Category: Music

As an avid producer and consumer of music, I made this.

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Music Stunt 2009

Stunt 2009: Week 5 – Sly Stone

*This is a companion piece to a similarly-themed article on Karen’s site which, all things being equal, should be published at roughly the same time.*

It doesn’t make sense to review these songs individually, because I’ve been enjoying this album by dancing around the living room to it, and making Bernard laugh, without knowing exactly what the name of the song that I’m listening to is. Tracks of note, amongst these 10, are:

* **If You Want Me To Stay** from Fresh – very funky, the bass is fantastic, both in terms of the bassline and the tone of the instrument.

* **Family Affair** from There’s A Riot Goin’ On – really stands out in this playlist, as it is more than just a three-minute funkfest. A very finely crafted song.

* **Que Sera Sera** from Fresh – enormously underwhelming cover version. Don’t know why they bothered.

* **Everyday People** from Stand! – I found this song incredibly dull and repetitive, which is strange, because *People Everyday* by Arrested Development (which used this song as a basis) is fantastic. It’s just too conspicuously monochordal. The bassline seems to be just one note (G) played on the off-beat, from start to finish.

* **Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again)** from Greatest Hits – cute title, but I found it hard to listen to. The bassline is this slap-and-pop type affair which is annoying in its own right, but what makes it worse is that the timing doesn’t seem right to me. As a musician, I’ve got a highly developed sensitivity to poor timing and pitch. Tiny errors make me wince. It’s a curse. This bassline feels slow, like it’s being dragged along by the rest of the song, and not in an intentionally lazy way. It’s as if it’s always racing to catch up.

So, in conclusion: I am going to be getting an envelope filter to get some funkier tones out of my bass. And there’s more evidence of drums hard-panned in the stereo image, which is a problem when you’re listening through headphones. Good strutting music though.

The next week’s playlist

Random number: 323
Two playlists – our random selection gave us Rick Rubin. The book says:

> “Reduced by Rick Rubin” read the original Def Jam production credits and Rubin’s minimalist style has reinvented rap, rock and country. Rubin dropped out of law school to set up Def Jam Records and follow his very individual instincts as a producer. Instantly successful, he’s taken hip-hop into the mainstream, promoted thrash metal, resurrected Johnny Cash and made the Red Hot Chili Peppers superstars. He’s done his share of forgettable money jobs (Mick Jagger, Melanie C, The Cult) yet rarely rests on his laurels…

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Music Stunt 2009

Stunt 2009: Week 4 – Elvis Presley

*This is a companion piece to a similarly-themed article on Karen’s site which, all things being equal, should be published at roughly the same time.*

I’m a little bit torn. Should I be evaluating these songs, or should I just be evaluating Elvis Presley’s contribution to them?

This week, Lady P has helpfully generated a Spotify playlist so that you can listen along. If you use Spotify. Which I don’t.

1. **Lawdy Miss Clawdy** from Elvis Presley – only two minutes long, but after a minute of listening to this song you’ve already absorbed everything that it has to offer. It’s catchy, but shallow. I think that this song must be quite an early Elvis song, as his trademark vocal style is totally absent. It reminds me of the demo version of “Live Forever” where Liam Gallagher’s voice doesn’t sound like a sack of gravel down a blackboard.

2. **Mystery Train** from Elvis At Sun – Probably a bit better than last week’s version, but I still don’t find it terribly interesting.

3. **Long Black Limousine** from From Elvis In Memphis – I love the sentiment behind this song, the story that it tells. Nice gospel choir too. But I hate that the bass and drums have been panned hard right. I know that back then, nobody really thought that anybody would be listening to these songs through headphones, but that doesn’t make it any less uncomfortable to listen to.

4. **His Latest Flame** from No1s – This song has been in my head quite a lot this week, but not in an annoying way. Which is quite a compliment, if you think about it.

5. **Tomorrow Is A Long Time** from Tomorrow Is A Long Time – A rather dull ballad which doesn’t have any kind of development or dynamic.

