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. 

Random Music Thursday

and away we go

Two Legs - Mark Foggo - I always like starting things off with a little ska. It makes my toes tap and my head bob and brings a smile to my face. I just wish that ska was as popular as it used to be. But if it was really mainstream then, to be honest, I would probably not enjoy it that much. I am just that kind of a jerk.

No Restrictions - Men At Work - Aaah, one of Australia's great bands. They are for sure a product of the 80's but the music they put out was infinitely listenable. It was just great, great pop music but also had some serious lyrical depth as well. This song is a good example of that for sure.

Mount Morgan - The Middle East - I can't really say much about this band. I think I picked them up as part of a big music download I did and I really do not know much about them. I do like the ambient nature of this song and of their other songs that I have heard. But I am not even sure what part of the world they come from. I do hope you enjoyed the listening experience. They remind me a little bit of Joy Division and I like that a lot. I can picture myself clothing my eyes and leaning back with my headphones on while the music washes over me.

Wintertime Love - The Doors - There is not much that I can say about the Doors that has not been said by other far more talented writers then myself. I like the Doors and I their music always brings me back to high school. But that is because I spent far to much time with my ears plugged into sixties music.

Poor Boy - Electric Light Orchestra - You got to love some ELO. If you don't then I serious question if you even really like music. There is just something about this band that makes them super enjoyable to listen to.

Tuesday Music Randomness

Hey folks, I am finally feeling a little bit better so how about we get back on the old music bandwagon and see what I can showcase for you today.

Queen - We Are The Champions. There is not not much to say about this song. I love it and I love this band.  This is not a song that I often track down to listen to, but when I hear it. I always enjoy it and having it be the first song is a great start to todays musical journey.

Queen - Stone Cold Crazy, Awesome this song is as close as one gets to Queen being heavy metel and I love it. This was also covered by Metallica and they did a pretty good job of it.

International Beat - Magical Feeling. Nothing brings a smile to my face like listening to a good ska tune and this is one of those. I love the way that good Ska makes me feel like dancing.

Hans Zimmer - Reunion - This one is from the Gladiator soundtrack and it is a song I enjoy but usually with my headphones on while I am just chilling in my room.

R. E. M. - King Of Birds. Such a good song and such a good band. Just listen to it and shut the hell up.

Catch you later folks

Finally Recovering

Hey folks...

I realize that I have not made an appearance on my blog in a little over a week and I wanted to apologize for that. You see things were going pretty well and then I got this flu that has been going around and it pretty much wiped me out. I do not usually get sick and if I do it is only for a day or two at most. But this thing pretty much laid me out. I didn't leave the house at all from last Thursday until a quick trip to the grocery store for my mother yesterday. I also missed my first two chances to see the Portland Timbers play this season. I am very thankful that they were pre-season matches and I should be healthy enough to see the rest of the matches.

So there you go. I hope to be back on track and doing my usual posts next week.  

Wednesday Random Music Madness

I hope you enjoyed our look at Macklemore yesterday. Let's dig back into the random music library today and see what we come up with.

1: Mr President (Have Pity On the Working Man) - Randy Newman - This song comes from the Forrest Gump soundtrack and while it isn't a horrible song. I am just not a fan of Randy Newman. He really does nothing for me at all and if it wasn't against the rules I set for myself I would totally have skipped past this one. blah

2: Evening On The Ground (Lilith) - Iron and Wine - So far I think that this band has been the one that has popped up the most on the random. That is kind of interesting. Because there are other bands that I own far more of their music. This song is okay I suppose but it isn't my favorite by any means. It just kind of exists and is a little bit to electric for me.

3: Battery - Metallica - I am always up for the live version of this song. It is hard for me to type right now because my head is banging so hard. This was such a good band and there were awesome mosh pits to this song the several times I saw them in concert. This recording is from the show I was at in Seattle that they played with Guns and Roses. It was so good.

4: Sahara - Nightwish - Ah yes a little Nightwish to continue the headbanging. I love this band so much. I wish there were more American bands that rocked this hard and looked as cool doing it. So good.

5: Die With Your Boots On - Iron Maiden - I love it. The sweet nature of random finishes up strong with some awesome metal. Iron Maiden for the win.

Keep on Rocking Folks!!

Macklemore

There is a rapper or MC if you rather out of Seattle that is the proverbial hot shit right now. I really enjoy his music and I am not a typical fan of the hip hop that is for sure. Though there was a time in my life when I was very much into early hip hop. I owned at one time, on vinyl, mind you LL Cool J's first album 'Radio' along with that one, there was also in the daily rotation really anything that Def Jam records was putting out in 1985 and the years after that. Public Enemy and Rob Base along with the Beastie Boys and 3rd Bass.  That also led to one of the first great if not the greatest of Seattle rappers Sir Mix Alot who is really known for 'Baby Got Back' but he had better songs then just that one. So that was my formative rap years along with doing a little bit of listening to the gangster rap that came later, NWA and Ice T.

