Dugout Chatter: Speed Round!

 Posted by
May 182013
 

Some of these questions have objective answers, some don’t. Your mission is to answer all questions as quickly as possible, right or wrong—just not indifferently!

  • Name 2 Beatles songs featuring a sax solo.
  • Share a topic that you know is sure to get a specific Townsperson’s goat.
  • What’s the first disaffected musician song that comes to your mind—RIGHT NOW?
  • What was the name of that terrible French prog band we featured, maybe 2 or 3 years ago? Mimes may have been involved in their performance.
  • Is there any form of dance less essential and less diverse than Irish step dancing?
  • What’s the last outdated musically related purchase you made? (For instance, I attended an estate sale yesterday and bought a few 78s, despite the fact that I don’t own a working 78 player.)

I look forward to your responses.

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Now That’s Just Uncalled For

 Posted by
May 162013
 

I’ve spent a lot of time lurking, learning, trying to get a feel of how it works around here. First, allow me to applaud the lot of you. How do y’all come up with this “stuff?” I was reading Mr. Moderator’s post from last week about Lou Reed‘s “Satellite of Love” and how the structure “draws me in,” sumthin’ er rather. It’s fine post indeed, with all the usual expected metaphors and topical references, and the humor of course.

Look, I don’t care for Lou Reed… OK? I mean, don’t really know much about the guy either, admittedly. “And the colored girls sing…,” Velvet Underground, that’s it. I don’t much like his music or how he looks or the way he doesn’t really sing sing. I’m not interested in past or his future, his place in history or who he influences, and so on. I’m not mad him either, but it all just seems a little half-assed to me. I don’t think I’ve ever even met a Lou Reed fan.

But whatever… I was going to read the thread anyway, I knew that much, but probably wasn’t going to comment and almost assuredly, wasn’t going to watch any of the posted videos until… Mr. Mod said, “I am always turned on, however, when the band kicks into the Power Rock ending and Lou starts hopping about and making his First-Big-Boy-Goes-Poopy-on-the-Potty faces.” Poopy faces!? I can watch anything for poopy faces. So I did. I clicked on the live footage of “Satellite of Love.” Big Mistake. I should’ve known better.

I’d like to officially add, “I don’t like the way Lou Reed strums his guitar” to my list. And I don’t appreciate for how he holds a pick either. It’s just uncalled for. Can you act like you’ve done this before Lou? It’s unacceptable for someone of his apparent stature and fame to stare at his instrument like that, all rigid in the elbow, making sure he’s fingering chords just right. Sure didn’t sound like it. “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and,” good Lou. I don’t know how much of a rock star he’s supposed to be, but… well, is the out-of-tune guitar thing part his show too? Vincent Price!

So I missed out on the poopy faces.

poopy face

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Should I Try to Like Genesis?

 Posted by
May 152013
 

Hey, I gotta hit and run here, people — seriously, my time is not my own these days. But I do have a question: should I try to like Genesis more?

That’s not a snarky question. Sgt Peppermint Petty suggested I might be able to appreciate Genesis — more than I like Yes, for example. We got to rappin’ about Yes versus Genesis, and things got deep. I heard about penetrating vocals, ringing bass tones, jazz chops and, yes, polished golden orbs. It all sounded kinda mystical to me. I think the Sarge had been hitting the ol’ skull bong in the men’s room or something.

Anyway, he’s a good egg, and I know he meant well. Who knows, he might be right. I might be able to grant Genesis a prog hall pass. When I was 14, I used to like Emerson, Lake & Palmer — and I used to dig my old man’s copy of Lark’s Tongues In Aspic.

So my question is two fold: to those of you who know me — am I capable of liking Genesis? And to the rest of you, and all those who think I might grow to like them, I ask sincerely: where should I start trying? Oh, and one more question: does the fact that I really like this Genesis song set me up for Genesis disappointment?

I look forward to your responses.

HVB

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Hidden Meanings: Styx

 Posted by
May 132013
 


Greetings, fellow Townspeople! I come before you with the latest edition of yet another long-running feature here in the Hall, entitled “Hidden Meanings.” Long-timers will know what is expected of them here: we are required, as enquiring rock nerds, to try and parse out what authors of noteworthy lyrics really mean by the words they write. So, jointly, we set our minds towards the collective (re)interpretation of words that may have passed the critical community’s gaze without the careful scrutiny which they may have deserved.

In this case, the words we need to parse for hidden, double meanings are offered by Dennis DeYoung, of Styx. The song is “Come Sail Away.” My question for the collective is as follows: one might think that this song is about sailing away — or, if you’re able to stick around for the shock twist ending, about space aliens. But what does a more serious study reveal? What does DeYoung really mean by the following:

I’m sailing away
Set an open course for the Virgin Sea
‘Cause I’ve got to be free
Free to face the life that’s ahead of me

On board, I’m the captain
So climb aboard
We’ll search for tomorrow on every shore
And I’ll try, oh Lord, I’ll try to carry on

I look to the sea
Reflections in the waves spark my memory
Some happy, some sad
I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had

We lived happily forever
So the story goes
But somehow we missed out on the pot of gold
But we’ll try best that we can to carry on

A gathering of Angels appeared above my head
They sang to me this song of hope and this is what they said

They said, “Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me lads
Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me
Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me baby
Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me”

I thought that they were Angels, but to my surprise
We climbed aboard their starship, we headed for the skies

Singing, come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me lads.

I look forward to your responses.

HVB

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Final Answers

 Posted by
May 102013
 

At times of turmoil and change (or just a crappy work week), it can be good to know that there are some definitive answers to life’s musical questions. I would like to thank Roz Chast for proposing the first 3 in a recent New Yorker cartoon:

  1. Nan McGillicuddy let the dogs out.
  2. The flowers all went to Passaic.
  3. We can’t do it in the road because it just got paved.

I did some research and consultation, and was able to determine 3 additional Final Answers:

  1. No, I’ve never been mellow.
  2. Peace, love and understanding aren’t funny at all.
  3. The rain will stop by itself.

What other Final Answers do you have?

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