So, are we not doing the Tuesday thingy?

[Dave_G]

Not me, no-sir-ree.

Dave

[ForeverAutumn]

Not me, no-sir-ree.

Dave

This Tuesday thing seems to be dying off lately.

I'll post, even though I don't usually. I hate to see it die.

Lots of prog for me this week....

Dream Theater - Train of Thought
Cryptic Vision - Moments of Clarity (I'm still loving this over and over and over again)
Yes - Relayer
Yes - 35th anniversay Ultimate Collection
A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step
Pallas - The Cross and the Crucible
Frameshift - Unweaving the Rainbow
Marillion - A Singles Collection
Sam Roberts - We Were Born In A Flame (this album just won Best Rock Album and Best Album at the Juno awards (Canadian Grammy's) on Sunday night). It's pretty good IMHO).

[Stone]

I finally found some time for music, and had some driving time, so I listened to:

Jesus and Mary Chain - Pyschocandy

Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique

Kate Bush - Hounds of Love

The USAISAMONSTER -Tasheyana Compost (thanks to our old friend Rae, who was here yesterday)

John Vanderslice - Cellar Door

Blonde Redhead - Misery Is a Butterfly

Cool For August - Grand World

Electrelane - The Power Out

Barry Black - Tragic Animal Stories

Mekons - Me

The Hellhouse Sdtk.

And various tracks by Krokus, Triumph, The Make-Up, Wire, Bonnie "Prince" Billy.

[nobody]

I'm always up for a Tuesday thread. Been listening to a bunch of different stuff lately…

Some oldies…

Chet Akins: A Session with Chet Atkins, and Guitar Genius
Excellent guitar work on both of these, first one is all instrumentals, mostly classics. The second features his brother James on vocals on half the tracks and features more then current tunes like an instrumental cover of Heartbreak Hotel. The less familiar tunes are stronger to my ears. Good stuff on both of ‘em.

Les Paul and Mary Ford: Warm & Wonderful
More classic guitar work. Pop songs across the board, nothing groundbreaking. But, the guitar work is again spectacular. There’s a reason everyone knows the name Les Paul, even if they haven’t actually heard the guy. His wife’s vocals compliment things nicely. If you like to hear Brian Setzer play Sleepwalk, this kind of thing would likely be right up your alley.

Some 80s stuff…

Love and Rockets: Express and Earth, Sun, Moon
These records seem to hold up well to me. Express is more upbeat than Earth, Sun, Moon. Both of them have swirling atmospheric guitars. For me, these are by far the best two Love and Rockets releases, although I do have songs that I like from most of their records.

New Order: Substance
Simply a wonderful compilation of their biggest hits up ‘til its 1987 release. I’ve got the vinyl version, which is the same as disc 1 of the 2 CD version. I still think of anything put out after this as “new” New Order. Along with Power, Corruption and Lies, this is my favorite New Order.

Prince: 1999
Still dragging out all my Prince stuff. This one is simply fantastic. Came out right before Purple Rain went through the roof. Starts out with the three hits all together on side one, the title track, Little Red Corvette, and delirious. The rest of the collection is a bit less focused but always funky set on tunes. Great stuff.

Jazz…

The Greatest Jazz Concert of All Time
2 LP set with a rather optimistic title to say the least. Still, they may just be right. This is the same stuff from the Jazz at Massey Hall recordings, featuring an all star band with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Bud Powell, and Max Roach. With a lineup like that, it’s hard to imagine anything bad coming out of this event. Nice playing and they sound good together.

And some newer stuff…

Iron & Wine
Was recently hooked up with their whole catalog, and have been listening to it a lot. Country/folk tinged acoustic stuff. It’s been drawing me in over and over. I;ve seen quite a few people mention them and I can see why.

Bonnie “Prince” Billy: sings Greatest Palace Songs
I’ve seen reviewers having a cow over this thing. I guess these songs are sacred to some of these folks and were recorded like crap in a bathroom or something. Anyway, everything I’ve seen about this starts out with the whole mess of how could he record with good musicians in a good studio in Nashville and other such meandering. Bottom line, these are good songs, well done. OK, he sounds like he might crack a smile once in a while. If that’s a problem, stay away. Otherwise, this is a great LP. And for you vinyl fans, side 4 rocks.


