We did see It Might Get Loud, and it was very good. It very earnestly tracks the careers and development of Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White. They also share some insights into their creative processes and get in some killer playing.
It did leave me with a few thoughts/questions:
1) Why has Jimmy Page's output since Zeppelin been so poor?
2) It confirmed for me that The Edge is more about sound than guitar playing. He could have been just as creative as a keyboard player as a guitar player.
3) How did a white kid from Detroit get so damned good at playing the blues? I always thought White's playing sounded like he was taming a wild animal. As it turns out, he feels the same way about it.
My brother and the wife really dug the movie, as I thought they would. The HB faded at the mid-point then rallied at the end. I got him to give me the OK to put some more cool guitar music on his iPod, so that was somewhat of a victory. It was hard to provide him an analogy of how popular Zeppelin was in the day.
Given the quality of the film, and the popularity of the subject, I'm sure it'll get nominated for an Oscar in the best documentary category.
Tomorrow starts getting back to normal. The HB's at my parents for the night and tomorrow, so both the wife and I both get a full day at work. Tuesday we'll probably split things up, then he's back at school on Wednesday. Whew...
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Guitar Playin'
I went with my brother and a friend of his to see Jack White's latest band The Dead Weather on Thursday night at a club about an hour from here. I would have seen them closer, but I had other scheduling issues. It's been hot here (as I'm sure you've heard from the fires) and even with fans in this place everyone was sweating.
The songs were great (they only played tunes from the CD) and they played them well. I kinda felt bad for Dean Fertita (the guitar player) in that on the two songs when Jack White put on a guitar (me mostly played drums) the crowd went nuts and for good reason as White's solos were much more smokin'. Alison Mossheart has a good stage presence, but not a lot of range.
All and all it was awesome to see them in a such a small venue (about 250 people).
Speaking of guitars, the wife and I are going to take the HB and my brother to see It Might Get Loud this afternoon. When it comes to rock and roll, I would rather hear a good guitar player than a good singer any time, so I've been dying to see the film. It'll get us out of the heat and provide some great guitar licks as well.
The songs were great (they only played tunes from the CD) and they played them well. I kinda felt bad for Dean Fertita (the guitar player) in that on the two songs when Jack White put on a guitar (me mostly played drums) the crowd went nuts and for good reason as White's solos were much more smokin'. Alison Mossheart has a good stage presence, but not a lot of range.
All and all it was awesome to see them in a such a small venue (about 250 people).
Speaking of guitars, the wife and I are going to take the HB and my brother to see It Might Get Loud this afternoon. When it comes to rock and roll, I would rather hear a good guitar player than a good singer any time, so I've been dying to see the film. It'll get us out of the heat and provide some great guitar licks as well.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Too Much Time in the Kitchen
I (finally) got around to listening to Guns 'n Roses' Chinese Democracy today. Not being one to worry about all of Axl Rose's moods and fits (I lived through enough of that going to GNR's shows) I was never concerned about whether the album got made or finished. My wife was at a guy's job talk, he made a joke about how long it took him to finish a particular research paper and called it his Chinese Democracy. She said she was the only other person in the room to get the joke.
Listening to the record it is clear that Rose viewed GNR as the band that made Use Your Illusion I & II, not Appetite for Destruction. Which is fine, the best artists grow and change. The problem is that at least 3 songs were very BIG (think November Rain on steroids) and sounded like the closing tune. And they sample from Cool Hand Luke, again.
The playing on the record is very good, but there's just too much of it. There are many places where some silence, or at least less than 3 guitars and an orchestra, would have been welcomed. With all the re-recording, overdubs, etc., the songs completely lack sponteneity and the electricity of great musicians playing off of each other. This tells me that all of the time it took for Rose to put this together did not lead to the best result.
On the good side, the songs are complex and play off of Rose's vocal strengths. The guitar playing is great. It's just a case where a LOT less would have been a lot more.
By coincidence, Death Magnetic comes right after Chinese Democracy on my mp3. The Metallica record sounds so much fresher and intense. And it didn't take 13 years to make.
Listening to the record it is clear that Rose viewed GNR as the band that made Use Your Illusion I & II, not Appetite for Destruction. Which is fine, the best artists grow and change. The problem is that at least 3 songs were very BIG (think November Rain on steroids) and sounded like the closing tune. And they sample from Cool Hand Luke, again.
The playing on the record is very good, but there's just too much of it. There are many places where some silence, or at least less than 3 guitars and an orchestra, would have been welcomed. With all the re-recording, overdubs, etc., the songs completely lack sponteneity and the electricity of great musicians playing off of each other. This tells me that all of the time it took for Rose to put this together did not lead to the best result.
On the good side, the songs are complex and play off of Rose's vocal strengths. The guitar playing is great. It's just a case where a LOT less would have been a lot more.
