Bush Sixteen Stone CD

Bush: Gavin Rossdale (guitar, vocals); Nigel Pulsford (guitar); Dave Parsons (bass); Robin Goodridge (drums).
Additional personnel: Jasmine Lewis, Alessandro Vittorio Tateo, Winston (vocals); Gavin Wright (violin, viola); Carolina Dale (cello); Vincas Bundza (harmonica).
Producers: Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley, Bush (all tracks).
Recorded at Westside Studios, London, England.
All songs written by Gavin Rossdale.
Personnel: Gavin Rossdale (vocals, guitar); Winston, Jasmine Lewis, Alessandro Vittorio Tateo (vocals); Nigel Pulsford (guitar); Gavyn Wright (violin, viola); Caroline Dale (cello); Vincas Bundza (harmonica); Robin Goodridge (drums).
Audio Mixers: Clive Langer; David J. Holman; Alan Winstanley; Paul Palmer.
Recording information: Westside Studios, London, England.
Photographers: Paul Cohen ; Mark Lebon.
Bush's grunge-by-the-numbers is certainly well-produced. Under the guidance of Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley -- the kings of early-'80s British pop -- Bush turn in an album that follows all the rules and sounds of American hard rock, specifically Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Their songwriting isn't terribly original, nor is it particularly catchy. What makes "Everything Zen" and "Little Things" memorable is the exact reproduction of all of Nirvana's trademarks, only with a more professional execution. In other words, all the guitars keep rhythm perfectly and Gavin Rossdale doesn't shred his throat when he sings, he projects from his diaphragm. As far as pop craftmanship goes, it's actually quite impressive. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
The inevitable British take on the Seattle sound leans more toward Nirvana's distorted guitars and cynical lyrics than toward Pearl Jam's classic rock guitar riffs and sincere words. Forcing vowels out of his throat while moaning that "fame is a whore," Gavin Rossdale sounds eerily like Kurt Cobain might have with a British accent. And a few of the songs on the band's debut album, like "Little Things," with its four-chord riff and loud-soft-loud dynamic, openly invite the comparison.
But Rossdale's tunes, which typically feature stripped-down verses invaded by SCUDs of feedback squeaks and guitar belches, unfold in an anti-pop way reminiscent of the darker bands in the Seattle pack. Choruses are often delayed, and not always recognizable. In their place, guitarists Rossdale and Dave Parsons build layers of distortion that follow the cynicism and confusion of Rossdale's lyrics without offering an easy release. The songs, whether about sex ("Body"), love ("Glycerine," an electric-guitar-plus-strings ballad) or terrorism ("Bomb," based on a real London bombing), share a feeling that nothing works out quite like it's supposed to.

Re-Issue

Q (5/95, p.119) - 3 Stars - Good - "...this foursome make a carefully honed post-grunge sound that fits perfectly alongside American counterparts like Stone Temple Pilots or Live."
CMJ (1/6/03, p.18) - Included in CMJ's list of "Top 25 College Radio Albums of All Time"
Option (3-4/95, p.94) - "...heavy enough to cause a ruckus but not too heavy to be considered overwhelming....Lead singer/guitarist/chief songwriter Gavin Rossdale has an engaging voice and sounds like it's seen its share of whiskey-soaked, smoke-filled bars....the songs....are the real stars of this album..."