6. **Good Rocking Tonight** from Elvis At Sun – almost as brain-dead as your average song about cars. If you just wanted something to dance to then it would probably be fine, but it doesn’t bear up to any level of scrutiny.

7. **I’m Leavin’** from Burning Love – I wouldn’t say that it’s my kind of song, but I can appreciate what went into it.

8. **In The Ghetto** from From Elvis In Memphis – I wish I knew how I felt about this song. It’s a “protest” song, of sorts, and they fill me with such conflicting sentiments. On the one hand, I hate being pontificated at by a wealthy pop singer. But on the other hand, if you feel strongly about something, why should you stay silent? Anyway, leaving all that guff aside, good song. Though the bass guitar has been panned hard right again. Stop that shit.

9. **Heartbreak Hotel** from No1s – magnificent song, it’s ever so satisfying to listen to a song that’s barely over two minutes, and justifies every single second of it.

10. **One Night** from No1s – not really fussed about the song, but the vocal performance is exceptional. There’s a non-zero quantity of DaveGrohlishness in there, dare I say it.

So, in conclusion: it’s improving, and I’m grateful of the opportunity to sample some Elvis. I’m wondering if my enjoyment of these playlists is being impaired by the fact that I’m listening to them with an ear to reviewing them later. I’ve always felt that most things are spoiled by over-analysing. What can I do?

The next week’s playlist

Random number: 341
Two options, random selection is the second – Sly Stone. The book says:

> The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Temptations and James Brown may have had more hits, but no-one epitomized the late 1960s/early 70s more than Sly & the Family Stone. While other bands paid lip service to such 1960s ideals as racial integration, sexual equality and fighting the establishment, the erstwhile Sylvester Stewart and his clan of brothers, sisters and ofays put the rhetoric into practice with some of the most radical, perfectly crafted, galvanizing music ever.

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Music Stunt 2009

Stunt 2009: Week 3 – Memphis

*This is a companion piece to a similarly-themed article on Karen’s site which, all things being equal, should be published at roughly the same time.*

1. **John Henry** Furry Lewis – historically significant it may be, but the song bores me. It’s one of those blues songs that chunders round in a circle for six minutes.

2. **When The Levee Breaks** Memphis Minnie – see above. I can appreciate that this song may have been great in 1929, but I just don’t find it very interesting to listen to.

3. **No More Doggin’** Rosco Gordon – okay, it’s just another blues song, but there’s something about this song that I find a bit more bearable. The pace, the vocal melody, the syncopated piano – it’s got a bit more going for it.

4. **Mystery Train** Junior Parker – yawn blues.

5. **Rocket 88** Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats – yet another blues song, indistinguishable from the rest. Apparently this song is notable for containing one of the first recorded instances of a distorted guitar, and is considered by some to be the first true rock’n’roll song. I’ve been Wikipeding, can you tell? It has to be said, I have an anti-soft spot for songs about cars. I’ve never understood why people feel this need to glorify driving. “Hey look, I’ve got a car.” Wow, aren’t you a big boy? What’s more, they are always inevitably full of a very dull shopping list of things that you do with your car, and then padded out with some nonsense in order to make the whole thing rhyme. Let’s see if I can write one right now. Ahem. “Hey look, here’s my Astra, it’s got seats in the back // I drive it to the movies, I drive it to the track // I put my bass guitar in the boot or the footwell // Gee my Vauxhall Astra is so incredibly swell //// They see me driving past, they say who’s that sexy guy? // I like his Vauxhall Astra, indeed it is so fly // I stop at the garage, to put some petrol in // I like driving my Vauxhall Astra, it might be my favourite thing.” I think I’ve made my point.

6. **Green Onions** Booker T and the MGs – needs no introduction. It’s a memorable song, but I don’t think I have ever thought to myself “ooh, I’d really like to listen to Green Onions right now.”

7. **Wooly Bully** Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs – dumb song.