By coincidence, Death Magnetic comes right after Chinese Democracy on my mp3. The Metallica record sounds so much fresher and intense. And it didn't take 13 years to make.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Metallica at the Forum
The wife and I had a great time at the Metallica concert last night. Sure, fighting rush-hour traffic sucked (especially since we live so close to the Forum), but we had no problems parking or getting to our seats.
We missed the opening band, but we saw the second one, Machine Head. With a name like that, you'd think they'd be doing Deep Purple covers, but they didn't. They did a great job with the crowd and got people into their set. My primary complaint with them, and this current wave of metal bands, is the CONSTANT screaming by the lead singer. And this guy could really sing, as evidenced by their version of Iron Maiden's Hallowed by Thy Name.
The stage setup was very cool. It was a large rectangle in the middle of the floor with mics at each corner and the in between them. The drum setup was in the middle and rotated. There were lights in coffins, per the Death Magnetic motif. They also had both lasers and pyrotechnics (insert WATCH OUT JAMES joke here) in the stage.
What I still love about seeing Metallica is how well they play and control tempo. Speed metal bands tend to want to play even faster live. Except for on Master of Puppets, they avoided that trap. And when they played fast, like on Fight Fire With Fire, they were tight.
The set list covered a big chunk of their career and had plenty of new songs. I like Death Magnetic, so I was cool with that. The wife's not as big on the record, so she would have preferred more older stuff.
There was some of the usual concert experience. A bunch of military dudes in front of us in the "I love you man" stage of drunkenness. The woman sitting next to me puked (but, fortunately, not on me). But, we got out of the parking lot in a jiffy, so we got home at a reasonable hour so I could write about it to y'all.
Have a great Friday.
We missed the opening band, but we saw the second one, Machine Head. With a name like that, you'd think they'd be doing Deep Purple covers, but they didn't. They did a great job with the crowd and got people into their set. My primary complaint with them, and this current wave of metal bands, is the CONSTANT screaming by the lead singer. And this guy could really sing, as evidenced by their version of Iron Maiden's Hallowed by Thy Name.
The stage setup was very cool. It was a large rectangle in the middle of the floor with mics at each corner and the in between them. The drum setup was in the middle and rotated. There were lights in coffins, per the Death Magnetic motif. They also had both lasers and pyrotechnics (insert WATCH OUT JAMES joke here) in the stage.
What I still love about seeing Metallica is how well they play and control tempo. Speed metal bands tend to want to play even faster live. Except for on Master of Puppets, they avoided that trap. And when they played fast, like on Fight Fire With Fire, they were tight.
The set list covered a big chunk of their career and had plenty of new songs. I like Death Magnetic, so I was cool with that. The wife's not as big on the record, so she would have preferred more older stuff.
There was some of the usual concert experience. A bunch of military dudes in front of us in the "I love you man" stage of drunkenness. The woman sitting next to me puked (but, fortunately, not on me). But, we got out of the parking lot in a jiffy, so we got home at a reasonable hour so I could write about it to y'all.
Have a great Friday.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
New Music
Yesterday, I finally got off my ass and got the new 10 Years CD Division. It's very cool. Their style is recognizable from The Autumn Effect, but not derivative. The songs are well constructed and the guitar work is awesome. I'm so loving it!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Now That Was a Disappointment
A couple of weeks ago my wife sent me an e-mail asking if I wanted to go see Emmylou Harris. Neither of us are country music fans, but she is an icon and the tix were half-priced at the fair, so we figured what the fuck. So, we dropped off the HB at my parents house and we went.
It was a beautiful evening (we saw her at an outdoor venue), but the place was more than half-empty. Not the healthiest looking people in the crowd as well. And there was one woman who had a shaved head and a very 60s psychedelic design across her skull. I was surprised that there weren't any ladies with all gray hair like Emmylou. I guess only certain women can pull that off.
We caught one of the opening bands (Ricky Scaggs playing bluegrass and constantly hawking his CDs), then Ms. Harris came on stage. I don't know if she had a cold or not, but her voice was shot and she had a hard time hitting a lot of notes. Also, the songs seemed to all be at the same tempo and many were in the same key. So, it was poorly sung and boring.
We left after about 7 or 8 songs and hit our favorite bar/restaurant near my parents' house. It's VERY dark in there, with black upholstery and waiters in tuxedos. We go there for the rusty nails and fried zucchini. The drinks are huge and well priced. Unfortunately, we got there after the kitchen closed. What kills me is that even though we only go there a couple of times a year, the bartenders remember our order.
We chatted and watched the highlights of Lackey's near no-hitter against the Red Sox. The HB was still up when we got to my folks, but he quickly fell asleep in the car. I'm going to be really bummed when he quits doing that.