But I kind of lost track of rap in the mid to late '90s. I just did not enjoy it. I am sure that a lot of people would differ with me on that one. But the rap of that era is not something liked. I think, if I am forced to pin it down. There was a real lack of clarity to the rap that I didn't enjoy at all. When I listen to rap I like to be able to actually understand the words to really appreciate the flow and the impact of them. Now I realize that I may be totally off base in my thinking and even in the way I enjoy rap. But that is what works for me.

So really, as far as I was concerned anyway, it felt like rap was dead. But thanks to a younger fellow that I know and an NPR concert I have recently discovered a new MC from the Seattle area. He is blowing up right now with a number 1 song on the Billboard charts called 'Thrift Shop'.

I LOVE THIS SONG. But after listening to the rest of the album. I realized that he is far far more then that. I am hoping the other songs on the album catch on as well because they are amazing. They range from really goofy and the videos of them really highlight that, to very emotionally personal and touching. He also directly addresses consumer culture and other issues that are affecting the world today.

There you go folks. Give him a listen and this music is for sure not safe for work so throw on those headphones. Also if this isn't normally the type of music you listen to. I urge you to give it a quick listen. I find that even if it is music I think I am going to dislike I sometimes find something good in moving beyond my quick first impression of things. Then give this NPR concert a quick listen. It is 15 minutes and will show you how talented he really is.

Monday Random Music Madness

Welcome back folks, I hope you all had a great weekend. Lets get the random started.

1: Lady Stardust - David Bowie/Ziggy Stardust - This song always brings a smile and good feelings. There is no song on Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars that I do not like. It is easily one of my favorite albums. Top 5 probably in my all time collection and number 2 in my list of favorite concept or rock operas. 

2: You & I - Lady Gaga - This is an artist that I was not on board with initially at all. I just felt like she was ripping off Madonna and not at all in a clever way. Well I am man enough to say, that after I actually sat down and listened to her whole albums and didn't read the press about her, but just let the music speak to me. I was wrong. I enjoy her music. I like the variety of it and I like the craftsmanship of her music. It works for me and I can understand why she has such a big following. I like this song as well. I like the chorus a lot. 

3: Peace Beneath The City - Iron & Wine - So good, I love to just close my eyes and let this music and the words wash over me. Not much else I can say. 

4: 3rd Planet - Modest Mouse - I suppose this is another band that I should be more familiar with. But I am not. I don't dislike them though this is not a song of theirs that I like all that much. It just doesn't connect with me. The music that I like the best hits me at a gut level an emotional center that can just fill me up.

5: Bubble Pop Electric - Gwen Stefani - I love this song. I like this whole album. I love her work with No Doubt but I really do enjoy her solo work and I hope that she does more of it. I am not a huge fan of techno dance music but there is something about what she is doing here that totally works for me.

There you go folks. I hope you enjoyed the little window into my music tastes and I will see you later. 

Friday Random Music

Friday is here and I don't know about you guys but I am excited to keep this little musical experience going.

1: The Go Getter - The Black Keys: Yet another sweet tune from the Black Keys. There is a crunchiness to the guitar and bass in this one that just is awesome. This is a song that I can just close my eyes and bob my head to. It's got a sweet beat and you can really groove to it.

2: No Quarter - Led Zeppelin: This one is an interesting song for me. There is just an almost ambient nature to it, which I love. It just isn't what I think of when I think of Led Zeppelin and often when I choose to listen to them this isn't a song that I usually pick. But the cool thing is that it also kind of fits with the previous song. Which makes the randomness of it even better.

3: Muleskinner Blues : Old & In The Way - This was a side project of Jerry Garcie and is pretty much just toe tappin blugrass. I love this kind of music so much. It never fails to bring a smile to my face.

4: Innocent Bones - Iron & Wine: There are songs that I just enjoy and songs that are so lovely that they just almost make you hurt because you know that you can never play or create something that beautiful. This is one of those songs for me. I love the guitar in it. So much.

5: Beyond the Fire - Dark Moor - Oh ya, finishing the randomness up strong with some epic metal from Spain. If you like epic, majestic metal then do yourself a favor and check these guys out. They are awesome.

One of the things that I really like about this process for me is that it really reminds me of how diverse my music collection is. I like that. Because I really do like almost all kinds of music. 

Bonus Thursday Music

1: Didn't I (blow your mind this time) - The Delfonics: This one is from the soundtrack for 'Jackie Brown' which I think is a criminally underrated movie. I think it is so much better then the last three films Tarentino has made. But part of that is probably because the soundtrack is so good. I love the funk in it and this song is just amazing. So good. It is a total unashamed love song and it can really generate some good feels. So put on the headphones and give it a listen.

