The mission of this blog is to review, discuss and appreciate various music and musicians. Your contributions on these topics will be both welcome and appreciated. From major label to indie release, all music is fair game.
Some artists seem forever chained to their pasts, no matter their efforts. Sure, there are revivals. There are periods of renaissance. There are reinventions. But all of those phases seem to go back to an original idea of what an artist is, or represents.
Bob Dylan is one such artist. His name is forever tied to folk and the folk tradition, roots music, the songs of the past. And with a new album out, called "Tempest," much of his history is being discussed by rock critics and fans ... and non-fans, too. And some of that history is seemingly embraced, as Bob performs material that evokes "old-time" music from long-gone eras when wax and radio were magic and spiritual and life-affirming and scary ... Music wasn't just streamed, picked and chosen, praised for hooks or breasts or being bizarre.
I've got almost half of a blog entry finished on Bob Dylan's new "Tempest" album.
I've got my preamble written. All that's left is giving the album a listen and giving my thoughts in the comments area, as I've done with my past "live blogging" entries.
It's my hope to get that done tonight!
I'm definitely looking forward to giving the album a listen in its entirety. Should be very cool!
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers had a pretty good decade in the 1990s. In 1991, the group released "Into the Great Wide Open." If you've never heard the album, it's like "Full Moon Fever, Vol. 2." Just about every song on the album sounds like it could have / should have been a radio hit (and a couple of them surely were).
Then you had the first "Greatest Hits," which featured "Mary Jane's Last Dance." Anyone who was conscious in the mid 1990s knows this song (and probably loves it). And for the Kim Basinger haters, well, the video featured her as a corpse. Win-win, right?
Then came Tom Petty's second "solo" album "Wildflowers" (the first being "Full Moon Fever," and the "solo" distinction reflecting that ... one again ... many of the Heartbreakers were actually involved). "Wildflowers" is my favorite of all the Petty-related albums released through 2011, so I don't need to speak further on my opinions of its qualities.
And THEN you have the great soundtrack to the movie "She's the One." I'm not a big fan of the film itself, but the album is an enormous success. Everything about the variety of the music screams to the immense strengths of the band. And it had one of their last great frilly psychedelic hits: "Walls (Circus)."
And finally ... you hit "Echo." Released in 1999, it's something of a curiosity.
If the Beatles had tried to record an album like their "The Beatles" (The White Album) release in 1964 instead of 1968, it would have sounded like this, The Beatles' "Live at the BBC."
Ok, I admit, that probably isn't true. But one of the strengths of "The White Album" was its variety, a strength that really shines on this archival release of selected Beatles materials from the 1963-1965 period.
It's 2012. So far, it's not too radically different from 2011. The Republican candidates for the presidential election are still weeding themselves out. The economy still isn't awesome. It's still winter. You know, that kind of thing. But let's not jump the gun. It's only early January ... there's time yet. And there's definitely good music coming. Remain hopeful!
So, let's talk about music.
For my first album review of the new year, I've got a handful of contenders. One of the albums (PJ Harvey's "Let England Shake") is totally new for me - I haven't listened to it yet. I've heard a couple of tracks and they sound fantastic. One of the forums I visit often has gotten me into it, and both "Mojo" and "Uncut" gave her album their top album honor for 2011. The other albums are either favorites or classics that I haven't really paid much attention to (like Sonic Youth's "Dirty" album).
I'll be doing reviews for each of these in the coming days/weeks/months. If you have preferences on which ones get reviewed first (or you have suggestions / recommendations), please leave me a note in my comments. I welcome your vote!
Here are the albums I've got on the docket:
PJ Harvey"Let England Shake" (getting critical acclaim from just about everyone) The Beatles"Live at the BBC" (one of my absolute favorites, loaded with classic songs by other artists) Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers"Echo" (an underappreciated album ... even the group ignores it) The Monkees"Headquarters" (my personal favorite of their albums, though "PAC&J Ltd." is close) Sonic Youth"Dirty" (an album I haven't paid much attention to, though Sonic Youth are pretty cool) Creedence Clearwater Revival"Willy and the Poor Boys" (a few hits, but a lot of great songs)
All are very solid entries and should make for exciting listens. I might try to live blog one or more of them, too, because I enjoyed that experiment with The Black Keys' "El Camino" album. Again, if you have preferences on which (if any) of these albums should get the live-blog treatment, please leave a comment! Or ... give me some other recommendations. I'll do my best to be receptive.
Okey doke, folks. Hope you're all doing well. Chat with you later.
In 2011, The Black Keys released their seventh album. Called "El Camino," the album had an unenviable task: It had to follow its very popular predecessor "Brothers."
"Brothers" is how I got into The Black Keys. A very good friend of mine (the same friend who got me into The White Stripes) bought a copy of the album for me. Knowing my tastes in music as he did, and knowing how I appreciated good sounds and was wanting to expand my knowledge of modern bands, my friend figured "Brothers" was a good place to start. He was right.
Sorry it's been a while. I was waiting to see if I'd get any feedback or suggestions for the live blogging listening party idea. I didn't get anything, so I'll just have to choose something myself.
Works for me. :)
I'll grab an album I haven't heard before (or haven't listened to in a long time) and get that entry done before the year is over.
I wish you all the very best this holiday season. No matter your religious beliefs, political stances or anything else, I hope your next several days are full of peace, caring, comfort and good will.
I haven't gone to enough of them. So my latest flash of brilliance (that might be an exaggeration) was to listen to an album and blog as I'm listening. Giving impressions, first reactions and whatever thoughts pop into my head at the time.
