Rejuvenation

Rolling Stone Rank: 138
 
Catching up on some Mad Men tonight, thought I'd put down my thoughts on The Meters' album.  I finally was able to listen to this about a month ago.  11 tracks of dirty, awesome funk.  I grooved my way through the whole thing, enjoying the riffs of Nocentelli.  And a different funk than the mo town style of detroit, this one included the driving drums similar to new orleans style jazz.  Or at least that's what I felt in the drum parts, the guitar and bass seemed pretty similar to the funk I know.  I'm unsure as to how groundbreaking of an album this way, but as we get further down the list we're going to encounter fewer monumental albums.  More likely, this is the beginning of a trend in the top 500 that is just a great album.  Just good music, that if you're a fan of music, this is one you need to hear.

Stats

Album: Rejuvenation
Artist: The  Meters
Year: 1974
My Favorite Song: Just Kissed My Baby, with a close second to People Say
Next Up: U2, wow a record from 2000!

November Rain

It's raining tonight.  It rained today, and it rained on the ride home.  Normally I'd be down on a day like today, but at least it's not snowing yet.  So there's that silver lining.
Anyway, just one thought today
- Watched Glee this weekend, it was all fine and good.  I don't have a lot of complaints with the show, in fact I think it's a good thing to boost awareness music education.  Anyway, they did Cee lo Green's Forget You.  Nice music, catchy hook, Cee lo has a great voice, good stuff.
Sure, here it is:

Just wondering if anyone has a problem with the original title being F*ck You?  It kind of bothers me, it bothers me because a show like Glee knows that they're viewers are young.  Knows that the song has been a viral sensation, that many know the original lyrics, that's part of the popularity of it.  Let me be clear, this is not a stance about Cee Lo, sang a great song, and shouldn't be censored for it, but should a show marketed to young viewers choose that same song to perform in their weekly show?

Night,
BOC

Columbus Day

Had a great day off!  The weather was awesome, who needs fall, let's keep it in the 70s the entire month.  Finally got to do laundry today, and organize my closet.  I tried an idea I saw on apartment therapy: turning all your hangers the opposite way for a month or so, and when you use a shirt put it back the proper way.  Anyway, at the end of the time period you'll see which clothes you really need.  Got rid of a bunch of shirts, I can't even believe I'm writing that. 
Watching the first episode of Boardwalk Empire before I go head to bed.  Two Words: Midget Boxing!
Night
~BOC

10-10-10, SNL from last night

Finally a weekend just to chill at home.  I've done some cleaning, gaming, and catching up on dvr.
In fact, right now I'm watching a two-week old Fringe.  I really love what JJ has done with the show.  I was so upset with the season finale from last year, the build up was billed as a war of worlds battle.  It wasn't, but it set up this great device they're using for this season.

Thoughts on SNL from las night:
Gilly in the first sketch, Actress Mindy whatever in the third sketch.  How quickly the writers seem to give up and just put those tired characters in the same sketch.
Bruno Mars was good, loved the drummer.  The skinny ties and string section brought about a whole "Wall of Sound" vibe.

Happy Columbus Day tomorrow!

2010 Emmys

Hey all,
Way earlier in the year I watched the Grammys by myself, and umm blogged while watching.  Some idea about not making it as lonely.
So here I am again, watching another award show on my DVR...here we go.

• Loved the opening number, didn't like that Kate Gosselin was involved...
• Looking forward to what John Hodgeman will bring to this night, I generally love all his stuff.
• Props to Wiig for getting the nomination, she shines on a show that has writing difficulties
• Wow, Parsons.  Really?  Is it weird that these comedy awards still seem to go to network shows, while dramas have shifted....as I wrote that Edie Falco won Best Actress, so nevermind.
• Why do they even still announce the Reality Awards?
• Drama featuring the end of two long running shows, Lost and 24.  Will either get a bump for their final season?
• Damn the Mad Men music is awesome.  
• Good win for the The Good Wife, not thrilled with her ending her speech:  "This is just amazing for my career"...
• AMC just cleaning up tonight, Cranston wins his third straight and had the best line of the night: "I love you more than baseball"
• Kyra Sedgwick?  I don't watch the show...but was she really better than JJ this year?
• Bucky Guntz, man am I jealous of Justin getting to see Ricky Gervais next month.
• Yes Colbert, using The Human Centipede in video
• Yes, the Daily Show.
• Ouch, her name is Catherine O'Hara
• Clare Danes, still getting it done.
• Really like this song from Jewel here, don't say that too often
• Nothing for Lost, man what does that say about a show like that?  
• Another wow, Modern Family.
• Guess I'm surprised no award winner mentioned Glenn Beck, or really anything political, I guess that's more of an oscar trend, these people are just happy to be on TV.

