I have recently seen rumors that there might be a 40th anniversary of Woodstock 1969 this year but it looks like it will not happen in any form recognizable to the original event. when I tried to think of who they'd get to play it now-a-days I had a really hard time thinking of appropriate acts that would have the same relevance as it did back then... maybe I give those old classic bands too much credit but they sure seemed more epic than anybody we have around today. (did you know that Sha-Na-Na played Woodstock!?!? click above to read who played and what songs they payed)
so, I thought we should make our own Woodstock 09 dream lineup. who are some bands that would be good to have in a 3 day/night outdoor concert in 2009? no wrong answers are possible, just lots of good suggestions of bands that are active today.
Showing posts with label trivia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trivia. Show all posts
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Show your Original lyrics
I was thinking that most( if not all) on this blog write original lyrics or poems. so why not share them. this might be very uncomfortable for some but, i think that we have to put ourselves in uncomfortable places to make us better or at least get us to be less critical of our own work... so what do you think? should we set up a separate site where we could download songs we've created or what?....give me your thoughts.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Try This!
So with all of the talk about new music I am curious what is in your CD/.mp3 player at the moment? What album would you recommend that I should pick up? Right now I am listening to Kings of Leon's "Only By the Night". Personally, from beginning to end I think it is a four star record. I have their other stuff but I didn't like it all that much. The singer has a really unique voice and I don't think he got a handle on it until this album. They are a Tennessee band so perhaps some of you have already heard of them.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Tom Waits.
Tom Waits should appear an interesting figure to almost anyone. You know who he is, you've seen him in movies, his songs have been (some would say unfortunately) popularized by Spingsteen ("Jersey Girl"), Rod Stewart ("Downtown Train"), and the Eagles ("Ol
55"). You're perfectly aware of him... A perpetually old, perpetually hat-wearing pathological liar, who, after returning to music from a 7-year stretch without an album, told every single interviewer who asked what took him so long: "I was stuck in traffic." But there's STILL a wall around the music itself. It's almost like a big inside joke, because you can't just pick up a record and get into his music.
First of all, there are 20 records between 1973 and today. Ignore the "gravelly voice" thing for now, everyone either gets over it or comes to appreciate it. The first thing to do is provide some chronological context, so you know which end of the spectrum you're in if you decide to listen. Between 1973's Closing Time and 1980's Heartattack And Vine, you have genuine bar sleaze, foraying into the seedy underbellies of jazz and blues. Most recommended from this era is 1976's Small Change, including "The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)" and "Invitation To The Blues."
In 1983, Waits was pushed into experimental territory in a reversal of the usual paradigm: by sobering up and settling down with wife/faceless collaborator, Kathleen Brennan (to whom he's still married today). Swordfishtrombones was the first of a trilogy of albums, followed by Rain Dogs and Franks Wild Years. Check out "Gun Street Girl," the linguistic evolution of traditional few-strings-short-of-a-guitar blues. "Jockey Full Of Bourbon," "Hang On St. Christopher," and the title track to Swordfishtrombones are other easier-access highlights of the era. After this came Bone Machine, which won a grammy for Best "Alternative" Rock performance, to which Waits responded, "Alternative to what?" The song "Goin' Out West" is most memorable for its appearance in Fight Club, definitely the peak of Waits' growly rock songs.
OK, now, a little soundtrack work, stage productions, and 7 years later we arrive at 1999's Mule Variations. Lots of people like it, I'm not sure about it. More folky than Waits' older work. Next we have two albums released at the same time... Alice. From Robert Wilson's experimental twist on Alice In Wonderland, which figured into its stage context the fact that Lewis Carroll wrote his Alice stories for the eponymous 9-year-old girl who had captured his affections. Listen to the title track, and that's about it. Now this is important: if you only listen to one Tom Waits song, listen to "All The World Is Green" from Blood Money. The album has plenty to offer in between its less accessible pieces, but this is, above all, the doorway to Tom Waits. Then from 2004's Real Gone: "Dead And Lovely" and "Green Grass" are most recommended.
So now that you've gotten your bearings, hopefully you can appreciate the rest of the catalog. Admittedly, nothing is truly accessible, but there is a certain difference between Tom Waits and many other performers. With most, even if you can't get into it at first, there may be a moment when it all clicks and you understand it. With Tom Waits, these things click very gradually... Maybe first it's the lyrics, which lead you to appreciate the voice... Maybe then it's the more traditionally-constructed songs from Small Change or Blue Valentines, and by the time the 80's records roll around into your music collection, you see the transition and understand those a little better, and then you come to understand the more folk-oriented records coming from Waits' growing domesticity.
Before you know it, you'll be bothering your coworkers or your wife or whoever comes into the room with music they probably won't like. I dunno, though, I always liked that feeling.
