once and for all

R.E.M.’s First Three IRS Long Players: Certainly Worthy of Discussion

Jun 302011

The following post was submitted by my close personal friend E. Pluribus Gergely.

Hi y’all,

I’d like to get this whole thing settled…once and for all.

For years, the Moderator has been relentlessly jabbing at me for having the first three R.E.M. IRS long players in my record collection. Granted, I haven’t listened to them in years, but I decided to do just a few days ago. I’m here to to tell one and all that they are nothing to be embarrarassed about. They’re actually pretty solid. They feature a bunch of winners: “Gardening at Night,” “Radio Free Europe,” “South Central Rain,” “Pretty Persuasion”…all are tracks that still sound pretty friggin’ good. And “Rockville” borders on great. That’s right, great.

I caught them live as well, right around the release of Murmur. I saw them at the University of Pennsylvania, Bucknell, and the Tower Theater. They were phenomenal. Take a good look at the Letterman clips. That’s more or less what they looked like. To put it bluntly, they were cool, really cool, which is something that some of us (eg, Hrundivbakshi) refuse to admit is, was, and should always be a major point of criteria when judging a pop band. Continue reading »

Once and for All: Rock’s Greatest Stage Prop

Posted by Mr. Moderator

May 242011

What’s rock’s greatest stage prop? Pink Floyd‘s flying pig? The Rolling Stones‘ inflatable penis? Alice Cooper‘s guillotine? Elvis Costello‘s Spectacular Spinning Songwheel? Spinal Tap‘s occasionally malfunctioning pods? Once and for all…can we determine the definitive answer to this question?

BONUS POINTS for your personal experiences witnessing any of rock’s greatest stage props or even using one with your own band!

Once and for All: Rock’s Most Unexpected Beards

Posted by Mr. Moderator

May 132011

Which rocker sported rock’s most unexpected beard? I think it’s important to determine this…once and for all. Continue reading »

Once and For All: The Most Blatant Lie Ever Told in a Rock Lyric

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Mar 242011

As suggested by Townsman trigmogigmo in the comments to a recent thread, what’s the Most Blatant Lie Ever Told in a Rock Lyric? trigmo suggested the following to get us started: Continue reading »

Owsley Dead: Can He Take Rock’s Most-Regrettable “Acid” Albums With Him?

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Mar 162011

"I'm seeing trails! Can you see the trails?"

Until yesterday, when I belatedly read the news that the Godfather of Acid, Owsley Stanley, was dead I had no idea the guy had a last name, or should I say that Owsley was his first name! I also had no idea he was the man behind the high-tech stage soundsystem of the Grateful Dead. If you ask me it might have helped the band if he wasn’t so handy with electronics and their music came out inaudible. Here’s the New York Times obituary on Owsley. I wonder if all that acid he ate and handled had anything to do with his overall dietary philosophies.

Acid intake had a profound impact on rock ‘n roll, in many cases for the good of the genre. However, the drug—or at least music recorded to sound as if it had been recorded under the influence of the drug—led to some regrettable moments. What “acid” albums would you like to see packed off with Owsley’s corporeal remains…once and for all?

Once and For All: The Greatest Rock Biography

Posted by cdm

Mar 082011

There’s been a lot of talk about oversaturation in the rock bio market so let’s just cut right to the chase here. Once and for all…what is the Greatest Rock Biography? It can be based on any criteria you wish (insight into the artist’s psyche or creative process, the arc of the rags-to-riches-to-rags-to-redemption story, snorting a line of ants or the “Mud Shark Incident”) but no matter what your basis is, please show your work.

Last Man Standing: Last Chance in 2010 to Air Ongoing Beefs With Mr. Moderator

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Dec 242010

Recently, in a completely unrelated thread, a Townsman thought he could “get me” regarding my longstanding dismissal of that the music on Love‘s supposed masterpiece Forever Changes as “bullfighting music.” I guess some wounds take longer than others to heal.

As 2010 winds down, feel free to use this space to air any ongoing, unhealed beefs you may have with me that you feel may still need to be addressed, be it my dismissal of Forever Changes, why we moved Rock Town Hall from our private Yahoo Groups list to this blog format, how I can possibly prefer George Thorogood to ZZ Top, or some other burning question that refuses to cool off no matter how much wisdom and reasoned arguments I have applied to your blistered sense of perspective. I will do my best to answer your questions—once and for all—and, more importantly, to apply a healing balm before we enter the New Year.

The airing of your ongoing, unhealed beefs may even benefit me. Every 5 or 6 years I come to the realization that an opinon I was certain of requires an adjustment. I’m probably due for one of these moments.

Comments for this thread will be closed at the strike of midnight, January 1, 2011.

Older Entries Newer Entries