Quick note: I'm pretty damn busy. This project can only take flight after graduation...or something like that.
Here's a couple things that are worth listening to:
- Dr. Dog - A Philly band that somehow encapsulates those pop sounds that oozed out of the radio in the late 1960s to late 1970s. I've only been listening to "Easy Beat" (2005), but I've been sampling the other albums they have up on iTunes...pretty good stuff.
- Ennio Morricone - This pick might be a little too deep or a little too novel to be enjoyed, however, I seriously recommend this man to anybody. I'm running out of time, have to get to Ganser Library. Ugh.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
For Stiffler...
It's interesting what kinds of connection you can make through music. Sometimes there's certain people that might come to mind over specific music. For example, I had a friend who would do Jadakiss' trademark laugh when he was "all fired up", I'll also remember him playing the "Rocky IV" soundtrack when we played "Fight Night", "Mexico" by James Taylor will always remind me of cleaning the fraternity house basement and my pledge brother Matia, I have another friend in which we share "Tumbling Dice" as a song that we both like a great deal, etc, etc.
Recently, I had a friend pass away. He was a great guy and his actions were always earnest. His name is Nate Stiffler, and we called him (and he intro'ed himself as) Stiffler for short. He is my pledge brother and fraternal brother at the PA Nu chapter of Phi Kappa Phi at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the Spring of 2004.
Once when we became brothers there was a formal held to celebrate the end of that semester and the new members. So as many brothers (and their dates) that could attend went to Rayestown Lake for that formal. Among a million memories; jumping off the cliffs into the cold lake, breaking tree limbs/making firewood with Norris, drinking, and having fun, I'll never forget Stiffler. That whole time he sung, he must have been so thrilled that pledging was finally over that he just sang. He sang James Taylor, he sang some country songs, and most notably he sang "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver. I'll never forget, in a drunken haze asking him, "Was pledging worth it?" and he answered with, "Country roads, take me home..." as he drifted into song I turned away when I really should have listened. Somehow he kept that up and had at least 15+ people singing around that campfire by night's end. He is one of a kind.
It's only been a few hours since I learned of his passing, and it's still shocking. I wish I had gotten that chance to see him one more time and now this memory is the strongest thing I have. I'll hold on to it for as long as I can. Same thing goes for any other memory that surfaces about him.
Recently, I had a friend pass away. He was a great guy and his actions were always earnest. His name is Nate Stiffler, and we called him (and he intro'ed himself as) Stiffler for short. He is my pledge brother and fraternal brother at the PA Nu chapter of Phi Kappa Phi at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the Spring of 2004.
Once when we became brothers there was a formal held to celebrate the end of that semester and the new members. So as many brothers (and their dates) that could attend went to Rayestown Lake for that formal. Among a million memories; jumping off the cliffs into the cold lake, breaking tree limbs/making firewood with Norris, drinking, and having fun, I'll never forget Stiffler. That whole time he sung, he must have been so thrilled that pledging was finally over that he just sang. He sang James Taylor, he sang some country songs, and most notably he sang "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver. I'll never forget, in a drunken haze asking him, "Was pledging worth it?" and he answered with, "Country roads, take me home..." as he drifted into song I turned away when I really should have listened. Somehow he kept that up and had at least 15+ people singing around that campfire by night's end. He is one of a kind.
It's only been a few hours since I learned of his passing, and it's still shocking. I wish I had gotten that chance to see him one more time and now this memory is the strongest thing I have. I'll hold on to it for as long as I can. Same thing goes for any other memory that surfaces about him.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
An even quicker shot...
Recently I've obtained three great albums. I've been trying to slow down and listen to what I already have, but I've been bitten by the "A.D.D. music bug" and I'm already charting unfamiliar musical territory. It's not radically unfamiliar, rather music I haven't heard (till now).
- The Kinks, "Lola Vs. The Powerman & the Money-go-round, Pt.1", (1970), [Rock & Roll/Album Rock] This album (and the band performing) continue to impress me after each listen. In my mind I guess I've written this band off after only being familiar with their hits and quietly moving on. This is the next Kinks album I've decided on this year and just like the last one I listened to ("The Village Green Preservation Society"[1968]) it left a great first impression. It's like the Davies Bros decided on turning up the hard rock while still weaving thick strands of pop melody to soften the edgier sound. Some songs are brillantly saterical ("The Moneygoround", "Top of the Pops"), others are hard rock numbers ("The Contenders"), and some feel oddly influenced by The Band ("Strangers").
