Stuff I've been listening to the last several days:
The Beatles - Abbey Road I find "The End" to be a very poignant goodbye - maybe it's me but it seems you can feel them jamming and cruising to the end knowing that they are signing off for posterity... an emotional moment in popular music history. Also way underrated is "Oh! Darling".
Chris Whitley - Live in Bremen 9-19-98 Chris Whitley was a very interesting and mostly unknown artist who sadly passed away from lung cancer in 2005 at the age of 45. This is an unreleased recording of Chris with his guitar and stomping his boot for percussion. Great bluesy stuff with Chris's unique aching vocals. Need to dig deeper into his catalogue...
Gov't Mule - High and Mighty One of my favorite albums of this decade without a doubt. I'll be road tripping this weekend and I can't wait to pop this one in again when I'm out on the open road cruising through Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi... this will be one I'll be listening to for the rest of my life guaranteed. Warren Haynes is one of the greatest guitarists of all time, one of the greatest singers on the planet, and for my money developing into one of the best songwriters in rock. I'm not exaggerating.
Metallica - Death Magnetic I'm still going back and forth on this one. It's definitely good - maybe the best since ...And Justice For All, but that alone doesn't mean it's a masterpiece since nothing they've done since Justice has been close by comparison. Not to say they've recorded a bad album, but they haven't quite been able to reach greatness again. This one seems to come close and a few tracks get there, but there are usually a few tracks that get there on each of the recent Metallica albums along with a few garbage tracks (see Don't Tread On Me, Wasting My Hate, Poor Twisted Me, The Unforgiven II, Where The Wild Things Are, Shoot Me Again etc.). So does this album approach greatness? I don't think it's going to quite get there for me, but I'm still pleased. "All Nightmare Long" is worth the price of admission alone - a classic.
Ian McCulloch - Slidling I pulled this one out the other day realizing that I had never given it a proper run through, and I was pleasantly surprised at the energy level - this album jams and the songs are strong. I was expecting a more mellow outing without Will Sergeant doing the shredding. Upon first listen this jams more than Ian's other two solo albums.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Short entry - Thomas Jefferson, Prince, Jimi Hendrix
Just finished reading American Sphinx which is one of the best books I've ever read, and Thomas Jefferson is one of the most fascinating Americans of all time. What a story! I cannot wait to get to Monticello to check out his home. This should be required reading for every American. What an idealist and a real rebel.
Sometimes in acquiring more music than I can digest I end up revisiting a disc that I overlooked and end up pleasantly surprised. This happened this past weekend with The Slaughterhouse by Prince from 2004. What a nasty burning slab of funk - crazy that he can lay down grooves like this and they never see commercial release. This one isn't easy to find - it was originally available as a download from his website... worth tracking down if you can get your hands on it. Prince churns out so much material it can be hard to keep up. This one along with The Chocolate Invasion are actually better than a couple of his latest commercial releases such as Planet Earth (maybe my least favorite Prince album ever) and Musicology.
Threw on Are You Experienced? by The Jimi Hendrix Experience as well. Man... I can't imagine what it must have been like for people to throw this on for the first time in 1967. Still amazes... as does everything he did. I need to remember sometimes when people ask me what I'm listening to these days to simply answer Hendrix, Zeppelin and Sabbath. That will never be the wrong answer.
That's all I have for now...
Sometimes in acquiring more music than I can digest I end up revisiting a disc that I overlooked and end up pleasantly surprised. This happened this past weekend with The Slaughterhouse by Prince from 2004. What a nasty burning slab of funk - crazy that he can lay down grooves like this and they never see commercial release. This one isn't easy to find - it was originally available as a download from his website... worth tracking down if you can get your hands on it. Prince churns out so much material it can be hard to keep up. This one along with The Chocolate Invasion are actually better than a couple of his latest commercial releases such as Planet Earth (maybe my least favorite Prince album ever) and Musicology.
Threw on Are You Experienced? by The Jimi Hendrix Experience as well. Man... I can't imagine what it must have been like for people to throw this on for the first time in 1967. Still amazes... as does everything he did. I need to remember sometimes when people ask me what I'm listening to these days to simply answer Hendrix, Zeppelin and Sabbath. That will never be the wrong answer.
