Member:
SheriffJohnBrown?
Date:
1/11/2005
Planet P is so unique. Their (his, Tony Careys) style is so personal, so specialized. You just cant put a finger on it.
As soon as I got 1931, I popped it in the computer and listened to it, in whole. My ears were trying to figure out if the sound was dated or modern, which, like I said, is difficult to put a finger on. The layered synths and electronic percussion are a good recipe for a dated sound, but the settings they are placed in are undeniably modern.
The music is conceptual. In fact, this is part one of a three-part concept, spanning the length and breadth of the 20th century. 1931 jumps around, in a decidedly unchronological way, so dont think of it as a chronological storyline, because this will only confuse you.
Detroit, 1939. Berlin, 1939. A family sits around the radio, Sunday evening, just like all the other families. And they wait. Because Father has a message for us tonight, and we cant miss it.
Father Coughlin was a Detroit radiovangelist to whom Tony credits the invention of hate radio broadcasting. In the late 1930s his radio show changed from a message of love to one that praised the actions of Hitler and Mussolini. He also blamed Jews for the spread of communism. The song is about how the Germans perfected it, with Coughlins support. "My Radio Talks To Me" was an excellent selection for opening track. It has the beat and energy so typical of Planet P and a very electric chorus. There is just something about Tony Carey, the music he writes is so magnetic, it draws the ear, takes hold of you and doesnt let go. As my friend pointed out the other day, he has sort of a scratchy' voice, a very unique voice, unlike so many vocalists on the radio today. And his voice is amazing. He is definitely my favorite singer (which is a big thing when it beats people like Steve Walsh, Peter Gabriel, Neal Morse, and Roger Daltrey), and when you hear it you will agree, theres something 'magnetic' about it, but thats difficult to put a finger on.
Join the parade, you can blow off some steam, you can hide behind the crowd and still say what you mean. Join the parade, you can be anyone you want, you can be a big man, you can feel ten feet tall.
Many of the songs here are about political revolutions. Fascism, communism, Nazism, and etc. The lyrics of "Join the Parade" essentially sum up all of these thoughts. Tony makes good use of famous speeches to pull in the listener. Especially clips of some fiery Deutch words from Hitler give you goose bumps but also hook you, grip you. Make the music interesting. Not that the sound clips are the only thing provocative about this work "Join the Parade" is an awesome song. It has a chilling vocal line (where the italicized phrase above is sung) which paints a picture of a person inviting you, daring you, to join the parade, join the revolution. The chorus is enticing, persuasive, and so well written it tempts me to believe what it says (below), which is just what it should do.
Well weve got the answer for you: how the many can be led by the few. And heres something totally new, so grab your hat and get your gun, were marching out to light the midnight sun.
One unifying principle of a fascist nation is that the dictator is a supreme military ruler, and the military in turn has an undivided loyalty to that leader. Often case, and in the case of Hitler, Mussolini, Hirohito, and many other dictators, the soldiers are used like puppets, and the dictator has no qualms with killing 50,000 men at a time.
And hes talking to you and me, and heres what he wants you to be: good little soldiers.
Here the music is slow and somber, the masterful vocals rising and falling with the swinging mood of the concept. The beat and vocal line (There are many ways of hating/And many things to hate) remind me somewhat of The ShepherdEfrom Pink World. More great use of sound clips, adding color and energy to the music (and the people said "heil!".
"Work" is all of the energy of the 80s focused through the ever-changing lens of modernity that is Planet P! Kudos to Tom Leonhardt, who puts in some great guitars along with Tony, at times very Gilmouresque. What draws the listener into this one is difficult to put a finger on. But one thing about "Work" is that its very energetic - its a great one to sing along to, and a real foot-tapper.
"Work will make you free"(or Arbeit macht frei) was essentially Germanys catch phrase, as they began capturing Jews and Russians and putting them into work camps (which is what they started as, but tragically escalated to mass murder). There would be signs posted that would say "Arbeit macht frei," or literally "work makes free". Musically I would say that the verbal narration is taken a bit too far in this song. There is a very slow middle section, all verbal narration without music.
Finally, we get a break from all the fascism. We now travel 2,000 miles west to the US, in the heart of segregation and racism. Not only is "The Judge and the Jury" a great rocker, it also reflects on one of the biggest problems of society, in Americas past and today here and across the globe. Tony is an awesome keyboard player, the music revolves around his layered synths, and on this song electric piano, plus there are very solid bass lines and supporting guitars.
Got a little black book, built an equaliser right in my kitchen out of scratch - all that it took was fertilzer, a u-haul and a match. When it went bang, bang, just like advertised, I went and made another batch.
"The Other Side of the Mountain" is about Timothy McVeigh, who blew up the federal building in Oklahoma City. It also deals with militia/domestic terrorist groups in Idaho and Michigan, including the Ku Klux Klan. "(They) are training like mad," Tony says, because they "see a 'final confrontation' with the government/UN/black people."
