A New One From Jacko, Old Ones From The Beatles
Sep 27, 2009 About and things
A new single from Michael Jackson will be released on 12th October. Whether it would have been released if he was still alive I do not know.
In the last week the Beatles sold 2.5 million (remastered) albums in the US, UK, and Japan. A spokes person for EMI said “Beatlemania has returned, with fans new and old embracing these beautiful albums in their re-mastered and re-packaged forms. By putting the needs and desires of consumers first, the band are breaking new records around the world more than four decades after they first started recording. All of us at EMI Music are very proud to have been a part of this exciting project and to have delivered an insightful and globally executed marketing plan.”
So what it boils down to is this. MJ will have a song released that may not have seen the light of day if he was alive and the Beatles are topping the charts after 40 years. What does that say about the state of modern pop music?
BTW, don’t you just love the way that EMI were acting altruistically in releasing the remastered albums. They were “putting the needs and desires of consumers first”. If only the rest of the music business shared the same selfless motivation……
Tags: beatles, classic rock music, love rock music, michael Jackson
Someone, Please Stop Kelly Rowland!
Sep 15, 2009 Rants
There are wonderful songs, there are good songs, there are OK songs, there are bad songs, there are dreadful songs.
And then there is ‘When Love Takes Over’
Dreadful song, dreadful voice, and amazingly annoying.
When I looked up the lyrics (below) I was really surprised to find that there were any, other than the one hook line “When love takes over”. In fact, they are just there to allow whats-her-name sing the chorus. This is an increasing trend in pop songs. The purpose of a pop song is not to entertain and to inform it is to sell a CD, download, whatever.
Look at this song. Two verses (the bit where the songwriter is meant to tell the story and the chorus is sung (badly) 3 times. Oh yes the line “When love takes over” is also repeated until my eyes want to bleed.
The lyrics
Its complicated, it always is
That’s just the way it goes
Feels like the way it is so long for this
I wonder if it shows
And under water now i can breath
It never felt so good
Cause i can feel it coming over me
I wouldn’t stop it if i could
[Chorus]
When love takes over yeaaah
You know you can’t deny
When love takes over yeaaah
‘Cause something’s here tonight
Give me a reason I gotta know
Do you feel it too?
Cant you see me here on overload
And this time I blame you
Hmm looking out for you to hold my hand
It feels like I could fall
Now love me right, like I know you can
We could lose it all
[Chorus]
When love takes over yeaaah
You know you can’t deny
When love takes over yeaaah
Cause something’s here tonight
(tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight ….)
I’ll be loving all the time, it’s true
Cause I want to make it right with you
When love takes over, when love takes over
When love takes over, when love takes over …
Over, over, over ….
[Chorus]
When love takes over yeaaah
You know you can’t deny
When love takes over yeaaah
‘Cause something’s here tonight
I have been known to take a virulent dislike to songs ( I could cheerfully strangle Kid Rock) but there is something uniquely horrible about this brain worm.
She has to be stopped and someone must take David Guetta’s crayons away before he writes another formulaic song like this.
Tags: kelly rowland, real rock and blues, rock and blues, when love takes over, worst song in the world
The Mercury Prize 2009
Sep 10, 2009 About and things
Well, once again the wrong artist won the Mercury prize.
Not that I have anything against Speech Debelle it is just that Led Bib are wonderful. Here’s the list of Nominations. What do you think?
The Nominees were;
SPEECH DEBELLE – SPEECH THERAPY
BAT FOR LASHES – TWO SUNS
FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE – LUNGS
FRIENDLY FIRES – FRIENDLY FIRES
GLASVEGAS – GLASVEGAS
THE HORRORS – PRIMARY COLOURS
THE INVISIBLE – THE INVISIBLE
KASABIAN – WEST RYDER PAUPER LUNATIC ASYLUM
LA ROUX – LA ROUX
LED BIB – SENSIBLE SHOES
LISA HANNIGAN – SEA SEW
SWEET BILLY PILGRIM – TWICE BORN MEN
I am not convinced about Florence, can’t stand Kasabian, and do not like the idea of Lisa Hannigan (Irish folk……). But apart from that quite a strong bunch. The Horrors are good, and I like Twice Born Men (even after a review in the Sunday Times that was suitable for Pseuds Corner).