2: The Apl Song - The Black Eyed Peas: Oh boy, I didn't even realize that I had any Black Eyed Peas in my collection and this one isn't even one of their hits. I believe that a good chunk of this song is in Filipino. I can appreciate the  personal nature of this song and so that lets me enjoy it actually a little bit more then some of their other songs. Because I love it when an artist can be transparent. So I would have to say that I am enjoying this one even if I do not fully understand it. The video really shows how deep the song is and shows far more depth then I thought the Black Eyed Peas were capable of.

3: Sink The Pink - ACDC - Wow, that is an abrupt change from the touching nature of the last song. The kings of bad metaphors ACDC is rocking us with the subtly titled 'Sink The Pink'. I am pretty sure this song is about sex and drinking and partying and getting your rocks off. But I believe nearly every song by ACDC is about those things. That is what has made them so popular for so long. Why change a good model.

\m/ \m/

4: Alice Childress - Ben Folds Five - I do not need to say much about this man and his music. He affects me in a far deeper and emotional way then lots of the other music I listen to does. I am not sure why. But all I can say is that I love it and I love how authentic it is. I love how he is unafraid to wrestle with the hard questions and his understanding of the power of music.

5: Reverend Black Grape - Black Grape: This is a song that I just enjoy so much and was probably the biggest song off of their one album. It is NOT SAFE FOR WORK so put on some headphones. Their is a funkiness to this song that just make me bob my head and tap my feet. So good.

There you go folks. I hope you enjoy your special Thursday bonus edition.

More Musical Randomness (Wed)

Well, I hope you folks enjoyed the 1st edition on Monday of Musical Randomness. I am really looking forward to continuing the journey and seeing what pops up today and what my thoughts are going to be about the differing songs and musical artists.

1: Friday Night In America - New Grass Revival - This is a band that I actually enjoy a lot. But there music is certainly not for everybody. They are kind a more modern take on blue grass but are also a little bit gospel like in terms of their overall message. This song is not as gospel sounding as some of their others. I enjoy the banjo in it quite a bit as well.

2: Get It Hot - ACDC - Well I can safely say that this is not one of my favorite ACDC songs. I like ACDC a lot but this just is not one of their, shall I say, most inspired numbers both lyrically and musically. It is basically the title of the song repeated over and over again. Which I suppose you can say about most of their songs but for some reason I find this one far more annoying then I have some of their classic songs like 'Back in Black."

3: Oh! You Pretty Things - David Bowie - There is not much that I can say about this one other then that it is one of the best of David Bowies many, many great songs. I would recommend just sitting back and enjoying it in it's sublimeness. I love this song.

4: Ache: No Doubt - Now this brings back some fond memories. I used to listen to No Doubt all of the time.I believe that this is coming off of their first or second album. Which are okay as far as Orange County Ska goes but really their best album in my opinion is 'Tragic Kingdom'. My favorite part of that album is that Gwen Stefani had written it following the breakup of her relationship with Tony Kanal, the bassist for No Doubt and then to add to the irony it was huge and he had to tour all over the world playing songs written about how much he sucked. I just can't imagine how hard that would have been.

5: The One That Got Away: Katy Perry - I like Katy Perry. There I said it and I don't feel bad about saying it. I like her. I enjoy here music and I think that when she chooses to she can really sing. I find her voice pleasant. I also think she is pretty but I imagine I would like her regardless. I like this song. It is a stripped down version of the radio release and it is such a sad song and really is honest about the pain of a failed relationship and how much heartbreak that it brings. Excuse me for a moment my bedroom has gotten really dusty and I am having a hard time seeing my keyboard. Crap

See you on Friday. 

Grateful Dead, giving an old band a new look.

Tuesday morning, sitting at the coffee shop enjoying my Americano and watching the rain fall. I find these kinds of mornings pleasant. That being said, I am not sure if the rain and the darkness makes me more or less productive as far as the writing goes.

I am totally being distracted right now by the people around me. I think that has more to do with my attitude toward them then anything they are doing. Though I am frustrated by people who laugh super loud in public places. I suppose it is silly of me to be like that since I have a pretty loud laugh at times and I know people can pick it out in movie theaters. But for me, I think, the difference is that I choose not to laugh like that when I am sitting in a coffee shop at 6:30 in the morning. The place is basically empty except for me, and the two employees. But in the middle of the place is a group of 8 men who are having some early morning discipleship group. I suppose that is great for them. But, it feels like every two minutes or so, there is a break in the hum of their conversation, followed by this great surprising boom of laughter. I don't like it. I know the world doesn't revolve around me on an intellectual level. But I still find their behavior annoying.