- Neil Young, "Tonight's the Night", (1975), [Folk Rock] I was wondering if there was more material as good as "On the Beach" and it turns out there is (Mr. Young probably has stockpiles of it in his private archive). This album finds Neil as personal as ever, and it's a working formula.
- Thelonious Monk, "Brillant Corners", (1956), [Jazz] I usually study (or do paperwork) in a silent environment, but this music makes somehow plays around me. Like coffee for my ears it sets a pace I can work to.
I "discovered" and listened to these yesterday. All great finds.
- The Kinks, "Lola Vs. The Powerman & the Money-go-round, Pt.1", (1970), [Rock & Roll/Album Rock] This album (and the band performing) continue to impress me after each listen. In my mind I guess I've written this band off after only being familiar with their hits and quietly moving on. This is the next Kinks album I've decided on this year and just like the last one I listened to ("The Village Green Preservation Society"[1968]) it left a great first impression. It's like the Davies Bros decided on turning up the hard rock while still weaving thick strands of pop melody to soften the edgier sound. Some songs are brillantly saterical ("The Moneygoround", "Top of the Pops"), others are hard rock numbers ("The Contenders"), and some feel oddly influenced by The Band ("Strangers").
- Neil Young, "Tonight's the Night", (1975), [Folk Rock] I was wondering if there was more material as good as "On the Beach" and it turns out there is (Mr. Young probably has stockpiles of it in his private archive). This album finds Neil as personal as ever, and it's a working formula.
- Thelonious Monk, "Brillant Corners", (1956), [Jazz] I usually study (or do paperwork) in a silent environment, but this music makes somehow plays around me. Like coffee for my ears it sets a pace I can work to.
I "discovered" and listened to these yesterday. All great finds.
Monday, July 27, 2009
A quick shot...
Here's a few quick shots at what I'm listening (looking at, digging through, admiring, astonished by) to:
- Live concert bootlegs. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who, and any of the other notoriously loud live shows. I've been picking these suckers up at vinyl stores (if you're not familiar with vinyl as a medium for music, leave this page). There's loads of 'em (found on CD, vinyl, tape cassette). The one I'm currently listening to is Led Zeppelin's "The Destroyer" live in Cleveland 1977.
- Pink Floyd's "Animals". This album is a traffic killer. I usually follow it up with "The Wall" if the traffic might last a lot longer. If it's a real blockbuster I cap it off with "Brain Damage" a soundboard recording of fairly decent quality featuring a prime Floyd playing "Dark Side of the Moon" live.
- Reading "Wax Poetics". Excellent music rag with a spotlight on the lesser (but not quite) heard corners of the music universe.
- Finished "Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd" by Mark Blake. Interesting account that gives a fair picture of the band. Syd's increasing madness, Roger's increasing ego, David's increasing insecurities, Rick's aloof attitude, and Nick's sou-chef position. All there.
- Three (or five) great albums I've recently heard:
Spirit, "Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus", (1970) - It's amazing what music gets forgotten through time. The lead guitarist, Randy California, was a friend of Jimi Hendrix (and was supposed to be his rhythm guitarist in Hendrix's band!) was quite a prodigy.
Pete Townshend, "Who Came First", (1972) - Pete channels his non-Who (Baba) material and leaves a spiritual mark in my eardrums. The country tinged guitar solo in 'Forever's No Time at All' is so slick, it makes me envious of Townshend's guitar skill.
Led Zeppelin, "How the West Was Won", Recorded: (1972), Released: (2003) - Live and loud. Very loud. Page's self-coined "urgent machine" blasts through L.A. in 1972. Each band member gets their chance to show off. Plant's was the most contrived, Page's was sloppy but impressive, Jones plays the bedrock, and Bonham booms away on the drums (even doing a 15min+ drum solo! Yes, he plays with his hands, very tribal...).
The Replacements, "Let It Be", (1984) - Yup, I did it. I made it back to the 1980s and I kicked it off with this little gem. I've only been listening to it for a week, but it feels like "without a care" style drinking music. Oh, and I hear the "80's sound" loud and clear.