That's all I have for now...
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Dancing Wolverines, "Siriusly" annoyed, REO (don't laugh), Deep Purple, Singalong...
I'll just start by saying how awesome it is for Michigan to be back in the big dance. Sure the announcement isn't until tomorrow, but we are in - there is no doubt, and it's been a long time coming. We deserve this after all the crap we've been through with knucklehead players taking money under the not-very-watchful eyes of Steve Fisher and Brian Ellerbe, and a couple of near-misses by good guy and good coach Tommy Amaker trying to rebuild under tough circumstances. Coach Beilein has come in and established a new culture and new work ethic, and now we've got a fast growing program which is growing the right way. I'm so proud to have a team like this representing the maize and blue. Can't wait for the Big Dance!!!
I'm still struggling with Sirius/XM. Sometimes it's great and sometimes it sucks. The commercial free element is great, but the DJs still suck and talk over the beginning of songs just like cheesy terrestrial radio DJs, stations repeat songs - sometimes repeating what is obviously a programmed playlist up to three times in a 6 hour span, and they pull crap like playing the "Who Are You" radio edit on the 70's station where the track is chopped up and massacred - something you would think you had left behind when you paid to sign up for satellite.
On the plus side I also heard some great stuff today on Sirius. The original 1974 REO Speedwagon studio version of "Ridin' The Storm Out" with Mike Murphy on vocals after Kevin Cronin had been kicked out of the band - but before he had eventually rejoined the band for their eventual arena rock domination... Kevin Cronin actually was REO's second and fourth lead singer. You may think I'm kidding but Gary Richrath was a badass lead guitarist in his prime - one of the more underrated guitarists. Not sure how REO found their way into my blog for a full paragraph but some of their stuff including a few of their power ballads ("Time For Me To Fly", "Take It On The Run", "Keep On Loving You") are still guilty pleasures for me.... Check out this allmusic review of Hi Infidelity - I couldn't have said it better myself. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:d9fyxqt5ld0e
Also heard an abundance of Deep Purple which only served to remind me that they are woefully underrepresented in my catalogue. I'm familiar with a good deal of their stuff but nowhere near enough. I heard "Hush", "Highway Star", "Burn" and Dream Theater's cover of "Perfect Strangers" which I didn't know existed - that was a rush. Perfect Strangers was one of the great true reunion albums of all time and the title track is one of the coolest and downright heaviest Deep Purple tracks ever. I own that album on vinyl only and probably haven't listened to the whole thing in 20 years. I have 1972's mandatory Machine Head which is the obvious masterpiece and the place to start if you've made the mistake of overlooking the mighty Purple, Burn - a great 1974 album from the Glenn Hughes/David Coverdale era, and Nothing's Perfect - a decent live release from the 1987 tour right before the original lineup imploded again... I've got a lot of catching up to do. According to allmusic.com their last few (yes they are still releasing albums) are damn good. Sure there is no Ritchie Blackmore or Jon Lord, but the one consistent thing about Deep Purple from day one is great material from multiple eras with inconsistent lineups, so as long as Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, and Ian Paice are involved for example, I'm interested.
Also heard "Hey Jude" in the car on the way to Perry, MI for my daughter's Odyssey Of The Mind regionals today which prompted the two of us to gleefully sing the "Naaaa naa naa na na na naaaa, na na na naaaa Hey Jude" part the whole way through. Got me thinking about a list of my top singalongs - with a couple exceptions they are mostly the "na na nas" or the "la la las" with a few "woo woo woos" and even a "bam bam bam" combined with a couple "doo doo doos"
1. "Hey Jude" The Beatles then you can start to make it better better better better better better ahhh....
2. "(Don't You) Forget About Me" Simple Minds ...sir could you describe the ruckus? (okay not from the song but I couldn't resist)
3. "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" Journey now it's your turn girl to cry...
4. "40" U2 how long?
5. "Silver" Echo and The Bunnymen you're living proof at my fingertips...
6. "Miss You" The Rolling Stones sometimes I say to - to myself - sometimes I say...
