Aural Fixations

ROLLINS BAND
Nice (2.13.61/Sanctuary)
Yellow Blues (2.13.61/Sanctuary)
A Clockwork Orange Stage (2.13.61/Sanctuary)
Having extricated himself from the tentacles of the major label machine, alternative rock poet/spokesmodel/loudmouth Henry Rollins has entered a period of productivity he hasn't enjoyed since his former band Black Flag was releasing two or three records a year in the 80s. At least part of the credit must go, of course, to the latest hardworking version of the Rollins Band, a trio of musicians who somehow find time for their own career as Mother Superior in between Rollins tours and records. The spate of recordings was kicked off by last year's incredible Get Some Go Again, probably the best balls-to-the-wall rock record Henry's ever made. He's followed up that milestone with not one, not two, but three albums in the last year, solidifying the status of the Rollins Band as one of the greatest hard rock combos going.

In comparison to the explosive rock renewal of GSGA, the "official" follow-up can't possibly hold up, but that doesn't mean it's a bad record. Quite the contrary, Nice rocks and rocks hard. "One Shot" and "What's the Matter Man" hit the cerebral cortex like shots of pure adrenaline, while "Going Out Strange" and "Hello" outdo Rollin's heroes Black Sabbath in the heavier-than-nuclear waste department. "Up For It" and "I Want So Much More" continue the funk experimentation of GSGA, adding horns and female backup singers (Henry: "I'm up for it," singers: "Up for iiiit"). The band further proves its versatility with "We Walk Alone," which adds gnarly slide guitar, and "Let That Devil Out," which waxes jazzy before it boogies down the road like a caffienated John Lee Hooker. Axeman Jim Wilson is a master of the various heavy rock styles required, focusing on brutal riffs and smashing rhythm work more than solos (though when he does a lead break, it's always tasteful and exciting), and handling the funk tracks with perfect aplomb. Bassist Marcus Blake and drummer Jim Mackenroth can stomp like dinosaurs or swing like a big band. That said, there's a certain lack of intensity on Nice. Partly this is because the element of surprise is gone; this edition of the Rollins Band is no longer fresh meat. But it's also because of the further loosening up of the ol' Rollins sphincter that began on GSGA. While Henry still carries guns loaded with rage and self-loathing, he also flashes a sardonic sense of humor, sounding relaxed and even playful on some tracks. Simply put, he's obviously having a blast playing with these guys. Leavening the scowl with a smile makes Rollins fun to listen to and Nice a pleasure to hear.

Yellow Blues consists of tracks recorded for but not used on GSGA, which was intended to be a double CD set. The first half collects rockers like "Summer Nights," "Frozen Man," "100 Miles" and the lumbering title track, all of which could've been slipped onto GSGA without anyone doing a doubletake. But then things get dead weird, at least for the RB. "Don't Let This Be" and "Coma" are hellish, screaming noisefests that make primal scream therapy sound like rehearsals for a barbershop quartet. "Hold On" is a ten-minute tale of dying love that showcases guitar solos with a tone as thick as the concrete walls of a bomb shelter. "Hell's Lounge Band Unwinds" runs an introspective crooner's litany through enough fuzz to permanently clog an industrial vacuum cleaner. The record ends with a ludicrous unlisted track that puts a seriously altered spoken rant over a slow funk grind and the sampled chorus "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck your mama!" As a special bonus, the Ben Grosse remix of "Illumination" that DreamWorks inadvertently left off GSGA starts things off with a hip-hop groove and the original's slamming chords. Despite the almost bewildering variety, the high quality of the material becomes the glue that holds Yellow Blues together as a cohesive statement.

A Clockwork Orange Stage is a live disk recorded at the Roskilde Festival in Copenhagen during the summer of 2000. (This is the same festival at which Pearl Jam fans trampled each other to death.) Henry is a bit hoarse, but the band is in fine form, roaring through a set of (then) new material, plus a few classics. "You Let Yourself Down," "Monster," "Change It Up" and "Thinking Cap" sound mighty fine in a full-throttle live setting, while "Get Some Go Again" is simply monstrous. The band also rips through "Summer Nights" and "Frozen Man" from Yellow Blues, a preview of Nice's "Your Number is One," a trio of Thin Lizzy songs and a handful of older RB tunes, highlighted by "Tearing" and "Hard." In what has become a live Rollins Band tradition, the foursome closes the concert and album down with a raging cover of the Pink Fairies' "Do It." Wilson is in sizzling form, Mackenroth and Blake play it lean and mean, and Henry barks, shouts and burns like a man possessed. If the sound was just a tad sharper, A Clockwork Orange Stage would be molten enough to melt your stereo.

Sales of Yellow Blues and A Clockwork Orange Stage partially benefit the Southern Law Poverty Center, a non-profit group that combats racism and other kinds of hate through education and litigation. It's always nice to rock out for a good cause. Michael Toland

For fans of: the MC5, Motörhead, the BellRays