Random Thoughts - Music

I'm still waiting...

ERTorre — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:29:37 GMT

Not trying to get too impatient here...I know they're giving the songs away and all and -trust me- I couldn't be happier and more appreciative of that fact...

...but...

It's been nearly two months since The Smashing Pumpkins released their last free song (you can download, free and legally, all five songs at http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/). Originally the idea was to release a new song each month for something like 40 months. But the last couple of songs have taken a little longer to come out.

Will the others follow, albeit not quite on the monthly schedule, or has this experiment been successful enough to make Mr. Corgan consider releasing a legitimate (ie for sale) album? I hope so, because the alternative, that the experiment wasn't successful, would really suck.

While The Smashing Pumpkins may not be in the mainstream of modern music as they were in the 1990's, I still enjoy Mr. Corgan and his work, and would welcome more of it...

> > >

So...did he like it?!

ERTorre — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:11:39 GMT

Pretty good review of the conspiracy theory minded "documentary" Paul McCartney Really Is Dead: The Last Testament of George Harrison:

http://www.dvdmg.com/paulmccartneyreallyisdead.shtml

I've always found the whole "Paul McCartney is dead" stuff, despite its obviously morbid subject matter, a real hoot. I can't help but think the Beatles, and in particular Paul McCartney himself, had some good laughs regarding the subject.

Anyway, if you hadn't heard of this before, there is some interesting information to be found about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_McCartney_Is_Dead

And if you're really, really interested, this website provides much of the details/clues to indicate the famous singer died and was replaced by a duplicate so exact that he not only sang and played the instruments exactly like the "deceased" Paul McCartney, but went on to have a fabulous career in his place:

http://homepages.tesco.net/harbfamily/opd/index.html

Holy crap...

ERTorre — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:03:13 GMT

Some of this stuff is just soooo wrong. A collection of (very) ridiculous record album covers:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/15/the-most-ridiculous-recor_n_682684.html

Particularly John Bult's album cover. Brrrrrr...

More deluxe re-issues...

ERTorre — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:09:06 GMT

...of Jimi Hendrix coming!

http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/08/09/jimi-hendrix-deluxe-reissues/

Perhaps if this had come out a few years earlier, I would have been in heaven. But today, and it's awful to say it, I'm rather ambivalent about the whole thing.

Don't get me wrong: I remain a HUGE Jimi Hendrix fan, but after buying so many "alternative" cuts and live performances I've grown somewhat weary of them. I've heard so many alternative versions of his famous songs but I find the best stuff is on the three albums he released in his lifetime. That's not to say there aren't some great hidden gems to be found (check out Jimi Hendrix's version of The Beatles' "Day Tripper" below). It's just that some, perhaps much, of this unreleased stuff is somewhat repetitious.

Ultimately, what I long for is the impossible: A brand spanking new Jimi Hendrix album. Something the master guitarist did and has somehow never seen the light of day. Of course, this will never be.

How terribly, terribly unfortunate that is.

L.A. Times Overrated/Underrated list

ERTorre — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 20:19:29 GMT

It wasn't all that terribly long ago I posted the somewhat controversial list of author Mark Juddery's "overrated" items and, subsequently, 8 underrated things that should take the place of the 8 overrated items (check it out here).

Anyway, in a somewhat similar vein, the L.A. Times offers their list of overrated/underrated things, for what its worth...

http://www.latimes.com/theguide/la-overrated-underrated2010-pg,0,4281951.photogallery

Can't say I find much fault in their opinions, at least on the items I'm familiar with/have an opinion about. Am curious about the music of Josh Clayton-Felt, item #13.

The 8 Underrated Things That Should Knock Out the 8 Overrated Things

ERTorre — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:35:44 GMT

A while back Mark Juddery, in promoting his new book regarding "overrated" things, offered a taste of said items in a column for Huffington Post. I had issues with his article, mostly because while he presented several things he felt were "overrated", his reasons for calling them out as being overrated was, at times and to me, rather weak.

So he's come back with another (new) column, this time justifying some of his more controversial "overrated" items with alternative "underrated" things that deserve to be better known:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-juddery/overrated-the-8-underrate_b_664243.html

While I faulted Mr. Juddery's comments before, I have to acknowledge agreement with some of his choices of things that are "underrated" and could/should be considered more highly than his choice for "overrated". But having said that, he still falls into an argumentative trap.

Three of the eight items he offers, The Prisoner (underrated) versus Star Trek (overrated), Doc Savage (underrated) versus Superman (overrated), and The Velvet Underground and Nico (underrated) versus Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (overrated) would receive little argument with me. I think the "underrated" things he mentions deserve to be better known and/or appreciated.

The Prisoner, the original BBC series, is a terrific show. I would go so far as to say it is my all time favorite television series. However, that doesn't necessarily mean, therefore, that the original Star Trek television series is somehow "overrated". The fact is that both presented startling science fictional possibilities and far more mature story lines than the standard TV fare of the time. Just because one of these series isn't as well known as the other, however, doesn't mean that somehow the more popular one is "overrated."