It was a beautiful evening (we saw her at an outdoor venue), but the place was more than half-empty. Not the healthiest looking people in the crowd as well. And there was one woman who had a shaved head and a very 60s psychedelic design across her skull. I was surprised that there weren't any ladies with all gray hair like Emmylou. I guess only certain women can pull that off.
We caught one of the opening bands (Ricky Scaggs playing bluegrass and constantly hawking his CDs), then Ms. Harris came on stage. I don't know if she had a cold or not, but her voice was shot and she had a hard time hitting a lot of notes. Also, the songs seemed to all be at the same tempo and many were in the same key. So, it was poorly sung and boring.
We left after about 7 or 8 songs and hit our favorite bar/restaurant near my parents' house. It's VERY dark in there, with black upholstery and waiters in tuxedos. We go there for the rusty nails and fried zucchini. The drinks are huge and well priced. Unfortunately, we got there after the kitchen closed. What kills me is that even though we only go there a couple of times a year, the bartenders remember our order.
We chatted and watched the highlights of Lackey's near no-hitter against the Red Sox. The HB was still up when we got to my folks, but he quickly fell asleep in the car. I'm going to be really bummed when he quits doing that.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Left of the Dial
Great news, kids! I get to do a radio show this Friday and, you get to listen in LIVE. It's gonna happen this Friday from 1 pm to 2 pm on KUCI, and you can go to this link to stream it.
Back in the day I was a college DJ and even now when I listen to music I'll sometimes say to myself, "Man, next time I do a radio show, I'm gonna play that song." An hour's not very much, but it'll be jam-packed with good stuff. Hm...I'll have to squeeze in some Social Distortion, Megadeth, John Coltrane, The Raconteurs, Johnny Winter, 10 Years, Minutemen, Black Flag, Black Crowes w/Jimmy Page, Metallica, Indigenous, Miles Davis, etc., etc. An hour's not gonna be enough...sigh.
I cannot fucking wait. Hope that you can listen in.
Back in the day I was a college DJ and even now when I listen to music I'll sometimes say to myself, "Man, next time I do a radio show, I'm gonna play that song." An hour's not very much, but it'll be jam-packed with good stuff. Hm...I'll have to squeeze in some Social Distortion, Megadeth, John Coltrane, The Raconteurs, Johnny Winter, 10 Years, Minutemen, Black Flag, Black Crowes w/Jimmy Page, Metallica, Indigenous, Miles Davis, etc., etc. An hour's not gonna be enough...sigh.
I cannot fucking wait. Hope that you can listen in.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Work Break and MP3 Update
Since I don't have my usual (good) interruptions today, I need to create my own to keep my head clear. So, I updated some tunes on my MP3 and on the sidebar.
I LOVE the new The Raconteurs. I think I like it even more than the last White Stripes, which I also have on now. And, I'm reliving my punk youth with Social Distortion's Greatest Hits.
The first several songs on Warpaint (the new Black Crowes) are good, but the last few are way too slow for me.
After hearing Queenryche's version of Neon Night on their new covers CD, I had to add the original Black Sabbath version (and the rest of that disk). I'm not one to wallow in my musical past, that I still love listening to that record. It's amazing to think back to how people thought Sabbath was going to suck without Ozzy.
OK, getting back to it. But, before I do, Tiger's picking up ground at the Master's while Phil's over par (big surprise). We'll see how Casey, Immelman, Snedeker (all at 8 under as of this writing), and Flesch (7 under) play their last several holes with Tiger in the clubhous a -5.
I LOVE the new The Raconteurs. I think I like it even more than the last White Stripes, which I also have on now. And, I'm reliving my punk youth with Social Distortion's Greatest Hits.
The first several songs on Warpaint (the new Black Crowes) are good, but the last few are way too slow for me.
After hearing Queenryche's version of Neon Night on their new covers CD, I had to add the original Black Sabbath version (and the rest of that disk). I'm not one to wallow in my musical past, that I still love listening to that record. It's amazing to think back to how people thought Sabbath was going to suck without Ozzy.
OK, getting back to it. But, before I do, Tiger's picking up ground at the Master's while Phil's over par (big surprise). We'll see how Casey, Immelman, Snedeker (all at 8 under as of this writing), and Flesch (7 under) play their last several holes with Tiger in the clubhous a -5.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
New Feature!
The observant ones in the group will notice that I've started to list what's on my MP3 player. No, not an iPod, an MP3 player (I can't stand Apple or their products). I like to listen to music, especially when I'm analyzing data, though I can't when I'm writing or reading. The MP3 gets the most use when I'm exercising. Being old school, I tend to put full albums, rather than just cuts, on it. Usually the albums are faves where I know all of the lyrics or new stuff.
