Monday Music Mix

Morning folks. Why don't you hop on board the music train with me and we will get this week started.

It's Still Rock n Roll To Me- Billy Joel

This is a nice toe tapper to get things going this morning. I think the song is probably pretty dated but overall I do enjoy it.

Step Into My Office, Baby - Belle and Sebastian

Oh my Glob. I love this song. It reminds me of Mad Men which is a show that I love. But that isn't the only thing. It is a just a great song. So far I am feeling pretty good about the musical mix and how it is starting the day off. Good stuff.

I did my Hindu squats and my deep breathing this morning and it is actually kind of amazing to me how quickly I feel a benefit from doing that. I can feel a fundamental difference in my physical well being. I do not know if it is just me being aware of my breathing and breathing deep and slow and getting all that oxygen into my body while I do my movements but it works. At least for me.

Stranger In Town - TOTO

Classic mid 80's song. Honestly how can you not like Toto? I suppose that you can but I think you might be a musical snob if you do. It is okay to be a musical snob. I used to be one and I still am in some ways. But if you are just own it. Don't deny it. Throw it in the haters face and force them to deal with it. Back to the song. I also find the lyrics pretty interesting and it has a catchy chorus.

Work, work, work. I would love to find a way to have some sort of gainful employment. At this point depending on what happens with week with the feds and unemployment I may need to see if I can find a job flipping burgers or cleaning toilets at the local burger emporium. Lord spare me. We shall see what happens.

There She Goes Again - R. E. M.

This is a cover of a Velvet Underground song and I like what R.E.M. has done with it. When a band does something clever with a cover it is usually something that is very nice to listen too. I think that is the case here. Good stuff.

Lonely Boy - The Black Keys

This is one of my favorite songs of 2011 and one of my favorite bands. Solid rockers and they put out a nice volume and depth of noise for a duo. This song has a nice beat and is easy to dance to.

Hey You - Pink Floyd

This is nice. Slowing it down as we wrap things up for the day. As far as I am concerned, Pink Floyd is always welcome at the musical party.

Keep it real and stay warm out there today folks. Be honest with and love each other.

Pink Floyd

I am sitting here drinking my coffee and listening to Pink Floyd, "The Final Cut" album. This is a band that I know a little about but not enough to really do them justice. I know that when I was in high school my awareness of them really only had come from their film "The Wall.

I watched this film at a friends house the summer of my 16th or 17th year and was not mentally prepared for the experience at all. Now I am proud to say that I own it and I enjoy watching it. But it isn't like I watch it as much as I put it in and then go about my day while listening to the noise of it and now and then checking out what is on the screen. I love it and I love that it was so disturbing for me.

But it occurs to me, as I sit here and listen to 'The Final Cut', that this album is probably as good and as disturbing or has the potential to be as disturbing as 'The Wall' was. I am slowly realizing as the music fills my headphones and washes over me, that I have really missed something by not giving this a full listen before. There is a somberness to it that fits perfectly this rainy and gloomy day. The wailing sax in 'The Gunner's Dream' seems almost to speak as it climbs up and down the scales and brings with it some real sadness about war and life and the damages that both things can cause.

The more I listen to this as well, the more I am becoming convinced that this is a band whose music should only be listened to with head phones on. I realize that I may be coming late to the party with this news. But, wow, there is a substantial difference with headphones and without them. Amazing. 

There it is. I would highly recommend giving it a listen if you have the time. I know I am not regretting it. 

Time Travelin....

I listen to a lot of music and watch a lot of music videos. (Thank you YouTube.) I really, really enjoy good music and one of the neatest and best things about the internet and YouTube is the ability to go back and watch concerts and other live performances of bands that no longer exist or still exist but are just not the same. You know who I am talking about, Rolling Stones, just give it a rest already you are becoming an embarrassment to all right thinking music fans.

When I listen too and watch these performances it always makes me wish that I could go back in time and actually be at the concerts and actually be physically in those venues smelling the air and experiencing everything that is going on around me. I also would like to take a bunch of mushrooms and trip balls during those shows but that is a story best left for another time.

I am inspired today though too look at a 5 year period and I am going to pick 1970 to 1975 and look at 5 concerts that I wish I could have attended and show you some clips of those shows. So why don't you strap in and give a watch and a listen to some good classic rock and try to remember that when these shows were recorded these bands were either struggling to make it big or had already become some of the biggest acts in the world. I hope that the blog today can act as a little time travel machine for you. I also have to give a quick thank you to av.com for this article that sparked my idea. http://www.avclub.com/articles/thick-as-a-brick-pleasures-of-the-long-song,89194/

Pink Floyd - Live at Festival de Musique (San Tropez 1970)



Sadly the video is unembeddable but if you like Pink Floyd at all I would highly recommend that you give it a listen. It is amazing.

Now this one isn't all that happy dippy but Neil Diamond at the height of his formidable vocal powers is something worth listening top. Thank you BBC for making this available to us. So, so good. Bonus, I think he is high as the proverbial kite as well. I just am having a hard time describing in words how much I am enjoying listening to this. There is something that is so good about his music that really touches me.

Now I am really torn because 1972 was an amazing year for music off of the top of my head there was David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars" which is one of my all time top favorite concept albums and even as a stand alone album it is amazing. As far as I am concerned there is not a weak song on the album. NOT ONE!!

I couldn't find concert footage but this is the whole album. Do yourself a favor and listen to it.

Led Zepplin was, arguably, the greatest band in the world. This concert is in London and comes off of the "Houses of the Holy album. So good and if you ever get the chance to go to laser Zepplin at the planetarium I will totally let you borrow my van. Rock on!!

One of, if not the master showman of rock n roll Elton John live in London in 1974. Take sometime and give it a look. He could really, really play the piano well.

Finally lets close out this look at potential concerts to go see when I go back in time from 1970 to '75. This band was so good. I have written about them before and I do not intend to repeat myself other then to say this just give them a listen with an open mind. It wasn't just the vocals that made them an amazing band it was also the level of talent that was playing the instruments.


In addition to what I just wrote above I also have something else to share with you my loyal readers. I had a bit of an epiphany today and that is that I really do enjoy writing and furthermore I enjoy it the most when I am writing about music and bands and those type of things with a smattering of television shows thrown in and other entertainment things. So, that is what I am going to concentrate on a little more for know anyway. I am sure that I will also do some writing about other issues now and then as well but I am going to try to give a real effort at focusing more on musical stuff.

Adios, for today.

More Music (Pink Floyd)

I have 19 Pink Floyd albums. I am not at all sure how I can narrow this down to 3 or 4 videos but I shall do my best. I like Pink Floyd but I really did not become aware of them until after high school. I had gone over to a friends house and his older brother was watching "The Wall" and well my mind was blown and nothing was ever the same. Thank you Shane for the introduction to a band that I really enjoy.

"Jugband Blues" The last song Syd Barrett did with the band.



"Shine On You Crazy Diamond"



"Us and Them"



"Mother"



I could pick more but then we would be here all day.