Overall, good show.  Jimmy did a servicable job, wonder if this will give his late show a bump?   Allright, week two of school tomorrow, here goes nothing...

The Chronic

Rolling Stone Rank: 137
 
So this one was a weird one.  The music that Dre sampled was so good.  And it's really well done, no booming bass, just solid drum beats.  The funky guitars, and by that I mean in the style of funk not as an adjective for bizarre, are perfect for Snoop and Dre's laid back rapping style.  No rough cuts between the samples, it's all smooth, it's all flowing and mellow and easy to groove along with.  All that being said, I didn't care for the words.  The only good song that I like was the one with an actual message, The Day the Niggaz Took Over.  It was a really acturate portals of the rioting and mayhem going on in south-central.  The rest of the album was fluff, boring rhymes about how west coast is better than east, who's got the bigger dick, and just plain vulgarity.  On the other hand, it was a new sound.  It would define an entire genre going forward, so umm some people seemed to get behind.  So take a listen, it's a good album to play just cruising in your car, just not one I can play in front of my students. 

Night!

Stats

Album: The Chonic
Artist: Dr. Dre
Year: 1992
My Favorite Song: The Day the Niggaz Took Over
Next Up: The Meters

And School Has Begun

Well, three days in and it feels like we've been at it a month.
Missed my train for the second time in three days, stress headache literally the entire day.  Ugh!
but I made it home...and I'm gonna try it all again tomorrow.  Although this time I'm taking the early train.  Yes, that's right, the train that requires me to get up at, gulp, 5 am.  Goo.  So gonna write quickly here about Dre, and then hit it.

 Oh yeah, the one positive about these missed trains is that I've made lots of headway in the Alex Ross book, so that's good.  He's finally talking about the 1930's.  Can't wait for Cage and Reich!

Dinner the past week

Hey, so I've been taking photos of my dinners, ummm I guess to make me feel better about taking the time to throw them together.  Hint, I like salad.

First dinner in the new apartment: Starving from moving, lets throw vegtables in a bowl!

Next up: Rice instead of lettuce?!? crazy, but good. 

Lastly: Mold killed all my bread, so throw some spinach on that burger!

 

Tim

Rolling Stone Rank: 136
 
 Hey, long time no post.  Figured it was time again to whip out the old google-machine here and talk about some good music.  This post is inspired by the new Weezer song; which, by the way, is not very good.  Yes, it still has a trademarked catchy chorus, but the song is just lazy.  Rivers even screams at the end.  The same man who moaned in agony over this is beginning to hurt, now is screaming over memories?  Meh. 
Anyways, Tim.  Great album, I recommend to anyone interested in the beginnings of grunge sound.  To be honest, thinking back on it, I confused a lot of these songs with the Pavemet album. 
Sorry about the lame review right there, These'll get better.  I mean, I've only done 130 or so of these, I'm not even hitting my stride yet.  Right-O, so sorry to offend you die hard Replacement fans out there, night!

Stats

Album: Tim
Artist: The Replacements
Year: 1985, good year
My Favorite Song: Bastards of Young
Next Up: Dre

I liked this:

When you try to imagine what other people are thinking, you have no choice but to start from inside your noggin. In there, with your perturbations pushing up against you, among your inescapable self, you think your thoughts and feelings must be evident.

Greatest Hits

Rolling Stone Rank: 135

Greatest Hits, as you know are not my favorite thing to write about.  Even the way RS talks about it is ridiculous:
        John has put out numerous greatest-hits packages over the years, but none as important as   
        this single-disc collection released by MCA during the piano man's...
How can a greatest hits be important?  What, because his best songs are in one place?  I'm not saying they aren't good songs, and it isn't good marketing, I'm just asking how it is in any way artistic?  Did John have any input into what songs were selected for the collection?  Are they arranged in any particular way?  I'm guessing not, and so it doesn't need to be included in list of the best recordings ever.  That being said, the songs are great, and a good listen.
  

Stats

Album: Greatest Hits
Artist: Elton John
Year: 1974
My Favorite Song: Don't let the Sun Go Down On Me
Next Up: Replacements

Slanted and Enchanted

Rolling Stone Rank: 134

The only thing I knew about Pavement before listening to this album was that they played the PTI opening song, which did nothing to prepare me for this album.  Liked it a lot.  Very "indie rock" sounding.  Think the extra white noise of Bleach-Nirvana with the strangeness of Beck with the energy of the White Stripes.  Yeah, I think that's a good analogy.  Anyway, lots of fun to listen to, especially while doing something active.  I happened to also get a listen to some of the extra tracks on the re-release, very enjoyable.