The same goes with Doc Savage. Again, I agree with Mr. Juddery's main points: Doc Savage was the real first Superhero, not Superman. And the creators of Superman were rather shameless in "borrowing" elements from the pulp novels of Doc Savage and integrating them into the Superman mythos (a less charitable soul might accuse them of outright theft). However, once again I say: Sure, Doc Savage should be better known. But how does that make Superman overrated? That character, even with the "borrowed" concepts, had enough unique elements present within him (the dual identity, the Moses mythos, the flying, the superhero suit, etc. etc.) to create a virtual industry of superhero comics that exist to this day. So, yeah, Doc Savage is criminally underrated but I feel that has little to nothing to do with the merits of Superman's popularity.

Finally, I once again agree with Mr. Juddery that The Velvet Underground and Nico may well be a more influential album, in the end, over the vastly more popular Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. I would even agree with him that, given the choice, I'd prefer to listen to the Velvet Underground over Sgt. Pepper. But for the third time: Just because one album is better known and better appreciated by the "general public" over the other doesn't make the more popular one "overappreciated".

But that's just me.

> > >

Arcade Fire's The Suburbs

ERTorre — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:42:12 GMT

I heard plenty of good things from this band with the release of their first album a few years ago. Their third album, The Suburbs, was released today and has been receiving generally excellent reviews.

If you're curious, the MP3 is available (no doubt for a very limited time) from Amazon.com at the ridiculously low price of $3.99:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Suburbs/dp/B003X73QA8/ref=amb_link_353626962_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=goldbox-ads2&pf_rd_r=19VH8DYMQQ1R1S0FMQM2&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_p=1271189682&pf_rd_i=20

> > >

11 Most Overrated Things Ever...

ERTorre — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:16:07 GMT

...at least according to Mark Juddery:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-juddery/11-most-overrated-things_b_649671.html#s114727

Have to go with many of the comments, however, below the article.

#1: Who exactly is Mr. Juddery to make this list? Seriously?

#2: If you're going to list things you feel are overrated, then present a strong argument as to why you think such things are indeed overrated. For example, he notes that Star Trek is overrated because the first interratial kiss presented on this show was the product of...alien influence. Ok...but that's it?! What about the fact that this was one of the first truly intelligent sci-fi space operas (third season excluded)? The fact that it presented characters and situations that were a little beyond the cookie cutter standards found on TV during that time? Also, like it or not, the show spawned millions and millions of dollars in sequels, movies, merchandise, etc. Good, bad, or indifferent, someone was buying into all that stuff, and not just for a few years...we're talking generations!

But it goes beyond Star Trek. While Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band is not my favorite Beatles album (I'm more inclined to give that honor to either the White Album or Abbey Road) how can you argue that it is "overrated"? The album was a BIG hit when released and defined a generation while showing the Beatles were truly willing to push the boundaries of music...both as product and as art. How does that make it "overrated"?

For that matter (and crossing genres here) how is Superman overrated? Because he wasn't "real"? That seems a pretty weak argument. I suppose all fictional characters, from Sherlock Holmes to James Bond to Sam Spade to Harry Bosch are therefore overrated as well?!

I could go on, but I'm beginning to agree with one of the posters: This is more of a list of things Mr. Juddery thinks are overrated. Your mileage may vary.

Fifth new Smashing Pumpkins song is available...

ERTorre — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:04:06 GMT

It's free, it's legal. If you're a fan, how could you go wrong?

http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/

The newest song is called "Freak". The other four songs ("A Song for a Son," "Widow Wake My Mind", "A Stitch in Time", and "Astral Plains") are also still available.

Have I entered some kind of time warp?!

ERTorre — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:15:16 GMT

Hard to believe, but it has now been one year since Michael Jackson's death. A tribute and plenty of photographs, should you be interested in seeing them, can be found here:

http://www.ew.com/ew/package/0,,20396305,00.html

It feels like only a few days ago I first heard the news that Michael Jackson was being whisked to a Hospital after apparently fainting or losing consciousness. My wife, who arrived home after the cameras and helicopters were surrounding the Hospital in California, instantly knew the singer was dead. If he wasn't, she noted, we would have heard something already. She felt (and, it turned out she was right) that the hospital and staff and everyone else were dotting their "i"s and crossing their "t"s in preparation for the eventual press conference announcing Michael Jackson's death.

As I said back then, I wasn't a particularly big fan of Michael Jackson. It was impossible, given the era I grew up in, to not hear much of his music. While it was never anything horrible, to my ears neither was it anything that got me particularly excited. But as the years progressed and we moved away from Thriller, his most successful album, to his later days, the shining light of success turned, ever so slowly, into something far darker. His subsequent albums never quite reached the pinnacle of Thriller, and his music receded while stories about his bizarre behavior took the forefront.

Now, a year later, much of that darkness is being swept away with tributes to his music. For the fans, this is understandable. If you like his music there is little reason, especially now that he's gone, to focus on the (to put it mildly) eccentric behaviors.

But its been a year, and this year has rushed by at a pace that I can hardly believe. To my mind, the 1980's and 1990's were only a few weeks ago. I can hardly believe when I think about those times I'm reflecting on things that happened between 10 and 20 years ago. Curiously, I found another person also reflecting on the passage of time, Smashing Pumpkin's lead singer (and only original member still in the band) Billy Corgan. I visit the Smashing Pumpkins website now and again to see if they've released another new song (legally and for free!) from their current album. Their original intention, according to Mr. Corgan, was to release a new song each month, but after releasing four songs more or less on that schedule, they've slowed down. According to Mr. Corgan, also mentioned in the message, the next song will be released on the website on July 7th. However, here's the full message, which includes some interesting thoughts regarding the passage of time:

http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/anotefrombilly.php

Song remakes...

