Countdown to Disintegration

The re release of Disintegration is less than two weeks away and there has been quite a few goodies dropped to wet the whistle. The re release comes with two extra discs. One that is out takes and rarities from the recording sessions and the other is the entire album played live in 1989 at Wembley Arena. There site has posted free streams of an alternate rarities disc and alternate live version of the album from Dallas. So good!!!

unHappy Anniversary Ian!

Thirty years ago today Ian Curtis had decided that he had enough with life and hanged himself in his home for his wife (that had thrown him out for the affair that he insisted on not ending) to find after work. It is a pathetic and tragic ending to an artist about to see his greatest success. Curtis' death fell near the release of the song that his band, Joy Division, would come to be known for, "Love Will Tear us Apart." Perhaps it ended a fledgeling career or solidified his place among legends. I like to think both.

There is an unusual tribute to him under development to coincide with this anniversary that I find a little disturbing, yet fitting.

SOTD - Roxy Music - Editions of You

Editions of You is off of my favorite Roxy Album, For Your Pleasure. I don't even remember how I came across this footage, but it is just awesome. Forget Bowie, these guys were glam. John Travalta totally stole his look for Saturday Night Fever from Bryan Ferry. Not only that, but I love getting to see Brian Eno, not only rocking the tambourine and moog, but what is that outfit he is wearing. I think Jim Henson's Dark Crystal copped some imagery from that attire.

SOTD - The Crazy World of Arthur Brown - Fire

As I dig back through rock's history, I am amazed at how many landmarks I come across that just surprise me. The Crazy World of Arthur Brown's Fire is definitely one of those landmarks. I have been familiar with the song for some time, through samples and the original, but I never had the proper context to hear it through to appreciate it for how awesome it was. Thanks to those cable music stations that give you facts about the artist as music plays, I have begun to appreciate this gem for more than the campy, psychedelic, blasphemous funk that it is.

The song opens with the line, "I am the god of hell fire and I bring you. Fire." And the song became a number one hit in the UK and Canada in 1968. I learned some things from that fact. The UK was way cooler than the US. Can you imagine a number one single in the US in 1968 that starts like that? This was the original shock rocker. Alice Cooper, Kiss, Ozzy, Marilyn Manson, you all owe a nod to this guy. That video is from 1968 as well. In 1968 that was on Top Of The Pops on British TV! If they had tried to air that in America then, the religious right would have gone nuts.

Hats off to you Arthur Brown and your crazy world. You rock!



By the way, these cable music channels are such a great invention. They are not the be all, end all, but I love the variety and tid-bits of information about the music and artists. It makes me think, "Hey, remember when MTV was cool like this?" And then I think, "No. I don't remember MTV being cool like this."

Gearing Up For Summer

Ah, summer music. I earmarked some of my favorite summer albums last July. After having a small taste of nice weather a few weeks ago and having a forecast of sunny days in the upper seventies for the coming weekend, it's time to get back in that mode. This spring has not fallen short in delivering some new albums that are sure to join the list. First up is a frequent flier in our home. Josh Rouse has just put out an album entitled El Turista that is just dreamy. The once Americana-pop troubadour has become a citizen of Spain and has been living there for five years now. Regional influences have been creeping into his music for some time now. With this album, he blends those influences with Brazilian stylings. The result is unique, but familiar.

Along those Brazilian lines, I have also been enjoying Antonio Carlos Jobim Songbook. The Girl From Ipanema is a fantastic collection of Brazilian Samba and Bossa Nova coolness. Thanks Greg.

And I have been way into the indie take on sixties beach music stylings. Real Estate have somehow managed to capture the melodic essence of the Beach Boys and deliver it as if it were played by Mogwai or Death Cab For Cutie. That is quite a feat, especially for a band for Jersey.

I was going to skip making a summer mix disc this year, but with this crop, I may have no choice but to.

Rock and Holy Rollers!

