One of the coolest sites on the Internet.
Seriously.
Seriously.
2.28.2009
2.27.2009
I just got back from CD Warehouse, the one I used to work at between 2000-2002. I went to sell some CDs from a huge box I have of contemporary Christian music. I don't listen to that stuff anymore, and I doubt very seriously I'll want to hear it again. I've come to the point where I think all that shit is irrelevant to my life and experience. I don't even know if I could tell you why I enjoyed listening to it during the last few years.
Anyway, there were at least 100 discs in the box. I knew the store wouldn't buy them all. I had no illusions that they would even buy most or even half. But there was stuff there that would have sold...or at least I should say that if I were still working there I could have easily sold them.
They only took about 20 of them. I got 25 bucks. I was okay with what they gave me for the ones they kept, as I know exactly how much their system said they were worth. But I was staggered that they took so few. They left behind some titles by artists that are really popular in Christian music...Chris Tomlin, Delirious, Rich Mullens...some potentially collectible stuff, albums by Randy Stonehill, Plumb...Plankeye's entire catalog. If I had the time and inclination I could probably sell most of what I'm still stuck with on eBay.
Which only reinforces my opinion that the young gentlemen employed there are buffoons & bozos.
I don't go to CD Warehouse very often because I can't abide the store's owner, who knows absolutely nothing about music and is only in it for the money...nothing wrong with that, mind you, but I don't have to like the guy. He's clueless. When I worked there I told him that one of his employees was stealing from the store. I had damning evidence, which I presented to him.
He blew it off. Can you believe that? He didn't say a single word about it to anyone. A couple of months after my departure she was caught red-handed and lost her job. I can only wonder how much she ripped off from him in the time between then and the time I told him about it?
What a strange atmosphere in that place. I was there only a couple of days ago (to buy a DVD I could find nowhere else) and they were playing some Christian "praise and worship" music. REALLY BAD "praise and worship" music. Just an awful performance and arrangement of a song that's been recorded a thousand times by Christian recording artists.
When I worked there I played a very wide range of artists and albums. Everything from George Strait to Radiohead. But nothing that would potentially drive away even one customer. I have a feeling this religious music was the motivating factor in the exit of at least two or three that afternoon. It sure made me feel uncomfortable, though I could not explain exactly why.
Anyway, there were at least 100 discs in the box. I knew the store wouldn't buy them all. I had no illusions that they would even buy most or even half. But there was stuff there that would have sold...or at least I should say that if I were still working there I could have easily sold them.
They only took about 20 of them. I got 25 bucks. I was okay with what they gave me for the ones they kept, as I know exactly how much their system said they were worth. But I was staggered that they took so few. They left behind some titles by artists that are really popular in Christian music...Chris Tomlin, Delirious, Rich Mullens...some potentially collectible stuff, albums by Randy Stonehill, Plumb...Plankeye's entire catalog. If I had the time and inclination I could probably sell most of what I'm still stuck with on eBay.
Which only reinforces my opinion that the young gentlemen employed there are buffoons & bozos.
I don't go to CD Warehouse very often because I can't abide the store's owner, who knows absolutely nothing about music and is only in it for the money...nothing wrong with that, mind you, but I don't have to like the guy. He's clueless. When I worked there I told him that one of his employees was stealing from the store. I had damning evidence, which I presented to him.
He blew it off. Can you believe that? He didn't say a single word about it to anyone. A couple of months after my departure she was caught red-handed and lost her job. I can only wonder how much she ripped off from him in the time between then and the time I told him about it?
What a strange atmosphere in that place. I was there only a couple of days ago (to buy a DVD I could find nowhere else) and they were playing some Christian "praise and worship" music. REALLY BAD "praise and worship" music. Just an awful performance and arrangement of a song that's been recorded a thousand times by Christian recording artists.
When I worked there I played a very wide range of artists and albums. Everything from George Strait to Radiohead. But nothing that would potentially drive away even one customer. I have a feeling this religious music was the motivating factor in the exit of at least two or three that afternoon. It sure made me feel uncomfortable, though I could not explain exactly why.
2.25.2009
Hugo Largo live performance footage
Some kind soul on has posted these live performance videos of one of my all time favorite bands, Hugo Largo. An acquired taste, to be sure, but I love 'em. Their first EP, "Drum", was produced by Michael Stipe. He even sang backing vocals on a couple of tracks. Back in those days I thought the world of Stipe. Any recommendations he made were sought out and consumed by me. Hugo Largo was one of them. These days I could care less about Michael Stipe, but my respect and admiration for Hugo Largo remains.
"Scream Tall"
"Turtle Song"
"Eureka"
"Fancy"
"Turtle Song"
"Eureka"
"Fancy"
Music Videos of the Week: Renaldo & the Loaf/Snakefinger
"Songs for Swinging Larvae"
Renaldo & the Loaf
I've posted this one before...in fact, it was the very first Music Video of the Week from who knows how many months ago. But the video quality in this one is far superior and since I've been listening to a LOT of R&TL I thought I'd re-post it.
Yes, I've been listening to R&TL! Which means I finally have copies of their albums! Much thanks to a blog called The Thing On The Doorstep I now have several out-of-print titles from the infamous Ralph Records catalogue (including the enigmatic Snakefinger).
Which gives me an idea...how about a double header Music Video of the Week? Here's a Snakefinger live clip I just found. Video quality leaves a lot to be desired (inadequate lighting) but it will give you an idea of the man's craft.
"The Model" (Live)
Snakefinger's Vestal Virgins
Dialogue with a Fool
It's a measure of how pissed off I was at the guy with the spam review that I actually took a moment to send him a message. Basically it just said that I'd read the last several reviews he'd written and that it was obvious he hadn't listened to the songs. I told him the next time he reviewed one of mine like that I would report it as spam, and mentioned that I should have done so this time.
Of course the goober couldn't resist replying:
Your a pussy. And your music sucks! Fuckin' crybaby.
No surprise there, and I told him as much in my reply:
Wow. How predictable was that?
To which, stunned by my frankness, I'm sure, he responded:
Word............it is kinda fun now though...
Waiting for the inevitable reply to my response:
Whatever gets you off. I suppose it's better than wasting all day at Internet porn sites.
I have a feeling I won't be getting the last word in this lively exchange.
Of course the goober couldn't resist replying:
Your a pussy. And your music sucks! Fuckin' crybaby.
No surprise there, and I told him as much in my reply:
Wow. How predictable was that?
To which, stunned by my frankness, I'm sure, he responded:
Word............it is kinda fun now though...
Waiting for the inevitable reply to my response:
Whatever gets you off. I suppose it's better than wasting all day at Internet porn sites.
I have a feeling I won't be getting the last word in this lively exchange.