Still listening to Savath & Savalas, Handsome Family and others. Put on Marvin Gaye: Superhits the other day. Actually really enjoyed listening to Elvis’s gospel record the name of which I forget. Others as well, but that’s plenty for now.

[mad rhetorik]

Listened to lots of dark, depressing stuff over the weekend:

Joy Division: Closer, Unknown Pleasures, and Substance
The Cure: Pornography
Pink Floyd: The Wall
Neil Young: Tonight's The Night
Nirvana: In Utero and Unplugged
Alice In Chains: Jar Of Flies
Opeth: Damnation
Slint: Spiderland
Massive Attack: Mezzanine

My mood has improved since, so I popped in some sunnier music:

The Stone Roses: self-titled
Weezer: Blue
Jon Spencer Blues Xplosion: Orange
Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream

[DarrenH]

Miles Davis - Pangaea
Zappa - Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Cryptic Vision - Moments of Clarity
Super Furry Animals - Rings Around The World (2CD version)
Radiohead - OK Computer
Tull - A Passion Play
Tull - Minstrel In The Gallery
Tull - Warchild
Tull - A. This is the remaster from Japan. Watched the Slipstream vid also.
Tull - Stormwatch. Again, the remaster from Japan.

Very cool Camel DVD titled Coming Of Age. I'm on the hunt for some more Camel CD's now.

Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around
Waylon Jennings - Ultimate Waylon Jennings

Darren

[Dave_G]

I love that Pallas cd.

Actually I listened to the Yes TFTO Rhino remaster, some Sparks, some UFO, and the Neil Young comp, and Strawbs and Tr3nity.

Dave

[Ex Lion Tamer]

And various tracks by Krokus, Triumph, The Make-Up, Wire, Bonnie "Prince" Billy.

Triumph? I'm starting to think you might just be a closet Canadian.

Go Habs Go!

[-Jar-]

Listened to lots of dark, depressing stuff over the weekend:

Joy Division: Closer, Unknown Pleasures, and Substance
The Cure: Pornography
Pink Floyd: The Wall
Neil Young: Tonight's The Night
Nirvana: In Utero and Unplugged
Alice In Chains: Jar Of Flies
Opeth: Damnation
Slint: Spiderland
Massive Attack: Mezzanine

My mood has improved since, so I popped in some sunnier music:

The Stone Roses: self-titled
Weezer: Blue
Jon Spencer Blues Xplosion: Orange
Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream

this could easily be my list on some other week... (back before I was a daddy and had the time to listen to this much music in a week..) basically you just listed several of my all-time favorites.. you didn't listen to LOVELESS and NEW DAY RISING too did you??



dude, I swear, I bet our collections overlap by at least 50%.. probably even more..

There was one other guy I met who's collection matched mine really closely.. he was over visiting and was looking at my cds.. and said.. dude! did you steal my collection??

-jar

[Troy]

Pink Floyd- Animals. Toldja I'd listen to it. It's really good, eh?

A Clockwork Orange Soundtrack. Love that old Moog junk. About as close to classical as I get.

XTC- Nonsuch. Books ARE burning.

Blur- Modern Life is Rubbish. Their best album.

Peter Gabriel 1. The Burgermeister IS moribund. Undervalued album.

Flower Kings- Stardust disc 2. Yep. I like it, but I'm a candy ass.

Eric Matthews- It's Heavy in Here. Beatles based pop.

William Orbit- Strange Cargo- Sooooooooo 80s!

Elton John- Honkey Chateau. Love it.

Adventures of Jet- Muscle. Bought on FP's suggestion for a couple bucks. Sounds like The Cars and all the songs are about street racing and muscle cars. Silly.

Laika and the Cosmonauts- Local Warming. A new one from them. Their best album! The writing is much improved and that Ventures sound, more refined.

Robyn Hitchcock- Queen Elvis. Yes, he really sings "If I was man enough, I'd come on your stump". Very strange jangle pop.

Making more Garageband musics. It brings extreme pleasure into my day.

[-Jar-]

Triumph? I'm starting to think you might just be a closet Canadian.

Go Habs Go!

I still slap on THUNDER SEVEN every once in a while...

