Last week, Lucky Records Dave posted his personal 10 most influential albums, so naturally I had to reciprocate. I have posted about some of these albums in the past, so I beg your indulgence. Just a reminder, these are my personal top 10 influential albums, not necessarily my favorites or the albums I perceive to be the best. Here goes...
1) Kind of Blue- Miles Davis: This is cliche, but true. I attempted Bitch's Brew first and wasn't ready. I almost wrote Miles off at that point, but I took a shot on Kind of Blue and it blew my mind. After devouring all the Coltrane and Second Quintet releases, I returned to Bitch's Brew and was finally prepared.
2) Night at the Opera- Queen: In junior high we were divided into two camps; Team Bohemian Rhapsody or Team Dream On. I was squarely in the Bohemian Rhapsody camp. That single opened my mind to the possibilities of music. As a kid it seemed like such an epic song. It wasn't verse, chorus, repeat. There were movements. There was the crazy Galileo part that I didn't even understand, but it amazed me nonetheless.
3) Greatest Hits- Elton John: I don't know if greatest hits albums count, but I played the hell outta this record. I was a rural white kid who couldn't make out most of the lyrics, but I treasured these songs. Even though it's preposterous to imagine Elton John (or even Bernie Taupin) as the protagonist of "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting", I smile every time I hear that opening riff. Maybe a couple of the sounds Elton John really likes are indeed switchblades and motorbikes. Part of me likes to think it's true.
4) Reality...What A Concept- Robin Williams: I was a huge Mork and Mindy fan, so when Reality...What A Concept came out I was all over it. I was young and didn't get the vibrator references, but this album really helped me through an awkward adolescence. I was timid, lacking in confidence and hadn't formed much of a personality when this album came out. I was amazed at how fast Robin Williams' mind worked and how much people loved him because he was funny. I realized humor was a viable alternative to being a jock or popular or good looking. His comedy was a life line. R.I.P.
5) Permanent Waves-Rush: I was already aware of songs like "Working Man", "Fly By Night" and "Closer To The Heart", but Permanent Waves completely sucked me into Rush fandom. I will love Rush till the day I die.
6) In The Aeroplane Over The Sea- Neutral Milk Hotel: My most read post, by a wide margin, is the one I did for this album. Go ahead and read it again:)
7) Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots- The Flaming Lips: This album did two things in my life. It got me through my divorce from my first wife and it got me back into rock music at a time I'd pretty much given up on it. In the near future I'm going to post on Wayne Coyne again, but in many ways he has changed my life. This is by no means my favorite Flaming Lips album, but it means the most to me personally. Hopefully that makes sense.
8) Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot-Sparklehorse: My favorite album and the one that speaks to me on a spiritual level. If you are interested read my Sparklehorse post, as well as my Cracker post which ended up being mainly about Sparklehorse.
9) Reckoning- R.E.M.: This is my favorite R.E.M. album. When it came out, I was in heavy metal. Still, something about their combination of rock, country and jangle spoke to me. In the late 80's, I had no use for G 'n' R or Metallica or hair metal anymore and I returned to Reckoning. Since then I've listened almost exclusively to alternative and indie rock.
10) Never Mind The Bollocks- Sex Pistols: I grew up in rural mid-Michigan and never heard this album until my senior year of high school (1983). My friend Kyle's brother let a few of us hang out in his basement one night. It was my first time drinking. We sat around talking about girls and listening to Kyle's brothers records. The two records that blew my mind were Joe's Garage and Never Mind The Bollocks. It woke me up to the fact that there was more music out there than what was played on AOR radio stations. No offense Journey.
Since I didn't post anything this summer, I will be playing catch up for awhile. I will be getting around to Courtney Barnett, Parquet Courts, Popstrangers, Kasabian and many more. Peace.
A Living Will For My Music Collection
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Facebook and Social Media
I've confessed in previous posts that I am loathe to embrace technology. I don't have a smart phone. I don't text. I don't download music. I'm not on Twitter. You name it...I'm not doing it. Unwittingly this Spring, my wife gave me her hand-me-down Samsung tablet and my descent into the time suck of electronic gadgetry began.
At first, I viewed the tablet in much the same way I would a rattlesnake. I didn't touch it and only looked at it warily from a safe distance. After considerable coaxing on her part, I finally began playing around with it. I quickly came to the realization that this device could free me from the shackles of a desktop computer. I was able to go on the interwebs while sitting in the family room with my family. That was the moment the rattlesnake became a crack pipe. My wife realized too late what she had unleashed. I was, and still am, on it all the time.
On April 21st, I had a brilliant idea for Sound Mind world domination. I would set up a personal Facebook page, then create a page for Sound Mind and promote it on social media. I was not deterred by the fact that when I started Sound Mind I was required to create a Google+ account and have never figured out how it works. Anyhow, I set up my Facebook page and began liking the hell outta shit; bands, authors, comedians, TV shows, restaurants, blah, blah, blah. Then I began receiving friend requests from family, friends, co-workers and ghosts from my past. I was bombarded with electronic stimuli. However, there was one person who I liked that lead me down a rabbit hole...John Hodgman.
