I'm in the small minority in that the main appeal are the beats. It doesn't make a big difference on who's rapping over a Dilla track to me for example. Thanks for sharing though... Scott Storch seems like a douche (still can't believe he was w/ The Roots), but I have to give it up for Shutterbug.
Indeed, they're one of the only bands that's stuck to their guns and made the music they've wanted. As they have said in interviews, "we aren't good at the game because we don't play it." Abit like peeking at the end of and epic novel going to U23 at this point but welcome to the club man!
Yesterday was the 3rd annual Record Store Day ! Pretty Good score! - A mint print of Bob Dylan's debut album - A limited edition reprint of Blond on Blond - & a decent copy of Michael Nesmith's second solo album, Loose Salute
Nah, man - it's not peeking at the end. The Church are now just hitting their stride. They'll have another 23 albums in them - just you wait and see!
A low quality leak of the national's new album. Good album but low sound quality. I can't wait for a good copy
Bruce Springsteen- Nebraska R.E.M.- Life's Rich Pageant Jethro Tull- Songs from the Wood Redbone- Best of Warren Zevon- Excitable Boy Soundtrack- Easy Rider Television- Marquee Moon Isaac Hayes- Hot Buttered Soul Neil Young- Tonight's the Night You know, I spent a good deal of time on Amazon last night reading this thread about Springsteen- yay or nay- and I guess more people with an axe to grind tend to respond to these than the fans (the pro-Springsteen group). Almost all the criticisms sprung from things that didn't even have to do with his studio recordings- and criticisms on those were limited to one thing- "DON'T LIKE HIS VOICE!!!" My $.02: 1. What about his band and the music? 2. What about the songwriting? 3. Is the singing really that bad? Sorry, but I gotta defend Springsteen here- say what you want about his politics, his marketing, his Super Bowl performance, etc.- but you can't deny this guy is one of the more imaginative songwriters around, busts his a** with 3-4 hour concerts every night, has a great backing band (really, how good is Roy Bittan? Anyone who's really listened to the Born to Run CD will acknowledge his greatness), and even in his singing, he lays it all out there. I used to dislike Neil Young and Dire Straits in my younger, more foolish days because I didn't like the vocals. I've come to realize that it's not all about the vocals, but it's also about what you do with them. And I defy anyone to say that Springsteen doesn't sing his heart out on nearly every thing he's recorded. That passion for music and the characters he sings about has really made an impact on me, more than any other musician or artist. So, props to you, Springsteen, for 4 decades of great stuff. Oh, Neil Young and Dire Straits are great, too.
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Springsteen is definitely up there as one of my all-time favorites. It's funny because all I thought of him for the longest time was the guy that had Born in the USA. But if you go back and listen to his stuff in the '70s, especially "Born to Run", and "Darkness on the Edge of Town", that is some of the greatest stuff you will ever hear. If it hadn't been for his original manager, the Boss could have released a new album every year. I saw him last year at Bonnaroo and he has been the best act I have ever seen live. To be 60 and to go for 3 hours with a relentless energy was incredible to watch and listen to. Oh and your point on Roy Bittan is spot-on. Jim Steinman would definitely agree with you and me on that. Legend has it that the future Bat out of Hell creator used to listen to "Born to Run" constantly because of the piano playing and he made it a point to search out for Bittan because he wanted him to play on the albums he produced and Bittan pretty much has (look it up if you don't believe me!).
The Birthday Party - Prayers on Fire This Heat - Health and Efficiency Ultravox - Rage in Eden Japan - Tin Drum
Don't really know but they'll be coming back in the fall, full on electric playing get this! Starfish AND U23 start to finish. I know the Church have a Kraut-rock Lp in the pipe line called Down to the Cardboard. And they're looking to follow up U23 so they have some life left in them just yet.
Yes, he also did some, or all, of the piano work on Dire Straits' Making Movies CD. He ain't called The Professor for nothing. Not sure about Springsteen releasing a new album every year, though. I know that when Springsteen recorded his earlier albums, he took a lot of time and went through a lot of songs just to get the 7 or 8 or 10 that he wanted to use. Darkness, for example. He could've included Because The Night, but he gave that to Patti Smith and she made a top 20 hit out of it. He could've included Fire, but he gave that to the Pointer Sisters and they made it into a #2 hit. He wanted Darkness to be a relentless view of darker topics, like irreconcilable father-son conflicts, dead-end jobs, and depression. I know the lawsuit stuff took a lot of his time, but I'm still not sure he would have released more albums- he was always very particular about creating albums with themes, and he was also meticulous about recording these- Born To Run was a particularly long project, and he threw the master tapes out the hotel window after hearing the final version because he hated it. Luckily, cooler heads prevailed. If you pick up the box set with the previously unreleased stuff "Tracks," that has what would've probably been the extra CDs. Pulled out all the Springsteen CDs yesterday, from Greetings to Working on a Dream. Shoot, even Working has some great songs. But Born to Run- well, that became my favorite album at age 14 after I got past my heavy-metal-only stage, and 29 years later, it's still #1 for me. Amazing how we tend to go back to the same things we revered in our childhood. Heck, I still collect Wacky Packs and I ain't 'fraid to admit it, neither! (BTW, if anyone has the Wacky Pack for "Frosted Snakes," let me know).