[mad rhetorik]

this could easily be my list on some other week... (back before I was a daddy and had the time to listen to this much music in a week..) basically you just listed several of my all-time favorites.. you didn't listen to LOVELESS and NEW DAY RISING too did you??



dude, I swear, I bet our collections overlap by at least 50%.. probably even more..

There was one other guy I met who's collection matched mine really closely.. he was over visiting and was looking at my cds.. and said.. dude! did you steal my collection??

-jar

I do own Loveless and New Day Rising. I'll listen to them later.

I may have indeed stolen your collection. Check it again. ; p

[tentoze]

Not me, no-sir-ree.

Dave

Arright, I'm playing briefly:

Espers- read a review of this on pitchfork a couple of months ago that piqued my interest, and Big B's had a copy last wk-end, so it am mine now. Not being a labeloligist, I guess this is psych-folk stuff. A trio playing 6 & 12-strings, dulcimers, chimes, and stuff- the front guy singing dark tunes with additional vocal interest added by a female with an angel's voice. And then when you think it's a nice folky thang going on, a storm of acid-tinged electric guitar builds slowly from the distance until it's all up in yr grill. This is very interesting stuff. What little I could find on the Web shows them playing gigs with Damon & Naomi at times- and I can see that being a good fit. Recommended.

Iron & Wine's latest release- more polished than the 1st, excellent throughout. Sam Beam makes gentle masterpieces.

A bunch of other stuff, but thosee are the new ones, and dang good they are.

[Stone]

Triumph? I'm starting to think you might just be a closet Canadian.

I've been accused of having a Canadian accent, whateverthehell that means. I also got slapped a couple weeks ago by a Canadian woman,* so if that's what being a Canadian is all about, no thanks. I'm proud to be a kind, gentle, humble AMERICAN.

Oh yeah, Triumph. Rae was at my place and I was displaying my best music by playing some Krokus on vinyl ("Midnite Maniac" to be specific). He mentioned how he saw this Triumph DVD with cheesy videos, and on cue I pulled out my Allied Forces CD. I played "Fool For Your Love" and "Magic Power." I admit to really liking the former quite a bit, and have since the album came out.

Speaking of Canadian artists, have your heard of Controller.Controller?

EDIT: Also, speaking of "Lock up your hats!" I listened to part of A Bell Is a Cup ..., including "Boiling Boy" yesterday.

*Disclaimer: This is a woman I know and work with and we were both hammered. I (apparently - I don't remember) made a crude comment to someone else and got smacked.

[JDaniel]

Not me, no-sir-ree.

Dave

Hey, sorry we couldn't hook up whilst I was in Atlanta last week. Had a blast there though.

My playlist for the week:

Jimmie Dale Gilmore - Spinning Around The Sun

Robben Ford - Keep On Running

SRV & Double Trouble - Texas Flood Remaster

The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 1

The Best Of John Prine

Jeffrey Foucault - Miles From The Lightning

Junior Wells - Everybody's Gettin Some

The Band of Blacky Ranchette - Still Looking Good To Me

Damien Rice - O

and my own Lyle Lovett comp I just cooked up - Gotta Lovett, with songs spanning 6 or 7 albums.

Been spinning lots of vinyl too - Linda Ronstadt, Elton John, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Rolling Stones.

Oh, and working on CRSv9, which is done except for 3 slackers (you know who you are).


JD

[Dusty Chalk]

I been listening to a "Mr. Sunshine" and quite enjoying it. Nice unorthodox song structures and melodies, and the production is surprisingly good for a "bedroom boffin".

Amongst other things, of course. Lots of depressing stuff -- Diary of Dreams, The Devics, and that classical disc I mentioned the other day.

Love and Rockets: Express and Earth, Sun, Moon
These records seem to hold up well to me. Express is more upbeat than Earth, Sun, Moon. Both of them have swirling atmospheric guitars. For me, these are by far the best two Love and Rockets releases, although I do have songs that I like from most of their records.

Have you heard Lift -- released later than their "golden era", but still quite good. Actually fits in more well with post-rock/neo-psychedelic path that recent The Church recordings have trodden. Quite good -- I revisited it again, recently, and was surprised how much I enjoyed it.

[Stone]

Oh, and working on CRSv9, which is done except for 3 slackers (you know who you are).


JD

Mine's on its way (sent yesterday).

[Ex Lion Tamer]

I've been accused of having a Canadian accent, whateverthehell that means.