ERTorre — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:25:59 GMT

It's been a source of curiosity for some time: What is the "best" song remake? Clearly, a very subjective area. If I had to offer an opinion, I'd give that honor to Jimi Hendrix's version of Bob Dylan's All Along The Watchtower, found in Hendrix's superb final full LP, Electric Ladyland.

That's not to say there have been other pretty damn good (as well as many pretty poor) remakes of songs.

One remake of a song that I've found very intriguing is a song that David Bowie originally wrote and recorded in 1969/70 and was then reworked by...David Bowie himself in 2002. The original version is, to my ears anyway, not all that good. A little too folksy/country for my taste. Decent lyrics but only a so-so overall song. Again, in my own humble opinion.

But the 2002 remake literally blew my socks off when I first heard it. I consider it the best song featured (as a bonus only, however) on his 2002 Heathen album. Thanks to YouTube, you can judge one version versus the other and decide for yourself (or give them both a pass! ;-) ). First up is the original...

So I took a really long road trip over the past weekend...

ERTorre — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 13:22:51 GMT

...and you hear some things over the radio you enjoyed at one time and forgotten about. SpaceHog's In The Meantime, presented below, came up. I hadn't heard the song in many years, nor did I know if the band ever had another song that reached the radio like this one did (after looking around a bit, I found they had other albums but this song appears to be their one big hit).

A curious mix of David Bowie and early prog rock, In The Meantime is, to me anyway, a more than solid song, with a great chorus and music. Alas, it may be the only thing the group does that appeals to me (I've sampled other songs on Amazon, and they don't quite get to me like this one)...

Sarah McLachlan's new album...

ERTorre — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:45:17 GMT

...Laws of Illusion, her first in seven years, was released yesterday, and I'm listening to it (legally) free:

http://music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds/#/1

Thank you AOL for providing this service. I was already thinking of buying the album (I'm a sucker for female singers and I've enjoyed Ms. McLachlan's previous work), but given a chance to listen to it first for free allowed me to make up my mind whether to buy it or not. I'll be buying it.

For those unfamiliar with her work, one of her better known songs (NOT on this new album!):

NPR looks for the best album closing track ever

ERTorre — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 13:11:07 GMT

Brought up by Pop Culture Safari, which offers an idea of their own for the best song:

http://popculturesafari.blogspot.com/2010/06/npr-looks-for-best-album-closing-track.html

Allow me to present a song that I consider a pretty damn good "final" track of an album. And lest you think otherwise, I know this particular song stands absolutely NO CHANCE of making NPR's list:: Finale from Anthrax's State of Euphoria album.

If you were into 1980/90's heavy metal (REAL heavy metal), then Anthrax had to be among your handful of top bands. I absolutely love this song, and it truly fits in with the...well...final song on an album category. Beware, however, to those who aren't into the heavier side of music...

Want some music?

ERTorre — Thu, 27 May 2010 11:51:01 GMT

I've been checking out Amazon.com's daily deals (click on Today's Deals at the upper part of their webpage) and once there, scroll down a little to the Best Deals section and, on the lower part of that, click on MP3 Downloads. You'll find some pretty good sampler music available for absolutely free, should you be interested in it.

I found the following two Sampler albums and they're not bad at all (and the price was certainly right!). Bear in mind, these downloads are indeed free but, even more importantly, totally legal.

Merge Records 2010 Sampler - http://www.amazon.com/Merge-Records-2010-Digital-Sampler/dp/B003IYOR9A/ref=amb_link_353034422_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1RPTJRJMWYBDTYS6849S&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_p=1262410182&pf_rd_i=1000508421

and

Hardly Art 2010 Sampler - http://www.amazon.com/Label-Sampler-2010/dp/B003JFXA3C/ref=amb_link_353110682_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=14FEGB0DVZAZPA2HJ73S&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_p=1263511062&pf_rd_i=1000510211

Both albums are in the alternative rock genre, but you can also find free samplers of hard/progressive rock, jazz, etc.

It is also worth checking out the 100 Albums for $5 Each deal, as well. You may find some albums there you want, both new and old, for a very decent price.

And, lest you think otherwise, this is merely a friendly suggestion. I receive nothing from either Amazon or the music makers/companies for making it.

Kelly Clarkson angry about leaked song...

ERTorre — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:45:51 GMT

First off, I'm not a big fan of Kelly Clarkson's music. That's not to say I dislike or hate it...despite a couple of songs I don't mind here and there, it just doesn't fit within my general musical taste.

But I can certainly sympathize with her regarding the leaking of her material. As great as the internet is, unauthorized releases of artists' (incomplete) works has to be one of the worst things to encounter...especially given that the person who released it is inevitably someone fairly close to you in one way or another...

http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/04/27/kelly-clarkson-cleopatra-leak/

Smashing Pumpkins...song #4

ERTorre — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:40:07 GMT

The latest free (and legal!) song available from the Smashing Pumpkins can be found at their website:

http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/

The title of the latest song is "Astral Planes". This represents the fourth song from their 44-song TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE project, which front man Billy Corgan said would be released a song at a time each month until its all out.

Here's hoping he keeps up to the schedule...I certainly appreciate him for doing this!