"Snow White 8 Ball" Review
This review is the shortest one I've received for "Snow White 8 Ball". Maybe even the shortest one I've EVER been given, for ANY song. When it came in this morning I did'nt think much of it, but now I'm thinking there is a very real possibility that this guy did not listen to the song. I really hate it when people turn in these puny reviews so they can rack up their 15 song pairs and get a contest entry. I've never done that to anyone. I have no lofty ambitions to win the contest---I only want thorough reviews. You'd think that everyone who submits songs on garageband would hold the same view. I guess these assholes think one of their songs has such a strong chance of winning that they'll skimp on reviewing just so they can get another one in. Do they care if the reviews they get are pathetic and scrawny? I seriously doubt it. You know what? FUCK 'EM! Maybe they'll choose mine over the other in the song pair, so I guess I shouldn't rag too hard on them. I wish there was a way that I could find out.
So, without further complaint, here it is, in all it's brevity:
interesting
interesting track here
i like how the vocals work together. nice melding of the beat around them to .
keep it up.
I know, I said "no further complaint", but I gotta say...this review could have been written about ANY song. I should have turned it in as spam when I had the chance. Fucker.
So, without further complaint, here it is, in all it's brevity:
interesting
interesting track here
i like how the vocals work together. nice melding of the beat around them to .
keep it up.
I know, I said "no further complaint", but I gotta say...this review could have been written about ANY song. I should have turned it in as spam when I had the chance. Fucker.
2.24.2009
3 "Snow White 8 Ball" reviews for ya
Whoopee! I got not one but two "Snow White 8 Ball" reviews today. Another one came in yesterday but I didn't get around to posting it, so here are three, each one exhibiting varied degrees of enthusiasm for the song.
c'mon
A little spacey. Reminds me of The Happy Mondays. I like the breakdown but it seems a bit too monotonous. I think a guitar solo or some nice string arrangements would help this.
[Sure, I'll hire a string quartet. That ought to put it over the top. I can afford it, right?]
Interesting mood
Interesting mood but needs to move into a song or something other than a sound track.
[Possibly the shortest review I've received thus far. I'm sorry it didn't sound like a "song"...I tried to give it some structure. I have written a couple of these pieces that DID resemble soundtracks, but I don't think this is one.]
Ronny D
Ronny D is bleeding in his ears. Ronny D ain't no disco boy, man. Ronny D do dig the indian vibe this song gots going fer it. Ronny D likes mystical choirs and angelic voices. Ronny D thinks the drums should be brought down though as they hide the beauty of the voices. Ronny D likes the subtle manipulation culminating around 2:30 but thinks the voices are too pretty to hide!
Rock it like Ronny!
[Uhhh...okay. Jimmy C thinks Ronny D may have been shooting for a "most original review" award. Original, indeed, but too annoying to get extra credit. At least he seems to like it, and I am thrilled that someone appereciates the Sigur Ros vocal loop I dropped in the middle of the song (the voices Ronny D thinks are "too pretty to hide"). Jimmy C thinks Ronny D is intent on subliminally embedding his name into the subconscious of Jimmy C. The fact that Ronny D uses "Ronny D" as the reviews name would tend to suggest that Ronny D is pretty full of himself.
Rock it like Ronny, indeed!
Oh, yeah...before I go. Yesterday I lamented that the song had fallen from #79 to #91 on the Experimental Rock charts. I held out hope, however, that it would creep back up soon enough, and so it has. It stands at #76 at the moment, which is it's highest ranking so far.
c'mon
A little spacey. Reminds me of The Happy Mondays. I like the breakdown but it seems a bit too monotonous. I think a guitar solo or some nice string arrangements would help this.
[Sure, I'll hire a string quartet. That ought to put it over the top. I can afford it, right?]
Interesting mood
Interesting mood but needs to move into a song or something other than a sound track.
[Possibly the shortest review I've received thus far. I'm sorry it didn't sound like a "song"...I tried to give it some structure. I have written a couple of these pieces that DID resemble soundtracks, but I don't think this is one.]
Ronny D
Ronny D is bleeding in his ears. Ronny D ain't no disco boy, man. Ronny D do dig the indian vibe this song gots going fer it. Ronny D likes mystical choirs and angelic voices. Ronny D thinks the drums should be brought down though as they hide the beauty of the voices. Ronny D likes the subtle manipulation culminating around 2:30 but thinks the voices are too pretty to hide!
Rock it like Ronny!
[Uhhh...okay. Jimmy C thinks Ronny D may have been shooting for a "most original review" award. Original, indeed, but too annoying to get extra credit. At least he seems to like it, and I am thrilled that someone appereciates the Sigur Ros vocal loop I dropped in the middle of the song (the voices Ronny D thinks are "too pretty to hide"). Jimmy C thinks Ronny D is intent on subliminally embedding his name into the subconscious of Jimmy C. The fact that Ronny D uses "Ronny D" as the reviews name would tend to suggest that Ronny D is pretty full of himself.
Rock it like Ronny, indeed!
Oh, yeah...before I go. Yesterday I lamented that the song had fallen from #79 to #91 on the Experimental Rock charts. I held out hope, however, that it would creep back up soon enough, and so it has. It stands at #76 at the moment, which is it's highest ranking so far.
2.23.2009
"Snow White 8 Ball" review
Just got a new "Snow White 8 Ball" review. Another brief one, but I'm relatively pleased with it. At least you can tell the guy listened to it all the way to the end.
The song has dropped from #79 to #91 in the Experimental charts. That's discouraging, but then again the same thing happened with "Take You to Hell" and it rebounded.
I may have mentioned this earlier, but I am dumbfounded by how "Take You to Hell" has out-performed the other songs I've entered. It was the one I spent the least amount of time and effort on. Maybe I should slack off a little bit...
vocal effect tour
interesting vocal effects there at the intro. drums are creeping in with a bass thing - nice, setting up something pretty cool i hope... so far, a tour of vocal effects.
winding down... and into something a bit creepy or something. hmm... interesting.
here comes the beat again, creeping in...
The song has dropped from #79 to #91 in the Experimental charts. That's discouraging, but then again the same thing happened with "Take You to Hell" and it rebounded.
I may have mentioned this earlier, but I am dumbfounded by how "Take You to Hell" has out-performed the other songs I've entered. It was the one I spent the least amount of time and effort on. Maybe I should slack off a little bit...
vocal effect tour
interesting vocal effects there at the intro. drums are creeping in with a bass thing - nice, setting up something pretty cool i hope... so far, a tour of vocal effects.
winding down... and into something a bit creepy or something. hmm... interesting.
here comes the beat again, creeping in...
2.22.2009
TIPS FOR BAR BAND BEGINNERS
Okay, you've learned how to play a musical instrument with a certain degree of dexterity. You've even found a few other guys who've done the same thing. It's only logical: let's put together a band!!! It'll be fun!
Yes, it will. Lots of fun. But NOT profitable if you live in an area where college sports are given more attention to any form of culture. You're not in it for the money, you say? Fine. Whatever you say.
But if you DO want to milk a little moolah out of your endeavors you are going to have to play the bars. Managers call them "clubs". Those in the know call them "dives". Prefabricated metal buildings with yellow "pointing arrow signs" displaying the bar's name...that's all they are. Kept so dark inside that you can't see the crusty, gooey goodness on the chair seats and the lipstick stains on the rims of the glasses. The ventilation system consists of an open back door and MAYBE a ceiling fan. The place is so permeated with smoke that it's a wonder the Surgeon General doesn't require a warning label above the entrance door saying "Repeated exposure to the atmosphere within this building has been scientifically proven to cause lung cancer and emphysema. Nursing or pregnant women should not enter these premises."