8. **Suspicious Minds** Elvis Presley – I think that the first time I heard this song was in the 1983 film Breathless so I think it will always remind me of that film, specifically one particular scene. Ahem. The song also reminds me of days of adolescence, when this used to be my karaoke song. Ah, memories.

9. **I Can’t Get Next To You** Al Green – I’ve quite enjoyed having this song on the playlist, as it’s pretty groovy, but it’s a temporary kind of pleasure. I don’t think it’s a song that has an awful lot to offer me.

10. **It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp** Three 6 Mafia – ah yes, those poor pimps. I don’t understand why society views them so dimly. They have my every sympathy. We should throw a charity concert or something, so we can raise awareness of their plight. We can call it Pimp Aid.

So, in conclusion: I’m starting to wonder if this blog stunt was a good idea. Actually, I’m coming to the conclusion that a healthy musical diet consists of taking each genre in moderation, and grumpy old folk who say “all the music that the kids these days are making sounds the same” are forgetting that the same has been true since they were kids too.

The next week’s playlist

Random number: 286
Two playlists, random selection is the first one – Elvis Presley. The book says:

> Rock’s one essential star, without whom so much else, such as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Cliff Richard, might never have come to pass. Uh huh huh.

Well well, there’s a little segue for you. Suspicious Minds isn’t on the playlist, but Elvis’ version of Mystery Train is. Let’s see how they weigh up.

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Music Stunt 2009

Stunt 2009: Week 2 – The Replacements

*This is a companion piece to a similarly-themed article on Karen’s site which, all things being equal, should be published at roughly the same time.*

1. **Left Of The Dial** from Tim (1985) – a fairly decent rock song with a slightly Springsteen feel about it, but the lyrics are largely incomprehensible. It sounds like it has been recorded by a bunch of talentless teenagers in a garage.

2. **We’re Coming Out** from Let It Be (1984) – I understand the whole ethos behind punk music, but I still can’t get my head around the fact that some people enjoy listening to it.

3. **Johnny’s Gonna Die** from Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash (1981) – this is taken from their first album, which is supposedly when they were at their most punk. However, this is surprisingly melodic. And it’s three and a half minutes long, which is way too long to be considered punk.

4. **Go** from Stink! (1982) – very bland rock song. Sounds like it was written in about 5 minutes.

5. **Color Me Impressed** from Hootenanny (1983) – this one has got a few more ideas in it, but I wouldn’t say that I’m in any way impressed.

6. **Little Mascara** from Tim (1985) – I suppose I quite like the song, but I just don’t dig the way that they play. This was their fifth album – by now they should have acquired some basic talent on their instruments, surely?

7. **Unsatisfied** from Let It Be (1984) – the chorus is incredibly catchy but annoyingly repetitive, and the verses are completely nothing. That might be enough for many people, but I’m afraid that it’s not doing much for me.

8. **Within Your Reach** from Hootenanny (1983) – this song nails it. The synth drums are a little cheesy, but bearable. It’s hard to describe – it’s low-key electronic music, quite a spacey sound, phaser effect on the guitar, maybe you get the picture.

9. **Sixteen Blue** from Let It Be (1984) – nice pop song, with pretty chord changes and jangly guitar arpeggios. The whole thing bears a striking resemblance to Deacon Blue.

10. **Can’t Hardly Wait** from Pleased To Meet Me (1987) – another decent pop song. But with horns. I’m not talking figuratively – there’s actually a brass section on it.

So, in conclusion: they are a band that have had an awful lot of sounds. It improved a bit towards the end, but I’m not overflowing with enthusiasm. I’ve listed the years that the albums were produced to demonstrate how they were running in all these different genres concurrently. Maybe I would have enjoyed this playlist more, were I not generally listening to it whilst simultaneously reading The Shadow Of The Wind, which was damn good by comparison.

The next week’s playlist

Random number: 232
There were two playlists on this page, and the randomly chosen winner is – Memphis.