Amazon Reviews Think This Masterpiece Sucks

ERTorre — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 15:43:35 GMT

Like author Jeanette Demain in the article below, I find perverse amusement, at times, from reading the comments from critics regarding things like books, movies, and music.

In Ms. Demain's case, she focuses on some of the unkind comments from some people regarding what many consider literary masterpieces:

http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2010/04/02/mean_amazon_reviews_open2010/index.html

One of the more amusing set of criticisms I've ever run across relate to Lou Reed's (ahem) album Metal Machine Music. If you're unfamiliar with the...uh...music on this album, you're in for a genuine, and very, very bizarre, treat below...if you can take it. I can't.

In fact, I can't in any way recommend ANYONE, even die hard Lou Reed fans (I'm a pretty big fan of his work), buy this album...but the reviews are hilarious...

http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Machine-Music-Lou-Reed/dp/B00004VXF2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1270309235&sr=1-1

Why it's OK to love Styx...

ERTorre — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 23:27:02 GMT

...at least according to Steve Almond in Salon.com:

http://www.salon.com/life/excerpt/2010/03/27/rock_and_roll_will_save_your_life/index.html

His article is quite humorous, coming as it does from someone who appears to be almost exactly the same age as I am and therefore has also apparently experienced the same types of music growing up as I did.

But...gods...do I have to disagree with him about Styx.

The band was, at least to me, tolerable enough with some good songs here and there at best, and, at worst, repugnant. And, brother, when they were bad, their music felt so...artificial, as if the band was reaching out and trying way, waaaay too hard to score hits. In fact, listening to some of their stuff today makes me feel like I'm hearing a band parodying Styx.

I've made it clear before that David Bowie is probably my single favorite musical artist. I love just about all his albums, yet if I were asked which of them is his worst, I wouldn't hesitate to say it was 1987's Never Let Me Down. Yet even while I say this, I readily admit there are several good songs to be found on that album (Time Will Crawl, Day In-Day Out, Zeroes, Shining Star, etc.). In fact, there are more songs on that album that I like than can be found on his classic Young Americans. On that later album, I love the title track and Fame, two standout David Bowie classics, but the rest of the album, the remaining six songs, don't do all that much for me. At all.

However, despite only liking two songs on Young Americans, it's clear to me that David Bowie was trying, and trying hard, to do something different, something bold, something unique, with that album. His effort was appreciable, even if the bulk of the work didn't really do all that much for me. Never Let Me Down, on the other hand, while it had some good -even near great- songs, felt hollow, as if David Bowie was more intent on replicating the success of Let's Dance rather than making something new and unique.

And that's what Styx and their music is like to me. Sure, some of their songs are decent enough, but their efforts ultimately feel hollow, sugary, too eager to please.

Still, I salute you, Mr. Almond. Great read.

For those curious (but...beware):

David Bowie's Time Will Crawl - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMhMaNAmT-U

David Bowie's Never Let Me Down - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4ZZMbpUFMY

David Bowie's Day-In Day-Out - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl9BLmwFi0U

Jimi Hendrix and the Valleys of Neptune

ERTorre — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:21:29 GMT

A few years back, I couldn't get enough of Jimi Hendrix. For many years before then, he was there on the radio...who hadn't heard "Foxey Lady" or "Purple Haze" or, the one that appealed to me the most, his blistering version of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower"? As much as they were "there" to be heard, I never sought the man's work out...

Then, one day, I did...hard.

Suddenly, I was playing those three Jimi Hendrix Experience albums, Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold As Love, and (in my opinion his masterpiece) Electric Ladyland ad nauseum.

As is the case with music, however, you get your thirst sated and you look for other things. However, Jimi Hendrix's premature death in 1970 meant that those three albums listed above were the only three "complete" works he would leave behind. Which meant that all those other songs and albums released posthumously were obviously in various stages of completion. Some of the songs sounded more "ready" than others, but in the end, I found just about all the post Electric Ladyland songs not quite as engaging as those found on the three previous releases.

Mr. Hendrix's family has decided to re-release those original three albums as well as clean up and release "definitive" versions of his remaining material. I skipped the first three albums...truly there seemed little point in buying yet another copy of something I already had purchased multiple times before...but I was intrigued enough to give their version of First Rays of the New Rising Sun, the title what would have been Mr. Hendrix's four studio album, as well as the collection of studio curiosities, The Valleys of Neptune, a try.

While I recommend the two albums to any Hendrix fan, hearing these cleaned up, clear sounding "new" albums did little to change my opinion regarding the quality of the post Electric Ladyland output.

Please don't get me wrong: This material is not horrible by ANY stretch of the imagination. At times (Angel, Ezy Rider, Freedom) the material is pretty damn good.

But there remains this feeling, this missing key ingredient, suggesting, at least to my ears, that what we have here isn't what (maybe) Mr. Hendrix would have eventually released, had he been given the chance.

"Valley of Neptune", the name of the second "new" album and a track that has been highly sought (and never officially released) is the draw in that album, and its a decent enough song but (and I don't mean to sound like a broken record here) it also has that incomplete feeling to it. Perhaps even moreso than some of the other songs. I can't help but feel this was a very early take on the song, and there was more work intended to be done.

But, as with all things artistic, your opinion may vary...

14 Kisses that made you cringe...

ERTorre — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:31:26 GMT

Pretty humorous list from Entertainment Weekly...

