Release Date: Aug 15, 2006
Label: Capitol
Genres: Post-Grunge, Alternative Pop/Rock
Number Of Tracks: 13
Navarro?s guitar work is absolutely the high point of ONe and if you?re a Navarro fan, you?ll likely find his riffs are solid enough to ignore any weak points that may be heard along the way.
ONeFeatured review by: UG Team, on september 14, 2006 2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Sound: Dave Navarro has taken another step away from his roots in Jane’s Addiction with his latest project, The Panic Channel. Along with former MTV VJ Steve Isaacs and fellow Jane’s alumni drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Chris Chaney, Navarro has set out to create a straightforward rock group with a touch of eighties guitar rock. The band’s debut record, ONe, does feature some inspired and groove-based guitar solos from Navarro, but as a whole it fails to capture an originality that was present during Navarro’s Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane’s Addiction days.
Navarro’s work is impressive as usual on ONe, and it is a godsend of sorts to hear full-on guitar solos in contemporary music. But even with Navarro’s unique touch, the songwriting underneath it is fairly mediocre on the whole. It actually feels like some of the eighties metal bands that relied too heavily on the guitarists to make something out of an average tune and never ended up making lasting names for themselves. “Left To Lose” is a prime example of this, with Navarro’s powerhouse intro and outro essentially carrying the entire tune.
What should be mentioned is the extremely odd turn that ONe takes toward the end of the album. Just when you think you’ve figured The Panic Channel out, you hit track number 10. “Night One (From Planchette)” is a rock opera-ish selection that definitely has more of a dramatic and memorable feel to it than the rest of the record. The song begins with a dreamy-sounding intro, but it quickly builds into a distortion-heavy bridge that gives “Night One” a nice contrast. While the song feels a bit melodramatic at times, the band does should be given credit for adding a little spice to the record.
Of course, the band has one more twist in store with “Lie Next To Me,” which is sung a cappella by Isaacs and contains harmonies that almost feel Beach Boys-like at times. Because it is so stripped down, it allows listeners to experience a depth to The Panic Channel that isn’t necessarily all that evident in the other tracks. Considering that Isaacs comes from a musical theater background (he was the lead in The Who’s Tommy stage show), “Lie Next To Me” suits him to a tee. While the song doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the record, it is a refreshing little curveball. // 7
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics tend to follow the expected approach as far as basic rock songs go, but there are a few tracks that take a more poetic approach. In “Outsider,” the lyrics are laid out in almost a free verse style. Isaacs sings, “Speechless; In my screaming way; They all laugh and smile; Spotlights; Give the loved a stage; But only burn the shy.” There is not really an expected rhyme scheme and that adds an intriguing aspect to it, particularly when this musical style does not always seem like the type that would have poetic lyrics.
One song that was inspired by Navarro’s own struggle with drugs is “Bloody Mary.” Written by Isaacs, the track adds a personal level that is missing from some of the songs. Isaacs sings, “Mary saves the night again; Plastic bags for plastic friends; Mary's got your medicine tonight.” Sure, the lyrics sound a bit too much like Guns N’ Roses’ “Mr. Brownstone,” but songs with an honest history behind them always feel a bit more heartfelt than the rest. // 8
Impression: What could be one of the problems in the CD is the vocal style of Steve Isaacs. While the man can undoubtedly carry a tune, the songs on ONe seem like they need a bit more edginess in the vocal area. Isaacs has a clean singing style that just does not seem to fit with the rest of the band. The raw power of a rock band does not always rely on a growling singer, but Navarro’s groove-based and bluesy approach just does not mirror the pristine style of Isaacs.
