Album Reviews
Rock Machine: The Second Coming
Rock Machine’s sophomore offering, the apocalyptically titled ‘The Second Coming’ is a truly captivating, if slightly dated relic of Indian rock. It showed that a bunch of brown guys can make convincing hard rock without adding superfluous ‘fusion’ in order to sell their highly cosmopolitan sound. Indian musicians are expected to have a sitar sulking around in background, or a Carnatic vocalist’s lilt, in order to find their place in the flotsam of international rock. But ‘Second Coming’ throws all such expectations to the wind with an irreverent air of true rock rebellion. This is hair metal at its best, and stands up to the cream global contemporaries.
‘The Second Coming’ is driven by some exceptional tune-craft and catchy melodies anchored on some supreme riffing, from guitars and keyboards alike. “Cinderella” and “Believing” find the ideal space between heavy guitars and restrained grooves, creating a fresh approach that pulls their anthems from the brink of Warrant-esque mediocrity. “Screaming Out” sees Zubin Balaporia’s sweet Hammond treading very carefully around a relentless guitar riff, and moves into a captivatingly moody bridge. Songs like “Crazy” sound as if the keyboard was given a bigger hog of the mix than is necessary. But the guitars never play second fiddle throughout the album. There is little to stop the insistent guitar duo of Jayesh Gandhi and Mahesh Tinaikar. The rhythms are chunky and the solos are searing. “Bowl of Madness”, my personal favourite, shows off their masterful interplay, as well as the album’s real strength: its ability to seamlessly shift between heavier and softer vibes.
Uday Benegal plays the part of crooner and screamer equally well on the moving “Die For Your Country” and the album’s hit single “Pretty Child”. The MTV video of “Pretty Child” will forever form the template for Indian rock music videos. Preferably in black and white, the vocalist must gesticulate in the throes of musical passion, with the rest of the chaps playing their mute instruments (with no amps in sight) in beautiful, though highly unlikely outdoor settings (read riverbed, desert or cowshed). To their credit, Rock Machine did do it first, and pulled it off in a much classier manner than today’s flash-in-the-pan Euphorias and Parikramas.
Despite its musical excellence, the lyrics on the album are a mixed affair. The tongue-in-cheek moments often seem corny. “Crazy”, which tells of an unlucky sexual encounter of the deviant kind, features such embarrassing lines as “… Tickle my ass with a feather, baby”. I mean, come on! Have they heard of metaphors or double entendre?!? On the other end of the spectrum, the socio-political rants like “Turn It On”, though well-meaning, come off as being much too naïve and simplistic. However, the lyrics of “Die For Your Country” ring poignantly true in a post-9/11, export-democracy-for-oil era.
Though released on the wrong side of the ’80s, stylistically speaking, ‘The Second Coming’ was a highly successful album as far as sales and publicity is concerned. At a time when the Indian rock music was in its infancy, this album saw major label backing, music videos, and very decent sales. These are phenomena that very few bands that came in their wake have been able to repeat. For all its lyrical deficiencies, the album’s music is top-notch, alluding to that glorious time when hair was big, leather was in, and rock ’n’ roll was slick and glamorous. It deserves nothing less than two vigorous thumbs up! [Independent; 1990]
Is the Second coming available in stores anywhere? I have their “Indus Creed” album. But not this one. Does anyone know where I might be able to find a copy? thanks.
All Rock Machine / Indus Creed albums are available for free/legal download from http://www.massdeletion.com/rm.html
*songs hosted/uploaded by Sid from Colorblind*