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20351637,00.html

Perhaps the most "infamous" was one that, in retrospect, proved especially cringe-worthy: The whole Luke/Leia romance from Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. For two films people wondered if Leia would go for Luke or the rogue Han Solo...and then, suddenly, we find that they're brother and sister in Return of the Jedi!

Ouch!

It used to amuses me when people who loved the original series talked about how well conceived it was, yet here we had pretty clear evidence that George Lucas and company were making up certain things as they went along. Clearly in the original Star Wars Luke was completely smitten by Princess Leia when he saw the holographic help plea. And then there was the kissing...

Ah well, that's the way things go!

> > >

Pink Floyd Sues EMI Over Online Revenues

ERTorre — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:10:31 GMT

Times change, don't they?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/09/pink-floyd-emi-battle-gro_n_491696.html

It's fair to say that the band Pink Floyd is one of the all time best selling musical acts ever. But even they have to deal with the new reality of the music industry. As convenient and great as it is to have your entire music library on a rectangular device not much bigger than a wallet, it also presents those pesky unintended consequences.

Music is far too easy to post online and "share" illegally. ITunes and Amazon have made it possible for people to simply buy one or two songs and ignore the rest of an artist's album (sometimes, I'll readily acknowledge, this can be for the best. There have been plenty of albums I've bought that, in the end, only featured one or two songs I've liked. Red Ryder's As Far As Siam is perhaps one of the more prominent examples, at least to me, of this).

And these problems are spilling to other artistic endeavors. Films are showing up online for illegal download even as they first hit (or before they first hit!) the theaters. Books are also showing up (I've mentioned before the heartbreak of finding that my own novel, Mechanic, showed up at one of those file sharing services and has been downloaded a criminally large amount of times...potential earnings for a work I sweated plenty on creating that I've subsequently lost out on).

I don't know where we'll eventually wind up regarding earnings artists should be making off their works. The cat, as they say, is out of the bag now and its almost impossible to police all the file sharing services out there, just as it is also difficult for artists, even well known artists such as Pink Floyd, to deal with the company they work for.

As for that Red Ryder song? Find it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp9852hq0W0

Interested in hearing The Runaways soundtrack?

ERTorre — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:19:19 GMT

Not a download, rather a free (and legal) way of perusing the soundtrack album, should you be interested in purchasing it when it is released:

http://www.spinner.com/new-releases#/2

(I'm certain this will be available only for a limited time).

Top 10 Musical Supergroups

ERTorre — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:53:33 GMT

You know, its been a while since presenting someone's "Top 10" list. Here, Time magazine offers their list of Top 10 Musical Supergroups, and it isn't quite what you're thinking...

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1970620_1970637,00.html

I have to give them credit for thinking outside the box with this list. I figured for sure we'd see some of the standards (The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, etc.).

Instead, we're presented with a list of bands that featured already big names coming into this mileu. The list is certainly interesting!

Billy Corgan interview details

ERTorre — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:32:32 GMT

If you're curious, a review from CNN of the coming Rolling Stone an interview with Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, and some of the juicier details found within:

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/05/billy-corgan-on-pumpkins-split-jessica-simpson/?hpt=Sbin

What is curious about this comes later, with the reader comments, some of which are strongly for and others very stongly against. Same goes for the preview article at Rolling Stone (which was, I'm assuming, the basis for the CNN article):

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2010/03/03/billy-corgan-on-pumpkins-split-loving-jessica-simpson-preview-the-story/

I find the comments curious, to say the least.

Does Billy Corgan have an ego? Is it out of control? Perhaps. But many of my favorite creative works, be they in film or literature or music, were created by people who had...quirks, and just because the person behind the work of art may be someone you have issues with doesn't mean the work they create isn't worth enjoying.

I think Billy Corgan's is a tremendously talented individual and he has made some truly great works of music (count me among those who thinks Adore was a great album, although I'd probably say their "best" album was Melon Collie...but that's just me) and I'm still interested in hearing his new stuff.

Further, I enjoyed the Zwan album quite a bit. I thought, however, Billy Corgan's solo album wasn't all that interesting and Zeitgeist, while a decent enough return for the band, erred in releasing all those variant albums with one or two alternate tracks. In the end, I thought the best song from that album was Ma Belle, but that song can only be found on one of the variant albums, a pretty bad deal for anyone interested in picking this up. Mr. Corgan's latest effort after the American Gothic mini-LP, the song a month (for free!) Teargarden by Kaleidyscope has been, after three songs, interesting, but I'm holding back hearing it fully until I have several songs (well, at least 4-5) to sample. I just don't want to burn myself out with one song, then do the same with the next, etc.

I guess for me, the bottom line is this: what difference does it really make whether Mr. Corgan has an ego or not? Ultimately, no one is forcing you to listen to his music, whether he's a great guy or not.

If listening to his music is disagreeable, you can always turn off the stereo/radio/iPod/etc. off.

Smashing Pumpkins...song #3

ERTorre — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:02:05 GMT

I genuinely thought Billy Corgan and company (whoever the rest of the band is at this point) had given up on presenting free copies of their songs on a monthly basis (it has been more, I believe, than a month since the second song appeared).

The third song is called "A Stitch In Time" and is available, along with the other two songs, for free (legally!) at:

http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/

The one after 909...

ERTorre — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 02:35:13 GMT

...which this post is.

And being in a good mood and all, a couple of pretty hilarious bits.