> Named after ancient Egypt’s city of kings, Memphis, Tennessee, turned out to be a 20th century city of musical royalty. Until Dr Martin Luther King’s assassination in Memphis in 1968 musical magic flowed from the Delta’s capital. The city crashed during the 1970s but today musical tourism and gangsta rap are revitalising the Memphis scene.

The other playlist on the page was Meatloaf, so I think we dodged a bullet there.

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Music Stunt 2009

Stunt 2009: Week 1 – Grateful Dead

*This is a companion piece to a similarly-themed article on Karen’s site which, all things being equal, should be published at roughly the same time.*

1. **Dark Star** from Live Dead Some crushingly long prog rock twattery that’s 95% guitar solo. This does absolutely nothing for me at all. I like my guitar solos to be short and modest.

2. **Turn On Your Love Light** from Live Dead – Another long song, but this one’s quite bluesy. Admittedly my foot was tapping for a while, but I got bored after a while. Better than the previous song, but still I don’t fancy listening to it again.

3. **Uncle John’s Band** from Workingman’s Dead – A kind of country song, probably better than most in the genre, but not my kind of thing. Nice vocal harmonies though.

4. **Truckin’** from American Beauty – This is based around a standard blues progression, and reminds me of why I’m not a huge fan of blues – musically speaking, it seems to be a dead-end genre. The lyrics would probably be a big draw if you were a fan of the band, but I’m not.

5. **Ripple** from American Beauty – Quite a pretty song, but I can’t help but be reminded of “I closed my eyes, drew back the curtains…” when I hear the melody. It seems cruel to hold this against them, but I can’t help the way that I feel.

6. **Sugar Magnolia** from American Beauty – I fail to see the point of this song at all. It’s not as bad as the 15 minute guitar soloes, at least, but I’m still left with the feeling that if these 10 songs are supposed to be among the best that the Grateful Dead ever wrote, then they’ve got a lot to answer for. The lyrics have a certain attraction, but they seem poorly structured.

7. **Playing In The Band** from Grateful Dead – The intro of this song is quite promising, but from about 20 seconds on it’s just dull and repetitive with only occasional departures from a D chord. The playlists book suggests that like “Truckin'”, the appeal of this song lies solely in the fact that the lyrics will be meaningful to fans of the Grateful Dead. So why the fuck has it been included in a playlist which is apparently targeted at people who haven’t listened to the band before?

8. **Jack Straw** from Europe 1972 – You may think that I’ve got some kind of negative prejudice against the Grateful Dead which is colouring my reviews. Not so. This song is great. Everything is in place. I like the guitar work and the bassline, the drums aren’t too overwhelming, there are plenty of interesting chords and timings. It reminds me of Cream.

9. **Unbroken Chain** from From The Mars Hotel – This is quite a nice song. It’s got a lot of depth, but there are times when it seems so complex that it loses cohesion, and there’s a really annoying high-pitched descending tone which is clearly intentional, but makes the listening experience into quite an unpleasant one. The guitar solo is too long and wanky with hyperactive drums underneath it.

10. **Touch Of Grey** from In The Dark – This is a fairly good song, but it’s a bit of an MOR air-punching stadium-rocking anthem. Not as unpleasant to listen to as some of the other songs in this list, but I still doubt that I will listen to it again voluntarily.

So, in conclusion: a big fat “not for me, thanks”.

The next week’s playlist

Random number: 315
Only one playlist on this page – The Replacements. The book says:

> Loudier, catchier and drunker than most, the ‘Mats were in some ways the most popular band that never was – always on the verge of a breakthrough or falling apart.

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Music Stunt 2009

Blog Stunt

Back in late 2007 (and early 2008) Karen and I did a blog stunt where we would both write posts on the same subject, and publish them simultaneously.

Just now, Karen and I were talking about how back in 2005 we listened to a lot of music, which was partly because we went to Reading that year. She mentioned how it would be nice to have a similar motivating force this year.

“Maybe this is the answer.” I said, holding aloft the copy of The Rough Guide book of Playlists that her dad bought me for Christmas.