Doesn't sound very good, does it? Oh, but there are many, many people who find much comfort and enjoyment haunting these establishments. I'll never understand why, but that's just me. And these people expect to be entertained...or at least to have a soundtrack, other than the jukebox, playing in the background of their pool tournaments and dart games.
This is where you come in. This is the opportunity your band has been waiting for ever since they realized that luck, not talent, gets you to the big time. If you're down on that luck you might as well get what you can, even if it's only 50 or 75 bucks per man on weekend nights. Plus, it's a good excuse to get away from the nagging wife and cloying kids for a good chunk of time.
So, do it, baby. Hustle yourselves to every bar manager in the state, line up some regular gigs, buy a trailer to haul your shit around, take your first baby steps on the road to fame and fortune.
Drawing from much experience I would like to offer the following tips...a veritable PRIMER for the budding bar band. Take these words to heart. You will save yourself MUCH grief if you do. For it is certain, when a few years have passed (and if you're still in the game) you will look back and say, "Oh, sweet Lord in heaven, I wish I had taken him seriously." If you're really lucky I will post more at a later date.
~~~A successful performance is not necessarily gauged by how much money the band makes or even how large the audience is. If a good lookin' gal flashes her breasts for the band you can damn well call it a "good night". If this happens of a regular basis consider yourselves a "good band', regardless of how much you may or may not suck.
~~~You can always count on the "lone dancer" hittin' the dance floor and really getting into your band and/or the song at the beginning of the first set. It is a safe bet that she is not, buy a long shot, the most attractive female in the bar.
~~~You will never, and I mean NEVER play a show without the grating ear-busting sound of monitor/PE feedback disrupting the set at least one time. This cacophonous outburst is sure to piss off all patrons of the bar (as if it doesn't happen with every other band who plays the place). Do not placate them with apologies. It's only what they deserve for hanging out in a joint that has shitty acoustics.
~~~The pot smoking, you will soon learn, always takes place way back in the parking lot behind the establishment's back door. Ideally these gatherings will consist lf no more than 5 or 6 people (less than that if you're lucky) who will be gathered around a large vehicle. In some circles it is proper to partake inside this vehicle, but just as many people prefer the great outdoors. The savvy stoners know that the best times to expect the congregation to convene is during the band's breaks.
~~~Get this straight: The drummer has enough shit to set up before the show. He's not obligated to set up any other shit. He will inform you this so that you won't forget on future occasions. Furthermore, it is naive to think that the drum set can be constructed in the same amount of time it takes to set anything and everything else up. There is a direct correlation between the amount of time required to set up drums and the time it takes to set up "everything" else. In other words, if it takes 90 minutes to set up PAs, guitar amps. microphones, etc., you can bet that it will take 91 minutes before the drums are up and ready to go.
~~~If you, by chance, get to check out other bands on the circuit (say, perhaps, you don't have a gig scheduled for the next month and a half), you will notice that there are two types of bass players: tall & lanky or short & fat. Their individual playing styles tend to reflect these physical features. This is an enigma and it is doubtful that anyone will ever understand it.
~~~Thing aren't like they were in the old days---DO NOT EXPECT FREE DRINKS. It is the rare juke joint that will give the band booze on the house. On a related not, you would be well served to avoid running up a bar tab. It's bad enough that you're only making $50 for the night---it hurts even more when you find out that you're only taking home $15 because your tab got out of hand (as the generally do).
~~~Alcoholic and/or druggie band members should be tolerated only to the extent to which their talent adds to your group's performance. If the guy becomes too high maintenance you can be forgiven for keeping him on the payroll (though I don't advise it). However, if his playing starts going down the toilet you've got to kick his ass out immediately. Unfortunately all too often the lush has embedded himself so deplyu into the other members personal lives that they find it difficult, if not impossible, to do the right thing. Don't let this happen to you. Cut him loose, give him the boot, hand him a ticket to the last train to Clarkesville.
~~~It doesn't matter where you play---big city or small town---there will ALWAYS be a drummer in the crowd who wants to sit in with the band. These would-be Alex Van Halens share at least two things in common: they are in possession of precious little talent and they can't take "no" for an answer. You're drummer is justified in being reluctant (read: unwilling) to hand over his sticks to these jackasses because all too often the situation escalates to a strong potential for violence. On the plus side, your drummer can consider it a personal break and an opportunity to enjoy the fellowship of his new found friends out back, in the rear parking lot behind the bar's rear entrance. The negative? There is always a STRONG chance that one of these amateurs will break a snare drum or a kick pedal.
~~~The parasites mentioned above are not always drummers. Nay. Singers, guitarists, bassists, they're all out there waiting for just the right time to step up to the stage and ask, "Can I sit in on 'Sweet Home Alabama'? No? Well do you know anything by Merle Haggard or Hank Williams? 'Silver Wings', maybe? I can sing that one reeeeel good!". "Sure you can, buddy. That's why you're in the audience watching our shitty band instead of at some other club on a stage playing with your OWN shitty band." You will find out why they aren't if you let them sit in. Just say "NO".
~~~One last thing about the above mentioned leeches. It may not happen very often but there WILL come a time when AN ENTIRE BAND will ask you if they can play a couple of songs, maybe during your break. 99.9% of the time they will expect you to hand over your own instruments for them to play on. If they say they only want to play a couple of songs, you should know that their definition of "a couple of songs" is "6 or 7 songs, with extended jams towards the end". If, for some insane reason you give them permission to do this, you must enforce one condition: THEY MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY 'FREE BIRD'. The reason for this rule should be obvious to anyone ever remotely involved with playing music on the club circuit.
~~~If a fight breaks out in the crow---KEEP ON PLAYING. Relax and enjoy the spectacle from the relative safety of the stage. DO NOT say anything over the PA in a vain attempt to regulate the situation. None of this "Come on, people, we're all friends here...let's just enjoy the evening and get along with each other...take it easy and just dance" crap. Odds are you will find yourself enmeshed in the violence as a result and the whole point of your peace keeping mission will be lost. A good bar brawl is just as entertaining to the audience as you are (maybe more so). ESPECIALLY if it's a cat fight. They are the highlight of the overall dive bar experience.
~~~You know that old saying about how "the girls all get prettier at closing time"? It's true. Save yourself a lot of misery. Go home to your wife. If you're a single man, go home to your empty bed. Trust me, it's preferable to the morning after if you've taken the bait from one of those "pretty girls".
Yes, it will. Lots of fun. But NOT profitable if you live in an area where college sports are given more attention to any form of culture. You're not in it for the money, you say? Fine. Whatever you say.