Mos Def, "The Ecstatic", (2009) - Scary new territory (for this musical journeyman) after I pillaged 1966 to 1986. This is inspiring music. Backed by loads of talented producers (some are of the Stones Throw variety) while Def channels an optimistic (but skeptical) attitude.
Parting shot(s):
Lots and lots of music.
I'm about to test my meddle against a self proclaimed music guru (I plan to take her down a peg). I don't think I'm a guru either, but if I can catch her with "Man in the Mirror" I think she's sloppy (or acting sloppy). We'll see.
I've been listening to avant-garde orchestral arrangements, "Einstein on the Beach". Alarmingly comforting music.
I'm trying to formulate a 24 hour BBQ mixtape. So far I've gotta get beyond laying down a day's worth of music and "shuffling" it.
Also, it's time I take a break from digging through the past and working on current music. I just got Mos Def, Mars Volta, and various other current artists. Or maybe I should head back into the 1950's? Hmmm. Workin' on it.
Hope to be back soon. With loads of musical ammo.
- Live concert bootlegs. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who, and any of the other notoriously loud live shows. I've been picking these suckers up at vinyl stores (if you're not familiar with vinyl as a medium for music, leave this page). There's loads of 'em (found on CD, vinyl, tape cassette). The one I'm currently listening to is Led Zeppelin's "The Destroyer" live in Cleveland 1977.
- Pink Floyd's "Animals". This album is a traffic killer. I usually follow it up with "The Wall" if the traffic might last a lot longer. If it's a real blockbuster I cap it off with "Brain Damage" a soundboard recording of fairly decent quality featuring a prime Floyd playing "Dark Side of the Moon" live.
- Reading "Wax Poetics". Excellent music rag with a spotlight on the lesser (but not quite) heard corners of the music universe.
- Finished "Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd" by Mark Blake. Interesting account that gives a fair picture of the band. Syd's increasing madness, Roger's increasing ego, David's increasing insecurities, Rick's aloof attitude, and Nick's sou-chef position. All there.
- Three (or five) great albums I've recently heard:
Spirit, "Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus", (1970) - It's amazing what music gets forgotten through time. The lead guitarist, Randy California, was a friend of Jimi Hendrix (and was supposed to be his rhythm guitarist in Hendrix's band!) was quite a prodigy.
Pete Townshend, "Who Came First", (1972) - Pete channels his non-Who (Baba) material and leaves a spiritual mark in my eardrums. The country tinged guitar solo in 'Forever's No Time at All' is so slick, it makes me envious of Townshend's guitar skill.
Led Zeppelin, "How the West Was Won", Recorded: (1972), Released: (2003) - Live and loud. Very loud. Page's self-coined "urgent machine" blasts through L.A. in 1972. Each band member gets their chance to show off. Plant's was the most contrived, Page's was sloppy but impressive, Jones plays the bedrock, and Bonham booms away on the drums (even doing a 15min+ drum solo! Yes, he plays with his hands, very tribal...).
The Replacements, "Let It Be", (1984) - Yup, I did it. I made it back to the 1980s and I kicked it off with this little gem. I've only been listening to it for a week, but it feels like "without a care" style drinking music. Oh, and I hear the "80's sound" loud and clear.
Mos Def, "The Ecstatic", (2009) - Scary new territory (for this musical journeyman) after I pillaged 1966 to 1986. This is inspiring music. Backed by loads of talented producers (some are of the Stones Throw variety) while Def channels an optimistic (but skeptical) attitude.
Parting shot(s):
Lots and lots of music.
I'm about to test my meddle against a self proclaimed music guru (I plan to take her down a peg). I don't think I'm a guru either, but if I can catch her with "Man in the Mirror" I think she's sloppy (or acting sloppy). We'll see.
I've been listening to avant-garde orchestral arrangements, "Einstein on the Beach". Alarmingly comforting music.
I'm trying to formulate a 24 hour BBQ mixtape. So far I've gotta get beyond laying down a day's worth of music and "shuffling" it.
Also, it's time I take a break from digging through the past and working on current music. I just got Mos Def, Mars Volta, and various other current artists. Or maybe I should head back into the 1950's? Hmmm. Workin' on it.