First up, 30 unintentionally hilarious political signs...

http://www.urlesque.com/2010/02/10/misspelled-political-signs/

Next up, some pretty funny (and disturbing) newspaper classified ads...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/18/creepy-classifieds-the-fu_n_466433.html

> > >

Stupidest Pop Lyrics of All Time

ERTorre — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:13:12 GMT

At least according to the Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/25/the-stupidest-song-lyrics_n_434824.html

Man, I just can't argue with some of the choices...

"Me who? Please boo. Landin' in that G2 same color as beef stew, pure blue, hebrew"

Ouch.

22 of the greatest High Tech music videos...

ERTorre — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:14:53 GMT

...at least according to Switched.com:

http://www.switched.com/2010/01/19/music-is-the-future-22-of-the-greatest-high-tech-vids/?icid=main|main|dl7|link5|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.switched.com%2F2010%2F01%2F19%2Fmusic-is-the-future-22-of-the-greatest-high-tech-vids%2F

Every time I see some kind of music "best of" list I recognize the fact that I'm drifting further and further away from modern music. Of the 22 presented, I recognized perhaps five or so songs/videos.

The Police's Synchronicity II is an odd choice, IMHO, for a "futuristic" video. Love the song (and the album it came from, the Police truly went out on a very high note), but to state this is some kind of great original futuristic video...I just don't know. The look of the video, to me, is taken from The Road Warrior (aka Mad Max 2), which was released some two years before the video and arguably set up the look most post-apocalyptic fare (including the Police's video) emulated well into the 1990's and beyond.

Missing from the list may be the eerie David Bowie video Ashes to Ashes (come on, you just knew I'd reach for a Bowie video, right?) and Queen's Radio Ga Ga, which may be a bit of a cheat as it featured images from 1927's Metropolis. However, if you're going to use futuristic images from a film in your video, why not go for one of the best?!

Ashes to Ashes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyMm4rJemtI

Radio Ga Ga:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBUr1pSWTVI

80's ten best metal songs...

ERTorre — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:50:02 GMT

A pretty...odd...list, if you ask me:

http://www.noisecreep.com/2010/01/18/top-10-best-80s-metal-songs/

When I think of 80's metal, I just don't think about bands like Poison or Def Leopard or Motley Crew or Guns N' Roses. Yeah, their songs may have been "heavier" than some of the popular music playing on the radio at the time, but for the most part their stuff wasn't what I'd call "metal".

Apparently, some of the posters agreed. A trio of songs I'd put way up there on a list of 80's metal are included below (although the third choice I love not only because of its heavy metal sound, but also because of its hilarious -to me!- lyrics)...

Life on Mars...Seth Stevenson's (belated) review of the British and American version of the TV show

ERTorre — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:53:05 GMT

I am very curious to see the British version of Life on Mars, and not just because I'm a fan of David Bowie's music.

No, I've heard good things about the show but only managed to record its second season (I didn't watch it as I wanted to start from the beginning...maybe one day I'll get to). I also gave the American version of the show a try, but found it very boring.

So too, apparently, does Slate Magazine's Seth Stevenson, who presents a review of both the British and American version of the shows and how the American version failed in so many ways compared to the original British version. And the American version's conclusion, Mr. Stevenson argues, may well have "the dumbest finale in TV history":

http://www.slate.com/id/2240845/pagenum/all/#p2

Having just posted a note about the fact that Fox may be developing an American version of Torchwood, a British show I have seen and really enjoy, I'm suddenly wondering even more if an American version of Torchwood need be made. Oh well, we'll always have the originals.

Smashing Pumpkins...song #2

ERTorre — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:12:35 GMT

...of Teargarden by Kaleidyscope is available for free, and legal, download:

http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/

The first song was "A Song for a Son", still available also for download, and the new one is "Widow Wake My Mind".

Not bad, and the price is certainly right, even though the cynic in me knows that if the band was still doing as well as it was in the 1990's, this album would have been released in a more conventional (paying) way.

Still, how can one not appreciate Billy Corgan's generosity in giving us, effectively, a new Smashing Pumpkins album free, albeit on a month to month (or thereabouts) and song by song basis.

I know I'll be around to pick it up.

Pump it Up and Get On Your Boots

ERTorre — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:41:11 GMT

A long time back I posted my belief that U2's first single from their latest album, Get On Your Boots, sounded an awful lot like Elvis Costello's Pump It Up. Looks like both U2 and Mr. Costello felt the same, as they concluded the season 2 premier of the very watchable Spectacle with an amusing mash up of both songs.

> > >

A review of Patti Smith's memoir

ERTorre — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:17:28 GMT

Although, from the sound of it, the memoir was more intended to focus on the poet/rocker's relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe:

http://www.salon.com/books/patti_smith/index.html?story=/books/laura_miller/2010/01/10/just_kids

Of the people in the music business, she remains one of the more curious to me. Her music is at times brilliant, at times corrosive, almost always very enjoyable (can you ask for more?). The review of her book is intriguing, to say the least.

Digital Piracy hits e-books

ERTorre — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 12:41:15 GMT

I suppose it was only a matter of time...

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/01/ebook.piracy/index.html

In many ways, its a terribly depressing time to be someone trying to make a living via creative endeavors such as music, art, or writing. While the internet and the technology related to it has afforded authors/musicians/artists a means of getting the word out about their works in a way that was impossible before (check out my very own ertorre.com for information about my books or art or whathaveyou!), the fact is that internet piracy and file sharing have also cost the same creative individuals plenty of residuals they should be making but are not.