But if you DO want to milk a little moolah out of your endeavors you are going to have to play the bars. Managers call them "clubs". Those in the know call them "dives". Prefabricated metal buildings with yellow "pointing arrow signs" displaying the bar's name...that's all they are. Kept so dark inside that you can't see the crusty, gooey goodness on the chair seats and the lipstick stains on the rims of the glasses. The ventilation system consists of an open back door and MAYBE a ceiling fan. The place is so permeated with smoke that it's a wonder the Surgeon General doesn't require a warning label above the entrance door saying "Repeated exposure to the atmosphere within this building has been scientifically proven to cause lung cancer and emphysema. Nursing or pregnant women should not enter these premises."
Doesn't sound very good, does it? Oh, but there are many, many people who find much comfort and enjoyment haunting these establishments. I'll never understand why, but that's just me. And these people expect to be entertained...or at least to have a soundtrack, other than the jukebox, playing in the background of their pool tournaments and dart games.
This is where you come in. This is the opportunity your band has been waiting for ever since they realized that luck, not talent, gets you to the big time. If you're down on that luck you might as well get what you can, even if it's only 50 or 75 bucks per man on weekend nights. Plus, it's a good excuse to get away from the nagging wife and cloying kids for a good chunk of time.
So, do it, baby. Hustle yourselves to every bar manager in the state, line up some regular gigs, buy a trailer to haul your shit around, take your first baby steps on the road to fame and fortune.
Drawing from much experience I would like to offer the following tips...a veritable PRIMER for the budding bar band. Take these words to heart. You will save yourself MUCH grief if you do. For it is certain, when a few years have passed (and if you're still in the game) you will look back and say, "Oh, sweet Lord in heaven, I wish I had taken him seriously." If you're really lucky I will post more at a later date.
~~~A successful performance is not necessarily gauged by how much money the band makes or even how large the audience is. If a good lookin' gal flashes her breasts for the band you can damn well call it a "good night". If this happens of a regular basis consider yourselves a "good band', regardless of how much you may or may not suck.
~~~You can always count on the "lone dancer" hittin' the dance floor and really getting into your band and/or the song at the beginning of the first set. It is a safe bet that she is not, buy a long shot, the most attractive female in the bar.
~~~You will never, and I mean NEVER play a show without the grating ear-busting sound of monitor/PE feedback disrupting the set at least one time. This cacophonous outburst is sure to piss off all patrons of the bar (as if it doesn't happen with every other band who plays the place). Do not placate them with apologies. It's only what they deserve for hanging out in a joint that has shitty acoustics.
~~~The pot smoking, you will soon learn, always takes place way back in the parking lot behind the establishment's back door. Ideally these gatherings will consist lf no more than 5 or 6 people (less than that if you're lucky) who will be gathered around a large vehicle. In some circles it is proper to partake inside this vehicle, but just as many people prefer the great outdoors. The savvy stoners know that the best times to expect the congregation to convene is during the band's breaks.
~~~Get this straight: The drummer has enough shit to set up before the show. He's not obligated to set up any other shit. He will inform you this so that you won't forget on future occasions. Furthermore, it is naive to think that the drum set can be constructed in the same amount of time it takes to set anything and everything else up. There is a direct correlation between the amount of time required to set up drums and the time it takes to set up "everything" else. In other words, if it takes 90 minutes to set up PAs, guitar amps. microphones, etc., you can bet that it will take 91 minutes before the drums are up and ready to go.
~~~If you, by chance, get to check out other bands on the circuit (say, perhaps, you don't have a gig scheduled for the next month and a half), you will notice that there are two types of bass players: tall & lanky or short & fat. Their individual playing styles tend to reflect these physical features. This is an enigma and it is doubtful that anyone will ever understand it.
~~~Thing aren't like they were in the old days---DO NOT EXPECT FREE DRINKS. It is the rare juke joint that will give the band booze on the house. On a related not, you would be well served to avoid running up a bar tab. It's bad enough that you're only making $50 for the night---it hurts even more when you find out that you're only taking home $15 because your tab got out of hand (as the generally do).
~~~Alcoholic and/or druggie band members should be tolerated only to the extent to which their talent adds to your group's performance. If the guy becomes too high maintenance you can be forgiven for keeping him on the payroll (though I don't advise it). However, if his playing starts going down the toilet you've got to kick his ass out immediately. Unfortunately all too often the lush has embedded himself so deplyu into the other members personal lives that they find it difficult, if not impossible, to do the right thing. Don't let this happen to you. Cut him loose, give him the boot, hand him a ticket to the last train to Clarkesville.
~~~It doesn't matter where you play---big city or small town---there will ALWAYS be a drummer in the crowd who wants to sit in with the band. These would-be Alex Van Halens share at least two things in common: they are in possession of precious little talent and they can't take "no" for an answer. You're drummer is justified in being reluctant (read: unwilling) to hand over his sticks to these jackasses because all too often the situation escalates to a strong potential for violence. On the plus side, your drummer can consider it a personal break and an opportunity to enjoy the fellowship of his new found friends out back, in the rear parking lot behind the bar's rear entrance. The negative? There is always a STRONG chance that one of these amateurs will break a snare drum or a kick pedal.
~~~The parasites mentioned above are not always drummers. Nay. Singers, guitarists, bassists, they're all out there waiting for just the right time to step up to the stage and ask, "Can I sit in on 'Sweet Home Alabama'? No? Well do you know anything by Merle Haggard or Hank Williams? 'Silver Wings', maybe? I can sing that one reeeeel good!". "Sure you can, buddy. That's why you're in the audience watching our shitty band instead of at some other club on a stage playing with your OWN shitty band." You will find out why they aren't if you let them sit in. Just say "NO".
~~~One last thing about the above mentioned leeches. It may not happen very often but there WILL come a time when AN ENTIRE BAND will ask you if they can play a couple of songs, maybe during your break. 99.9% of the time they will expect you to hand over your own instruments for them to play on. If they say they only want to play a couple of songs, you should know that their definition of "a couple of songs" is "6 or 7 songs, with extended jams towards the end". If, for some insane reason you give them permission to do this, you must enforce one condition: THEY MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY 'FREE BIRD'. The reason for this rule should be obvious to anyone ever remotely involved with playing music on the club circuit.
~~~If a fight breaks out in the crow---KEEP ON PLAYING. Relax and enjoy the spectacle from the relative safety of the stage. DO NOT say anything over the PA in a vain attempt to regulate the situation. None of this "Come on, people, we're all friends here...let's just enjoy the evening and get along with each other...take it easy and just dance" crap. Odds are you will find yourself enmeshed in the violence as a result and the whole point of your peace keeping mission will be lost. A good bar brawl is just as entertaining to the audience as you are (maybe more so). ESPECIALLY if it's a cat fight. They are the highlight of the overall dive bar experience.
~~~You know that old saying about how "the girls all get prettier at closing time"? It's true. Save yourself a lot of misery. Go home to your wife. If you're a single man, go home to your empty bed. Trust me, it's preferable to the morning after if you've taken the bait from one of those "pretty girls".
2.20.2009
I realize that the "podcast" is dated and needs to be renewed. I also realize that the number of people who have actually listened to it can be counted on Tony Iommi's right hand. Nevertheless, I do have a new one in the works. I hope to feature my re-mix of Sigur Ros' "Straumnes" and also want to showcase some of the more obscure stuff I've found trolling the mp3 music blogs A regular bonafide radio show, eh?
