Don’t fret and don’t cover your eyes—I’m not posting NSFW pictures of post-middle-age, prog-mush demi-rockers in their underpants or worse…
Nov 122011
Nov 122011
What is it with my obsession with watching footage of The Kinks sink to new lows in self-parody and loss of dignity? Most of the time, I’d much rather watch stuff like this than something from the band’s halcyon era. What does this say about me? (I should note for those who are new-ish to RTH that The Kinks are one of my favorite bands and part of my Holy Trinity of Rock. This isn’t a case of schadenfreude.)
And does this footage merely show the band trying to stay current during a low point for mainstream rock, in general, or is there something else going on here?
Also, help me guitar nerds: What is the weird Strat-like Gibson (I think) Ray plays in this clip?
Finally, here’s a happier clip, giving a little glimpse of the band’s interpersonal communications as well as their innate musical talent. Sorry about the Ovation acoustics.
Nov 122011
The Gift
Stay tuned for details on how to win Rock Town Hall’s most exciting contest prize ever!
Nov 112011
See if you can’t match the 1970s artists with the 1970s prepackaged foods.
| 1. Billy Joel | A. Brim Decaffeinated Coffee |
| 2. Jobriath | B. Jello 1-2-3 Strawberry Gelatin |
| 3. Linda Rondstadt | C. Manwich |
| 4. Elton John | D. Banquet Salisbury Steak TV Dinner |
| 5. Leo Sayer | E. Tang |
| 6. Carly Simon | F. Mazola Corn Oil |
| 7. Al Di Meola | G. Hamburger Helper |
| 8. Bob Seger | H. Grape Nuts |
Nov 102011
This week’s Mystery Date was submitted by a Townsperson in good standing.
Let’s review the ground rules here. The Mystery Date song is not necessarily something I believe to be good. So feel free to rip it or praise it. Rather the song is something of interest due to the artist, influences, time period… Your job is to decipher as much as you can about the artist without research. Who do you think it is? Or, Who do you think it sounds like? When do you think it was recorded? Etc…
If you know who it is, don’t spoil it for the rest. Anyone who knows it can play the “mockcarr option.” (And I’ve got a hunch at least one of you know this one.) This option is for those of you who just can’t hold your tongue and must let everyone know just how in-the-know you are by calling it. So if you know who it is and want everyone else to know that you know, email Mr. Moderator at mrmoderator [at] rocktownhall [dot] com. If correct we will post how brilliant you are in the Comments section.
The real test of strength though is to guess as close as possible without knowing. Ready, steady, go!
[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Mystery-Date-111011.mp3|titles=Mystery Date 111011]Nov 092011
Somebody shared this video with me today, and I enjoyed it well enough. The tunes ride along on some serious riffage, Ozzy is entertaining in a frantic, brain-addled kind of way, and — I noticed this for the first time today — the lyrics are actually kind of clever.
Then I started thinking about all that must have seemed completely bizarro about this to mainstream rock audiences in 1970-1971: the stripped-down, sludgy, riff-centric sound, the unbeautiful Ozzy, and — I noticed this, too, for the first time today — the apeshit pounding on the drums, bashing away on open hi-hats and crash cymbals from start to finish, etc. That ain’t no “Across the Universe,” bub. It’s not even “Communication Breakdown!”
Then I stopped myself and wondered: hey, Hrrundi, you silver-tongued, sly, handsome devil — are you mythologizing the things about Black Sabbath that had the staying power to still be cool in the 21st century? Maybe these guys were totally ho-hum back in the day. You’re old — but you’re not old enough to remember how these guys were perceived by the rock music buying public when this stuff came out.
I answered: Hrrundi, you sexy motherfucker, you’re right. You don’t know shit! Which is why I’m asking BigSteve and any other ancient RTH denizens — those who didn’t take so many damn drugs that they can’t remember whether their pee went up or down in the ’60s and ’70s — to tell us their recollections. Think back — back through the fog of dope smoke, the sight of topless chicks wigging out in the third row and the stench of sweat-soaked buckskin — and tell us, if you will, what the world of 1970-1971 thought of…Black Sabbath.
Nov 092011
The recent rifts over Billy Joel had me yearning for something that we all could agree on. I stumbled across this series of videos from an episode of Eight Days A Week, a British music talk show. Not only did it offer a well-spoken and coifed Green Gartside, a grey but tactful Nick Lowe, and rock critic/pseudo groupie Janice Long, but the discussion covered such a wide assortment of musicians circa 1984 that it seemed that we all could find something to love.
In part 1, we have the conundrum of a whether a member of Culture Club‘s solo attempt is any good. We move along to some footage of The Clash at Shea Stadium and discussion of the jettison of Mick Jones.
In part 2, we have fun the Liverpudlian way, with Echo and the Bunnymen.
And in part 3, we hear about Pogue Mahone and other pub bands of the time.
Along the way, we are also treated to references to Neil Diamond, Elvis Costello, The Moody Blues, and the latest band to jump the pond, REM.
Enjoy.
Parts 2 and 3 follow after the jump!