7. "Temptation" New Order oh you've got green eyes...
8. "Second Hand News" Fleetwood Mac won't you lay me down in the tall grass and let me do my stuff...
9. "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" Crosby Stills and Nash I am yours you are mine you are what you are...
10. "Lola" The Kinks girls will be boys and boys will be girls...
Honorable mention goes to "Day Old Blues" by Kings of Leon - kids love to sing this one...
I'm still struggling with Sirius/XM. Sometimes it's great and sometimes it sucks. The commercial free element is great, but the DJs still suck and talk over the beginning of songs just like cheesy terrestrial radio DJs, stations repeat songs - sometimes repeating what is obviously a programmed playlist up to three times in a 6 hour span, and they pull crap like playing the "Who Are You" radio edit on the 70's station where the track is chopped up and massacred - something you would think you had left behind when you paid to sign up for satellite.
On the plus side I also heard some great stuff today on Sirius. The original 1974 REO Speedwagon studio version of "Ridin' The Storm Out" with Mike Murphy on vocals after Kevin Cronin had been kicked out of the band - but before he had eventually rejoined the band for their eventual arena rock domination... Kevin Cronin actually was REO's second and fourth lead singer. You may think I'm kidding but Gary Richrath was a badass lead guitarist in his prime - one of the more underrated guitarists. Not sure how REO found their way into my blog for a full paragraph but some of their stuff including a few of their power ballads ("Time For Me To Fly", "Take It On The Run", "Keep On Loving You") are still guilty pleasures for me.... Check out this allmusic review of Hi Infidelity - I couldn't have said it better myself. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:d9fyxqt5ld0e
Also heard an abundance of Deep Purple which only served to remind me that they are woefully underrepresented in my catalogue. I'm familiar with a good deal of their stuff but nowhere near enough. I heard "Hush", "Highway Star", "Burn" and Dream Theater's cover of "Perfect Strangers" which I didn't know existed - that was a rush. Perfect Strangers was one of the great true reunion albums of all time and the title track is one of the coolest and downright heaviest Deep Purple tracks ever. I own that album on vinyl only and probably haven't listened to the whole thing in 20 years. I have 1972's mandatory Machine Head which is the obvious masterpiece and the place to start if you've made the mistake of overlooking the mighty Purple, Burn - a great 1974 album from the Glenn Hughes/David Coverdale era, and Nothing's Perfect - a decent live release from the 1987 tour right before the original lineup imploded again... I've got a lot of catching up to do. According to allmusic.com their last few (yes they are still releasing albums) are damn good. Sure there is no Ritchie Blackmore or Jon Lord, but the one consistent thing about Deep Purple from day one is great material from multiple eras with inconsistent lineups, so as long as Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, and Ian Paice are involved for example, I'm interested.
Also heard "Hey Jude" in the car on the way to Perry, MI for my daughter's Odyssey Of The Mind regionals today which prompted the two of us to gleefully sing the "Naaaa naa naa na na na naaaa, na na na naaaa Hey Jude" part the whole way through. Got me thinking about a list of my top singalongs - with a couple exceptions they are mostly the "na na nas" or the "la la las" with a few "woo woo woos" and even a "bam bam bam" combined with a couple "doo doo doos"
1. "Hey Jude" The Beatles then you can start to make it better better better better better better ahhh....
2. "(Don't You) Forget About Me" Simple Minds ...sir could you describe the ruckus? (okay not from the song but I couldn't resist)
3. "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" Journey now it's your turn girl to cry...
4. "40" U2 how long?
5. "Silver" Echo and The Bunnymen you're living proof at my fingertips...
6. "Miss You" The Rolling Stones sometimes I say to - to myself - sometimes I say...
7. "Temptation" New Order oh you've got green eyes...
8. "Second Hand News" Fleetwood Mac won't you lay me down in the tall grass and let me do my stuff...
9. "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" Crosby Stills and Nash I am yours you are mine you are what you are...
10. "Lola" The Kinks girls will be boys and boys will be girls...
Honorable mention goes to "Day Old Blues" by Kings of Leon - kids love to sing this one...
