What albums did you listen to today?...continued

Prog Sothoth wrote: progbethyname wrote: Honestly man. Your descriptions and passion for music is wonderful, man! It is very refreshing to hear others talk about albums with beaming positivity, that you love. Crime of the Century and Breakfast in America are absolute staples in my Prog world. I love CHILD VISION. Reminds me of being on a Boeing 767 coming home from my trip to Nepal looking over the city from my window seat just taking in the view and listening to that incredible Piano work. Thanks! I guess part of it is that I always enjoy trying out new music (or old music I missed out on growing up) in different genres while occasionally giving some old favorites a spin when I just need something I know is going to make me feel GOOD. Even if it's crap, like that Billie Eilish album, I don't feel bad for giving it a shot, and usually I can find at least something positive out of the experience, for example: Billie's soft cooing voice is preferable to that nasal yelping a lot of pop starlets tend to utilize. One thing for sure, I'm nowhere near at your level of passion when it comes to optimal sound quality, which can certainly make a difference in the listening experience, especially for beloved songs. Your enthusiasm for high tech audio is starting to rub off on me though; at least I want to upgrade my turntable and CD player at this point! I'd love to trek around Nepal some day. Last year I explored Iceland while listening to some local acts. I wound up buying a couple of Iclandic language albums I particularly enjoyed during my stay to enhance the wonderful memories.

You’re very kind and I love my audio world and the system synergy I have finally been able to put together. However some areas it can also be very frustrating because of modern day mastering habits on today’s CDs. Good equipment reveals many many flaws. I’m just so thankful that most of my favorite music of all time is recorded amazingly. Mostly because it’s from the 80’s.
Anyhow. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Having expensive gear really has its pros and cons. You have a great and healthy attitude towards your music. I’m sure that any new vinyl or CD player you buy will really work for you.
Happy hunting. And don’t make yourself nuts buying new gear or headphones.

Finnforest wrote: The lyrics kinda hint at challenging times. I've always loved that song and didn't realize it wasn't on a studio album.  I did find this, which is a cleaned up version of the footage/sound. Somebody must have issued a DVD at some point. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5ahrf5

damn, I love that song. Thanks for hipping me to it.

HolyMoly wrote: My theory on the Subhumans is their early (pre-83) stuff is best digested in EP form. A full album starts to get monotonous. Their later stuff has more variety and texture, and the albums really flow well even though they’re fairly long for punk albums. I love Crass, but I have to be in the right mood. I like their more experimental albums (eg Christ the Album) where they mixed it up with tape experiments and such. Ever notice how practically every song on the first 2 albums has the same military drum pattern? It’s kinda funny. But even so, super cool band.

Record Store Day can be fun. Our local vinyl shop was having an outdoor band party with a pretty rockin band. It was at the store’s new location which is SO much easier to park at so I’ll be going there more now. Seems there are more and more good record stores these days, which is a happy fact.

No “official RSD releases” purchased today, but I did get these:

Adam Ant | Friend or Foe
Alice Cooper | Zipper Catches Skin
Martha & the Muffins | Dansparc
Martha & the Muffins | Metro Music
Chicago | III
Billy Joel | Songs from the Attic
Idles | Joy as an Act of Resistance

Another story, then back to the music, I promise:

Back in the 90s I was a big fan of the jam band “moe.” Saw them about a dozen times, mostly in very small venues where the band was just a few feet away. One of their greatest songs (never released in a studio version) was “Seat of my Pants”, which in a very Zappa-like (think Sheik Yerbouti) way, shifted abruptly between reggae, punk, and rapid-fire vocal sections. There’s a long building instrumental break that culminates in a fast punk freakout. At this point, Al Schnier starts jumping around the stage while playing his guitar riff, deciding to slam into bassist Rob Derhak from behind, sending the unsuspecting bassist tumbling into the crowd, i.e. me. Rob hit the ground, though I was able to help break his fall, avoiding injury, while in my right hand I held his bass guitar, utterly unspoiled by the incident.