Gonna talk about something else her, RS changed their website layout.  It bothers me.  It bothers me for the same reason most popular websites bother me, and maybe these things bother you as well.  Now the computer that I blog on is my brother's old powerbook.  It gets by, but it's not the words best computer.  So whenever I head to sites like the newly designed RS, or ESPN's main page, or whatever, it takes me forever to navigate my way through the page.  Whether it's huge ads that take up half the screen, or just videos that immediately start playing when you get the page, it's a huge hassle.  Ugh, it's even worse for their top 500 list.  I just think that it would be in their best interest to make their page accessible to largest amount of people, and it's such a  turn off to deal with things like this.  Do you have issues like this?

Stats

Album: Slanted and Enchanted
Artist: Pavement
Year: 1992
My Favorite Song: I like the opener: Summer Babe (Winter version)
Next Up: EJ

Ready to Die

Rolling Stone Rank: 133

Ok, well.  What do you want me to say?  It was enjoyable, yes.  Biggie does a great job of drawing you into the world lived, or at least the world he imagines himself in.   I really enjoyed the songs he sampled, or rather the songs his producers sampled for him.  Well, other than my usual objections, I liked the album.  The songs flowed together well, nice producing Mr. Combs, and for the rapping was better than some of the stuff higher on this list.  Of course, when I say better you have to take it with the grain of salt that I have absolutely no idea what "good" is.  Anyway, off to Meg's birthday, later ninjas.

Stats

Album: Ready to Die
Artist: The Notorius B.I.G.
Year: 1994
My Favorite Song: Things Done Changed
Next Up: Pavement

To keep him strong moving in the right direction

Holy Crap, three months without a post.
Sorry about that, I'm working on it.  One more week of school, so as is my custom I will flood this blog with entries with my free time.
Sidenote: I'm watching Letterman, and Paul just played to the lead-in to "Living for the City" when they went to commercial.  Remind me of two things.  One, I love that song, and Two, I'm moving to the city soon.  Which affects this blog significantly, because with two hours of train rides I'll have a quite a bit more time to listen to albums again.  so, yah.  That's all for now, later ninjas.

March 2010

Still not ready to review the next album, mostly been thinking if it's worth it to keep going with these albums.  I've gotten through the top 100, not sure where the drop off happens.  Or if it happens.  No, it has to happen, right?  Well anyway, a few weeks ago my ipod stopped working, which set me back in listening.  So for the past few days I've been having to catch up on all the Mr. Tony I've missed. 

Anyway, I just wanted to check in blog, let you know I haven't forgotten about you.  Jazz season is a week away from being over, and I'll finally get my nights back.  Just a few thoughts before I sign off:

Three of my friends are moving/have moved away from home again.  Of course when I say home, I mean the general Chicagoland area.  It's strange sort of occurence.  When college ended, most of my friends moved back to Chicago, like it was just another summer that they were home from abroad.  I guess I thought that like me, coming back here after college meant they were gonna give it a shot around here.  But what I think is more likely, is people just needed a little saftey net for their life.  They want to explire the world, but they wanted to make sure they if they fell, they'd land among their true friends. Well, they've gathered up their courage, it makes me think that maybe I too will take on that challenge. 

It's been a year to the day since I decided to make changes in my life.  Things are going all right, although admittedly not as far as I thought they'd be.  It's been quite a year, lots of ups and downs.  Riding out these winters defintely takes its toll.  But the sun will shine again, the snow will melt, and I dunno, something about smiles returning to the faces.

Night.

Can We Appreciate Music?

I had a long argument last night with Adam about the following statement:

"Soundgarden is better than Nirvana."

How you feel about that doesn't really matter.  Well, it matters a little bit, but the point is that Adam insisted that no one could appreciate Nirvana unless you were alive and a music fan during the height of their popularity.  Side note: he stole this argument from a book, but that doesn't make it any less valid.

So take a second to think about that. We can't truly appreciate the music unless we were there to take in all the outside factors.  For me, that's a depressing thought.  I really truly think that music can be great on its own.  That yes, outside forces can help you to understand music.  But at its core, at it's most basic, there is good music.  That you can tell, that you feel something.  Adam took the negative to that argument, and we spoke about this the majority of the night.

