Rock Town Hall • Rock Music Discussion

Last Man Standing: Good Gods!

Posted by cdm

Jan 242013

My son has been reading a book that has a lot of references to Greek Mythology. This got me wondering how many songs contain lyrical references to specific Greek or Roman gods (or goddesses).

The rules:

To keep this from turning into a Venus-centric list, only three songs per god, please.
You may, however, list the Roman counterpart to a Greek god, even if the Greek god has already been listed three times. So for instance, you could list a song with Poseidon in the lyrics, even if three “Neptune” songs have already been mentioned.
One entry per post.

I expect someone with a working knowledge of mythology will poke holes in this contest, but until that happens, I’ll lead off with “Venus” by Shocking Blue.

Thirtysomething: Is This How 30 Years of Rock ‘n Roll Sounds to Someone Else?

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jan 242013

Does any 30-year stretch of rock ‘n roll sound as similar to a non-rock ‘n roll lover from my grandparents’ generation’s ears as 30-plus years of rap sound to mine?

Honestly, I don’t want this thread to sound like the rumblings of an old white man, but I need perspective.

I own a few rap/hip-hop albums: a Sugarhill Gang Best of, a couple of albums each by Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys… I like them. Whenever I try moving beyond that small circle of artists (and trust me: I own some other rap/hip-hop albums and have had friends burn me collections of various artists in an effort to broaden my mind) it quickly sounds the same: people talk-singing in one of a couple of standard meters about a) how cool they are, b) how tough they are, c) how pissed they are that someone dissed them, or d) all of the above. Oh, and some of the more adventurous artists mix in “Eastern” beats and name-drop stuff that indicates a degree of nerdiness, turning on the likes of Quentin Tarantino: kung-fu movies, obscuro soul artists from the ’70s, ABA basketball legends…

I know this is a horrible generalization, but let’s hold a mirror up to my weakness, if not your own. Does any 30-year stretch of rock ‘n roll sound as similar to a non-rock ‘n roll lover’s ears as 30-plus years of rap sound to mine? Reggae? Rockabilly? Metal?

How do those of us in the know differentiate within one of these given genres? What would we tell me, for instance, to look for in terms of differentiation among rap/hip-hop artists?

What’s That Sound…and Lunkhead Anthems

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jan 232013

Townsman machinery ran a similar thread not too long ago on strange sounds on records. Bachman Turner Overdrive’s awesome lunkhead anthem “Taking Care of Business” came on the radio this morning and I couldn’t help but dig it. At the 47-second mark, when they sing “And if you take your time you can get to work by 9…” some low, fluttering sound enters the mix. Real simple question: What’s that sound?

While that song is fresh in mind, is there a better lunkhead anthem than “Taking Care of Business”? To be fair, it’s probably not fair to characterize the song as being targeted at lunkheads, which the Urban Dictionary so sensitively defines as, “A very inoffensive, PG way of calling somebody a fucking retard.” But the spirit of the song goes deeper than “down to earth.” I don’t know about you, but when I hear “Taking Care of Business” I get in touch with my inner lunkhead. That can be a good thing.

If we were to construct a 12-song compilation album entitled Lunkhead Anthems, what other 11 songs would best serve the need we all have, now and then, to get in touch with our inner lunkhead?

All-Star Jam

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jan 232013

Get it on, in whatever way moves you! The All-Star Jam is the place to show us your moves, pass along the links we don’t get by not being your Facebook friends.

So THAT’S What It’s Called!

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jan 212013

A YouTube page loaded with Blossom Dearie videos had one video of the Grateful Dead playing some song I like from a 1978 concert. That video’s page was loaded with Dead performances from the late ’70s. It was good to watch a few of their performances from a period before they get really bloated and bad, as I feel they are whenever I watch clips from the ’80s.

Anyhow, I started clicking on videos of well-known Dead song titles that I wasn’t sure I actually could match a tune with. For instance, I am as adept as anyone around here at dropping a sarcastic “Scarlet Begonias” reference, but truth be told I never really know what tune goes with that song title. I just listened to it about 15 minutes ago, and I’ve already forgotten the tune, although it’s one I will recognize next time I hear it.

Then I saw a clip promising a song called “Franklin’s Tower.” I knew this was another famous Dead song title, but I had NO idea how the tune went with that song title…or did I?

We Are Family

Posted by ladymisskirroyale

Jan 212013

Today is my younger sister’s birthday (Happy Birthday Younger Misskirroyale!). She is off skiing and crashing parties at Sundance this weekend, and who knows what sort of music she may be listening to.

But I can tell you a lot about what sort of music she was listening to when she was younger. As you may recall, I’ve been slowly carting my old vinyl from our parents’ home to mine. And there I was faced with the harsh reality of her teenage purchasing interests and power. Granted, my taste was not fabulous, but I can take pride that my adolescent record collection did not include EVERY BARRY MANILOW RECORD. It has been pretty easy to sort out her albums from mine. Loverboy? That goes to my sister. Carpenters? Either my brother or sister. Led Zep: that’s mine. Rumors? Ha! I had traded that with her for Billy Squier.

As we’ve become older, we still enjoy music and buy quite a bit of it. I can count on my sis purchasing any re-release of an ’80s Top 40 collection. She enjoys Mr. Paltrow and band, finding his music relaxing. She has now started buying Opera.

My sister is a mere 18 months younger than me. We both took piano lessons, ballet lessons, and were dragged to our father’s choral concerts. We listened to the same crappy Top 40 radio in the ’70s. We love The Eagles. (Hotel California – hmmm, that’s hers.)

Do you have similar head-scratching moments when you wonder, based on musical interests, how you can be related to a sibling? Granted, I love my sister very much, but I will not listen to a Barry Manilow record!

1 to 10: Prince Concert Poster

Posted by hrrundivbakshi

Jan 212013

Give this poster a number already.

Are you exhausted and emotionally drained by the constant, vaguely conversational obligations you face on today’s social media platforms? Are you searching for a mindless, interaction-free way to sort-of-but-not-really connect with fellow middle-aged rock and roll fans with whom you share only the loosest bonds of electronic “friendship”? You’re in luck!

Today, we introduce a new feature here on Rock Town Hall, where we purposely sidestep all the deep, meaningful analysis and thoughtful commentary, and just go for the kind of lazy, internet-age, lowest-common-denominator commentary the world craves. In this feature, thoughtlessly titled “1 to 10,” we ask you, the reader, to simply assess the excellence of a rock artist, performance or artifact on a — yes, you’ve guessed — scale of 1 to 10. You are being asked for a number — a digit, a figure; and that is all. Having delivered your numerical verdict, you are then free to wander back to your electronic treetop to munch on fleas gathered off the backs of other internet residents you barely know. What could be easier?

Today’s subject for “1 to 10” analysis: the poster created for Prince’s most recent concert series in Chicago earlier this year. A smaller image can be found at the top of this post; for a more detailed look, click here.

I for one think this is a “10,” but, as always, I look forward to your responses.

HVB

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