'm Not The Only One" try to rejuvenate the once-rocking album near the end, they are not enough to overcome the permanent damage caused by the boredom-inducing slow tracks.

Patrick's familiar gruff has been replaced by a more whiny-sounding, higher voice that even slips into wimpy falsetto a few times. In its current state, Patrick's voice could easily pass for Jane's Addiction's Perry Farrell, especially on the quieter songs that don't feature Patrick's unrivaled screaming talent.

Unfortunately, this talent does not carry over into Patrick's lyric writing. Every track features either the word "you" or "I," which several times come together within a song. No one is asking for Wordsworth, but even most small children could talk about themselves in the abstract if asked.

Title Of Record is almost a mini-double album, with hard-driving rock tunes sharing disc space with quieter, more sensitive numbers that simply don't fit Filter's style well. With the exception of the album's excellent closing track, "Miss Blue," the nice-guy approach doesn't work well for Filter.

Previously established as a man angry over his career, love life and personal decisions, Patrick errs in combining angst-ridden tracks like "Welcome To The Fold" and lame self-victimizers like "Take A Picture" (which showcases his plea for privacy, and sadness in not getting it) onto a single record.

If you have a CD player that can only play the first four tracks, pick up Title Of Record immediately. It'll blow you away. Otherwise, get a CD changer, and keep the remote handy.

- Mark Carpowich | Diversions Editor

Union negotiates strong live album

When KISS and Motley Crüe decided to reunite with their original lineups, guitarist Bruce Kulick (who spent as much time in KISS as Ace Frehley) and singer John Corabi were temporarily out of jobs.
Rather than dwell over their situations, the two joined forces in a band aptly called Union, whose 1998 self-titled debut album was one of the year's hard-rock highlights. The band toured constantly, and last October performed just down Interstate 5 at the Galaxy Theater in Santa Ana, where it recorded a live album. The resulting Live In The Galaxy features a band in a setting that gave it ideal means to display its power, energy and musicianship.

Naturally, Live In The Galaxy, which features 11 tracks recorded live, draws heavily on the Union album. That material takes on an extra dimension in concert, particularly on the lively "Love (I Don't Need It Anymore)," humorously dedicated to Monica Lew-insky, and the driving "Old Man Wise."

Also included are selections from both Kulick and Corabi's pasts: "Jungle" and "I Walk Alone," standouts from KISS' Carnival of Souls; "Man On The Moon," from Corabi's days fronting The Scream; and "Power to the Music," arguably the strongest Crüe song ever recorded. The standout, however, is a cover of "Surrender," which gives Cheap Trick's original version a run for its money. Two acoustic tracks, including an excellent cover of the Beatles' "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away," complete the album.

Though live albums are often hit or miss, rest assured that, in this case, the Union label signifies quality.

- Clay Marshall | Staff Writer

Copyright 1999 by the Daily Trojan. All rights reserved.
This article was published in Vol. 138, No. 05 (Friday, September 3, 1999), beginning on page 5 and ending on page 6.