And that gave me an idea for the Rise/Goo Blog Stunt 2009. Once a week we will randomly select a playlist from the book in question, spend a week listening to the specified 10 songs, and then write a few hundred words about it.

The book has 417 pages, so we will use a random number generator to select the page. If there is more than one playlist starting on that page then we will use a coin toss to select it.

This week’s playlist

Random number: 152
Playlists: Goth (Head), Grateful Dead (Tails)
Coin: Tails

Grateful Dead it is. The book says:

> From spaced-out acid rock to mellow Americana, Grateful Dead covered the whole musical waterfront until the untimely death of their leader Jerry Garcia in 1995.

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Daily Food Music

Dailies for Monday 8th December 2008

  • Video. You don’t need the sound on to be able to enjoy this.
  • “The 696 Form compels licensees who wish to hold live music events in 21 London Boroughs to report to the police the names, addresses, aliases and telephone numbers of performers, and most worryingly, the likely ethnicity of their audience. Failure to comply could result in fines or imprisonment. We believe this places unnecessary and frankly Orwellian powers in the hands of the Metropolitan Police, an institution which does not have the best record of racial fairness. The 696 form can only serve to deter the staging of live musical events – a positive form of activity in London and all cities – stifle free expression and quite possible penalise certain genres of music and ethnic audiences. It is an intrusion too far.”
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Computing IAMOWIM Music

Sore throat blocked nose blah blah blah

Last night I was lying in bed, unable to sleep, trying to make as little noise as possible so that I wouldn’t prevent Karen from sleeping. Eventually I thought better of it, and decamped downstairs and flopped out the sofa bed.

For over an hour I lay there, my brain whirring and bouncing, constantly providing me with stimuli and imaginary matters to keep me awake. This often happens when I am a bit poorly. On more than one occasion, I remember seeing that there were new replies to a post of mine on an internet forum, so I had to check to see what they’d said. All of this was in my imagination, of course, but it was highly disruptive.

Eventually I took a short break, went to the toilet, had a glass of water, and told my brain to behave itself. I went back to bed and made a conscious effort to stop thinking. Apparently this worked.

But the reason why I put fingertips to keyboard is this: at some point during my ceaseless thrashing, my brain came up with an awesome band name. Or maybe it would be an album name. Either way, at the time it seemed like the best band name ever, and I would have switched the light on and written it down, but I felt that it would be counter-productive in the whole “getting to sleep” project.

This morning, I managed to remember the band name without too much head-scratching, which came as something of a surprise. Even more surprising, it still seems half-decent in the cold light of morning.

And what is this band name that you are teasingly withholding from us? I hear you say.

No Bears At All

Now I just have to figure out what it means.

*UPDATE: Google tells me that this phrase exists in a book called The Bears on Hemlock Mountain – maybe I picked it up subconsciously at some point? More likely, it’s just a coincidence.*

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Daily Music

Daily links for 2008-09-22

  • “Slight poverty is what drives music forward. It only works if you’re in the red. You’ve never felt so alive as when you’ve just maxed out your credit card to get your band on a cross channel ferry for a one-off gig in Antwerp. Seriously. You know, it’s like biographies of bands. The most interesting bit is the first bit, you know, the horror, where they’re playing shit venues to small crowds, and the pointlessness of it all is on the verge of driving them insane. When they get to the bit where they turn up at a plush venue and there’s a dozen Cantaloupes and a melon baller in the dressing room, well, that’s when I stop reading.”
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Music Gear Photos

Hanging guitars

My guitars

Left to right: Epiphone SG and Squier Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz (in the sitting room), Aria Sinsonido fretless and Richwood RD-18-EQ (on adjacent walls in the Man Cave) and a Yamaha BBG4SII (on the opposite wall in the Man Cave). The Aria is on a custom-built mount, but the others can move about as my mood dictates.

Not pictured – my Jim Harley P-bass copy. Those who are regular watchers of my Flickr account will have seen a photo of it recently. I keep it in a soft case because I very rarely play it.