13 - Song By Song

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Damaged Soul is a heavy blues song. I really like this song, but I do have to be in the right mood for it. Good bass and a great guitar track, I don't think the harmonica adds anything to the song. Vocals are quite good but I'm undecided about the lyrics.

[Charger]

Damaged Soul is muscially quite brilliant even. Tony's solo is pure magic. Although the effect on his guitar during the solo is bit annoying and unnecessary.

Ozzy's preformance on the other hand leaves much to be desired. His delivery is tired and the over use of vocal enhancements in his voice doesn't help either.

The lyrics fall bit on the cliche side as well...."I don't mind dying cause I'm already dead..." "Dying is easy it's living that's hard" seriously?

I can't help but think how this song would have sounded with Ronnie on the vocals...I think it would have been an instant masterpiece. But as it is now it falls short.

[Typhon]

Live Forever is an interesting song given the subject matter.  Nobody wants to die, but the longer you live, the more physical difficulties you encounter.  I really love how the tempo changes when necessary, to give the listener a chance to ponder the predicament.  This is a song that could not be written by the band in their earlier years.  I can understand how younger fans are unable to appreciate the lyrics.  Perhaps as they get older, they may be better able to relate to this thought provoking tune. 

[Zzzptm]

Catching up here...

Live Forever - Great stoner riff intro and main line. Loved that. Like Typhon says, the lyrics worked for me. But the doomy slowdowns in the choruses left me nonplussed. I wanted those to hit harder, not back off the gas. They left points on the field, as the sports saying goes...

Across from that song is "Above and Beyond", an absolutely lovely lyrical elegy. It's not a fast rocker by any stretch, but it's amazing. Textured, deep, and beautiful.

Live Forever, I dunno. Above and Beyond, yes, please, may I have some more.

[Zzzptm]

Damaged Soul - MAN I LOVE THIS GUITAR LINE, it's some excellent blues-fueled stoner sound. The harmonica goes wonderfully with the track, and I'm glad to have a pared-back production that lets the guitar do the talking. This is very much like another band I love, Wo Fat, and their body of work. While I had dreaded a nearly 8-minute track after the earlier offerings, this one works and works exceptionally well.

For the vocals, meh... I almost wish this track was just a 4-way instrumental jam sesh. Loner I liked, but Damaged Soul I love.

And opposite Damaged Soul is DP's exceptional, bluesy salute to financial crises - Blood From a Stone, another must-have tune from NW?!. I consider them both amazing. I wish more of 13 was like Damaged Soul, now...

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Last track on the basic album is Dear Father. It's a strange one, because I've never really liked it, but I can't put my finger on why. It's not bad and I quite like the uptempo section, the lyrics are among the better ones on the album. The bells and thunder at the end don't seem appropriate for this track.

[Typhon]

Damaged Soul is the heavy blues number.  It's fine, I guess, if you like blues music, which I don't.  So, as far as this song is concerned, I can take it or leave it.

[Zzzptm]

^^ KDC: it was the end of the regular disc, so that sandwiches with the first track, wraps it up at the end. But even with that explanation, I don't like 'em, either. But I do really enjoy that track, now I've got 3 of 8 that are more than just passing good to me.

^ Typhon: and you are correct. That Damaged Soul track is fine if you like blues music, which I do. I could have eaten a whole album of Iommi doing blues instrumentals.

Overall, I enjoyed Dear Father. I felt it could be better, but it's a good song.

Sitting across from it on the Now What?! lineup is Uncommon Man. That track continues to blow me away. It is a true epic and incorporating Copland's opus, "Fanfare for the Common Man" is genius. It towers over the album and contributes to what I consider one of DP's strongest albums, ever. If the album ended here, it would be enough for me.

[Charger]

Dear Father is a good song. The lyric matter is quite deep and current...Ozzy's delivery leaves a bit to be desired though as he throws those "in ruin YEAH" type of lines bit too often...

The riff is a near carbon copy of Follow The Tears though which is a real shame...but it is a great riff, but the "original" was better...much better.

Good song and yeah the church bells outro is supposed to tie this in with the start of the first album like closing the circle, but honestly it doesn't quite fit...but I don't mind it either.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

The first track on the second (bonus) disk is Methademic. It's the only real uptempo track on the album (unless you include the bonus-bonus song Naivete in Black!). I enjoy it a lot, up there with the best on the album. Nice riff, good bass line, pacey drum pattern and one of Ozzy's better vocal performances. I would have had this on the main album swapping out Live for ever if necessary.

[Charger]

Methademic is a pretty good fast up tempo song but it has it's flaws.

The slow acoustic intro should have been seperated to it's own track though.

But the real intro riff is very good, has a nice groove...but sadly it loses it's momentum with the verse. The slowdown there doesn't do the song any justice. It's like the band couldn't decide whether to do a real fast number or not... Probably they pondered if Ozzy could handle a real fast song and probably came to the realisation he can't anymore so they slowed it down for the verses. Unfortunate though as this had a real potential to be the stand out track on the album for sure.

Tony also loses the momentum a bit on the solo section, for some reason he can't keep up the main riff drive for the solo and it feels bit hollow honestly.

The lyrical theme of the song isn't among my favourites either...Bunch of 60 year olds singing about meth...nah.

[Typhon]

The final tune on the main disc, Dear Father is a good song, although I don't like it as much as the first 5.  Good main riff, effective sped up tempo change in the center.  I understand what they were trying to do with the storm and bells finish, but they should have left this out to finish The End release.  That would have been perfect.

[Charger]

^^^

Well they didn't know there was going to be The End release at this point yet now did they...

[Zzzptm]

Methademic - this is another track that feels like Dehumanizer material. I really enjoy the instrumental track. I'm with KDC, this is Ozzy doing some of his best recent work here. It's a solid stoner doom fast track that any band would be proud to have on their album. Had this been the opener or even second track, I might have taken more notice of 13 when it came out. Some great gramps with amps, here.

Apres Vous - a short proggy intro gives way to a fun shuffle beat, and Gillan has a fun time singing his song there. It's not a standout, but it sure is fun and playful.

Both of these songs are more of what I'd like to hear, that's for sure.

[Typhon]

Methademic is a terrific and energetic track.  Whoever made the decision to not have this on the main disc should be given 40 lashes (and I don't mean from Maybelline  ).  But at least we got it on the bonus disc.  Ozzy sounds great in this one.  Actually, the whole band does.