August 2010 Archives

Hey 19, or Badge of Honor

Aug 312010

As of this writing I’m 47 years old. Hopefully a day will come when someone reads this and I’m 48, 49, or even 79. The point of stating my age is that I’ve been listening to, loving, and discussing music for a long time and any kids reading this owe their elders the time of day to attempt to understand what we may be getting at! I know what makes me tick, and I do my best here and elsewhere, whether by written or spoken word, to articulate that. If I fail to communicate what I intend to communicate now and then, I’ll do better next time. Today I want to take a misguided complaint someone made about a piece I wrote elsewhere and blow it up into a potentially more interesting thread for discussion.

On a personal blog that I started years ago and now very rarely update, Overlooked Gems of My Lifetime, some pipsqueak reacted to a piece I did on Tom Verlaine‘s Dreamtime. He misunderstands a reference I make to the guitar work on some 1960s records I love and goes into this badge-of-honor rant about how I’m not capable of appreciating Tom Verlaine and how he was so inspiring despite his lack of popularity. He also pulls out a reference to My Bloody Valentine, a one-trick pony that also is frequently lauded for being “fucking inspiring” despite the fact that few people ever bought their records, to further tear down my stodgy, mainstream point of view. Here’s the full text of Pipsqueak’s reply:
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All-Star Jam

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Aug 312010

Who have you been dreaming about?

So Much From a Picture Show

Posted by ladymisskirroyale

Aug 312010

Last night, after watching Walkabout, a 1971 film by Nicholas Roeg, Mr. Royale started humming Big Audio Dynamite‘s “E = MC2.” I didn’t initially get the connection until Mr. Royale reminded me that the lyrics of that song describe characters and plots of multiple Roeg films, including Walkabout, Performance, Don’t Look Now, The Man Who Fell To Earth, Insignificance, and Eureka. So now I’ve been wondering why Jones et al. wrote a song about that director. Is it because Mr. Roeg has stated that he likes musicians (examples: Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and Art Garfunkel) to be in his films as they are used to emoting in front of an audience? Or that the mosaic-like plots of his films are somewhat like creating a song? Maybe they are simply fans. I don’t know, but it is a question I’d like to ask Mr. Jones.

“E=MC2” has got me thinking about other songs that reference the movies, be it the plots, the directors, or the stars. I’ve thought of a few. But I’m interested in your “take.” Extra kudos if the song describes the film but doesn’t mention it outright.

Rock ‘n Roll Responsibilities of Big Siblings to Little Siblings

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Aug 302010

“Punk rock’s for pussies!”

Yesterday a friend and I were discussing the responsibilities big siblings have toward their little siblings when it comes to building a strong rock ‘n roll foundation. Actually my friend initially termed what his big brother did for him in terms of rock ‘n roll guidance as “giving shit.” As a big brother myself I explained to my friend that his big brother was actually looking out for his little brother’s best interests. He was upholding his responsibility to guide him in the ways of rock ‘n roll, just as I had long ago upheld my responsibility to my little brother to steer him away from the aesthetic evils of KISS.

Big brothers and big sisters aren’t always “right” in their advice, but it is helpful nonetheless to get advice from an older sibling. If nothing else it can give younger siblings a firm sense of what music he or she doesn’t like. There’s nothing worse than getting through college and still questioning whether you like Jackson Browne, for instance. Sometimes I wish I had an annoying Jackson Browne-loving older sibling to strengthen my gut feeling that Jackson Browne’s music is not for me.

So how about you? Are you a big sibling? Did you fulfill your responsibility to provide rock ‘n roll guidance to your younger sibling(s)? Did your advice fall on deaf ears, as my heedings against KISS to my little brother did?

Are you a younger sibling? Did your big sibling fulfill his or her duties? Did you give a shit about the “shit” he or she was giving you? Did his or her bad taste strengthen your resolve against the likes of Jackson Browne, Wishbone Ash, or whatever?

If you are a middle child, how did it feel being on each end of this key responsibility?

I look forward to your thoughts.

See also: Letters from the KISS Army.

Speaking of…

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Aug 302010

Lennon’s john.

Using the introductory phrase “Speaking of…” see if we can’t build a chain of tangentially related rock thoughts.

I’ll start this exercise with the following: “Speaking of the Bealtes, did you see that a toilet used by John Lennon was auctioned off for nearly $15,000?”

The first person who posts to this “speaking of…” should build, tangentially, off John Lennon, rock ‘n roll toilets, auctions, or any other tangentially related subject – just not the original subject that we assume had been spoken of, “The Beatles.”

Got that? The following person posting would then build off the previous “speaking of…”

As I was saying, Speaking of the Bealtes, did you see that a toilet used by John Lennon was auctioned off for nearly $15,000?

Vot Sveeet Music You Make!

Posted by hrrundivbakshi

Aug 292010

I swear this is totally for real: http://www.andvinyly.com/

So, I guess the question is: … what would you call the “song” made by the sound of your ashes popping and crackling under your stereo stylus?

I already claim “On the Whole, I’d Rather Be In Philadelphia.”

I look forward to your responses, sort of.

HVB

Hey, One-Trick Pony — Do That Trick Again!

Posted by hrrundivbakshi

Aug 272010

I was listening to the Pernice Brothers‘ album Live a Little today, and enjoying it immensely. The top was down, the sun was shining, traffic was light, and the band was as tuneful and tasteful as ever.

At one point, one of the tunes sounded an awful lot like “Working Girls” from their previous album, The World Won’t End. I didn’t care. The next song sounded a whole lot like some other Pernice Brothers song I loved. Did I give a shit? No! I realized a great deal of Pernice Brothers songs sound a great deal like other Pernice Brothers songs… and I was perfectly happy with that.

This got me thinking about other bands that are — thankfully — one-trick ponies. You know the bands I mean: bands that only do one thing, over and over — and that disappoint us when they try to do anything else, so good is the one thing they’re good at doing.

I’d like to make a definitive list of Great One-Trick Pony Bands. Will you help? If “yes,” then a word of advice: don’t give me any lazy-ass choices like AC/DC. They’re not a one-trick pony — they used to kick ass in a raw, almost punk kind of way, and now they mostly suck ass, in a stadium-rock kind of way. They look different, they act different, and they sound different. Same goes for lazy answer #2: ZZ Top. Once great, now lame, for many of the same reasons. Also: please don’t list garage/freakbeat revivalists, who try to recreate one-trick pony rock.

A *good* answer would be, say, HVB faves Supagroup: testosterone-fueled ’70s hard rockers who keep making the same album over and over again — and all of them are awesome.

So: gimme your best one-trick pony bands. Hand ’em over!

HVB

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