…
February 22, 2010 at 1:06 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentDue to some circumstances generally in life right now it is obvious to see that there are important things that have come up that require attention. We will be reevaluating our place and continuing our journey when the time is deemed correct. Keep rocking…
Let The Good Time’s Roll…
February 10, 2010 at 4:27 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentThis is to prove that I have indeed been listening. I don’t have time to write a lot and for that I apologize, but I do want to show that I am out there somewhere listening!! xo
30. Bill Evans – Sunday at the Village Vanguard
38. Sam Cooke – Live at the Harlem Square
41. Stan Getz And João Gilberto – Getz/Gilberto
44. Solomon Burke – Rock ‘n’ Soul
50. Bob Dylan – Bringing it All Back Home
54. B.B. King – Live at the Regal
58. Highway 61 Revisited – Bob Dylan
310. Queen – Queen II
349. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
448. Pink Floyd – The Wall
219. The Doors – L.A. Woman
232. Janis Joplin – Pearl
230. Joni Mitchell – Blue
240. David Bowie – Hunky Dory
Don’t you know it’s gonna be… alright
February 5, 2010 at 2:27 pm | Posted in Jesse | Leave a commentTags: Creedence Clearwater Revival, Iron Butterfly, MC5, Neil Young, Paul McCartney, Ravi Shankar, Simon and Garfunkel, the Beatles, the Byrds, The United States of America, Tito Puente, Van Morrison, Velvet Underground
So this post sums up a week of paltry listening, but what I lacked in quantity this week, I definitely made up for in quality.
104. Velvet Underground – “White Light/White Heat”
111. Ravi Shankar – “Sounds of India”
121. The United States of America – “The United States of America”
202. Paul McCartney – “McCartney”
123. Iron Butterfly – “In A Gadda Da Vida”
132. Van Morrison – “Astral Weeks”
119. The Byrds – “The Notorious Byrd Brothers”
136. Neil Young with Crazy Horse – “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere”
197. Simon & Garfunkel – “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
158. MC5 – “Kick Out the Jams”
143. Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Green River”
134. The Beatles – “The Beatles” (a.k.a. the White Album)
Since this has all started, I’ve listened to music from France, Afro-Caribbean culture, the U.S., England, and wherever the hell Tito Puente is from. Ravi Shankar made that list a little longer adding some “Sounds of India,” which I thought was a really cool album. He introduces the Indian rhythmic patterns and asks the listener to listen with an open mind and in a relaxed state in the first track, and I made sure to relax and open up, really letting me enjoy a different sound than I’m used to. I also really appreciated Shankar’s album because this kind of music was the stuff that was influencing the Beatles and a number of other contemporary artists, so it was nice to see those roots.
Speaking of the Beatles, the White Album is just freaking brilliant. I’ve never listened to the whole thing through, but man, it’s good.
But post-Beatles, not everything was so gold. “McCartney,” Paul’s first foray into his solo career didn’t really deliver. The only redeeming factor was “Maybe I’m Amazed,” but everything leading up to that was half-assed pop songs that sounded like Paul was just rushing to do something of his own. I hope some of his other solo albums are on the list, because I know he did grow as a solo artist and put out some great stuff a little later.
“Bridge Over Troubled Water” was really amazing, especially the title track which I already know and love. The album took on some new irony for me knowing it’s Simon and Garfunkel’s last album together. That nasty split just sort of pulls the rug out from under the idea that “when you’re weary, feeling small/when tears are in your eyes I’ll dry them all.” You can really hear Simon and Garfunkel breaking up in this album if you know where to listen.
The Way We Go…
January 31, 2010 at 5:18 pm | Posted in Miranda | Leave a commentI promise I’m here. Things have been busy and I have been listening to music, just no time to write. I will soon I swear. For the time being things will be like that, more listening and less frequent writing. Still a few times a week though. We are alive! xoxo
Looooong time no see
January 31, 2010 at 11:54 am | Posted in Jesse | Leave a commentTags: Derek and the Dominos, Eric Clapton, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Merle Haggard, Pink Floyd, the Byrds, the Electric Prunes, the Who, Tim Buckley
It’s been a busy few weeks, and my listening has been pretty pathetically paltry. By my calculation (which is probably wrongish, seeing as I’m mathematically impaired) I should be listening to my 144th album today. I’m currently at 93. So yeah, I have some catching up to do.
I have been giving it the good old college try though, here’s what’s graced my ears for the past few days:
94. The Byrds – “Younger than Yesterday” – I thought this was a good album on the whole, and represented some kind of shift in the Byrds’ songwriting. The songs were a lot trippier and weirder, not bad though, just absent that really great sound the Byrds had in their earlier stuff.
96. Jefferson Airplane – “Surrealistic Pillow”
99. Merle Haggard – “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive” – this album coincided nicely with me seeing the movie “Crazy Heart,” I must have been on a little bit of a country kick.