55"). You're perfectly aware of him... A perpetually old, perpetually hat-wearing pathological liar, who, after returning to music from a 7-year stretch without an album, told every single interviewer who asked what took him so long: "I was stuck in traffic." But there's STILL a wall around the music itself. It's almost like a big inside joke, because you can't just pick up a record and get into his music.
First of all, there are 20 records between 1973 and today. Ignore the "gravelly voice" thing for now, everyone either gets over it or comes to appreciate it. The first thing to do is provide some chronological context, so you know which end of the spectrum you're in if you decide to listen. Between 1973's Closing Time and 1980's Heartattack And Vine, you have genuine bar sleaze, foraying into the seedy underbellies of jazz and blues. Most recommended from this era is 1976's Small Change, including "The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)" and "Invitation To The Blues."
In 1983, Waits was pushed into experimental territory in a reversal of the usual paradigm: by sobering up and settling down with wife/faceless collaborator, Kathleen Brennan (to whom he's still married today). Swordfishtrombones was the first of a trilogy of albums, followed by Rain Dogs and Franks Wild Years. Check out "Gun Street Girl," the linguistic evolution of traditional few-strings-short-of-a-guitar blues. "Jockey Full Of Bourbon," "Hang On St. Christopher," and the title track to Swordfishtrombones are other easier-access highlights of the era. After this came Bone Machine, which won a grammy for Best "Alternative" Rock performance, to which Waits responded, "Alternative to what?" The song "Goin' Out West" is most memorable for its appearance in Fight Club, definitely the peak of Waits' growly rock songs.
OK, now, a little soundtrack work, stage productions, and 7 years later we arrive at 1999's Mule Variations. Lots of people like it, I'm not sure about it. More folky than Waits' older work. Next we have two albums released at the same time... Alice. From Robert Wilson's experimental twist on Alice In Wonderland, which figured into its stage context the fact that Lewis Carroll wrote his Alice stories for the eponymous 9-year-old girl who had captured his affections. Listen to the title track, and that's about it. Now this is important: if you only listen to one Tom Waits song, listen to "All The World Is Green" from Blood Money. The album has plenty to offer in between its less accessible pieces, but this is, above all, the doorway to Tom Waits. Then from 2004's Real Gone: "Dead And Lovely" and "Green Grass" are most recommended.
So now that you've gotten your bearings, hopefully you can appreciate the rest of the catalog. Admittedly, nothing is truly accessible, but there is a certain difference between Tom Waits and many other performers. With most, even if you can't get into it at first, there may be a moment when it all clicks and you understand it. With Tom Waits, these things click very gradually... Maybe first it's the lyrics, which lead you to appreciate the voice... Maybe then it's the more traditionally-constructed songs from Small Change or Blue Valentines, and by the time the 80's records roll around into your music collection, you see the transition and understand those a little better, and then you come to understand the more folk-oriented records coming from Waits' growing domesticity.
Before you know it, you'll be bothering your coworkers or your wife or whoever comes into the room with music they probably won't like. I dunno, though, I always liked that feeling.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
charter statement
welcome! as you can see this is a work in progress. my purpose is to provide a forum for myself, other musicians, and general lovers of music to post and catalog the many daily observations that come with the blessing (curse?) of being music retentive.
therefore, please feel free to post any music related comments, and please comment on other peoples posts, regardless if you agree or disagree with their thoughts. DEBATE IS ENCOURAGED BUT PLEASE REMEMBER THAT EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO THEIR OWN OPINIONS---so try to post your feelings without belittling any others opinions. otherwise, post it all: long or short, sophisticated or sophomoric, silly or serious, rock-solid or undefined. my purpose it to create a safe haven for all thoughts musical and to gain insight into my fellow fools fantasia of thoughts.
Just an FYI, an easy way to keep track of new posts and comments is to subscribe using the RSS links at the top right. Then all new posts and comments will automatically be shown on your Google homepage, Google reader or other site of your choice.
Another easy way to keep track of new comments is to check the box when you comment to have followup comments emailed to you automatically.
therefore, please feel free to post any music related comments, and please comment on other peoples posts, regardless if you agree or disagree with their thoughts. DEBATE IS ENCOURAGED BUT PLEASE REMEMBER THAT EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO THEIR OWN OPINIONS---so try to post your feelings without belittling any others opinions. otherwise, post it all: long or short, sophisticated or sophomoric, silly or serious, rock-solid or undefined. my purpose it to create a safe haven for all thoughts musical and to gain insight into my fellow fools fantasia of thoughts.
Just an FYI, an easy way to keep track of new posts and comments is to subscribe using the RSS links at the top right. Then all new posts and comments will automatically be shown on your Google homepage, Google reader or other site of your choice.
Another easy way to keep track of new comments is to check the box when you comment to have followup comments emailed to you automatically.
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