I'll get to it soon enough. In the meantime, won't you please let me know if you listen to it, okay? They aren't called COMMENTS for nothing.
I'll get to it soon enough. In the meantime, won't you please let me know if you listen to it, okay? They aren't called COMMENTS for nothing.
More "Snow White 8 Ball" reviews
A couple more "Snow White 8 Ball" reviews have come down the pike. Short but encouraging:
Ohh
Soup Dragons, Primal Scream and the Happy Mondays. Except with vocals buried even further down. The intro is cool but then it turns into an acid house throwback. This would probably kick it live.
I haven't heard much by the Soup Dragons, but I know enough about the other two bands mentioned that I can see this review as complimentary. I would be interested to hear what it would sound like live, too. :)
This track freaked my dog out!!
Is this a theme song from a guy richie movie? All of the different tracks stacked on top of each other is really cool. Fun to listen to.
Glad you liked it. I will have to rent a Guy Richie film soon. Just the fact that it freaked his dog out...my job is done.
Ohh
Soup Dragons, Primal Scream and the Happy Mondays. Except with vocals buried even further down. The intro is cool but then it turns into an acid house throwback. This would probably kick it live.
I haven't heard much by the Soup Dragons, but I know enough about the other two bands mentioned that I can see this review as complimentary. I would be interested to hear what it would sound like live, too. :)
This track freaked my dog out!!
Is this a theme song from a guy richie movie? All of the different tracks stacked on top of each other is really cool. Fun to listen to.
Glad you liked it. I will have to rent a Guy Richie film soon. Just the fact that it freaked his dog out...my job is done.
2.18.2009
2.17.2009
Haven’t posted anything in the past couple of days. Not much to say. Not that I ever have “much to say” anyway. Don’t really enjoy Stumbling too much lately. Just burned out, I’m sure. Too much Internet “humor” that is anything but funny. Can’t be bothered to spend the time with Buddhist/Hindu/New Age/Spirituality sites that they deserve. I have found a lot of mp3 music download sites and I’ve spent the last 24 hours digging deep into those. I know I’ve only scratched the surface of what they have to offer, so I’m sure I will devote a lot of time to them in the future.
My eye is starting to bug me again. I hoped that getting new prescription glasses would take care of that, but apparently the problem is with the eye itself. I knew that already, but hoped I was wrong. I’m having a hard time getting used to the prescription and the frames. But I think progress is being made on those fronts. The optometrist mentioned that double vision is possible side effect of two of the medications I currently take. I try to take that into account in the adjustment process.
I made an appointment with an ophthalmologist. I’ll be seeing her Monday morning. I just hope that it’s something that doesn’t require surgery. I’m terrified of what that probably entails. Still, as hard as that might be, I am gonna have to do it. This has gone on for way too long. I’m ready for the irritation to be over with.
We had dinner at Golden Corral tonight. I don’t know why we keep going there…not that we go there a lot, but every time we do I always say the same thing. There’s no way I ever get $10 worth of food. I’m very picky about the foods that I eat, so the variety, which I suppose is GC’s draw, doesn’t impress me. I usually wind up eating salad and/or roast beef. Which are usually pretty good but kind of “blah” fare for eating out. They had some kind of grilled steak but it was pink inside. I won’t eat any meat that isn’t well done. Which is why I won’t eat their steaks. The cooks never let them broil long enough. The last time I did get one that was thoroughly cooked it was at least 45% fat.
Like I said, I have very little to say. After spending so much time with the mp3 blogs I feel like I don’t have anything to offer. I have to keep it in perspective, realizing that this blog is nothing but a vanity project. That’s all it is and all it will ever be. It’s okay, it’s just that sometimes I wish it could be more things to more people.
My eye is starting to bug me again. I hoped that getting new prescription glasses would take care of that, but apparently the problem is with the eye itself. I knew that already, but hoped I was wrong. I’m having a hard time getting used to the prescription and the frames. But I think progress is being made on those fronts. The optometrist mentioned that double vision is possible side effect of two of the medications I currently take. I try to take that into account in the adjustment process.
I made an appointment with an ophthalmologist. I’ll be seeing her Monday morning. I just hope that it’s something that doesn’t require surgery. I’m terrified of what that probably entails. Still, as hard as that might be, I am gonna have to do it. This has gone on for way too long. I’m ready for the irritation to be over with.
We had dinner at Golden Corral tonight. I don’t know why we keep going there…not that we go there a lot, but every time we do I always say the same thing. There’s no way I ever get $10 worth of food. I’m very picky about the foods that I eat, so the variety, which I suppose is GC’s draw, doesn’t impress me. I usually wind up eating salad and/or roast beef. Which are usually pretty good but kind of “blah” fare for eating out. They had some kind of grilled steak but it was pink inside. I won’t eat any meat that isn’t well done. Which is why I won’t eat their steaks. The cooks never let them broil long enough. The last time I did get one that was thoroughly cooked it was at least 45% fat.
Like I said, I have very little to say. After spending so much time with the mp3 blogs I feel like I don’t have anything to offer. I have to keep it in perspective, realizing that this blog is nothing but a vanity project. That’s all it is and all it will ever be. It’s okay, it’s just that sometimes I wish it could be more things to more people.
2.15.2009
Latest "Snow White 8 Ball Review"
New review for "Snow White 8 Ball":
sound effects spectacular
wasted a full minute until you got to the meat of this song. Then no meat at all for two minutes between 2:00 and 4:00. Lots of repetition-lost another minute. I did notice some guitar trying to catch some air but never got a life line. Doing the math this should have been a 1:48 sec song.
Ouch.
The guy wants meat.
I listened to some of his stuff and I have a pretty good idea of why he didn't care for the song. It's okay. My shit is probably a bit too experimental for his tastes. Plus, I'm not going for "meat" here. I'm after the head trip.
sound effects spectacular
wasted a full minute until you got to the meat of this song. Then no meat at all for two minutes between 2:00 and 4:00. Lots of repetition-lost another minute. I did notice some guitar trying to catch some air but never got a life line. Doing the math this should have been a 1:48 sec song.
Ouch.
The guy wants meat.
I listened to some of his stuff and I have a pretty good idea of why he didn't care for the song. It's okay. My shit is probably a bit too experimental for his tastes. Plus, I'm not going for "meat" here. I'm after the head trip.
2.13.2009
2.12.2009
Whoa! Another "Snow White 8 Ball" review!!!
Hot on the heels of the last "Snow White 8 Ball" review, here's another one. I'm a little flabbergasted that I actually got TWO on the same day. I don't think that's ever happened before. I'm still waiting on the first review of a song I entered as myself (as opposed to my "alter-ego" the Bambo Syndicate).
This one is positive as the last one was. It's much more succinct, but I can't expect lengthy reviews every time, especially when most people are only reviewing because they want to get their song in the review process. I guess that's kind of a vicious circle. It's nice when you get one that is actually well thought out and all (like the one from earlier today).