90. The Who – “The Who Sell Out”
101. The Electric Prunes – “I Had too Much to Dream (Last Night)”
86. Tim Buckley – “Goodbye and Hello” – this was pretty good folk stuff, I think I kind of lost interest in the album and tuned it out a bit but I did really like the first track “No Man Can Find the War,” and I was a little envious of Buckley’s awesome fro.
448. Pink Floyd – “the Wall”
And right now I’m enjoying Clapton’s cover of “Little Wing,” by Jimi Hendrix, on Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.” I’m almost done with this album, and it’s got a really great blues-rock sound. Very laid back guitar jamming, just further proof that Clapton is indeed one of the “Guitar Gods” of the history of rock.
All Apologies
January 30, 2010 at 12:44 am | Posted in Maria | 1 CommentI know I posted something on my own site, but Miranda brought it to my attention that some have wondered where I’ve disappeared to…and that I should probably put a post up explaining myself. Sorry. L
Basically, I am taking Honorable Mention from the project – the rest of my life and its need for my complete, undivided auditory attention took precedence, as could have been predicted. That being said, when I do trip over an album that’s on the list, I may post something, but for now I let Miranda and Jesse take the reins while Classical music (and all the work that goes with this major) proceeds to kick my big, theorist-in-training butt.
Sex, drugs, and rock and Peace, love, and all that other stuff,
M
Baby, Baby Please…
January 23, 2010 at 12:57 am | Posted in Miranda | Leave a commentI knew it was going to be a busy week before it even started. This is a combo of yesterday and today –
Genesis – Selling England by the Pound
Van Halen – 1984
U2 – Joshua Tree
Cowboy Junkies – Trinity Session
The Cult – Electric
George Michael – Faith
Police – Synchronicity
Quick and painless ladies and gents. The Genesis album did not sound at all like I expected it to. I don’t know really what I wanted out of it but I was expecting a lot of Phil Collins and when that didn’t happen I got thrown for a loop. The album consisted of a few, long songs. Decent, but not amazing. Van Halen’s “1984”, that was amazing. I got to listen to that one on vinyl and it sounded fantastic. Lots of hits, pretty much no misses. Van Halen is a group that works together so well it’s very hard to find something to nitpick in this album. “Joshua Tree”…pretty darn good. I am not a big U2 fan. Well actually that isn’t true, I like OLD U2. The pre-retarded sunglasses days. This album is those days. Not long, elegant and upbeat. Thumbs up for this one. “Trinity Session”, again I don’t know what I was expecting. Any band that has the word junkies in their name I hope for some umpf, didn’t really get any. The album was slowwwww. It was mumbly and difficult to stay with, not too much of a fan. The Cult’s “Electric”, goodddd album. It is bright, funky, rocking and out there. There are some cover songs in there that are a little odd but besides that mucho bueno. “Faith”, come on…it’s “Faith”. Hoppy, poppy, fun, hip and as danceable as it gets. Something that bothered me, damn that man has some really good and LOUD backup singers. My only advice, don’t listen to it in the car, your hips don’t get to go very far. The Police, I definitely have my opinions. “Synchronicity” is as good as they get I think. The music is memorizing and all the musical elements of a band pull together. Sting’s voice does a lot of justice to the music. I told you short and painless, carpal tunnel does not want me writing tonight. Much love and music to come xoxo
Wheels On Fire
January 22, 2010 at 4:26 pm | Posted in Jesse | Leave a commentTags: Big Brother & the Holding Company, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Love, Moby Grape, Nico, The Band, The Beach Boys, the Beatles, the Doors, The Monkees, the Rolling Stones, TIna Turner
The past day or so has been like a ’60s soundtrack, here’s what I listened to:
93. The Doors – “The Doors”
105. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – “Axis: Bold As Love”
120. Big Brother & the Holding Company – “Cheap Thrills”
85. The Monkees – “Headquarters”
77. Nico – “Chelsea Girl”
83. Love – “Da Capo”
82. Moby Grape – “Moby Grape”
107. The Rolling Stones – “Beggars Banquet”
138. Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Bayou Country”
127. The Band – “Music from Big Pink”
78. The Beatles – “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
Yeah, a lot isn’t it.
I think that if you were going to set a movie in the ’60s, this would be exactly what you would put on the soundtrack, I mean you’ve got the Doors, Jimi, the Band, the Stones, Janis Joplin, and the Beatles doing the whole trippy flower-child thing.
“Beggars Banquet” was a tamer sound for the Stones. I mean, yeah, it started with “Sympathy for the Devil,” but the whole album sounded less young and angry and a bit more calmed down, still showing off their mass amounts of talent.
I really liked the Monkee’s album. I grew up watching repeats of their on UPN 9 (remember when that existed?), and so I was sort of predisposed to liking them even though the only music I can remember by them is the nauseatingly catchy theme song (“Hey hey hey we’re the monkees/people say we monkey around…”). They had a sound comparable to the Beatles, and definitely fit into the pop scene at the time with the Beatles and the Beach Boys, even if they didn’t actually write any of their own music.