What does the Pope rock out to? Alright, I don't know the answer to that, and I probably don't want to. However, a Vatican newspaper has gotten us as close to the answer to that question as we may ever get. When I came across the news link reporting that this newspaper listed what Vatican City claims to be history's ten most essential rock albums, I couldn't resist. I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised.

Here they are listed in the chronological order of their release:
"Revolver" by the Beatles, described as more innovative than any of their successive albums.
-definitely one of their best, but Sgt. Pepper is possibly the most innovative album ever
"If I Could Only Remember My Name" by David Crosby. Its songs used experimental musical forms to express an "existential fragility," the article said.
-uh, sure
"The Dark Side of the Moon" by Pink Floyd, which the newspaper called an "amazing" and eminently enjoyable milestone in the history of rock music.
-I'm still picking my jaw off of the floor that this is a list from catholic central
"Rumours" by Fleetwood Mac, which the article said mixed the sounds of blues, pop and country.
-hell yeah!
"The Nightfly" by Donald Fagen of Steely Dan. A niche album, but "brilliant and ironical," according to the Vatican newspaper.
-Is ironical even a word?
"Thriller" by Michael Jackson. The article described this album as "the masterpiece of the king of pop" and said its original approach went against the stereotypes of black music.
-great, no doubt. I don't tend to think of it as a rock album.
"Graceland" by Paul Simon, who used South African music with his own to create a multiethnic album that marked the birth of "world music," the newspaper said.
-why did he want to be called Al?
"Achtung Baby" by U2, a disk that stands out for its music and lyrics, and remains a symbol of the '90s, it said.
-hmmm? Flip a coin with Joshua Tree
"(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" by Oasis. The group picks up the great tradition of the Beatles, but with a harder edge of punk and rock, it said.
-wtf?
"Supernatural" by Carlos Santana, seen as an avant-garde mix of blues, soul, salsa and rock.
-an extra big wtf?

Rumours I flat out agree with. The rest wouldn't make it on my personal list, but for the most part it is a pretty comprehensive list with very notable and interesting recordings. Well, for the first 8 anyway. the Oasis record is great, but the ten greatest? Even their own justification discredits it's historical merit. And Supernatural described as avant-garde? I think someone got lazy with that one. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed, given our current Pope, that there was no krautrock present. Perhaps Kraftwerk - Radioaktivitat should have taken the avant-garde spot.

I'm forming my list, but would love to hear what other people have to say. What was missed?

It's a mad, mad, world

First up. "We are the World" was a great idea. Let's pool together some real star power to draw attention to a serious problem and raise money to help the cause. When it was USA for Africa in the 80's, great. They raised some money and brought the plight of African nations into people's thoughts. Mission accomplished!
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for helping Haiti in their time of need. I just think that this effort is bewildering. In the 80's the song served the mentioned purpose. It made people aware. However, in 2010, you would have to be deaf, blind, and locked away in a sound and light proof box on a deserted island to not be aware of the tragedy that has befallen Haiti. Next comes the money. The original version happened in a day when music made real money and included artists that were as current and big as you could get. MJ, Sting, Bruce, Stevie, etc. these were artists with real selling power at the peeks of their popularity. Not only that, but you had to buy a record. You paid a handsome sum and had the record and the twelve inch glossy photo on the cover that you could look at with friends and play name that pop star. The current version is a mere $1.29 on iTunes and what do you get for it? Nick Jonas may be at the top of his game, but he is by no means in the same league as The Boss. A digital copy of an inferior version of the song with contributions from "big" stars of the disposable music era. I'm sorry, but without the original line-up and novelty of it being a new song, "We are the World" is a glorified Sunday school choir song. What perplexes me the most is that there are so many outlets to contribute aid to the cause that are easy more substantial. You can donate ten bucks by sending a text message and having the bill be part of your cell phone bill.
With that said, I do respect anyone willing to use their notoriety and talents to help those in need. There are some cool compilations and such with the proceeds going to help Haiti. For what it's worth, great! Here is a very cool song with an outstanding cast of rocks seediest characters worth purchasing. I Put A Spell On You