A friend of mine, a man whose taste in many things I respect, recently turned me on to some of the live recordings of the Grateful Dead and as sit here writing and listening to some songs from "Europe '72" I am really, really digging it. I have never taken the time before to listen to them and I am starting to understand why they had such a big following. I do not really get the whole "Deadhead" thing. But as far as the music goes I really like it. As I am beginning to understand what I am listening to I am finding out that what is going on in the live performances is totally different then what was happening in the studio releases. I have heard it compared to a jazz concert and their being a flexibility to what they were playing on stage. There would be two shows back to back and the second show would sound nothing like the first show and in fact, the songs might sounds like nothing that was even on the album.

I am finding that, to sit and listen to a show in one sitting is a very nice experience and there is honestly not a lot that can compare to it in modern music. The only way I can explain it is to say that you can't just dip into it and listen to it like you do the radio. You have to engage with it and listen to it. I think if you really like music you will enjoy the experience. If you are a big fan of screamo or that kind of 'music' you are probably not going to enjoy listening to the 'Dead'.

I think the key is digging out and finding the live recordings of shows. Truly do yourself a favor and look up "Europe '72". If you give it a listen with an open mind. I do not think you will regret it. I know I have not.

Monday Music Experiment

Well here goes nothing, I mentioned in my Friday post that I was going to try something new. So here we go. I am going to start up my google music library and hit random and then you lucky folks are going to get to read my thoughts on each song and if you tube cooperates then you will also get to hear those songs. Now this process is going to be totally random and while I may enjoy some songs. I may not enjoy others and my hope is to listen with an open mind and to give you guys a new look at both some old and new songs. So here we go...

1: Dancing Queen by Abba- Well that is interesting, I fired things up and hit random and this is the first song that popped up. I really do love this song and it never fails to put a smile on my face. I like dancing and I like music that makes me feel like dancing and this song is one of those. I think this is just a great song. I realize that Abba may not be for everyone but if you are ever wanting to lift your spirits I highly recommend giving them a listen.

2: Money Maker by The Black Keys - There is just something about this band. They put out almost a dense wall of sound. There is a depth to it that I love and I love the grungness (if that is a word) of this song. The guitar in this song also reminds me of Hendrix which I am always a fan of. The more that I let it wash over me, the more that I notice the sixties aspect of it. I am digging this one a lot.

3: The Paul, The Dan: Drapht Feat Trails - I do not know what to say, I am not even sure where this song came from or why do I even own it. The song itself isn't horrible but it is a song that I would have to be in a certain mood to listen too. It is a little aggressive for me, but the lyrics are pretty solid and the vocalists can certainly spit the rhymes but I honestly know nothing about this band. (NSFW) Wear headphones if you are going to listen to this one at work.

4:Metel Militia: Metellica - Ahhhhhhh now this brings back some memories. This was a time when Metellica was just starting out and they were so good. This song just hits so hard and the driving guitar is them at their finest that is for sure. This is metel as it is meant to be and it saddens me to think of them now. So in listening to this one I am a little torn. I have good feelings about it but at the same time, the state of the band today just angers me so much. You let me down boys. You let all of us down.

5: Girl Can't Help It: Journey - Wow, this song coming right on the heels of the last one is kind of a mental shock. It feels like getting my face splashed with lukewarm water. I am not enjoying the experience at all. It isn't that I dislike Journey, I think they are a fine band and I actually enjoy Steve Perry's voice and the guitar and drums in this song. But, it is hard to really get into after coming down from the rush of Metellica. It is a nice song though.

Well there you go folks. I do not know about you. But as far as I am concerned, I can already tell that I am going to enjoy this process and I am looking forward to my next edition of it on Wednesday. Have a good day.

Thoughts....

I like writing and I like creating blog posts out of thin air. But, I have noticed that when I do that I run the risk of not being inspired enough to write daily posts. It sometimes seems like the most that I can manage to do is two or three in a week. Which is fine I suppose but I wonder if I might be better served using some sort of writing guide that gives me daily writing prompts and lets me go crazy from there.

I think that if I was doing that then at least some of my writings would have some focus as opposed to just the random streams of consciousnesses that I inflict on you. Though to be honest I am not sure how many of you would actually even notice one way or the other. I just do not know. I felt like I was doing pretty good at keeping to a schedule when I was writing about my music library but that all kind of went down the drain when my hard drive did. So I am just not sure what to do. It may be that I should just continue to do the same thing that I have been  doing and not worry all that much about it. It isn't like I am being paid to write, though Lord knows I wish I was. Though to be honest that might take some of the fun out of it for me. I just am not sure.

Oooh, I just had a thought. I could go into my google music library and put my entire song list on random and then each day or one day a week, do a post about the first 5 songs that pop up and my feelings about those songs. I actually find that idea kind of fun. We will see. You folks may be in for a treat on Monday.