I've been a fan of Hodgman for quite awhile, going back to his appearances on The Daily Show and his commercial role as the PC. Then he wrote three hilarious books of fake world knowledge; Areas of My Expertise, More Information Than You Require and That Is All. I was not aware at the time that he also hosts a podcast called Judge John Hodgman. In his podcast, he solicits people to bring their disputes to his internet courtroom and submit to his rulings. The complaints are usually funny, as are the proceedings. Occasionally, the case is a heartfelt concern on the part of one party and the judge's ruling is very poignant. Unfortunately, I enjoy the podcast immensely and there are over 170 episodes. I've probably listened to about 120, much to my wife's chagrin. To further compound this problem, Hodgman lead me to another podcast hosted by his friend John Roderick of The Long Winters called Roderick on the Line. RotL is co-hosted by Merlin Mann and is basically a 90 minute B.S. session between two friends who talk about music, life, philosophy and history. It's very funny and thought provoking. Unfortunately, there are over 120 episodes. of which I've listened to about 100. Needless to say, I spend considerable amounts of free time dicking around on my tablet, rather than blogging, writing or socializing with my family.
Not surprisingly, I still haven't created a Facebook page for Sound Mind. I determined that Sound Mind was not ready for prime time and needed some sprucing up before going on Facebook. I intended to go back and insert videos and links into old posts and incorporate them into future posts. I was also slightly concerned about feedback from Facebook friends to particular posts. Another result of the Facebook time suck was I went months without writing a post. It felt ridiculous to put Sound Mind on Facebook when I hadn't been actively posting. Now that I'm posting again, I plan on creating a Sound Mind Facebook page very soon. Now I just have to get going on the Sound Mind book. Peace.
At first, I viewed the tablet in much the same way I would a rattlesnake. I didn't touch it and only looked at it warily from a safe distance. After considerable coaxing on her part, I finally began playing around with it. I quickly came to the realization that this device could free me from the shackles of a desktop computer. I was able to go on the interwebs while sitting in the family room with my family. That was the moment the rattlesnake became a crack pipe. My wife realized too late what she had unleashed. I was, and still am, on it all the time.
On April 21st, I had a brilliant idea for Sound Mind world domination. I would set up a personal Facebook page, then create a page for Sound Mind and promote it on social media. I was not deterred by the fact that when I started Sound Mind I was required to create a Google+ account and have never figured out how it works. Anyhow, I set up my Facebook page and began liking the hell outta shit; bands, authors, comedians, TV shows, restaurants, blah, blah, blah. Then I began receiving friend requests from family, friends, co-workers and ghosts from my past. I was bombarded with electronic stimuli. However, there was one person who I liked that lead me down a rabbit hole...John Hodgman.
I've been a fan of Hodgman for quite awhile, going back to his appearances on The Daily Show and his commercial role as the PC. Then he wrote three hilarious books of fake world knowledge; Areas of My Expertise, More Information Than You Require and That Is All. I was not aware at the time that he also hosts a podcast called Judge John Hodgman. In his podcast, he solicits people to bring their disputes to his internet courtroom and submit to his rulings. The complaints are usually funny, as are the proceedings. Occasionally, the case is a heartfelt concern on the part of one party and the judge's ruling is very poignant. Unfortunately, I enjoy the podcast immensely and there are over 170 episodes. I've probably listened to about 120, much to my wife's chagrin. To further compound this problem, Hodgman lead me to another podcast hosted by his friend John Roderick of The Long Winters called Roderick on the Line. RotL is co-hosted by Merlin Mann and is basically a 90 minute B.S. session between two friends who talk about music, life, philosophy and history. It's very funny and thought provoking. Unfortunately, there are over 120 episodes. of which I've listened to about 100. Needless to say, I spend considerable amounts of free time dicking around on my tablet, rather than blogging, writing or socializing with my family.
Not surprisingly, I still haven't created a Facebook page for Sound Mind. I determined that Sound Mind was not ready for prime time and needed some sprucing up before going on Facebook. I intended to go back and insert videos and links into old posts and incorporate them into future posts. I was also slightly concerned about feedback from Facebook friends to particular posts. Another result of the Facebook time suck was I went months without writing a post. It felt ridiculous to put Sound Mind on Facebook when I hadn't been actively posting. Now that I'm posting again, I plan on creating a Sound Mind Facebook page very soon. Now I just have to get going on the Sound Mind book. Peace.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Farewell GbV and Centro-matic
Maybe Gene Simmons is right and rock is dead. At least it feels that way to me as my two favorite bands, Guided by Voices and Centro-matic, decided to shut it down this past week. I shouldn't be upset. Both of these bands are prolific and have left behind an amazing catalog of music that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Hopefully, my kids will discover my hoard some day and be touched by these bands as well. Selfishly, I am upset. Guided by Voices' breakup was perhaps the most abrupt thanks to social media. When I checked my Facebook feeds the other day (more about that in a future post), there was a post about GbV adding shows in Detroit and Columbus. I wasn't particularly interested because I already had a ticket for their upcoming show at The Grog Shop in Cleveland. I couldn't believe what I was reading a few posts later when they announced their breakup and cancellation of the remainder of their tour. It really sunk in when I received a refund notification for my ticket. I didn't want a refund, I wanted an effin' rock show! What the hell could have happened in a couple hours where you go from adding shows to breaking up? I'm sure Kevin Fennell can attest that Pollard is a hothead and a loose cannon, but come on. Apparently, there isn't a straight forward explanation coming from Uncle Bob anytime soon. However, he did seem to leave open the possibility of reuniting another iteration of GbV in the future.