That means that you say "eh" at the end of every sentence.

Funny, I've been accused of having an American accent, specifically, New York/Brooklyn, people have said the same thing about my daughters.

Oh yeah, Triumph. Rae was at my place and I was displaying my best music by playing some Krokus on vinyl ("Midnite Maniac" to be specific). He mentioned how he saw this Triumph DVD with cheesy videos, and on cue I pulled out my Allied Forces CD. I played "Fool For Your Love" and "Magic Power." I admit to really liking the former quite a bit, and have since the album came out.

Triumph falls into the same category for me as bands like Max Webster, April Wine, Helix, Honeymoon Suite, Aldo Nova, Glass Tiger...bands that were thrust on the Canadian public despite their lack of any meaningful songwriting talent, because of the CRTC (equivalent of the FCC), rules for Canadian content - sort of a musical affirmative action. These "rules" have created for me, a (perhaps false) perception, that most Canadian bands who get airplay in Canada, and not in the U.S. are utter crap, popular here only because of content rules. Given your and Jar's endorsement of Triumph, maybe I'm wrong, obn them anyway. Any other cheesy Canadian 80's bands that you think are wothwhile?

Speaking of Canadian artists, have your heard of Controller.Controller?

Nope, I'll check them out, but only if you think I should.

EDIT: Also, speaking of "Lock up your hats!" I listened to part of A Bell Is a Cup ..., including "Boiling Boy" yesterday.

A fine album, highly underrated (at least by me, up to now.)

[Stone]

Triumph falls into the same category for me as bands like Max Webster, April Wine, Helix, Honeymoon Suite, Aldo Nova, Glass Tiger...bands that were thrust on the Canadian public despite their lack of any meaningful songwriting talent, because of the CRTC (equivalent of the FCC), rules for Canadian content - sort of a musical affirmative action. These "rules" have created for me, a (perhaps false) perception, that most Canadian bands who get airplay in Canada, and not in the U.S. are utter crap, popular here only because of content rules. Given your and Jar's endorsement of Triumph, maybe I'm wrong, obn them anyway. Any other cheesy Canadian 80's bands that you think are wothwhile?

Not sure of any other "cheesy" Canadian 80s bands I think are worthwhile, but I think you should add Platinum Blonde to your list. Man, they were in constant rotation on MuchMusic in the mid-80s. Triumph did make a small splash in the states, as did April Wine, Aldo Nova and Glass Tiger. None of them were ever huge here, though. I do have a Honeymoon Suite album, but I don't think I've ever listened to it, and it's not at the top of my priority list.

Nope, I'll check them out, but only if you think I should.

I've never heard them, just read a few things about them (and that they're supposed to be the next hot thing outta Canada), so don't purchase it based on anything I say.

A fine album, highly underrated (at least by me, up to now.)

I like it a lot too. Do you have Manscape or any of the Wir stuff? If so, is it worth checking out?

Stone

P.S. How could you possibly call a song with lyrics like these "cheesy":

Just between you and me
Baby I know our love will be,
Just between you and me
Always I know our love will be,
Just between you and me

Lovers often seem to say
Hearts can be blind to love gone astray,
Always it's the same old song,
Someone's been hurt by love that's gone wrong.

[ForeverAutumn]

Triumph falls into the same category for me as bands like Max Webster, April Wine, Helix, Honeymoon Suite, Aldo Nova, Glass Tiger...bands that were thrust on the Canadian public despite their lack of any meaningful songwriting talent, because of the CRTC (equivalent of the FCC), rules for Canadian content - sort of a musical affirmative action. These "rules" have created for me, a (perhaps false) perception, that most Canadian bands who get airplay in Canada, and not in the U.S. are utter crap, popular here only because of content rules. Given your and Jar's endorsement of Triumph, maybe I'm wrong, obn them anyway. Any other cheesy Canadian 80's bands that you think are wothwhile?

Hey Mark, I really have to disagree with you on the Triumph front. I grew up listening to most of the bands that you mentioned above and would agree with you about the CRTC rules on some accounts, but I don't think that Triumph would be in that category. In fact, Triumph was successful in the US, not just in Canada.