Hope to be back soon. With loads of musical ammo.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Still busy, but still discovering...
Ugh...for every single goal I reach there's another challenge beyond that. Hopefully that explains my busyness. Other then that, I've still been on the prowl and here's what I've been listening to recently.
Big Star "#1 Record" (1972)
Once again, I had this album just sitting around in my library. It's been there since I received an external hard drive (500gb, good enough for now) as a Christmas gift and started to go deeper in my "music hunts". What sparked it all happened a couple weeks ago. While I was watching the movie, "Adventureland" (2009), I noticed Big Star's second album, "Radio City" (1974) was neatly placed in the background of the main female character's house (played by Kristen Stewart). Driving home from my girlfriend's house the following day I decided to throw on their debut album, and I was impressed. Each song sounds excellent, and you could hear the passion both Chilton and Bell (the songwriting brain trust for the band) had laid down in the studio. This led the duo to craft an incredibly tight 1970s pop rock album.
Strong Tracks: "In the Street" (a much better version than Ian Stewart's HANDS DOWN), "Don't Lie to Me" (a great hard rocker of a track), "My Life is Right" (another rocker, but on the mellow side), and a well written pair of "redemption songs" with "Give Me Another Chance" and "Try Again". Granted, all the songs on this album are great (barring the rather forgettable "The India Song", which was too much fluffy 1960s psychadelaic pop for this guy), and it makes me wonder what keeps me from getting around to great music like this.
Great for: Joyrides on the back roads of Amish country on days with awesome weather.
Eddie Hazel "Game, Dames, and Guitar Thangs" (1977)
Long ago I heard the jaw dropping, sprawling, 10 minute guitar solo called "Maggot Brain" laid down by the great Parliment/Funkadelic guitarist, Eddie Hazel. After that, he always held a spot in my mind for being one of my favorite guitarists. Surfing the iTunes store last week, I ran into this short gem. Only clocking in a little over 30 minutes, Eddie Hazel pulls out all the stops and puts his guitar skills on display. It's like a dissertation written by a professor of the funk element. Strong, heavy funk laden tracks, slowburning guitar solos (nearly every song), with trace elements of; pop rock {"I Want You (She's So Heavy)"}, reggae {"So Goes the Story"}, California based folk rock {"California Dreamin' "}, and jazz fusion {"What About It?"}. Not a single poor performer on this disk. It's just a shame that this was Eddie's only serious effort laid down on wax close to his prime. Granted, he's always on display on the more mainstream George Clinton fronted efforts, but it would have been interesting to hear him play his side of himself out. Maybe this album is all he felt like crafting, or it could be all he was able to come up with.
Strong Tracks: All six of them. A really tight six pack of incredibly performed songs.
Great for: Unwinding after a long, long work day.
Cactus "Cactus" (1970)
There's not much to explain about this one. Straight forward boogie rock with the emphasis on loud. Each member adds their own version of loud'n'fast to the band and you get this hard rocking juggernaut. From Rusty Day's passionate howling vocals, to Jim McCarty's rowdy guitar solo's, to Carmine Appice (drums) and Tim Bogart (bass) pounding away with their trademark booming rhythm combo this is the total 1970's rock package. Released in 1970, these guys knew how to kick off the decade. Oh, and they were no slouchs either when it came to solo performance giving each member of the band at least a song to showcase their own chops.
Strong tracks: All of them, but here's the true highlights I picked up;"Parchmen Farm" comes out with all guns a blazin' throwing down the band's chops right away. Probably my favorite cover version of the song. "You Can't Judge a Book by Lookin' at it's Cover", yet another rocker in the boogie rock vein that really keeps the tempo moving. "Oleo", another pounding song showcasing Tim Bogart's bass skills with a minute and a half bass guitar solo. "Feel So Good", more boogie but this time Carmine Appice takes the solo spot with a thunderously sloppy drum solo.
Great for: Hanging out, grilling steaks, and drinking a few beers with your friends.
Parting shot:
I've found a whole lot more, but I've only got so much time in the day.