Prog Sothoth wrote: Great story, that bass player must've owed you a pint! My biggest Spinal Tap moment. In 1993, the band I was in played our first gig, and lots of people showed up. Awesome. The problem was that the venue's PA system sucked, so all I could hear from the stage was the drums and the rhythm guitarist (I was the lead guitarist and vocalist). During the second song, I clicked on my digital delay pedal for my tripped-out echo-drenched solo, then clicked it again once the solo was done and I went back to joining in on the heavy rhythm riffing. Two songs later, we noticed the crowd looked all puzzled instead of hyped. I looked down and saw that my pedal light was still lit. Guess I didn't step on the button hard enough. I played two entire songs with massive echo effects washing over everything without realizing it since I couldn't hear myself. That would've been passable for some psych band maybe, but not what was supposed to be a tight crossover thrash/death hybrid. I can only imagine how weird we must have sounded, and according to friends at the gig, we had a couple of songs in our set that sounded highly unusual. Another band's BAD moment. During a Nuclear Assault set I witnessed in 1990, some guy who was going to stagedive got knocked back by another potential stagediver, and he fell into some amp stacks, knocking them over, and as we soon learned, wrecking the band's entire wireless system that they had just acquired for mucho money. One of those nights I can imagine band members thinking about quitting and going back to school to get degrees in anything.

Totally can relate to the feeling of not being able to hear myself on stage. Sucks when that happens. I play lead guitar by ear (I don’t think of what notes I’m playing) so if I can’t hear myself and don’t have a good thick sound it’s guaranteed to suck.

Albums from the last couple o’days:

Eric Burdon & the Animals | Winds of Change — psychedelic and occasionally ridiculous

Eric Burdon & the Animals | The Twain Shall Meet — psychedelic and mostly amazing

Group 1850 | Agemo’s Trip to Mother Earth — psychedelic and wtf

Poison Idea | Feel the Darkness — punk as fk and ready to destroy

Eric Burdon & the Animals | Love Is — double album of post-psychedelic extended covers

Adam Ant | Friend or Foe — long time since I heard this one. Very tight, very hip. Aged very well
.
Crime & the City Solution | Paradise Discotheque — totally love this band. Similar to the Bad Seeds but I get a lot more out of this

Crispy Ambulance | The Plateau Phase— Brit post-punk from the same scene as Joy Division but less known and much more of an acquired taste.

Deerhunter | Micro castle — trippy indie pop from my home town. Need more of their albums

Idles | Joy as an Act of Resistance — brit post punk more along the lines of Killing Joke, but released in 2018. One of my preferred releases of that year.

Martha and the Muffins | Metro Music — new wave art rock circa 1980. I think Daniel Lanois was involved

Tim Buckley | Sefronia — his penultimate release, better than people say.

moe. | Tin Cans and Car Tires — one of the bands I followed in the 90s (see comment above), I think I’ll be revisiting them a bit this week. First studio album that doesn’t sound like demo studio versions of live tracks.

moe. | The Conch
Bad Brains | s/t
Weather Report | Heavy Weather
Flipper | Gone Fishin’
Golden Earring | No Promises, No Debts
moe. | Loaf
Kayo Dot | Coffins on io
Kayo Dot / Tartar Lamb II | Krakow

HolyMoly wrote: Albums from the last couple o’days: Eric Burdon & the Animals | Winds of Change — psychedelic and occasionally ridiculous Eric Burdon & the Animals | The Twain Shall Meet — psychedelic and mostly amazing Group 1850 | Agemo’s Trip to Mother Earth — psychedelic and wtf Poison Idea | Feel the Darkness — punk as fk and ready to destroy Eric Burdon & the Animals | Love Is — double album of post-psychedelic extended covers Adam Ant | Friend or Foe — long time since I heard this one. Very tight, very hip. Aged very well . Crime & the City Solution | Paradise Discotheque — totally love this band. Similar to the Bad Seeds but I get a lot more out of this Crispy Ambulance | The Plateau Phase— Brit post-punk from the same scene as Joy Division but less known and much more of an acquired taste. Deerhunter | Micro castle — trippy indie pop from my home town. Need more of their albums Idles | Joy as an Act of Resistance — brit post punk more along the lines of Killing Joke, but released in 2018. One of my preferred releases of that year. Martha and the Muffins | Metro Music — new wave art rock circa 1980. I think Daniel Lanois was involved Tim Buckley | Sefronia — his penultimate release, better than people say. moe. | Tin Cans and Car Tires — one of the bands I followed in the 90s (see comment above), I think I’ll be revisiting them a bit this week. First studio album that doesn’t sound like demo studio versions of live tracks.

Re: Martha and the Muffins - Mike Howlett (bassist of Gong) produced their early albums. Mike did a few New Wave acts (remember Fischer Z ?). Steve Hillage also produced similar acts (any body remember Real Life ??)

Edited by Tom Ozric - April 16 2019 at 03:05