I think that Triumph rocked in their day. They were good, clean, rock and roll fun. Their songs always had a positive note. Sure, that might have made some of the lyrics cheesy, but so what. I've heard a lot worse as far as lyrics go. And, while the talent levels of Levine and Moore were nothing to write home about, Rik Emmett was highly under-rated as a guitarist.

While you rate Triumph with the likes of Helix and Honeymoon Suite, I would put them up there with Rush and Saga.

Triumph may not have been your cup of tea, but you should give some of Rik Emmett's solo stuff a listen. I think that you'll be surprised at how good he is.

[Davey]

Electrelane - The Power Out

Hey Stoney, whadya think about that Electrelane? That one has my curiosity peaked. Heard some very nice things about it. Seems like something JC might be all over, but one I might really like too. I know that Albini took them into his studio for this one and that they're on Too Pure now, past and present home of some of my other faves like Laika, Stereolab, PJ Harvey, etc. Anyway, if you feel like it I'd love to hear your first impressions. I can order it for under $10 so it's not a big risk, but might as well take advantage of your good taste when available BTW, nice review by Heather Phares at AMG- she's my favorite of their long time reviewers and we have pretty similar taste.

NP: Modest Mouse - the fun new one

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Hey Mark, I really have to disagree with you on the Triumph front. I grew up listening to most of the bands that you mentioned above and would agree with you about the CRTC rules on some accounts, but I don't think that Triumph would be in that category. In fact, Triumph was successful in the US, not just in Canada.

I know that I am being unfair to not only Triumph, but all the bands I listed, as whatever I heard on the radio was all I knew of them, so there may well have been quality music coming from any of them. My rant was more against the CRTC and the perception that it fostered in me that I was being force-fed "Canadian" music. Compound this with the fact that the 1980s saw a general malaise, (again my perception) in radio programming, so I started looking elsewhere...college radio, underground and british music press, word of mouth, for new and interesting music to me. There could have been all kinds of worthy Canadian bands, but if there was no underground buzz about them, I ignored them.

As far as Triumph is concerned, I have heard a lot of good things about Rik Emmett, so I'm sure lumping them in with Honeymoon Suite is probably wrong. But they were part of the late 70's early 80s hard rock scene that included bands like Rush, Styx, Heart, Toto, Journey, Asia, Boston that, though they made up a staple of my listening diet in high school, by the time London Calling came out, in 1980, I simply had no interest anymore.

Triumph may not have been your cup of tea, but you should give some of Rik Emmett's solo stuff a listen. I think that you'll be surprised at how good he is.

Thanks Autumn, I just may do that.

And a quick word about the playoffs, which start tonite, for me anyway. Doesn't this just feel like a great year. The East is so wide open, I wouldn't be surprised if any one of 7 teams make it to the finals. The only one that would surprise me is the Islanders, and yet, I'm picking them to upset Tampa Bay in round 1. Good luck to the Leafs. But please don't mistake the polite well-wishing as rooting for them in any way. Not gonna happen. I just like way too much the fact that since the leafs last cup win, the Habs have won...

10!

[Stone]

Hey Stoney, whadya think about that Electrelane? That one has my curiosity peaked. Heard some very nice things about it. Seems like something JC might be all over, but one I might really like too.

I like it quite a bit. I haven't spent a ton of time with it, but I've spun it a few times and like it more with each listen. Stylistically it varies quite a bit throughout the album (sometimes sounding like 80s synth pop, sometimes straightforward indie rock, sometimes delving into a moody spacy feel, etc.), but it's all good, including a great number sung by a choir. Interesting stuff. I'm sure JC would like it and I bet you would too.

Electrelane track coming soon to a CRS comp near you.

[-Jar-]

Helix!

Gimme an R! (R!!)
O! (O!!)
C! (C!!)
K! (K!!)
Whatcha Got? (ROCK!!)
Wan Whatcha Gonna Do?? (ROCK YOU!!)

hehe.. I even had the album before that (NO REST FOR THE WICKED, 1983) with "Heavy Metal Love" and "Check out the Love" - very catchy for a pop metal band.. yea, back in 83/84, if it was metal, I bought it. Remember Kick Axe?? Heavy Metal Shuffle! God that sounds so lame today... but I could listen and rock out to that album, simply for nostalgia's sake.. (VICES, 1984)

-jar

[Slosh]

NP: Modest Mouse - the fun new one

Me too. Hey, what are the chances of that?