And then there was Creedence Clearwater Revival. This was the first CCR album on the list (there are a few more coming), and I was looking forward to this. I think John Fogerty’s voice is so uniquely American rock, and the Southern rock sound that CCR captured is a national treasure. I think everyone likes songs like “Proud Mary” and other later CCR songs, and if you don’t, you should probably be deported. I watched in horror as someone on American Idol wrongly called “Proud Mary” “Rollin’ on the River” and then credited it originally to Tina Turner, but that just shows how broad CCR’s influence was.
Not so Beau
January 21, 2010 at 5:02 pm | Posted in Jesse | Leave a commentTags: John Coltrane, Johnny Cash, June Carter, Paul Simon, Simon and Garfunkel, The Beau Brummels, the Doors, the Monks, the Rolling Stones, the Sonics, Velvet Underground
So I figured out a system that keeps me from forgetting what albums I’ve listened to in between each post- digital stickies. I just write down what I’ve listened to as I go along, and then clear it when the next post goes live. Genius
What’s not so genius was “Triangle” by The Beau Brummels. I mean, they weren’t terrible, but there’s definitely a reason I’d never heard their name before. They had an interesting diversity of style, and they seemed pretty experimental, but they just weren’t that great, and the album just kind of fell flat for me.
Two albums I really enjoyed recently were the Velvet Underground’s “Velvet Underground & Nico,” and Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bookends.” Velvet Underground just have that groovy sixties sound, and carry it so well. S&G harmonize, and if I’ve learned anything about myself it’s that I love harmonizing, so damn well, and again Paul Simon is one hell of a poet.
Listening to Johnny Cash’s “Live at Folsom Prison” made me really appreciate live albums, which I wasn’t so much a fan of before. Johnny’s performance is crisp and near perfect, but there was also so much personality in his banter with the audience, their reaction to parts of his songs, him talking in the middle of songs and the prison announcements he reads throughout. It’s also full of great Johnny Cash music that I didn’t know before (mainly because they weren’t on the greatest hits album I got from the library). On the song “Jackson,” a duet with June Carter (not yet June Carter Cash), June’s voice sounded to me like it never had before, and she really had this awesome fire in her belly that made the song so much more honest.
And of course, I enjoyed the smooth jazz of Coltrane. I listened to “A Love Supreme” and was bobbing my head along with the beat.
I’m wrapping this post up with “Black Monk Time,” by the Monks, which I’m listening to right now. It sounds kind of like a watered down mix of the Doors and the Rolling Stones, and although I’m not hating it, I’m not particularly enjoying it. That may be because I’m not always into punk, and even though I liked the proto-punk Sonics, the Monks just aren’t hitting my punk nerve.
The Dirty Undertones Of Rocket Queen…
January 21, 2010 at 1:23 am | Posted in Miranda | Leave a commentI have gone below my average again, this time not for lack of commitment but for enthusiastic dedication. I am currently transferring vinyl albums to my computer with a very sweet turntable device I have. I like being at school listening to my ipod knowing that the “Frampton Comes Alive” that is blasting out of my speakers is the crackly old vinyl that it originated from. The downside to this cool contraption is that you have to sit with the album while it records so you can flip it over and make sure no one slams a door or anything. What I forgot is that even though the sound on my computer is off the track still leaks (loudly) though my speakers unless I plug my only pair of headphones into the computer. Kinda kills all my listening options. I don’t know why I don’t have coffee, my import stack includes some Cream, a lot of The Who and a Genius of Les Paul album. …I’m going with List necessities and some personal picks. So what did I listen to today? Well after I watched Con Air again (really, you need to see it) I listened to R.E.M’s “Automatic for the People”, Oasis’ “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?” and Guns N’ Roses “Appetite For Destruction”. The last one I listened to on vinyl, god it was good. I guess I’ll talk that one first. I love Guns N’ Roses, more than Queen and marginally less than Foo Fighters. I’ve seen Velvet Revolver as many times as you can count on two fingers and I have opinions on Axl Rose’s corn rows. “Appetite For Destruction” is iconic. It is the definition of sex, drugs and filthy, dirty rock and roll. If this album doesn’t make you want to get a bottle of Jack, a skull and cross bones and tattoo and a bed (aka a bar, a brawl and a brothel) you aren’t listening correctly. Everyone needs this album once in their life, take the dose and enjoy it.
“Automatic For The People”, is excelente. Just a few songs and right to the point. Michael Stipe, sing your heart out cupcake. “Man On The Moon” is one of the most singable, danceable songs they have. If you have not already, I really request you jump on the R.E.M. bandwagon. Oasis, ah Oasis. I wish they loved each other as much as I love them. The perfect blend of trippy, relaxing , dreamy, deep music. “Champagne Supernova” – classic, “Don’t Look Back In Anger” – fantastic. Got a lazy day in the car? Take this album and hang your feet out the window. You won’t regret it. Love
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