Is it selfish to have expectations, and desires of your favorite artists. I've railed in the past at RUSH fans who were angry with Neil Peart for having the audacity to not want to be in a touring rock band anymore, even after giving them 40 years of brilliant music. They complained he wouldn't interact with the fans or put on a fake, dog and pony show for them. Yet, I'm having difficulty extending the same grace to Doves' Jimi Goodwin. I've never seen them live and probably never will. Doves released The Universal Want in 2020, after an eleven year hiatus and promptly cancelled their upcoming tour because Jimi wasn't mentally up to performing. Fast forward to last year, Doves announced on social media they had finished recording a new album. Surely they were ready to get back in the game. Maybe they would tour the States. But no. Late last year, the band announced a few "intimate" shows, and that Jimi would not be performing with them. They have since added more shows, but Jimi isn't going to tour due to mental health issues. So, even if they eventually come to the States for some dates I probably won't go see them.
I went back and listened to The Universal Want again and it sounds like a band making a return to form after eleven years. I've streamed Constellations For the Lonely a few times and I get a sense of closure. It sounds like a career bookend; a Lost Souls 2.0. Musically, that's not a bad thing. I quite like it so far, but there are no bombastic rockers like "Prisoners" or "Broken Eyes" from their previous record. It's a sparse album about trying to cope in these unsettling times. Of the 10 tracks, Jimi takes the lead vocal on six. The guitars are atmospheric and the drums minimal. On the album closer, "Southern Bell", when Jimi asks "are these our last days" or "the last stand in our story" does he mean the World or the band.
Constellations For the Lonely is full of cryptic references to this being their last record, but I will never say never. As a fan, I wish they had recorded more than six studio albums in 25 years, but the music they have given us has made this life more enjoyable. I will always remember being up in the middle of the night with my daughter, turning on MTV 2, and seeing the video for "Catch the Sun". I've been a die-hard ever since. I hope Jimi can find peace with himself. I'm trying to accept the fact he doesn't owe me or fans of the band anything else. We're all just trying to cope. Peace.
Record Store Day 2025 will be here on April 12th and, like the past few, there is a reissue from The Verlaines to look forward to. In recent years, they have reissued Bird Dog (1987) and Way Out Where (1993). In 2021, they released a live album, Live at the Windsor Castle, 1986. This year, The Verlaines will be reissuing their 1990 album, Some Disenchanted Evening, on seaweed green vinyl. It's limited to 750 copies and mostly a regional release, so hopefully my record store can get it in stock.
Of all the Flying Nun bands from New Zealand, The Verlaines are the most musically challenging and my personal favorite. Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Graeme Downes is a music professor and genius level composer. His chord structures and rhythmic decisions are unconventional and an acquired taste. Their compilation album, Juvenalia (1987), is a great entry point and mostly features the classic lineup of Downes, Jane Dodd on bass, and Robbie Yeats on drums. Jane Dodd was the secret weapon of those early records, but by 1990 she was replaced by Mike Stoodley. He does a fine job, but it's a hard ask to follow Jane Dodd.
Some Disenchanted Evening isn't just the title of this album, it's its raison d'etre. Disenchantment is the overarching theme of this set of songs. The opening track is "Jesus What a Jerk". Other titles include, "We're All Gonna Die", "Whatever You Run Into" and "Damn Shame". Musically, this record would be classified as jangly Chamber pop. However, it's less jangly and bass-driven than their previous work. Downes is more front and center with his quirky vocal range, most notably on the track, "Anniversary". His lyrics are a bit depressing, but also fantastically literate and tinged with dark humor. The album closer, "It Was" is a stark, heart-breaking songs about a "dreamer" who was a "monumental failure". It's just Downes singing and a piano. The final line is, "He should have had the sense to keep his dreams to himself".
While disenchantment lurks in every song, it's not a completely depressing listen. "The Funniest Thing" is upbeat and sounds like classic Verlaines. "Jesus What a Jerk" is a rapid-fire rocker. The song isn't actually about Jesus. It's a commentary on a character who is a jerk. Jesus, is just an expletive. "This Train" is the most bass heavy track on Some Disenchanted Evening and rocks quite a bit. It's been great that these reissues have been coming out every year. It's almost impossible to find albums by The Verlaines in the wilds of American record stores. I love this band. Peace.
