Mr. Moderator

Mr. Moderator

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

Your Cleanest Side of Vinyl on an Otherwise Enthusiastically Worn Album

 Posted by
Dec 112008
 

Sides 1-4: Good; sides 5-6: Mint.

In a recent thread on the worst song by a handful of Classic Rock artists, 2000 Man selected “Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” as Bob Dylan’s worst song from his prime recording years. The song constitutes all of side 4 of the otherwise classic Blonde on Blonde. My guess is that even among Dylan fans and fans of this album, those of us who own it on vinyl can claim a much cleaner, scratch-and-pop-free side 4 than any of the album’s first three sides. At least that’s the case for me.

I thought of two more albums sides that I’d bet my house on being much cleaner than any other side of what may be a frequently spun album in your collection: Continue reading »

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What a Cut-up: Warren Zevon’s Sentimental Hygiene

 Posted by
Dec 102008
 

Warren Zevon, “The Factory”

Warren Zevon, “Detox Mansion”

As I mentioned yesterday, I finally picked up Warren Zevon‘s largely overlooked Sentimental Hygiene, his 1987 release with members of R.E.M. and other guests that signalled a return to form following a particularly long and intense period of drug and alcohol abuse, even by this hard-living cynic’s standards. Five years after Zevon’s unexpected premature death by lung cancer (who didn’t think he would OD?), this album stands as a bookend to the artist’s typically other overlooked work, 1980’s Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School. Considering I’m listening to this album for the first time ever and it sounds exactly like every other album I’ve ever heard by the guy, my initial thoughts follow in cut-up fashion. My thanks to a variety of critics and bloggers, who did the heavy lifting and posed, sometimes unintentionally, a couple of piercing questions.
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Not Great Men?

 Posted by
Dec 082008
 

I often fall behind a week or two in reading my subscription to The Economist. That’s OK, because I don’t put much stock in being a current events guy. I mostly read The Economist in hopes of finding signs of Great People.

My wife and I have subscribed to The Economist since 1995, when we got back from our year in Hungary. It provides a balanced overview and analysis of world events, developments in science and the arts, and so forth in a way that skirts around the America-centric and marketing-driven tone of Time, Newsweek, and all other publications that have been influenced over the years by the success of USA Today.

I always begin reading The Economist at the back, where they run a featured obituary. I love obits! It’s good to reflect on the lives of great men and women, especially those I may have otherwise never heard about. Death has its benefits after all.

Great People are harder to spot in the world news and politics sections, but they exist. The Finance section makes no sense to me, so I can’t tell if they exist there. I also struggle with Science, but I can spot greatness in that area now and then. Next to the obits, the Books and Arts section of The Economist is the best place for me to keep up with the works of Great People.

Yesterday, while catching up on last week’s issue, I got to the Books and Arts section and read about a music conductor I’d never heard of before, Gilbert Kaplan. I often come back to articles regarding classical music, but this one was entitled “Desparately seeking Mahler.” One of the only classical albums I own and know well is a performance of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony with some short songs following, Sinfonia No. 4 – Lieder und Gesange aus der Jugendzeit. I’m glad I read about this guy before he makes it to the obits page.
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Last Man Standing: Rock ‘n Roll-Related Lines Uttered by a Character in a Movie That Isn’t Specifically About Rock ‘n Roll

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Dec 052008
 

The subject line should be self-explanatory, but in case it’s not clear enough, this rules out lines from Spinal Tap, School of Rock, That Thing You Do, and that movie starring Paul Simon (with Lou Reed!), One-Trick Pony. On the other hand, I can think of killer lines about rock ‘n roll in movies like Repo Man and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, two movies that embrace rock ‘n roll culture but are NOT about rock ‘n roll in any way.

I wish I could find the full rant from Martin Donovan‘s character in Hal Hartley‘s Simple Men, but this brief excerpt give you an idea of what I have in mind to kick things off:

And oh how they danced…
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Rock Town Hall Gets Into the Holiday Spirit

 Posted by
Dec 042008
 


No, we’re not going to pump any more Christmas songs into your mind! The holiday spirit we’re talking about begins in earnest this Friday, Black Friday. To help strengthen our economy and keep the loved ones in your life feeling appreciated, Rock Town Hall encourages holiday shopping. While you’re at it, buy something for yourself!

Rock Town Hall makes it convenient for you to do your online shopping with our search portals for Amazon, both the direct link to music products and the general search portal. You can also find recommendations by Townspeople for records (and here, Ian Whitcomb fans), books, and DVDs (eg, Phantom of the Paradise). Holiday shopping’s a bitch! Let’s work together.

There’s also the Zazzle link to Rock Town Hall t-shirts. You know you want one. You also know you want to try that introductory offer from eMusic and select 25 free downloads. You’re working hard and spending your hard-earned cash to make others happy. Treat yourself while you’re at it.

Following are some tracks from recent purchases I’ve made in hopes of helping our economy. Enjoy.

Bassekou Kouyate, “Bala”

Prince Far I, “Long Life”

Moondog, “Up Broadway”

In the coming weeks, when your loved ones want your attention and say things like, Are you on that Rock Town Hall place again?!?! you can fire back, I’m doing our holiday shopping!

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