February 2013 Archives

Sound Off!

Feb 202013

Every day I take a break and head off to the gym to blow off some steam. Unfortunately, they’ve installed new machines with big video screens that obstruct most of the view around the room. Preferring to listen to my own music, I don’t listen to the sound from the video selections offered. But I have been watching some things without the sound and this video came up. Although it’s not a performance-based video as we tend to use in “Sound Off!” I think it is certainly game for a little analysis. I can say that the song did not sound anything like I thought it would, and definitely made the video a little bit better. Nonetheless, without the sound, the video did spur a certain reaction from me and I wonder if it might be the same for you.

All-Star Jam

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 202013

Do your own thing!

Last Man Standing: Rockers With Presidential Names

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 192013

A day late, but I don’t believe we’ve ever done a Last Man Standing on Rockers With Presidential Names. Of the 41 (?) distinct United States President surnames, is there a rocker who shares each surname?

For the purposes of this Last Man Standing—and to avoid, say, 392 rocking Washingtons—let’s limit ourselves to one rocker per Presidential name.

Ex-US Townspeople are invited to add the names of rockers who share the name of one of their own country’s political heads of state, but keep it to names of heads of state, please.

As always, don’t bogart that thread: limit yourself to 1 entry per post. Thank you.

Lou Reed…As His Music Was Meant to Sound!

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 182013

I’ve been making my way through Neil Young‘s memoir, Waging Heavy Peace. It’s rambling and slow going but not without its charms. Every 10 pages Young turns from the story of his life and music making to what I gather are his main concerns: toy trains, energy-efficient old cars, and some new audio technology that will enable drivers of these green behemoth vehicles to listen to Lou Reed’s latest music as it was meant to sound. Shoot, not even Lou will know how his music is actually meant to sound until he rides around in Neil’s 140-acre ranch in his souped-up 1952 convertible Cadillac with his high-tech audio delivery device cranked to the high heavens.

I love how Young and Reed go on at great lengths about their high-minded audiophile dreams when their legacy has been established with some of the most primitive-sounding records to appear on a major label. T-Bone Burnett is also working on some mind-blowing audio technology that will allow his purposely pristine-yet-primitive, “pure” productions to sound as if they are being broadcast directly from Plato’s Cave. At least Burnett’s recordings actually sound about as accomplished as he would like them to sound, even on our inferior delivery devices.

Someday I expect to run across an old Chuck Berry interview, in which he bemoans the state of late-1950s recording and playback technology.

SHOWDOWN
Once and For All: Who’s the Biggest Asshole in [the] Eagles?

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 182013

Choose one.

Last night I made the mistake of watching the last 2/3 of a new Eagles documentary that’s been running on Showtime. It put me in a real bad mood.

Who am I kidding? I knew I was going to watch this thing at some point, and I’m sure I’ll catch the first hour at some point. I actually watched the final hour on the band’s long, painful (for me, at least) reunion activities just so I could hear what the final straw was in our friend Don Felder‘s participation. How pathetic is that?

I knew this documentary was going to drive me into a deep, dark mood. I hate the Eagles. Hate. Even as I calculated the couple of songs by them that I can appreciate/enjoy to some extent, the bile churned.

What was most remarkable was seeing how, after all these years, Glenn Frey and Don Henley‘s take on the band’s importance to Western Civilization has grown by leaps and bounds. These guys never lacked confidence and cockiness, but any time their modern-day selves were on camera and speaking to the band’s legacy I had to hit the Program Guide button to make sure I wasn’t actually watching a Beatles documentary.

Have any of you watched this thing yet? It’s time we determine, once and for all, the Biggest Asshole in [the] Eagles. This is a 2-horse race.

SHOWDOWN (choose one): Once and for all, who's the biggest asshole in the Eagles, Don Henley or Glenn Frey?

Frey. (63%, 31 Votes)
Henley. (37%, 18 Votes)

Total Voters: 49

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RIP, Tandyn Almer. We Hardly Knew Ye. And I Mean That Literally.

Posted by hrrundivbakshi

Feb 172013

Following up on a story about the passing of the guy who wrote “Along Comes Mary,” Tandyn Almer, has unexpectedly turned me on to a bunch of great songs I’d never heard before — and one or two I’ve always loved that it turns out Tandyn wrote, in whole or in part. (“Shadows & Reflections”? “Sail On Sailor”? Almer co-wrote both of those.)

Too many online remembrances and feature stories have focused on the more curious and “newsworthy” (in a VH1 Behind the Music kind of way) aspects of Tandyn’s life, and that’s a shame. By all accounts, he was happy and well liked, and that’s what really matters. A good, and seemingly well informed, accounting of Almer’s accomplishments can be found in this excellent career retrospective/obituary, found somewhat strangely on a Catholic faith-related blog.

Anyhow, I guess I just wanted to pass along my respects for a great artist I basically knew nothing about until today. Being able to hear the original Eddie Hodges version of “Shadows & Reflections” alone — that was totally wonderful; what an awesome arrangement! (Also, check out “Butterfly High,” a psychedelic masterwork performed by Hodges and Almer under the most excellent band name “Paper Fortress.”)

HVB

Once and For All: Jed Hoile Named Least-Essential Sidekick of ’80s Rock

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 172013

Jed Hoile (in chains).

Despite opening the landmark decisions of Once and For All February to The People, one particular Townsperson has made such a strong case for settling a topic that we are compelled to suspend the RTH Poll on that topic and be done with any further debates on the matter—once and for all!

That’s right, thanks to a write-in nomination by Townsman cherguevarra, Rock Town Hall has determined—once and for all—the Least-Essential Sidekick of ’80s Rock.

Congratulations, Jed Hoile, better known as the mime who initially served as the sidekick for Howard Jones.

The Townspeople have spoken. Let this be the end of all debates on this subject.

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