And he knows that winter is coming, and he knows he wont survive, but hes tired of endless running. He wont hide. And for those who still lie hidden, hes afraid he cant provide. And he hopes they will forgive him, by and by. And hes waiting for the winter...
"Waiting For the Winter" is a dramatic tribute to the heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. It is told from the point of view of Mordecai Anielewicz, the 23-year old leader of the Zydowska Organizacja Bojowa, or the Jewish Fighting Organization, who in January 1943 resisted the Nazi deportation of Jews with armed force. The German cut off their heat during the winter, leaving many to freeze. Anielewicz fell in battle in May, and the remaining 49,000 Jews were successfully deported by the Nazis.
Believe it - you better believe it now. Ready or not, well here they come, just like 1931.
"Believe It" actually sounds very modern. It is upbeat and has a foreboding message; that we are waiting in a 'calm before the storm' period, like the world was in 1931 (just before Hitler became a chancellor). Tony expresses concern at the activities of modern day domestic (domestic to America) terrorists, previously mentioned in "Mountain".
"The Things They Never Told Me" speaks of a recruit in the early version of Hitlers SS, who realizes that he can get away with all kinds of things with his military power.
If youre watching it, youre part of it. If youre close enough to see it, youre in it. Theres no line dividing the two. And if you dont know where you come from, you dont know where youre going. And things that might have happened back in the dark recesses of history cant happen again - can they?
"Where Does It Go" is the magnificent close to the album. It highlights the fall of the Berlin Wall, and talks of a gang of skinheads in Germany ("And they dont like him and they dont like you. Dont like the Muslim, dont like the Jew"). It also talks about how Germany (and the world) has forgotten where it has been. What have we learned this past century? Not enough to stop war, famine, poverty and all the bad things in the world. Not enough to stop ourselves. And perhaps we never will.
Tony did an amazing job on production. Amazing. It is extremely professional, all recorded and mixed on his computer with Logic 6.4.
If you are skeptical about this record, let me assure you, it is as if Tony just put Planet P on pause, matured 20 years musically, and made a new album in 1986, with better quality songs than both Pink World and Planet P. Believe it - (me and my puns) Planet P is back, with an album that I dub a triumphant return. For those of you unfamiliar with Planet P, the music is melodic and keyboard-heavy. Keep in mind that this is not avant-garde prog; this is intelligent Space Rock - sort of a combination of early Peter Gabriel and Pink Floyd.
9.5/10
Member:
JLucky
Date:
6/19/2005
If you only knew how many times I listened to Planet Ps Pink World what Im about to say wont come as a surprise. I never did get into the first Planet P LP but the second, Pink World was so full of great compositions, a great concept and a great sound that I was hooked as a fan. At the time of its release in 1984, it was some of the most progressive stuff available to the common man (or woman). So imagine my surprise to find out that a new CD release was imminent on ProgRock Records. Had the sound changed? Would it live up to expectations? Well Im here to tell you its done all that in spades!
Planet Ps new release is entitled 1931 and is the first of a three-part trilogy entitled Go Out Dancing. As such, this CD has been in gestation for some time, being recorded between 1992 and 2003. As with his other releases, this is very much the work of Tony Carey who is after all, Planet P Project. He does have some assistance on guitars, keyboards and background vocals but for the most this is his show. But forget any ideas you might have about thin-sounding, one-man-band recordings. This is cinemascope baby!
From the opening brooding atmospheric sound effects of My Radio Talks to Me I was hooked all over again. And speaking of hooks, Carey has that uncanny ability to write them and theyre sprinkled throughout. Its worth mentioning that this is not prog of the complex-time-change-every-minute variety; instead, Planet Ps prog style is one that incorporates concept, theme and a myriad of musical styles mixed with sound effects, dialog and solid musicianship. Little snippets of dialog are placed throughout the entire CD to propel the recordings overall theme. But the real power of this work is in the strength of the compositions, the songs. Take for example Work (will make you free) a song about being hauled off to a concentration camp that is strangely set in an unusual upbeat musical style that is right out of what could have been a propaganda soundtrack. This strange otherworldly juxtaposition enhances that cold brutality of what was happening to so many individuals. However, this is not a concept about just what was happening in Germany, its much more than that. Carey presents a message for us today. The overriding theme of the recording is about the radical right in its various guises and is perhaps best summarized by the line ready or not, well here they come, just like 1931 reprinted in the liner notes.
I cant remember the last time I was so excited about a new CD landing in my mailbox. After just one listen it was everything I was hoping for. If you enjoyed Planet Ps Pink World, youll love this, its a logical extension of that style. If youve never had a chance to hear Careys work before start here. Planet P Projects 1931 easily makes my Top 10 for releases in 2005. I can hardly wait for parts two and three.
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