I recall back in the stone age, ie at the dawn of the CD, when people noted how Pink Floyd's album The Dark Side of the Moon was a regular heavy hitting seller via records. Why? Because records eventually got scratched or developed hisses and pops and those who loved the album had no choice but to buy it over and over again to hear it as it was intended to be. When the CDs took over, word of continuing sales of that album all but ended, I suspect because now people were able to buy the beloved album once and not have to return to their local music store (remember those?!) to pick up a new, "clean" copy.

But with the internet and piracy, you don't even have to buy that album, or any album, should you be of the mind to simply "get it" free.

Movies have been appearing online, even before they reached the theaters (see the Wolverine film) and it comes as little surprise, given the rising popularity of e-books, that now novels are starting to show up.

My own novel Mechanic is available as an e-book via Kindle, but I've been reluctant to make my other novels available as well. And I've been debating whether to go that route with my new novel, which should be ready in the next couple of months.

The world changes quickly, and I suspect that this problem will only get bigger with time. The only real solution is for the authors/artists/musicians to find alternative ways to make up for the lost revenue...or hope for some future, better protection of their copyright material.

Music in review, the past decade

ERTorre — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:51:35 GMT

It gets tiresome, at times, to stumble upon article after article "looking back" at the past year or decade (we have a two-fer this time around), but some articles, like the one below, are fascinating in that they don't just list off the "best of" or "worst of" the past decade, in this case regarding music, but instead look at general trends of the industry as a whole:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2009-12-29-musicdecade29_CV_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

There is plenty in this article to digest, from the effects of piracy to the fragmentation of music in general. It's fascinating to note, as the article does, that the Beatles had the biggest selling album of the decade, despite the fact that they haven't been a band since 1970.

Still looking for holiday presents?

ERTorre — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:08:44 GMT

CNN gives you a list of some CD and DVD box sets worth a look or listen:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/18/cd.dvd.boxed.sets/index.html

Smashing Pumpkins release first new song from new album

ERTorre — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:58:42 GMT

They were rock GODS in the 1990's, only to be pummeled, in the end, by the Britney avalanche. Yet their music, to me, remains quite good, although I can certainly forgive those who can't get past Billy Corgan's voice.

The band, which features Corgan and no one else of the original lineup, nonetheless remains out there, and are now releasing 44 songs online one month at a time. Originally, they were releasing them free to anyone who wanted to download the songs (legal and free, that's fine by me!).

For now, the first of the songs can be heard here:

http://www.spinner.com/2009/12/07/smashing-pumpkins-a-song-for-a-sun-song-premiere/

Not bad, although I suspect that maybe the songs won't be available for free as originally planned (despite what the article states...they need to earn some money in the end, don't they?!). UPDATE: Oh ye of little faith...the song, as of 12/8, is now available for download. Click on this link:

http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/

This is the live version of the song:

One hit wonders of the decade...

ERTorre — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:17:13 GMT

You know you're curious. In the days to come, I expect to find plenty of "best of" the decade lists.

This one, however, is rather unique: Billboard presents its list of top "one-hit" wonders of the decade. As with many of them, if I never hear some of those songs again...;-)

http://www.billboard.com/#/features/one-hit-wonders-of-the-2000s-page-1-1004051216.story

For the Holiday season...music box sets

ERTorre — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:38:15 GMT

Still don't know what to buy for the family, for your friends, for your co-workers...

...for yourself?! ;-)

Here's a list of some fascinating music box sets available for the holiday season:

http://mediagallery.usatoday.com/Box-sets/G1349

I find the Beatles USB stick particularly fascinating, although I already have the albums (not the mono ones, alas).

Will piracy crackdown bring iPod border checks?!

ERTorre — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:11:02 GMT

Fascinating article by Bob Sullivan:

http://redtape.msnbc.com/2009/12/laptop-computers-examined-by-border-guards-looking-for-pirated-software-ipods-seized-at-airport-security-lines-on-mere-suspi.html

On the one hand, I can understand the need to do something about copyright piracy. The fact is that right now, to many there is no reason at all to bother legally buying any music, and movie piracy is certainly on the rise. The amount of money both music and movie companies lose as a result of this is astronomical and, worse, may lead to less investment in future products and, thus, less for consumers to enjoy. I think I've said this before: Imagine if a new band with the potential to be, as the cliche goes, the "next" Beatles comes around, but because their initial album sells poorly, perhaps in part because of illegal downloading, the company supporting them decides to release them.

Similarly, why would a movie company invest millions of dollars into a film when profits diminish because people can illegally download the film often on the very day it is released into theaters? Worse, some films (Wolverine or the Ang Lee Hulk film) found their way online even before their official release!

HOWEVER, having said all that, some of the proposals being floated in the article linked above are, frankly, scary. I worry when agencies that are not in law enforcement are granted law enforcement privileges. While I doubt that there will be a "laptop and iPod" check at the borders (there are simply too many people with said items traveling each day), some of the other possibilities are no less chilling.

Then again, one is reminded of the myth of Pandora's Box. Once opened, its so very hard to close it again...

The Beatles, a look back 1000 years from now

ERTorre — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:13:53 GMT

Often while watching the History Channel and/or assorted history specials, I wonder how much the producers of the show (and, indeed, the scientists and historians) have right versus how much is guesswork and speculation. History, without clear written/recorded accounts (preferably from multiple sources), can be dodgy.