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
With The Power Of Soul Anything Is Possible - Jimi Hendrix
Stuff I've been listening to the last few days.... a few quick thoughts:
Band of Gypsies - Jimi Hendrix Is it me or is the version of "Power of Soul" which was released on Live at the Fillmore East about 3 times better than the version they picked for the Band of Gypsies album? Much more energy and the playing is just better. Buddy Miles bangs on the drums with more purpose and the solos are scorching - one of the best single live Jimi recordings. The only problem with the Band of Gypsies album is that every time I listen I end up with the "Who Knows" groove in my head for a whole day. Actually it's not a bad thing...
10,000 Days - Tool I think I've decided that Tool might be the most challenging band in the world. It literally takes years for me to "master" a Tool album, and I think they actually get more challenging with each one they make. They only release a new one every 5 years so it works out. I don't mean to make it sound like work because it's not - it's totally worth it. They are amazing, heavy as can be, disturbing, progressive and unique. No one but Tool has ever sounded like Tool.
Music From Big Pink - The Band I'm a little embarrassed to say I didn't really discover The Band until a few years ago but obviously I'm glad I did...
Because of the Times - Kings Of Leon All four Kings Of Leon albums are great. I don't find any one of the four to be better than any of the others...
Master Of The Moon - Dio After the first four Dio albums in the 80's (which I love) I started to lose interest - don't really know why but I still have never actually heard the three 90's Dio albums (not counting the 1992 Sabbath album Dehumanizer which was awesome). However, a review I read for 2000's Magica captured my attention and I got it and I think it's as good as any Dio album if not better. The next two are both pretty good as well including 2004's Master of the Moon. It's exactly what you would expect from Dio - witches, sailing away, evil, crucifixion etc. and that's exactly what makes it great. His voice is just as strong as it ever was, and I can't wait for the new Black Sabbath album coming out this year with Dio - the Mob Rules/Dehumanizer lineup.
Boston - Boston I will never get sick of this album - I can hear it a thousand times and I still love it every time.
Leviathan - Mastodon I really tried to like this album and I just don't get it. Way too busy and over the top. I just do not like this. I don't recommend it.
Band of Gypsies - Jimi Hendrix Is it me or is the version of "Power of Soul" which was released on Live at the Fillmore East about 3 times better than the version they picked for the Band of Gypsies album? Much more energy and the playing is just better. Buddy Miles bangs on the drums with more purpose and the solos are scorching - one of the best single live Jimi recordings. The only problem with the Band of Gypsies album is that every time I listen I end up with the "Who Knows" groove in my head for a whole day. Actually it's not a bad thing...
10,000 Days - Tool I think I've decided that Tool might be the most challenging band in the world. It literally takes years for me to "master" a Tool album, and I think they actually get more challenging with each one they make. They only release a new one every 5 years so it works out. I don't mean to make it sound like work because it's not - it's totally worth it. They are amazing, heavy as can be, disturbing, progressive and unique. No one but Tool has ever sounded like Tool.
Music From Big Pink - The Band I'm a little embarrassed to say I didn't really discover The Band until a few years ago but obviously I'm glad I did...
Because of the Times - Kings Of Leon All four Kings Of Leon albums are great. I don't find any one of the four to be better than any of the others...
Master Of The Moon - Dio After the first four Dio albums in the 80's (which I love) I started to lose interest - don't really know why but I still have never actually heard the three 90's Dio albums (not counting the 1992 Sabbath album Dehumanizer which was awesome). However, a review I read for 2000's Magica captured my attention and I got it and I think it's as good as any Dio album if not better. The next two are both pretty good as well including 2004's Master of the Moon. It's exactly what you would expect from Dio - witches, sailing away, evil, crucifixion etc. and that's exactly what makes it great. His voice is just as strong as it ever was, and I can't wait for the new Black Sabbath album coming out this year with Dio - the Mob Rules/Dehumanizer lineup.
Boston - Boston I will never get sick of this album - I can hear it a thousand times and I still love it every time.
Leviathan - Mastodon I really tried to like this album and I just don't get it. Way too busy and over the top. I just do not like this. I don't recommend it.
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