The Panic Channel probably knows that it has plenty to live up to given the band members’ impressive history, and opting for the pure rock sound is a respectable decision. It’s what you do with that rock sound that will make or break you, however. In The Panic Channel’s case, the songs just aren’t original enough to stand out in this point in the band’s career. Navarro’s guitar work is absolutely the high point of ONe and if you’re a Navarro fan, you’ll likely find his riffs are solid enough to ignore any weak points that may be heard along the way. // 7
ONe
Reviewed by:
Razeon, on september 14, 2006 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Sound: The Panic Channel is the newest creation from former Jane's Addiction members Dave Navarro, Chris Chaney and Stephen Perkins, followed by Steve Issacs (I'm not totally sure where Steve Issacs is from). This album is, in my opinion, better than anything Jane's Addiction ever released, mainly because Perry Farrell isn't heard. At the same time, this band ISN'T Jane's Addiction, so if that's what you're expecting, it's not what you're gonna get. The sound is unmatchable. They are very unique with the way they did things. Awkward chords and unique tuning help make this album better because it's how they got their excellent sound. Songs like "Teahouse Of The spirits" and "Said You'd Be" have some excellent displays of heavy distortion and songs like "Night One" and "Listen" have erie and haunting vibes to them, which makes the songs that much better. The bass guitar, played by Chris Chaney, is a dectable factor in most songs on the album, mainly because it's not one of those bands who shove their bass player in the background and say "We'll use you just incase they can't hear us." It's a band with flow in their sound. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics were mainly written by all members of the band (with an exception of some of them who were written by just Steve Issacs). The lyrics are based on true events. The Song "Bloody Mary" is based on events that took place in Dave Navarro's book "Don't Try This At Home", based on a drug dealer named "Mary". However, when it came to Steve's attention, he realized her name wasn't even Mary, due to the fact that some names had been changed for privacy purposes. All members of The Panic Channel are very spiritual, so when it came to writing songs like "Teahouse Of The Spirits", "Night One" and "Listen", lyrics came to them very easily. Some songs are about pain as well, such as "Blue Bruises" and "Why Cry". "Why Cry" is their first single that they have released a video for and they are currently working on one for "Teahouse Of The Spirits". The lyrics match the music very well. Steve Issacs is the man behind the beautiful, talented voice. He has incrediable range in his voice and can hold the notes for a long time. The lyrics are very good! I'm quite impressed with them. // 9
Impression: My overall impression of the CD would have to rely on my overall impression of each song.
01. Teahouse Of The Spirits - the song is very hard, and catchy! It's a great song with great sound.
02. Left To Lose - not one of my favourites, but it's very fast paced and for those who like mad guitar work, this is a song for you. The sound is good though. I have to admit that.
03. Bloody Mary - one of the coolest songs of the album. It's very calming and it has an erie chill to it.
04. Why Cry - the first single released, and for good reason. It's catchy, has great sound and awesome lyrics.
05. Awake - great sounds from Bass and Drums especially. Steve Issacs also puts a lot of effort into the song.
06. She Wont Last - a great song! So many emotions crammed into 4:45. Haunting guitar sounds at the end, but raw energy throughout the entire thing. An awesome guitar solo as well!
07. Said You'd Be - very fast paced and very loud. One crazy ass solo, but it doesn't all quite sound together, but it's still pretty good.
08. Outsider - I've heard this song acoustic and electric and both are very good! The lyrics are sad, but not like emo sad. The bass is once again shining through in this song.
09. Blue Bruises - the lyrics you can tell mean a lot to Steve Issacs, and this is one of the songs that he wrote on his own. These are all his. The guitar sounds rule, and there is a wicked little solo in there, courtesy of Dave Navarro.
10. Night One - this is another one of the best songs on the album! It's haunting, then alarming, then it calms back down again. It's long, but it's all worth it!
11. Listen - the vocals heard in this song can prove that Steve Issacs can hold a note. The guitar is erie, the drums are like thunder, and the bass is the backbone. A great song!
12. Lie Next To Me - an all voices song. No instruments at all. It's chilling, but calming. It sounds sad, but again, not emo sad. A decent enough song.
13. Untitled - this is like their hidden extra on the album. It's really weird actually. This has got all the erie, spiritual sounds in it. This makes it sound like their is another album to come and that this could lead into it. It's really cool. But it's not a real song, sort of speak (it's cool though).
This album doesn't really compare to other ones, mainly because I haven't heard anyone else really sound like this before. They are different, unique, and definently talented. What I love about the most is the effort that was put into creating this masterpiece. They went from not expecting to become a band to actually making videos and touring. If I lost this album or if it was stolen, I'd definently buy a new one! I love The Panic Channel and you should too! // 10
This album is better than a lot of the new music I've been hearing lately, but isn't exactly my cup of tea. Some of my friends love it, some of them hate it, I just think it's ok.
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