Eleven Albums (5)
What The Critics Say
Eleven will probably be forever best known as "hired guns" for such hard rock heavyweights as Chris Cornell and Queens of the Stone Age, as well as at one point including original Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer (and brief Pearl Jam member) Jack Irons in their ranks. But the group has always been about the multi-talented duo Alain Johannes and Natasha Shneider, who released the group's fifth release overall, Howling Book, in 2003. Eleven manages to retain the arty yet rocking sound of their earlier releases here, as evidenced by such standouts as the groove-heavy hard rocker "Flow Like a River" and the moody, extended album closer, "I Will Drink It All." Interestingly though, there are quite a few tracks here that would have sounded at home on Chris Cornell's Euphoria Morning -- especially "Simple Kiss" and "Kill Me No More." This shouldn't come as a surprise, however, as Johannes and Shneider co-produced, played on, and helped pen songs for the former Soundgarden singer's solo debut. Longtime fans of Johannes and Shneider are sure to enjoy Howling Book, as will admirers of original and uncompromising hard rock. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Eleven returned from a five-year hiatus (during which the band's leaders, Alain Johannes and Natasha Shneider, produced and performed on Chris Cornell's Euphoria Morning, then joined Cornell on the ensuing tour) with the satisfying Avantgardedog. Taking the band into more esoteric and richly textured territory, the self-produced Avantgardedog tones down the behemoth guitars of its predecessors but expands the group's tonal palette with a wider array of acoustic and electric instrumentation and a greatly evolved production acumen. New drummer Greg Upchurch complements Eleven's highly articulate, prog-influenced instrumental attack with more detail than previous skinsman Jack Irons (who departed to join Pearl Jam in 1995), while ornate drum loops and other slices of electronica augment the album's rhythmic tapestries. As always, co-lead vocalists Johannes and Shneider use their rich pipes to deliver memorable hooks on "Cool Cruel Baby," "Verb," and especially "It's Okay," with its delightfully bouncy, Beatlesque vocal counterpoint. Elsewhere, the band's dark, brooding tendencies are more effective than ever, particularly on the album-closing "Watergun," the tense and exotic "Lucky One," and Shneider's beautiful, haunting "Strands of Rain." Eleven's curse is that its music -- while focused and accessible -- is simply too unusual to pigeonhole, and therefore doesn't fit into easy marketing categories; consequently, Eleven remains a highly cherished and well-kept secret to its fans. ~ Andy Hinds, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Anyone who lumped Eleven in with the grunge glut of the early '90s simply wasn't paying attention. Although it's true that the trio's excellent self-titled album (actually their second) was mixed with the guitars loud and fuzzy, the musical sophistication that distinguishes Eleven -- including not only compositional prowess but sheer chops -- leaves most alternative bands in the dust. Led by the husband/wife duo of Alain Johannes (guitars and lead vocals) and Natasha Shneider (keyboards and lead vocals), their primary calling card is a pair of extraordinary voices, both of which are capable of raw intensity and soulful understatement. And, while Johanssens' formidable yet immediately distinctive six-string skills -- which employ a supersaturated, slippery legato and rich chord voicings -- is impressive, Shneider's instrumental duties -- which include not only providing the lush textural and chordal keyboard parts with her right hand, but also all of the basslines with her left, may be even more amazing. No-nonsense skinsman and former Red Hot Chili Pepper Jack Irons lays his grooves right in the pocket, giving the sometimes prog-influenced tunes a foursquare rock swagger. The band flesh out massive mid-tempo stompers like "Crash Today" and "Towers" with emotion and harmonic depth without sacrificing any of the arena-sized crunch. Eleven rocks hard and grooves from front to back, but is intercut with enough dynamic and tonal variety to make for a balanced listen. Possibly Eleven's best album, it certainly remains an underrated work. ~ Andy Hinds, All Music Guide
'Awake in a Dream'
Release Date 1/1/1991
Tracks 12
Label Morgan Creek
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Eleven was a so-called alternative rock trio of the early 1990s that drew heavily on the psychedelic rock and soul music of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Awake In a Dream is much too guitar-oriented to have been played on a Black radio station in 1970 or 1973, and yet, enjoyable selections like "Before Your Eyes," "All Together" and "Rainbow's End" make it clear that singer/guitarist Alain Johannes, bassist/singer/organist Natasha Schneider and drummer Jack Irons have spent a lot of time listening to the likes of Sly & the Family Stone, Ike & Tina Turner and Stevie Wonder. Schneider is also heard on the clavinet, a synthesizer that was prominent in 1970s soul and funk but was seldom used in the urban contemporary music that followed in the 1980s and 1990s. Not earth-shattering but usually decent, this little-known CD indicated that Eleven was a band to keep an eye on, even if commercial success eluded them. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