Still, I am grateful for this one, too:
Nice
I dig the drum intro and the howling. When the song kicks off, it reminds me of Cornershop. I would add a bit more prominent vocals too it or add some nice guitar parts. I think this song would also benefit from panning certain things and having more of a three speaker stereo pan (leslie effects).
This one is positive as the last one was. It's much more succinct, but I can't expect lengthy reviews every time, especially when most people are only reviewing because they want to get their song in the review process. I guess that's kind of a vicious circle. It's nice when you get one that is actually well thought out and all (like the one from earlier today).
Still, I am grateful for this one, too:
Nice
I dig the drum intro and the howling. When the song kicks off, it reminds me of Cornershop. I would add a bit more prominent vocals too it or add some nice guitar parts. I think this song would also benefit from panning certain things and having more of a three speaker stereo pan (leslie effects).
Another "Snow White 8 Ball" Review
I got another review for "Snow White 8-Ball" on garageband this afternoon, and all I can say is FINALLY! Someone gets it!
Theatrical till inducing clear vision
Toy drums seems introduce to a new wave revival number on the mood of Hiroshima mon Amour by Ultravox, but it fades under a cascade of sparse sounds, which are a similar to howl or wining (or some other night animal) and reshape in a half sitar-driven & half stomp rock groove.
Voices - very odd and never singing for real, but I'm not saying it's bad, actually I like it - appear here and there as yells, strange laughings, sparse phrases 'til everything slow down and mutating in ionized sounds, which remain as musical carpet.
Now song is suspended... seems depicting a limbo where you can't see clearly, but many sounds of real life arrive a little awry to your ears.
I mean, it's like when you faint: You hear the world fade away, stay for a while between awake and gone, then come slowly back to reality.
As noises raise up in volume and number, the groove is fading slowly in, with his frenzy reverse looped bass and some similarity with the harshest Nine Inch Nails and even a nuance of Grateful Dead.
Song transmits a sense of mistique, druggy ritual soundtrack. It's psychedelic in his effects more than his form, as the climate is more hard rock than dreamy.
Theatrical till inducing clear vision
Toy drums seems introduce to a new wave revival number on the mood of Hiroshima mon Amour by Ultravox, but it fades under a cascade of sparse sounds, which are a similar to howl or wining (or some other night animal) and reshape in a half sitar-driven & half stomp rock groove.
Voices - very odd and never singing for real, but I'm not saying it's bad, actually I like it - appear here and there as yells, strange laughings, sparse phrases 'til everything slow down and mutating in ionized sounds, which remain as musical carpet.
Now song is suspended... seems depicting a limbo where you can't see clearly, but many sounds of real life arrive a little awry to your ears.
I mean, it's like when you faint: You hear the world fade away, stay for a while between awake and gone, then come slowly back to reality.
As noises raise up in volume and number, the groove is fading slowly in, with his frenzy reverse looped bass and some similarity with the harshest Nine Inch Nails and even a nuance of Grateful Dead.
Song transmits a sense of mistique, druggy ritual soundtrack. It's psychedelic in his effects more than his form, as the climate is more hard rock than dreamy.
2.11.2009
2.10.2009
"Run"
Just a few days ago I was visited by "Inspiration" and it compelled me to write a song. A country song, at that. When I feel a song coming on there's not much I can do to stop it. The melody forms in my imagination with very little input from me. Then I get a few words which I add to and take away from effortlessly. This, I remind you, is not ME who writes these songs. Good or bad, I really shouldn't take credit for them. Not that this particular Muse can be counted on for consistent quality material, and when she throws me a dud I generally take responsibility.
So if the new one is a dud I have no one to blame but myself for not knowing whether the Muse was at the top of her game or simply doing me a favor to remind me that I AM a songwriter, even if that's a fact that I'm too lazy to acknowledge a lot of the time. My creativity, these days, is channeled into other avenues of expression. It's nice to be able to knock a tune out every once in awhile, though.
So if the new one is a dud I have no one to blame but myself for not knowing whether the Muse was at the top of her game or simply doing me a favor to remind me that I AM a songwriter, even if that's a fact that I'm too lazy to acknowledge a lot of the time. My creativity, these days, is channeled into other avenues of expression. It's nice to be able to knock a tune out every once in awhile, though.
"RUN"
Come Sunday morning
I'll be on my way back home
And I know I've been a long time gone
And I know you've been waiting, baby
I can see you there in my mind
I know it's been a long time
chorus:
But ever since I've been away
There were times I've wanted to stay
Maybe leave it all behind
There was always something changed my mind
Can't help the way I feel
Or how I want to steal away
But I know when all is said and done
I'll run back to you someday
Photographs and memories
Lord, they haunt my wandering mind
They make for me an enemy of time
But come Sunday morning
Gonna leave this all behind
'Cause I know just where to find you
chorus
bridge
When all my memories are long dead and gone
I don't see anything in all the days to come
Today I'm walking towards the sun
Tonight I'll turn around and run...
chorus
Come Sunday morning
I'll be on my way back home
And I know I've been a long time gone
And I know you've been waiting, baby
I can see you there in my mind
I know it's been a long time
chorus:
But ever since I've been away
There were times I've wanted to stay
Maybe leave it all behind
There was always something changed my mind
Can't help the way I feel
Or how I want to steal away
But I know when all is said and done
I'll run back to you someday
Photographs and memories
Lord, they haunt my wandering mind
They make for me an enemy of time
But come Sunday morning
Gonna leave this all behind
'Cause I know just where to find you
chorus
bridge
When all my memories are long dead and gone
I don't see anything in all the days to come
Today I'm walking towards the sun
Tonight I'll turn around and run...
chorus
2.09.2009
Swift, Cyrus and that depressing Radiohead on the Grammys
O, to be 15 again, for a day...My channel surfing last night came to an abrupt halt when I landed on the Grammy Awards show. In full stereophonic annoyance sat Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus butchering some song I've never heard. I'm not impressed with the work of Swift or Cyrus so the pairing is nothing special to me...nothing I've been waiting days and days to see. Easy enough on the eyes. At least that Cyrus Montana gal sure is. I'm not fond of that "waifish wisp of femininity" look that Swift is cursed with.
Hannah Cyrus exudes the air of one too young to know all the risque things she knows. If not for the innocent, baby-face Billy Ray blood she's carrying you'd think must be at least 36 years old, the look of passionate need in her eye, the come hither smile that says, "Let us explore the depths of my schizophrenia, my marvelous deep sea diver!"
On the other hand, this Swift chick looks like she'd crumble the first time her old man took to slappin' her 'round. BOOM, one hit, she be down for the count. Like a brittle, slightly pretty flower, she wilts in the blistering sun of REAL love, REAL devotion. She'd cut and run the minute trouble walked in the door. Her voice is weak, straight through the nose. Before she got lucky and hit it big I saw a performance she did on CMT and I thought, "there's no way this girl is going to make it. It's too obvious what she's trying to be...the inquisitive teen with a crush on some guy who daydreams about Hannah Montana."