Big Star "#1 Record" (1972)
Once again, I had this album just sitting around in my library. It's been there since I received an external hard drive (500gb, good enough for now) as a Christmas gift and started to go deeper in my "music hunts". What sparked it all happened a couple weeks ago. While I was watching the movie, "Adventureland" (2009), I noticed Big Star's second album, "Radio City" (1974) was neatly placed in the background of the main female character's house (played by Kristen Stewart). Driving home from my girlfriend's house the following day I decided to throw on their debut album, and I was impressed. Each song sounds excellent, and you could hear the passion both Chilton and Bell (the songwriting brain trust for the band) had laid down in the studio. This led the duo to craft an incredibly tight 1970s pop rock album.
Strong Tracks: "In the Street" (a much better version than Ian Stewart's HANDS DOWN), "Don't Lie to Me" (a great hard rocker of a track), "My Life is Right" (another rocker, but on the mellow side), and a well written pair of "redemption songs" with "Give Me Another Chance" and "Try Again". Granted, all the songs on this album are great (barring the rather forgettable "The India Song", which was too much fluffy 1960s psychadelaic pop for this guy), and it makes me wonder what keeps me from getting around to great music like this.
Great for: Joyrides on the back roads of Amish country on days with awesome weather.
Eddie Hazel "Game, Dames, and Guitar Thangs" (1977)
Long ago I heard the jaw dropping, sprawling, 10 minute guitar solo called "Maggot Brain" laid down by the great Parliment/Funkadelic guitarist, Eddie Hazel. After that, he always held a spot in my mind for being one of my favorite guitarists. Surfing the iTunes store last week, I ran into this short gem. Only clocking in a little over 30 minutes, Eddie Hazel pulls out all the stops and puts his guitar skills on display. It's like a dissertation written by a professor of the funk element. Strong, heavy funk laden tracks, slowburning guitar solos (nearly every song), with trace elements of; pop rock {"I Want You (She's So Heavy)"}, reggae {"So Goes the Story"}, California based folk rock {"California Dreamin' "}, and jazz fusion {"What About It?"}. Not a single poor performer on this disk. It's just a shame that this was Eddie's only serious effort laid down on wax close to his prime. Granted, he's always on display on the more mainstream George Clinton fronted efforts, but it would have been interesting to hear him play his side of himself out. Maybe this album is all he felt like crafting, or it could be all he was able to come up with.
Strong Tracks: All six of them. A really tight six pack of incredibly performed songs.
Great for: Unwinding after a long, long work day.
Cactus "Cactus" (1970)
There's not much to explain about this one. Straight forward boogie rock with the emphasis on loud. Each member adds their own version of loud'n'fast to the band and you get this hard rocking juggernaut. From Rusty Day's passionate howling vocals, to Jim McCarty's rowdy guitar solo's, to Carmine Appice (drums) and Tim Bogart (bass) pounding away with their trademark booming rhythm combo this is the total 1970's rock package. Released in 1970, these guys knew how to kick off the decade. Oh, and they were no slouchs either when it came to solo performance giving each member of the band at least a song to showcase their own chops.
Strong tracks: All of them, but here's the true highlights I picked up;"Parchmen Farm" comes out with all guns a blazin' throwing down the band's chops right away. Probably my favorite cover version of the song. "You Can't Judge a Book by Lookin' at it's Cover", yet another rocker in the boogie rock vein that really keeps the tempo moving. "Oleo", another pounding song showcasing Tim Bogart's bass skills with a minute and a half bass guitar solo. "Feel So Good", more boogie but this time Carmine Appice takes the solo spot with a thunderously sloppy drum solo.
Great for: Hanging out, grilling steaks, and drinking a few beers with your friends.
Parting shot:
I've found a whole lot more, but I've only got so much time in the day.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Not slacking, just busy. Some recent discoveries...
Recently I've been quietly building my music library. I'm not getting lazy towards this blog, rather I'm busy trying to get myself towards that next step in my life. I'm at the final stretch for my first college degree, so I need to invest my time in a more constructive manner (for now). However, I still want to reel off a handful of recent discoveries and then I'll be out. I'm planning on laying down at least one more post this month.