Which is why this clip is so amusing. It imagines what a documentary about the Beatles might be like 1000 years in the future, provided many of the historical notes were lost in the mists of time...

Celebrities who changed their names...

ERTorre — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:41:51 GMT

Fascinating look at some well known celebrities...and their original names:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/27/celebrities-who-changed-t_n_368097.html

My favorite celebrity changed name, and it is not included on this particular list, has to be Archibald Alexander Leach.

British music magazine NME names the best album of the decade...

ERTorre — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:28:08 GMT

Now, granted, the decade isn't quite over yet, but here's what they thought:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/17/britain.nme.strokes.album/index.html

You know you're getting old when not only do you not know the album/band that's given the number one spot, but similarly can't recognize the album/bands that were runners up!

On the other hand, the band with the best album of the decade has a sound that is supposedly inspired by The Velvet Underground. That's a band I do know! ;-)

> > >

How Ayn Rand became an American Icon

ERTorre — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:34:32 GMT

Johann Hari at Slate.com offers a review and blistering comments regarding the philosophy of Ayn Rand, perhaps the far right's philosophical darling:

http://www.slate.com/id/2233966/

I've always been intrigued by Ms. Rand, and Mr. Hari's comments offer a scathing look at what may lie behind her philosophies, as well as the paradoxes, self-loathing, etc.. While reading the article, I couldn't help but find comparisons between Ms. Rand and another pretty well known author turned philosopher, who himself has brought about what many consider a cult.

In the last paragraph of this article, Mr. Hari himself makes that very same comparison, so at the very least his essay was successful in bringing about his ultimate point.

Still, the only thing I've ever really been exposed to, at least concerning Ayn Rand, are reviews of her philosophy (and articles both pro and con) and seeing the Gary Cooper starring The Fountainhead movie (which was, of course, based on Ayn Rand's novel). The movie was decent enough, although the philosophy was spread rather thick, which is evident even in this trailer for that movie.

How's that for counterintuitive: Illegal downloaders of music also "spend the most money on music"!

ERTorre — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:27:10 GMT

Interesting article from UK's The Independent:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/illegal-downloaders-spend-the-most-on-music-says-poll-1812776.html

U2 adapts to changing musical, political world

ERTorre — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:42:43 GMT

Interesting article regarding U2 and their latest self-introspection, particularly after the somewhat "disappointing" sales of their latest album, No Line on the Horizon.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33447167/ns/entertainment-music/

I think that like many musical acts, U2 may be stuck in something of a rut. They still create great music (there were some exceptional songs in NLOTH), but their direction, at least in my opinion, remains roughly the same. They built on and on with each album from their beginning, taking mild steps back here and there (your opinion may be different, but I felt both October, Rattle and Hum, and Pop were only OK albums...but what came before and after each was incredible).

To me U2 reached their apex with albums such as Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, and the one-two punch of Achtung Baby and Zooropa (a delightful experimental album).

The problem is, they perfected their particular technique, and suddenly you realize you've pretty much seen/heard their act. NLOTH is a good album, as I said before, but musically it doesn't, at least to my ears, give us anything we haven't heard before (and better) with U2. And that's the essence of the problem: U2 may be stuck in a rut (I'll grant you that with Pop they tried to go in another direction, but the results weren't all that good, alas).

In considering U2, I think back to the reason David Bowie is my favorite artist. He tended to constantly reinventing himself. Early on, the heavy metal sounding The Man Who Sold the World was followed by an folksy, introspective Hunky Dory which was followed by the more straight ahead rock n' roll/concept album Ziggy Stardust. David Bowie would eventually do soul, alternative rock, pop, electronica, etc. etc. U2 has created some absolutely terrific music, and I'll be around for their subsequent albums.

Maybe they'll surprise me still.

Party all the time...Top 10 Unlikely Celebrity Albums

ERTorre — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:36:23 GMT

Ah, the Eddie Murphy hit...I never could stand it much. The article itself isn't necessarily a slam against all celebrity albums, although some certainly deserve their critical (negative) reactions:

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1931795_1931794,00.html

I've forgotten a few of those on the list (an album by Cassius Clay?!), and find the first choice, Bob Dylan's recently released album of Christmas songs, an oddball curiosity. As the article states: "Also, isn't he Jewish?"

The one not included on the list, curiously, is William Shatner's infamous 1968 album The Transformed Man, which included his...uh...interpretations of "Mr. Tamborine Man", "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", and "It Was A Very Good Year". When you're talking celebrity albums, how can you forget that one?!

Rock's Biggest Quitters...

ERTorre — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:41:34 GMT

A list of 20 musicians who quit their respective bands...

http://www.spinner.com/2009/09/17/rocks-biggest-quitters-20-musicians-who-walked-away-from-fame/

I think the biggest missing example is Roger Waters and Pink Floyd. I'll be the first to admit I don't know all the details regarding the situation (and the "creative differences" that lead to Mr. Waters leaving the band) but given their status, it's odd that he wasn't mentioned in this grouping.

However, still an interesting list!

How's this for a new David Bowie look...

ERTorre — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:42:48 GMT

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6267873/David-Bowie-immortalised-in-Lego-Rock-Band.html

Yes, David Bowie has been made into a...Lego.