Something that I've long suspected about myself has finally become apparent...I'm an elitist. I'm grateful that the Rock Hall fan vote was decisive in getting RUSH inducted in 2013, but I can no longer condone a bunch of cretins with no taste in music holding any sway over which artists get inducted going forward. Today, I finally got around to actually participating in the fan vote, and after casting my lot with Oasis, The White Stripes, Soundgarden, Bad Company, and Chubby Checker I saw the results to date. It was appalling. It left me questioning the integrity of the election.
The nominating committee certainly must have known if they placed Phish up for nomination their fanatical base of hippies and band nerds would come out in full force to vote. And predictably, they are in first place by a wide margin with 101,157 votes. Second place is Billy Idol with 58, 673. What's more damning is all told there haven't even been 700,00 votes cast in the first week. Apparently, the Great Unwashed aren't excited about this class.
From my perspective, three artists I voted for are in the top 7; Soundgarden (3rd Place), Bad Company (5th Place), and Chubby Checker (7th place). What's depressing is The White Stripes would be in last place with 31,055 votes, if it weren't for the nomination of an unknown Mexican band, Mana, who only have 12,177 votes. Oasis isn't much ahead of them with 32,445. Unfortunately, Oasis are like the baseball player who was an asshole to the media, then wonders why they didn't get voted into the Hall of Fame by those very same media members. I was hoping with the reunion tour they might have a better chance this time, but apparently not. I still think The White Stripes will get in eventually, because they were always critic's darlings and Jack White is a major figure in 21st Century music, both as an artist and record label owner. I have my fingers crossed that they will be inducted next time the ceremony is in Cleveland.
I'm being slightly facetious about the fan vote, but only slightly. It seems nobody really cares, except the rabid fanbases of certain types of bands, like RUSH, KISS, and Phish. Otherwise, it's a popularity contest based on commercial success and nostalgia. And it's a cop-out for the committee. But hey, it's only Rock 'n' Roll. Peace.
There's a thin line between collecting and hoarding. I relate to the internet meme that says, "It's not hoarding if it's records". My collection is mostly curated, other than albums I've inherited that are still in my possession. Many of those are great records that I intend to keep. However, we are likely to be moving in the next few months and my music collection is currently over 2200 items. We plan on downsizing, so the reality is some of it has to go.
I'm painfully aware that many people have larger collections and never do a purge. At heart, I'm a record buyer, not a seller. I have a weird dream of starting a foundation whose purpose is to collect a copy of every album ever recorded. I take pride in the size and value of my collection. It's all cataloged on Discogs, right down to the exact pressing. The original concept of Sound Mind was to be a living will for my collection, because I had no intention of stopping or selling and I'm going to die some day.
If I'm being honest with myself, I don't need much of my collection anymore. Records are the only physical media I listen to. I don't own a CD player and none of our cars have one either. The only device I have for playing CDs is my Blu Ray player, and I never do. I can't even remember the last time I played anything on the Blu Ray player. Therefore, all my music videos are unnecessary as well. As long as there's an internet, You Tube, and I have a laptop I don't really "need" those formats. Having said that, I'm still going to keep most of them, but there are some that I will never listen to again that could go.
My records are another story, even though they are the hardest and heaviest to move. I've had a love affair with this format for fifty years. Sure, I still have some duplicates, but they are mostly different pressings, so not actually duplicates. I could purge some more of the inherited albums. I could purge some records that realistically I will never listen to again. But maybe my kids will after I'm gone.
I've spent countless hours cataloging my collection and if I get rid of a bunch of it, I will have to go through Discogs again and delete them. That's a depressing thought. Depressing because it's a lot of work, and depressing because I will have to watch my collection shrink one piece at a time. If I take them to the record store, I will probably exchange them for credit and buy more records...but not as many.
Unfortunately for my wife, the vast majority of my records are coming with us if we have to move. I could never get rid of them. Maybe, I will write some posts about the fate of specific records in my collection as I go through this process. I'm currently going through my list of 1995 albums for that deep dive. I'm about twenty in, so it will be a few weeks away, depending on life events. If we move, it will probably put a kink in my posting. Wish me luck. Peace.
It's been a while since I've done one of these. Before I dive into these nominees, let me say a couple things. I've come a long way from the early days of Sound Mind when I constantly complained about who was or wasn't in the Rock Hall. People are passionate about music and they like what they like. No nominating committee can please everyone. Having said that, would it kill them to nominate Midnight Oil. The committee has a blind spot for artists from Oceania, like Midnight Oil, Crowded House, or any of the Flying Nun bands. At this point, I'd settle for The Wiggles.