I hope he's not right, because this what I've been doing the past two years on this blog, appreciating the music that I wasn't alive to fully appreciate.  I hope he's not right because it means that the only music I CAN appreciate is the music being made right now, and I'm not sure I want to appreciate this music.

Thoughts?

2010 Grammys

Hey all,
No CD review.  As I said in my last post, I'm gonna try and do those correctly, and that means doing them when I have time to reflect and soak up an album.  So tonight I'm gonna blog about the Grammys!
Oh also, sorry about not writing this month, the cold really just zaps all the energy out of me  But at least I got one in for January.

OK, so my original idea was to liveblog the Grammys, but two things got in the way: 1- i hate commercials. 2- I went out to dinner
So here's thoughts as they come, let's call it DVRBlogging...

• Wow Lady Gaga....As usual the outfit was awesome, and I loved the duet with Sir Elton.  I'm a bit biased becuase I think she's good, but a great way to start.
• How old is Colbert's daughter?  
• Great, the Beyonce love fest has begun.  Well at least she's backstage and can't accept the award
• Nice to see Taylor Swift win, you kinda figured she was a shoe-in though.  Both acceptance speeches have been pretty damn boring
• It's Miley!  And she's pimping cbs.com!
• This song is terrible, Imma Be the worst song they could have done on the stage.  The only two redeeming things are those red chicks from Star Wars, and the dude playing a lighting bolt guitar.
• Pink definitely just blew the doors off the place with that.  Great song, and she did it while spinning 60 rpm. 
  
• While they're talking about the county music trustee's award, I feel like I should mention:  We've had 4 performances so far, and only 1 duet.  And even the duet, was kind of a thrown-in at the end of Gaga's song.
• The Zach Brown Band looks like dudes I could hang with.
• Not sure I'm loving this "vote for which crappy song Bon Jovi will play"  There's no way it's anything except Livin' on a Prayer
• Seeing the Brothers' Jonas, reminds me that I saw Nick's solo band.  not terrible.  Also not terrible, this country band.  But then again, they're the first group to actually treat this like a musical performance, and not the MTV Music Video Awards...
• Love Ringo: "And thank you Nora, for being shorter than me".  I hope Kings of Leon win...but I'm sure it'll be Beyonce...
• Oh Hell yeah, maybe tonight won't be a Beyonce love fest. There is hope in this world..."I'm not gona lie, we're a little drunk, but we're happy drunk"  Now THAT is how you accept an award.
• I was gonna rip on Jamie Foxx, but if George Clinton thinks you're good, then you must be doing something right.   And any performance that ends with Slash is pretty good.
• Is Dave Matthew's Rock?  Green Day was the obvious choice though, although it makes you realize how little there was in Rock this year if THOSE were the nominees.  I know what you're thinking, why weren't Kings of Leon nominated?  They were.  Last year.  So yeah, they won record of the year in a year when they didn't make any new music.  Stupid Grammy's
• Zach Brown band looks great.  Actually all the county acts have looks pretty damn good tonight.
• Only Seacrest could introduce Taylor Swift and make it sound like Patsy Cline.  
• Glad to see Stevie Nicks learned the tenor part for You Belong With Me.  How did they possibly convince her to sing this dopey song?  
• I had no idea I was supposed to get 3D glasses, good to know Michael loved trees.  This is actually a pretty interesting idea, they pulled it off well.  Nice collaboration, a good song too.
• The drummer for Bon Jovi has two bass drums, really?  Also, this performance is terible.  Worst of the night.  
• Big suprise, Livin' a Prayer was picked...wish I had the odds on that one, oh great, they didn't even play the whole song.  
• Please be On A Boat....meh, ok Run This Town isn't terible, where's Kayne???  I love that Jay Z stayed on the stage to chat up Placido Domingo and Mos Def, he's such a bad ass
• Andrea Bochelli is great, he could sing the phone book and win Grammys
• Boring speech about not downloading music, here ya go 
• DMB, solid.
• Is Beyonce's dress made from pop tabs?
• Finishing up hour 3 and I think the 3rd lifetime achievement award?  Hmmm
• No Mic for Jeff Beck!  Well, it looked like he was playing well...
• Nice shirt Quentin...oh yah, another lifetime acheivement award...
• I like the Lil Wayne/Eminem/Drake number, probably becuase there was a live band behind them.
• Finally, album of the night.  Here we go, I hope Gaga wins purely to see her give a speech in that outfit.
• Congrats to Taylor, guess this means I should buy her album.  You know the worst part about this?  It means that Becky was right.  Well, if you read this you're either bored or a good friend.  Thank you, good night!