The Kinks "The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society" (1968)
If Tom Moon, the author of "1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die", had enough interest to include this in his book I thought it would be worth a listen. So I took a chance on this album and it turned out to be great. It's possibly one of the perfect examples of British Pop. Some of the songs appear a little corny, but they still hold their value; i.e. "Phenomenal Cat" and "Sitting by the Riverside". It's the first six songs where the album shines the most with the satirical "The Village Green Preservation Society", followed by my personal favorite "Do You Remember Walter", the always catchy "Picture Book" (once used for those HP Photo Printer commercials in the mid 2000's), the proto punk-ish story of "Johnny Thunder", and the hard working "The Last of the Steam-Powered Trains".
Neil Young "On the Beach" (1974)
I found this one checking out a torrent labeled something like "Pitchfork Media's best albums of the 1970s". I looked through the list for anything interesting, taking notes, and this seemed to stick out the most. I thought I had a great cross section of Mr. Young's catalog and it turns out I was wrong. This album comes at you solid from start to finish with Neil's truthful and searingly sarcastic brand of folk rock. Great tracks in the album include, "Walk On" (an excellent song about the measure of a person in the toughest moments), the sad wilting sound of "See the Sky About to Rain", the 'blues trilogy' (Revolution Blues, Vampire Blues, and Ambulance Blues) each an excellent song. Truth be told, they're all good.
Peter Gabriel "Peter Gabriel [1]" (1977)
Somehow...somehow this album just hovered around me. I was aware of it and the other two self titled Gabriel albums. Almost everybody is aware of the hit, "Solsbury Hill" (about the departure as his role of lead singer in the progressive rock band Genesis). I've had the album sitting in my library for almost half a year, and yet I never took a chance on it. Well, a few days ago I decided to listen to the track "Down the Dolce Vita" on a whim and it turned out to be one of the most riveting songs I've ever had the pleasure of listening to, so I backed up and gave it a full treatment. It sounds like the evolution of the sound displayed in the Genesis album, "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" (1974). This time instead of creating an album with the democratic style that Genesis attempted during most recording sessions, Peter Gabriel had full creative control to display his flamboyant style.
The Kinks "The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society" (1968)
If Tom Moon, the author of "1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die", had enough interest to include this in his book I thought it would be worth a listen. So I took a chance on this album and it turned out to be great. It's possibly one of the perfect examples of British Pop. Some of the songs appear a little corny, but they still hold their value; i.e. "Phenomenal Cat" and "Sitting by the Riverside". It's the first six songs where the album shines the most with the satirical "The Village Green Preservation Society", followed by my personal favorite "Do You Remember Walter", the always catchy "Picture Book" (once used for those HP Photo Printer commercials in the mid 2000's), the proto punk-ish story of "Johnny Thunder", and the hard working "The Last of the Steam-Powered Trains".
Neil Young "On the Beach" (1974)
I found this one checking out a torrent labeled something like "Pitchfork Media's best albums of the 1970s". I looked through the list for anything interesting, taking notes, and this seemed to stick out the most. I thought I had a great cross section of Mr. Young's catalog and it turns out I was wrong. This album comes at you solid from start to finish with Neil's truthful and searingly sarcastic brand of folk rock. Great tracks in the album include, "Walk On" (an excellent song about the measure of a person in the toughest moments), the sad wilting sound of "See the Sky About to Rain", the 'blues trilogy' (Revolution Blues, Vampire Blues, and Ambulance Blues) each an excellent song. Truth be told, they're all good.
Peter Gabriel "Peter Gabriel [1]" (1977)
Somehow...somehow this album just hovered around me. I was aware of it and the other two self titled Gabriel albums. Almost everybody is aware of the hit, "Solsbury Hill" (about the departure as his role of lead singer in the progressive rock band Genesis). I've had the album sitting in my library for almost half a year, and yet I never took a chance on it. Well, a few days ago I decided to listen to the track "Down the Dolce Vita" on a whim and it turned out to be one of the most riveting songs I've ever had the pleasure of listening to, so I backed up and gave it a full treatment. It sounds like the evolution of the sound displayed in the Genesis album, "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" (1974). This time instead of creating an album with the democratic style that Genesis attempted during most recording sessions, Peter Gabriel had full creative control to display his flamboyant style.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
One of many complaints about the music industry....