None of which really matters, of course. The one thing I learned in the first 5 minutes that I caught of the Grammys was that neither of these young femmes fatale can sing worth a shit.
I didn't hang around for what came directly after. Somehow I found myself clicking around the dial again. I availed myself of another chance to watch the Grammys with the last click of the remote button's travelling. The Grammys, though a disasterous joke for at least the last two decades, was preferable to the rest of Dish Network's Hot 100 premium satellite channel line-up.
How do YOU spell 'ANNOYING'?Serendipity stepped in when I learned that Radiohead was coming up after the commercial break.
There was a time when I counted myself among the legion of Radiohead fans. I still like much about their music. I haven't kept up with them, though. And it's been quite a while since I was in a mood conducive to appreciating Thom Yorke's bitter vocal and lyrical prowess. They were already huge when I first began listening to them. Now they're beyond that, to the point where folks talk about how influential they are to the new generation of rockers. I suppose that's what drove me away. Eventually it gets to that point where you know they're just trying to top the last "masterpiece". Everyone, most of all the band themselves, realize it cannot be done. You might as well hop off the bandwagon. Don't let 'em drag you down with them.
I was in a generous mood. They might just have something real nifty up their sleeve. Some new song or style, something different, more upbeat and cheerful. I was prepared to enjoy myself.
The effort was quickly detoured when Yorke comes out looking all "under-the-bridge", shaking his skinny head and spewing out some less-than-decipherable gobbledegook. I could understand about every goddamn word in three but I think it's safe to say he wasn't singing about stopping to smell the roses. He hops around the stage like a malnourished monkey, milking the strange vocal ejaculations for all their worth, as if they are the words of Vedic wisdom, too high and lofty to be comprehended by the masses (especially the buffoons gathered at this awards show, all of whom eat this shit up like it's bacon). The man is disheveled, it is obvious. This entire fit he's throwing is likely the result of sleep deprivation and a failed attempt to procure a small amount of methamphetamine. The spat-out glossalolia could very well be the garbled attempts of a very tired man to communicate. He needs to let the doctor know that he's okay, he's not going to that safe place again, he is an ARTIST, and a tortured one at that. He proclaims the necessity of his illness in finding the place where his muse can sneak up behind him.
Radiohead. Woof-a-doof-a-woop-de-do!
"Where's Radiohead?" I asked myself. "All I see is Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and a hefty sized cadre of horns and bass drums lined up behind them." It is possible that the other three guys were scattered amongst the drum'n'brass crew, but I didn't see them. Not to say that I looked too hard, but I'm reasonably certain they were not there. And so I asked myself one more time, "Where's Radiohead?"
The song itself, musically, was decent enough. It reeked of the whole "we're so big we're gonna put on a special, gala shindig for you" ethic. But Greenwood was able pull some pretty sounds from his guitar effects shit.
When it was all over I was comforted only by the fact that there was nothing else on television worth watching and so it wasn't too much a waste of time. My waning taste for Radiohead dipped a little bit deeper. I have not yet come to the point where everything about them bores me. Still, I must say, after last night's Grammy gig I am one step closer.
2.08.2009
2.04.2009
2.03.2009
"Snow White 8 Ball" reviews and responses
When I entered "Snow White 8 Ball" into garageband's contest I thought it would fare well. After all, "Take You to Hell" has kicked ass. I was sure that "8 Ball" was the better song.
But the reviews I've been getting so far are, to say the least, lukewarm. It's kind of disheartening, but I don't expect everyone to like it.
Anyhoo, I thought I'd post and respond to the reviews before there are too many to mess with.
Trance feel with crazy background
A little too repetitive at times, but for what the song sounds like it's going for, it's definitely an adventure. The voices all over the place give the song a super trippy feel, but get old after awhile. The way the rest of the song is brought back in is cool. Nice usage of beat.
Okay, this is a fair review. I do think it has a trippy feel. I can see how someone might feel that the voices are repetitive. I can tell this guy listened to the whole song (instead of the minimal 30 seconds the site requires before the reviewer gets credit). I appreciate that.
Video Game music intro
Sounds like tape trick i did when i was 15. when the beats finally come in it's much better. I like the drum line alot. Maybe this should be an actual song, not just loop of noise and effects.
Now this guy probably didn't listen to the whole song. If he had he probably would have commented on the middle "break down" section and see how it turns the piece into "an actual song". Furthermore, if he thinks it sounds like a "tape trick he did when he was 15" he must not have gone too far into it. The whole idea of that intro is to contrast such "tape experiments" with what comes after. Like, "Oh, man, this is gonna be some amateur tape tinkering", and then the real song comes in and takes over. Oh, well. He liked the drums. Sure he did.
On the ceiling
This track builds slowly into a medley of styles. Big atmospheric pads annotated with bizarre vocal hollerings. This is definatly experimental.
Thanks, dude, but do you think you might could elaborate a bit more?
chaos
I'm not so sure about the chaotic sounds of the sampler (or was it recorded for this song particular). Not that it's bad, but just not my style. I like the beat. 5:48 is a bit too much for this song, I have to say. There is not enough development in this number for this amount of time. It would be good on the soundtrack of some weired ass movie.
5:48 may well be too long for this song. It's a good thing I didn't enter it's 14 minute expansion like I thought about doing. But I'd bet big bucks that this guy only listened to the minimum 30 seconds. Not enough development? Are you kidding? Once again, the middle section is essential in this respect. If you're not going to give it enough attention to make it to that part then I would just as soon you not review it. "Soundtrack for a weired (sp) ass movie." Sure it is, joker.
Review
Very first sample seem like it was added simply because it could be added. It did not blend with the rest of the song to me. The song it self has a nice hook and progresses well until the middle (2:40) where it dies until the song is reprised at 4:00. Overall I felt this song was a demonstration of the artist's sample collection rather then artistic prowess. Matbe I just don't get it.
Clever review title there, huh? "Added simply because it could be added"? Hell, you could say that about the whole song. Come on, guy...it's in the "experimental rock" genre. At least put yourself in that mindset if you're gonna review it. Demonstration of my sample collection? What the fuck is that all about? Fuck you, what do you know about "artistic prowess"? I put a shit load of hours and work into this and I'm cool with people not liking it but fuck you if you can't appreciate what goes into making music like this. I've listened to this guy's music and I can only excuse his ignorance here because, based on the stuff he does, he has no business reviewing my type of music. I will cut him slack for admitting that he "just (didn't) get it." He didn't.
Feel free to comment and leave your own opinions, positive OR negative:
...by the way, the song DID receive the "Track of the Day" Reviewer's Picks award, so I don't know how the hell that happened. Glad it did, though. Validates some of what I've said here.
To be continued.
But the reviews I've been getting so far are, to say the least, lukewarm. It's kind of disheartening, but I don't expect everyone to like it.
Anyhoo, I thought I'd post and respond to the reviews before there are too many to mess with.
Trance feel with crazy background
A little too repetitive at times, but for what the song sounds like it's going for, it's definitely an adventure. The voices all over the place give the song a super trippy feel, but get old after awhile. The way the rest of the song is brought back in is cool. Nice usage of beat.