Generally, as you can tell, the music is high energy. But, good songs (mellow or otherwise) are often included. The newest on there is Neil Young's Chrome Dreams II. I've really enjoyed his music ever since I heard a camp counselor play Cowgirl in the Sand on guitar. He's a rare artist who tries new things, but doesn't forget about what he does best. Also, he's the only famous musician that I know of who did a entire album about Iraq and politics. Do I like all of his records? No, but I'm willing to go for the ride.
Chrome Dreams II is unusual, for him, in that it contains many styles of music (folk, country, pre-grunge). Most of his records stick with one style. The best track is an opus called Ordinary People. It covers very familiar ground for him: working people, politics, and love. This does lead me to one beef with him. In a recent interview Young said of the venues for his tour, "They have to be auditoriums. The audio part is very important. I prefer that they be old." So, then why was his LA show at the BRAND NEW Nokia Theater? And, check out those ticket prices...ouch! Hopefully he'll be back in the summer at more reasonable prices.
Generally, as you can tell, the music is high energy. But, good songs (mellow or otherwise) are often included. The newest on there is Neil Young's Chrome Dreams II. I've really enjoyed his music ever since I heard a camp counselor play Cowgirl in the Sand on guitar. He's a rare artist who tries new things, but doesn't forget about what he does best. Also, he's the only famous musician that I know of who did a entire album about Iraq and politics. Do I like all of his records? No, but I'm willing to go for the ride.
Chrome Dreams II is unusual, for him, in that it contains many styles of music (folk, country, pre-grunge). Most of his records stick with one style. The best track is an opus called Ordinary People. It covers very familiar ground for him: working people, politics, and love. This does lead me to one beef with him. In a recent interview Young said of the venues for his tour, "They have to be auditoriums. The audio part is very important. I prefer that they be old." So, then why was his LA show at the BRAND NEW Nokia Theater? And, check out those ticket prices...ouch! Hopefully he'll be back in the summer at more reasonable prices.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Godsmack
For my last birthday present (sniff), my wife got us tickets to see Godsmack at the Wiltern Theater. OK, I STRONGLY hinted that I wanted to see them a couple of months ago.
The wife and I met as undergrads. At the time I was program director at the campus radio station and her roommate had a show. The wife joined her for a shift one night and got hooked. Since we were also taking some of the same classes we got to know each other and once we extricated ourselves from other relationships, REALLY got to know each other. But, I digress....
We are both really into music, though probably more so then. In those days we listened to a lot of punk and metal (still do, to an extent). Since I was able to get tickets to just about any concert through the radio station, we saw a lot of great, and not so great, bands. It kind of sucks that we don't have the opportunity to go hear as much live music any more, especially rock.
Back to Godsmack, they played well, but there were a couple of thing that were weird. First, at the beginning of the show they played a video to AC/DC's For Those About to Rock which showed them just being regular guys, with their kids, loving their fans, etc. Seemed like victory lap thing that a a 20 y.o., rather than a 10 y.o. band would do. Also, they seemed, well, in too good of a mood. The wife and I joke about one band we saw in a blues club. The lead singer was chatting between songs and he said, "We are so happy to be playing the blues for you tonite." What? HAPPY to be playing the blues? Godsmack just seemed a little too happy for playing most of their songs. Lastly, the final 20 minutes of the show was spent doing a medley of covers and just goofing around (more *fun* stuff) when they could have been playing some more good songs off of IV. Overall, we dug it and it feels good to have 'heavy' ears again.
The wife and I met as undergrads. At the time I was program director at the campus radio station and her roommate had a show. The wife joined her for a shift one night and got hooked. Since we were also taking some of the same classes we got to know each other and once we extricated ourselves from other relationships, REALLY got to know each other. But, I digress....
We are both really into music, though probably more so then. In those days we listened to a lot of punk and metal (still do, to an extent). Since I was able to get tickets to just about any concert through the radio station, we saw a lot of great, and not so great, bands. It kind of sucks that we don't have the opportunity to go hear as much live music any more, especially rock.
Back to Godsmack, they played well, but there were a couple of thing that were weird. First, at the beginning of the show they played a video to AC/DC's For Those About to Rock which showed them just being regular guys, with their kids, loving their fans, etc. Seemed like victory lap thing that a a 20 y.o., rather than a 10 y.o. band would do. Also, they seemed, well, in too good of a mood. The wife and I joke about one band we saw in a blues club. The lead singer was chatting between songs and he said, "We are so happy to be playing the blues for you tonite." What? HAPPY to be playing the blues? Godsmack just seemed a little too happy for playing most of their songs. Lastly, the final 20 minutes of the show was spent doing a medley of covers and just goofing around (more *fun* stuff) when they could have been playing some more good songs off of IV. Overall, we dug it and it feels good to have 'heavy' ears again.
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