Last night, I was at Barnes & Noble with some friends just dicking around until we got closer to 10:35 pm in which we'd see "The Wrestler" at the Manor Cinema (I recommend it, sad story, a sad glorious story). At this particular book chain I like to peruse the music sections and see if anything might be worth it's salt in my eyes. I flipped through, the somewhat interesting 'Pitchfork500', grabbed the latest issue of 'Wax Poetics' (#32), and I took a chance on XLR8R (#123) ( aka: waste of time). My girlfriend offered to buy the two magazines so I would have something to pour over for unheard sounds. Well, this morning I read the 'Wax Poetics'(#32) and enjoyed it like I usually do, until I got to the end. Some shitty ass local 'rapper' threw taped a myspace.com add on the last page. I'm not going to mention this guy's name. He doesn't deserve it, the only thing he deserves is the bashing I'm going to give him. But this is how the add read:
"-Support Yo! Local Music Minds!-"
[insert name of horrible rapper]
www.myspace.com/horrible_centralPA"rapper"
Well, this kid is obviously no English major. "Support Yo!" is separate, so it just sounds like some teenagers playing Call of Duty 4 on their XBox360, "Gimme some SUPPORT YO!". He probably could have stopped there and the ad would be a little less to make fun of, but he takes it to another level. "Local Music Minds!", the other half shouts. Where? Who? Not on this ad or in your site. You are local, but you're not music minded. If you listened to the schlock you just recorded about drinkin' Evian water, and staying gangsta, you would realize you and your featuring artist sound like you grabbed a few syringes of Novocain and shot both your mouth's up with the potent anesthetic. That and they both must have listened to all the low tempo cookie cutter rap you could get your hands on. You're not even originally horrible.
Now you can argue all you want, that 'any publicity is good publicity', but not in this kid's case. He should be embarrassed, and after listening to about 30 seconds of his horrible freestyle "rap" I felt embarrassed. You ruined my issue of 'Wax Poetics' (#32), and I swear that if I find that shit again in issue #33, you sir, are going to truly get it. No, seriously. He's going to get it.
Writer's Note: I calmed down a little after basically seeing the tip on my slice of pizza cut off. There's something satisfying about fully reading a new 'Wax Poetics', I felt ripped off to see that blemish of horrible music at the end. Oh, and I gave the fucker his Justice. I listened to the whole song, and now I want my four minutes, plus the additional 30 seconds the first time I tried to choke this shit down my earholes, back. But mark my words. One more rogue advertisement, and that kid's gonna get a ripping, on his site, to his face, and any chance I get. I want to ruin his dream, because if anybody that's failed at something must realize, "When you suck at something, you should at least know that you suck".
"-Support Yo! Local Music Minds!-"
[insert name of horrible rapper]
www.myspace.com/horrible_centralPA"rapper"
Well, this kid is obviously no English major. "Support Yo!" is separate, so it just sounds like some teenagers playing Call of Duty 4 on their XBox360, "Gimme some SUPPORT YO!". He probably could have stopped there and the ad would be a little less to make fun of, but he takes it to another level. "Local Music Minds!", the other half shouts. Where? Who? Not on this ad or in your site. You are local, but you're not music minded. If you listened to the schlock you just recorded about drinkin' Evian water, and staying gangsta, you would realize you and your featuring artist sound like you grabbed a few syringes of Novocain and shot both your mouth's up with the potent anesthetic. That and they both must have listened to all the low tempo cookie cutter rap you could get your hands on. You're not even originally horrible.
Now you can argue all you want, that 'any publicity is good publicity', but not in this kid's case. He should be embarrassed, and after listening to about 30 seconds of his horrible freestyle "rap" I felt embarrassed. You ruined my issue of 'Wax Poetics' (#32), and I swear that if I find that shit again in issue #33, you sir, are going to truly get it. No, seriously. He's going to get it.
Writer's Note: I calmed down a little after basically seeing the tip on my slice of pizza cut off. There's something satisfying about fully reading a new 'Wax Poetics', I felt ripped off to see that blemish of horrible music at the end. Oh, and I gave the fucker his Justice. I listened to the whole song, and now I want my four minutes, plus the additional 30 seconds the first time I tried to choke this shit down my earholes, back. But mark my words. One more rogue advertisement, and that kid's gonna get a ripping, on his site, to his face, and any chance I get. I want to ruin his dream, because if anybody that's failed at something must realize, "When you suck at something, you should at least know that you suck".
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