Mr. Moderator

When not blogging Mr. Moderator enjoys baseball, cooking, and falconry.

Dugout Chatter: Intros and Outros

Jul 152009

On the ride in today I heard The Stooges‘ “No Fun” and The Who‘s “Getting in Tune” and the following questions occurred to me for possible discussion here in the Halls of Rock:

What’s the most stunning entry by a soloing guitar on record?
What’s the tastiest intro lick by a bass guitar on record?

I think you can figure out which songs led to each question. I’m not asking these questions, I should add, to set up a Battle Royale but rather to capture your gut responses, as we do in Dugout Chatter sessions.

A few other questions have since come to mind:

What’s the first drum intro that comes to mind for you?
What’s the first vocal ad lib/aside on record that comes to mind, now that I’ve asked?
What’s your favorite vocal ad lib/aside on record?

I look forward to your candid responses!

More Birthday Wishes for HVB!

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jul 152009

I know this birthday means a lot to you, Hrrundi, so I’ve tried my best to provide clips worthy of the event. You probably already own the full version of the following, including the director’s cut that was only available on the German DVD release, but in case you’re not aware of it, check it out:

I trust you will treasure the following gift on many levels…after the jump!
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Happy Birthday, Townsman Hrrundivbakshi!

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jul 152009

It’s Townsman HVB’s birthday, and I’d like to celebrate Rock Town Hall’s resident Master of Fun & Games, Seeker of Thrifty Music, Disciple of the Holy Trinity of Rock, Keeper of the Mach Schau, and all-around great guy (and I do mean great), with a few video treats. I’ll roll a few out through the course of the day. I’m starting out with a clip that speaks to your spiritual nature, and then, after the jump, dig into something that I hope speaks to your sense of showmanship.
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Fadeouts!

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jul 142009

I love a good fade out! I was unable to locate an old Musician magazine interview with Ringo Starr on producer Richard Perry (or was it Perry himself, who would have talked about producing Ringo), but it had a great story about Perry, sitting among a cloud of pot smoke, riding the faders like a mad genius during the long fadeout of Carly Simon‘s “You’re So Vain.” Perry had a thing for fadeouts, thinking they were the key to a hit single. I don’t know if that’s still the case, but it got me thinking about a couple of my favorite fadeouts. Maybe you’ll start thinking about your favorite fadeouts as well.
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Last Man Standing: Intra-Band Hook Ups

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jul 142009

Townsman cdm raised the possibility of this challenge the other day, and I see no reason why we shouldn’t conduct a Last Man Standing identifying intra-band hook ups.

You know the rules (or if you don’t, nod along as if you knew them all along): submit one answer at a time. Whoever has submitted the last acceptable answer is the Last Man Standing. When all subsequent challenges to the pile have been exhausted, months have passed, and even key players in this game, like Townsman Cherguevarra, cannot top the last answer on record, you may find yourself the official Last Man Standing on this topic, at least until another Townsperson finds the thread and tops you!

Let’s get it on, and let’s kick it off with cdm’s would-have-been trump card, Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein from Sleater-Kinney.

Battle Royale: Best Soda Commercial Featuring a Rock Band

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jul 132009

Philadelphia and its tri-state area has declared a winner! Wanna try beating this classic ad for a beloved and dearly departed local soda?

Rock’s Most Troubling Looks

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jul 122009

When I asked myself which rockers possess rock’s most troubling Look, the first three that came to mind were Phil Lynott, Sam Phillips (of Sun Records), and Tom Petty. I see these cats and want to reach over and show them what they’re doing wrong.

Phil Lynott: Something’s gotta give.

Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott has long been dead, but his Look continues to trouble me. Something’s gotta give, be it the part in his Afro, the mustache, or the leather jumpsuits. His issues with Bat Wing Syndrome and his death notwithstanding, Lynott’s the first rocker I’d like to breakdown in front of a miror and recast in a less-sleazy, more powerful presence. Troubling.
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