Okay, this is a fair review. I do think it has a trippy feel. I can see how someone might feel that the voices are repetitive. I can tell this guy listened to the whole song (instead of the minimal 30 seconds the site requires before the reviewer gets credit). I appreciate that.
Video Game music intro
Sounds like tape trick i did when i was 15. when the beats finally come in it's much better. I like the drum line alot. Maybe this should be an actual song, not just loop of noise and effects.
Now this guy probably didn't listen to the whole song. If he had he probably would have commented on the middle "break down" section and see how it turns the piece into "an actual song". Furthermore, if he thinks it sounds like a "tape trick he did when he was 15" he must not have gone too far into it. The whole idea of that intro is to contrast such "tape experiments" with what comes after. Like, "Oh, man, this is gonna be some amateur tape tinkering", and then the real song comes in and takes over. Oh, well. He liked the drums. Sure he did.
On the ceiling
This track builds slowly into a medley of styles. Big atmospheric pads annotated with bizarre vocal hollerings. This is definatly experimental.
Thanks, dude, but do you think you might could elaborate a bit more?
chaos
I'm not so sure about the chaotic sounds of the sampler (or was it recorded for this song particular). Not that it's bad, but just not my style. I like the beat. 5:48 is a bit too much for this song, I have to say. There is not enough development in this number for this amount of time. It would be good on the soundtrack of some weired ass movie.
5:48 may well be too long for this song. It's a good thing I didn't enter it's 14 minute expansion like I thought about doing. But I'd bet big bucks that this guy only listened to the minimum 30 seconds. Not enough development? Are you kidding? Once again, the middle section is essential in this respect. If you're not going to give it enough attention to make it to that part then I would just as soon you not review it. "Soundtrack for a weired (sp) ass movie." Sure it is, joker.
Review
Very first sample seem like it was added simply because it could be added. It did not blend with the rest of the song to me. The song it self has a nice hook and progresses well until the middle (2:40) where it dies until the song is reprised at 4:00. Overall I felt this song was a demonstration of the artist's sample collection rather then artistic prowess. Matbe I just don't get it.
Clever review title there, huh? "Added simply because it could be added"? Hell, you could say that about the whole song. Come on, guy...it's in the "experimental rock" genre. At least put yourself in that mindset if you're gonna review it. Demonstration of my sample collection? What the fuck is that all about? Fuck you, what do you know about "artistic prowess"? I put a shit load of hours and work into this and I'm cool with people not liking it but fuck you if you can't appreciate what goes into making music like this. I've listened to this guy's music and I can only excuse his ignorance here because, based on the stuff he does, he has no business reviewing my type of music. I will cut him slack for admitting that he "just (didn't) get it." He didn't.
Feel free to comment and leave your own opinions, positive OR negative:
...by the way, the song DID receive the "Track of the Day" Reviewer's Picks award, so I don't know how the hell that happened. Glad it did, though. Validates some of what I've said here.
To be continued.
2.02.2009
Springsteen Rocks the Super Bowl (duh!)
When the news first broke that Bruce Springsteen was playing the half-time show at this year’s Super Bowl, all I could say was, “It’s about time.” It seems like a no-brainer to feature the quintessential American performer/songwriter in what has become the country’s favorite annual spectacle.My own personal opinion of the Super Bowl is not quite as enthusiastic as most. Nothing against it (though I seriously hate the much touted commercials)…I like football enough. But it’s not as big a deal to me as it seems to be with most people. If I have something else to do I don’t feel like I’m missing anything important if I don’t watch it.
I might very well have missed Springsteen’s half-time blast as a result of reading a book or goofing off on the Internet, or just about anything. I hadn’t even made plans to stop what I was doing to check out the Boss.
But I happened to pass by the television just as Springsteen went on so I figured I’d sit down and watch. To be honest I haven’t been all that impressed with his more recent work That is my excuse for not being as ec excited about the performance as I would have been 10 or 15 years ago.
Oh boy, what I would have missed if not for serendipity.
Bruce Springsteen rocked that arena so hard, with so much passion, with so much professionalism that I have to wonder if Super Bowl half-time shows will ever EQUAL it, let alone top it.
Bruce took the stage like a rock and roll evangelist, working up the crowd to a fever pitch, jumping on top of the piano and generally preparing the throngs for what was to follow.
When the fireworks shot into the sky on the first note of “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out” they seemed like a useless expenditure of however much they may have cost. They were so unnecessary as to be anti-climactic. A pathetic background distraction from the explosive show the E Street Band was putting on.
Springsteen’s voice, from the start, was strong and expressive. He was having a great time and you could tell. The set was upbeat from start to finish---none of his stark ruminations on the fragility of the American Dream. No, this set was pieced together for the masses. If “the masses” didn’t find anything to enjoy in it…well, more fool them.
Bruce sings the line about the Big Man joining the band and Clarence, decked out in a get-up that makes him look like a pimped out priest, blows that tenor sax in his inimitable style---you are reminded of how integral his playing to the E Street sound. Think about it---”Promised Land”, “Jungleland”, “Drive All Night”, “Secret Garden”---these and many others go past 10 to 11 on the strength of Clemons’ signature style.
If “Freeze Out” wasn’t familiar to the thousands in the stands, surely there was no one there who didn’t recognize the opening Spector-esque chords of “Born to Run.” Another blast of wasted fireworks go off, synchronized with that dynamite intro. They may have served Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake well. The faithful here surely didn’t notice them.
This was a absolutely one of the best versions of “Born to Run” that I’ve ever heard. The sound was mixed just right, the band was on point, the excitement was almost palpable. Now THIS is an American song, if there ever was one. No doubt about it.
In a career that has soared to heights most artists can only dream of, this performance of “Born to Run” is at the top of a long list of highlights. How do you follow something like that?
You can’t. Not even the Boss himself could do it. Though the other two songs he did were very good, thy didn’t quite rise to the level of the first two.
Super Bowl overkill finally reared it’s ugly face when a HUGE gospel choir strutted out, lining the entire stage to back up the title track from Springsteen’s latest album, “Working on a Dream”. The song is, IMO, not in the same league as his earlier stuff, but there was no denying that it has the power to lift the spirit of a country that has been down on it’s luck for so long. You could see so much hope in Bruce’s face that it was easy to believe we’re going to get through the mess we’re in and come out on the other side stronger for it.
The show ended with “Glory Days”…which was just TOO obvious to be forgiven. Even so, it wasn’t too bad. I hate the song, but was still wrapped up in the spirit of “Born to Run”, so it didn’t seem so bad. It’s BROOOOCE, right? He substituted football references for the original lines about baseball and this was a cute injection of humor that made it all the more bearable.
All of the songs were trimmed and pieced together as a medley. Thos approach worked well in keeping the momentum rolling, although it did seem awkward at times (the transition from “Born to Run” to “Working on a Dream” sounded strained to me). But by the time the band took their final bows it was obvious that this half-time blowout, perhaps more than any that came before it, rivaled the thrills and excitement of the game itself (which, btw, was a very good one).
2.01.2009
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