I live in Cleveland and I love visiting the actual Rock Hall museum. None of my complaints are with the museum. I'm excited that it's going to be expanded. Maybe this will allow them to have permanent displays for every act that has been inducted. As far as this year's nominees, I think it's a strong list considering they are running out of artists who are qualified AND deserving of induction. Here are your nominees in alphabetical order.
BAD COMPANY
Bad Company is arguably a Top 5 debut album. The original lineup was a certified Super Group. Paul Rodgers is a Rock Hall level front man. "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" is one of my favorite songs. Did the band have a Hall of Fame career? Probably not. Have other artists gotten in on the strength of one album? Yes. I feel what holds Bad Company back is they weren't influential. They wouldn't get my vote, but they do have some merit.
THE BLACK CROWES
I don't get The Black Crowes. They did have some commercial success, but clearly aren't a Hall of Fame worthy group. Only one band with fighting brothers deserves induction this year and it ain't these guys. Plus, their big hit, "Hard to Handle", is a cover song.
MARIAH CAREY
This year, there are surprisingly only two female artists nominated. Mariah Carey has been nominated multiple times and will eventually get in. This is probably her year, because at least one of the two women is going to be inducted. Her style of histrionic singing isn't my thing, but you can't fight city hall.
CHUBBY CHECKER
I was surprised Chubby Checker isn't already in the Rock Hall. He's before my time and I haven't really explored his catalog, but he's obviously one of the pioneers of rock music. Open the door and let him in.
JOE COCKER
I was also surprised Joe Cocker hasn't already been inducted. He doesn't do much for me. His success has come mostly from covering songs by The Beatles. He certainly hasn't had a Hall of Fame career.
BILLY IDOL
Neither has Billy Idol. I mean, he was fun in the 80's, but come on. He is primarily known for covering "Mony, Mony", which is a wedding reception staple. I enjoy "Dancing With Myself" and "White Wedding", but the rest of his catalog isn't great. Pass.
JOY DIVISION / NEW ORDER
During my 1980 dive, I listened to Closer by Joy Division and it was horrible. What little I know of New Order, they were alright, but not Hall of Fame caliber. I'm also not a fan of combining two bands for a nomination. I get why they did it, but I disagree with their approach.
CYNDI LAUPER
It's cool that she just wants to have fun, and she found some medication for her skin problems, but she's not worthy of induction to the Rock Hall.
MANA
Until today, I'd never heard of Mana. I had to look up their wiki page. This may shock you, but I admire the committee for this nomination. The vast majority of artists in the Rock Hall are either from North America or the U.K. Rock 'n' Roll is a worldwide music form. There are hundreds of tremendous non-English speaking artists from the past 70 years who should be considered. I haven't listened to Mana yet, but they've sold 25 million albums. This nomination will spur me to give them a listen in the near future. Hopefully, the committee will expand their scope to Asia, as well. There were many bands that formed in Asia after the British Invasion. Unfortunately, they'll probably only consider K Pop groups twenty years from now.
OASIS
Don't let Liam's big mouth get in the way of inducting Oasis. This needs to happen.
OUTKAST
All I know about Outkast is "Hey Ya", which is a great song. We've long passed the days of arguing about hip hop acts being inducted into the Rock Hall, so I'm agnostic about Outkast. I'm ill-informed and therefore have no opinion. I'm sure they're deserving.
PHISH
No thanks...next.
SOUNDGARDEN
Soundgarden should be a no-brainer for Rock Hall induction. It's unfortunate that Chris Cornell is no longer with us. He was an amazing front man. And the rest of the band were tremendous, as well. Their three album run from 1991 to 1996 is stellar.
THE WHITE STRIPES
Can you imagine a Rock Hall class of The White Stripes, Oasis, and Soundgarden? I know it won't happen, but I can dream. The fan voting let me down with The White Stripes in the past, so now the committee needs to do their job and put them in. Easily, the most important band of the 2000's. I'd also love to see Jack and Meg reunite. Peace.
