Contributing to Rock Town Hall doesn’t need to feel like torture. Every comment counts.
Apr 272011
Apr 262011
I love “Sweet Jane.” Although its chord progression and rhythm are probably part of the extended rock ‘n roll lineage of 3-chord classics like “Louie Louie,” “Wild Thing,” and “Gloria,” I would argue that its distinctive rhythmic hitch established the song as its own dynastic chord progression.
Last night, while watching the John Hughes “classic” Pretty in Pink for the first time in my life I kept waiting for the title track to play, hoping against hope that it would inject a little excitement into this simplistic, overly nice film that I felt justified for having been “too cool for school” to see when it was all the rage in my college years. Maybe the song plays at the beginning of the movie, the first 15 minutes or so of which I missed, but let me tell you, I was pretty pissed when… [SPOILER ALERT!] Continue reading »
Apr 262011
We’d hoped this rumor would prove to be untrue, but alas… X-Ray Spex’ teenage dynamo Poly Styrene has lost her battle with breast cancer. May we celebrate the rip-roaring beauty of “Oh Bondage, Up Yours.”
Apr 262011
For some reason I just got the urge to look up videos by Fanny, an early ’70s, female-fronted blooz-rock band I’d vaguely heard about for years but never heard a lick of—nor saw. Here’s what I found:
Lord almighty, these gals, led by the sisters Millington, were Heart a few years before the Wilson sisters got their act in gear! OK, they’re lacking the delicate balance of firepower and finesse that would characterize the finest works of Ann and Nancy, but Jean, the bass-playing lead singer’s hair couldn’t be better conditioned and her crocheted vest is to die for! Harmony-singing guitarist June provides the requisite hard-rockin’ support and possibly pioneers the art of head whipping.
Drummer Alice de Buhr doesn’t get enough face time, but I like her no-nonsense approach to fills (see her work during the guitar solo at around the 2:20 mark). The unsung hero of the band, however, may be keyboardist Nickey Barclay. Her passionate organ solo on “Special Care” is the highlight of that song (it turns out she was briefly a member of Joe Cocker‘s Mad Dogs & the Englishman, if that organ part sounds familiar)—and how ’bout that hairdo?
In case you thought these ladies were 2-boogie wonder, here they are on Sonny and Cher’s show (using their drums, no less):
Apr 252011
Admit it, there have been times when you’ve thought to yourself, “If only REO Speedwagon had rocked a little harder they may not have been half bad.”
Are you happy, now?
Apr 242011
In its continuing quest to be hip, NPR posted this interview with John Maus and entitled it, “The Thrilling, Manic and Utterly Addictive John Maus.”
Mr. Maus makes multiple statements that invite discussion. These are just a few:
- Music of the 1990s was “a goofy mistake.”
- Utopia is “us playing our tapes for each other.”
- “The most radical thing we can do (in making music is to) make it as poppy as possible.”
I’m a fan of electronica and experimental music, but this interview made me want to pull up a rocking chair and join the ranks of E. Pluribus Gergely’s Curmudgeon Club. While some bands of the 1980s, namely Scritti Politti, have also made the argument that pop music can be a form of revolution, Mr. Maus’s babble came across to me as annoying and ridiculous.
I hope you will join me in further discussion of this interview, NPR’s title, and Mr. Maus’s conclusions.
Apr 232011
Sounds of the Hall in roughly 33 1/3 minutes!
In this week’s edition of Saturday Night Shut-In Mr. Moderator can’t stop thinking about a recent act of heroism. Then, as the evening progresses, he drifts off into bagism, as he considers taking the episode through the wee hours. Unfortunately this week’s planned hockey talk segment has been postponed, but join us, won’t you?
[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/RTH-Saturday-Night-Shut-In-25.mp3|titles=RTH Saturday Night Shut-In, episode 25][Note: The Rock Town Hall feed will enable you to easily download Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your digital music player. In fact, you can even set your iTunes to search for an automatic download of each week’s podcast.]