If you are a loyal Sound Mind reader, you know Robert Pollard and Tobin Sprout are two of my favorite songwriters of all time. Tobin has a true gift for pop song craft, whether as Pollard's "George Harrison" or as a solo artist. If you aren't familiar with his work check out some of his songs, such as, "Atom Eyes", "It's Like Soul Man", "Scissors", "Dodging Invisible Rays", "E's Navy Blue", "All Used Up" and "Paper Cuts". I've recently had to wrap my head around the fact that he has political views that I don't agree with, but I've managed to compartmentalize that from his music.
Robert Pollard is a savant who seems to hold the entire history of rock music in his brain. His unique gift is word collage. I'm confident he will continue to churn out music at an alarming rate with his various side projects and solo albums. I do have to admit one thing though. Back when I did a post on his best non-GbV songs, I realized that with the exceptions of Not In My Airforce and From A Compound Eye his solo albums are not very good. I much prefer him in the context of GbV and hope he revives one of the Doug Gillard lineups in the future.
Then there's Centro-matic. Loyal Sound Mind readers also know Will Johnson is my favorite songwriter, bar none. He is also very prolific, but Centro-matic is my preferred Will Johnson vehicle. Their breakup is more gradual as they opt for the farewell tour approach. Sadly for me, they will not be coming to Ohio. As much as I love them I can't drive to Buffalo in the middle of December. I saw them once and they played to a very small crowd at the Beachland Tavern. Not to be that guy again, but it's discouraging that a band like Centro-matic couldn't breakthrough on even a Kings of Leon or Death Cab For Cutie level. Ironically, I probably never would have heard of them except they came up on a search I did for similar bands to Guided by Voices. Redo The Stacks is every bit a lo-fi masterpiece as Bee Thousand. I wish I had the ability to quantify why Will's songs mean so much to me. It's an emotional, soul level connection that defies explanation. Yet, you can't even walk into an independent record store and find a copy of one of their albums in stock. Well, maybe in Austin.
I hope Gene Simmons is wrong. I hope kids still work out their chops in the garage and dream of making it big. Gene has probably never listened to "The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton" by The Mountain Goats, but John Darnielle wrote a line that he may want to heed. "When you punish a person for dreaming his dream don't expect him to thank or forgive you". Even if their dream will likely never come true. Peace.
If you are a loyal Sound Mind reader, you know Robert Pollard and Tobin Sprout are two of my favorite songwriters of all time. Tobin has a true gift for pop song craft, whether as Pollard's "George Harrison" or as a solo artist. If you aren't familiar with his work check out some of his songs, such as, "Atom Eyes", "It's Like Soul Man", "Scissors", "Dodging Invisible Rays", "E's Navy Blue", "All Used Up" and "Paper Cuts". I've recently had to wrap my head around the fact that he has political views that I don't agree with, but I've managed to compartmentalize that from his music.
Robert Pollard is a savant who seems to hold the entire history of rock music in his brain. His unique gift is word collage. I'm confident he will continue to churn out music at an alarming rate with his various side projects and solo albums. I do have to admit one thing though. Back when I did a post on his best non-GbV songs, I realized that with the exceptions of Not In My Airforce and From A Compound Eye his solo albums are not very good. I much prefer him in the context of GbV and hope he revives one of the Doug Gillard lineups in the future.
Then there's Centro-matic. Loyal Sound Mind readers also know Will Johnson is my favorite songwriter, bar none. He is also very prolific, but Centro-matic is my preferred Will Johnson vehicle. Their breakup is more gradual as they opt for the farewell tour approach. Sadly for me, they will not be coming to Ohio. As much as I love them I can't drive to Buffalo in the middle of December. I saw them once and they played to a very small crowd at the Beachland Tavern. Not to be that guy again, but it's discouraging that a band like Centro-matic couldn't breakthrough on even a Kings of Leon or Death Cab For Cutie level. Ironically, I probably never would have heard of them except they came up on a search I did for similar bands to Guided by Voices. Redo The Stacks is every bit a lo-fi masterpiece as Bee Thousand. I wish I had the ability to quantify why Will's songs mean so much to me. It's an emotional, soul level connection that defies explanation. Yet, you can't even walk into an independent record store and find a copy of one of their albums in stock. Well, maybe in Austin.
I hope Gene Simmons is wrong. I hope kids still work out their chops in the garage and dream of making it big. Gene has probably never listened to "The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton" by The Mountain Goats, but John Darnielle wrote a line that he may want to heed. "When you punish a person for dreaming his dream don't expect him to thank or forgive you". Even if their dream will likely never come true. Peace.
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