Let me give you a peak behind the curtain. When I work on these deep dives, like the 1980 albums, I tend to burn out after about 60. I start out with an ambitious list of records I know, records I'm curious about, records that are critically acclaimed, and records I've never heard of. But, about 60 albums in I've mostly locked in my Top 25 and just want to get going on my posts and move on with my life. The first phase of my burn out consists of listening to the first minute of the first few songs of an album. If nothing grabs me I don't bother rating it or listening to the rest of it. The final phase is when I arbitrarily decided the remaining albums on the list aren't going to crack the Top 25, so why bother. This is where Double Fantasy landed for the 1980 dive. After I published my songs list, it dawned on me that I hadn't included any John Lennon songs. Surely, "Watching the Wheels" should have made the cut. Since I haven't listened to Double Fantasy in decades, I decided to give it a spin.
Before I get to the album, let me preface what I'm going to say. John Lennon was, and still is, my favorite member of The Beatles. His development as a songwriter was more advanced than anyone else in the band. His songs were more surreal and acerbic. Even when he was kind of mailing it in at the end his songs were fantastic. However, I started buying records and really listening to music in 1974, so I knew The Beatles as solo artists before I knew The Beatles as a band. As a solo artist, John was good, but not great. His songs tended to be either angry or reflective. And I could go the rest of my life without ever hearing "Imagine" again. So, when I got into The Beatles, "discovering" this John Lennon was an epiphany. Sadly, this was 1978 and in two years John Lennon would be murdered in New York City shortly after the release of Double Fantasy. This led to a revival of John's solo catalog, as well as The Beatles. At the time, there was considerable good will for John's musical legacy. I listened to Double Fantasy on the regular...skipping the Yoko songs, of course. Sorry, I was that guy. But in reality, that's why I didn't bother listening to this album for the dive; it's half Yoko Ono. There was no way it would make the cut. So, today I decided to listen to the whole thing with an open mind and see what "2025 Me" thinks.
Let me start with the John Lennon tracks. To be charitable, he was coming off a five year hiatus from music to focus on being a father to Sean. The songs are either about looking back or looking forward. The only poignancy comes from the fact that he was soon to be robbed of his future. These are songs Lennon had to get out of his system in order to move on with his life. Maybe his next album would have been a contemporary masterpiece. We'll never know. However, his songs on Double fantasy are fine, middle-of-the-road pop tunes. While they are important "personal" documents, they are a step back musically and creatively.
The Yoko tracks are more complicated. Yoko was, and is, a divisive individual. Most of her songs on Double Fantasy are quite contemporary and relevant in 1980. The compositions are interesting and the lyrics are incisive. Unfortunately, she's the wrong vessel. Those tracks could never have been appreciated at that time. She's the weird woman that skulked around in the shadows of the Let it Be sessions and broke up The Beatles. And she sounds like a porpoise on a couple of these tracks. It is notable, on Double Fantasy, that Yoko's songwriting is more advanced and contemporary than John's. It's a reversal of the dynamic in The Beatles.
So, for me Double Fantasy is a 3.5 Star album and I probably wouldn't add any of the tracks to my song list. I'm glad I gave it another listen with an open mind and can acknowledge Yoko's contribution wasn't just John letting his wife put some songs on "his" album. Now I can move on from 1980 with a clean conscience. Peace.
It seems crazy, but it's been seven months since the last Guided by Voices album. I've been looking forward to the release of Universe Room since I saw the band at The Grog Shop last July. This lineup of Guided by Voices is a live juggernaut. Since I ranked their entire discography last year, I felt an obligation to add their new album. I will continue to do so as long as this incarnation of the band stays together.
Unfortunately, Universe Room doesn't break any new ground. Once again, Doug Gillard and Kevin March are doing most of the heavy lifting. The closest they come to capturing the energy of their live shows is the track, "The Great Man". However, there are no songs from Universe Room that I would add to the essential Guided by Voices canon. It's still a good, solid record, but they have many releases that I would return to before this one. In fairness, I have only streamed it a few times. I've yet to listen to my physical copy of the record on my system. There are a couple songs that are borderline canonical. "Fly Religion" is a propulsive jam and probably Pollard's best performance on the album. There's a run of three one-minute tracks, the last of which, "Independent Animal" is a concise, up-tempo rocker. This is followed by the hilariously titled songs, "19th Man to Fly an Airplane" and "Elfin Flower With Knees". "FranCisco" is a bizarre, Spanish number.
At this point, I would rate Universe Room at 3.5 Stars and place it behind their previous album, Strut of Kings in my ranking. I fully expect Uncle Bob to release at least one more album this year. Hopefully, it will be more focused and energetic, especially the vocals and lyrics. I'd also like to see bassist Mark Shue featured more in the mix. He's a fantastic player, and great in a live setting. Peace.