Tags: BAT FOR LASHES, FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE, FRIENDLY FIRES, GLASVEGAS, KASABIAN, LA ROUX, LED BIB, LISA HANNIGAN, rock and blues, SPEECH DEBELLE, SWEET BILLY PILGRIM, THE HORRORS, THE INVISIBLE, the mercuries, the mercury prize 2009
Beatlemania to Sweep The World! (again)
Sep 9, 2009 About and things, rock and blues
There is going to be a worldwide growth in fabness. Mop tops will be back in fashion and lovable Liverpudlian accents everywhere. At least according to the media including a simpering Sunday Times this week, the reason?
The Beatles’ albums have been remastered and reissued together with a magnificent box set. The box set contains all the albums and costs a paltry (!) £169 while the albums cost about £11 each making the box set the most cost effective choice if you want to replace all your existing CDs and vinyl.
Now, most remastered CDs are less than impressive, more of a marketing opportunity than a valuable addition to your collection. From everything that I have read these reissues are different. From the fawning Sunday Times to an anonymous commenter on Yahoo Answers the verdict is that the reissues are like new records.
The original dynamics have been retained (original from the master tapes, not the bland CDs of the past). The trend has been to make the softer bits louder and the louder bits softer to make the overall sound more even. That may sound good on radio but does lose the original attack of the recording.
Overall, these reissues are well worth the money. I will be replacing Revolver (the only Beatles album that I own currently) as well as investing in Sgt. Peppers, Rubber Soul, and Past Masters. Past masters is an interesting album. It contains all those singles that never appeared in albums – seems strange these days that anyone would not issue all their singles on albums – but that is what happened way back when. As well as She Loves You, I Want To Hold Your Hand (so innocent) etc. there are some rarities. Well worth the money even for those of use who are Beatles completists (and I am certainly not one of those). What CDs should you avoid? Yellow Submarine has to be at the top of this list, absolutley useless more Monkees than Beatles….. Also avoid Beatles For Sale. The 4th album in 2 years, whoever thought that would be a good idea?
I was never a huge Beatles fan, (my mother liked them, hated those dirty and loutish Rolling Stones so guess which band I favoured?) but it is true that they were a good band and did change a lot of things for those that came later. I do have some quibble (quite a lot of a quibble, in fact) with John’s statement that they were the best rock band in the world, at least when they were playing in Hamburg. As virtually no one saw them in Hamburg it is hard to argue with him though.
Tags: beatlemania, beatles, beatles remasters, george harrison, john lennon, love rock music, paul mccartney, ring, rock and blues, rongo starr
On This day – Keith Moon
Sep 7, 2009 Departures, On This Day
On this day in 1978 Keith Moon died. He overdosed on a drug called Heminevrin. Ironically this had been prescribed to help him over alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
“Moon the Loon” joined The Who in 1964 after Doug Samden left and played on all their albums from “My Generation” (1865) to “Who Are You” released just 2 weeks before his death. His style was not conventional, eschewing the traditional focus on back beats in favour of dramatic fast rolls across tom toms and cymbals. He was never still behind the drum kit, always looking to add drama and urgency into the songs.
Although a rock drummer of distinction it is for his destructive tendencies that Keith Moon seems to be mainly remembered. he had a fascination with destroying toilets. He used to blow them up with explosives starting with penny bangers (cherry bombs) and graduating to dynamite. So obsessed was he with blowing up toilets that he and the band were banned from several hotel chains and named hotels.
His most famous escapade, however, involved a car, not explosives. On the occasion of his 21st birthday (he was actually 20 but wanted to be able to drink in all the states in the USA, so, naturally he said it was his 21st). Moon was drunk and decided that what he really needed to do was to drive a car into a swimming pool. Variously said to be either a Cadillac or a Lincoln Continental it was this act, as well as serial toilet destruction incidents, that led Moon to be banned from the Holiday Inn chain, for life.
Keith Moon died after spending an evening with Paul and Linda McCartney. They had been to a preview of the film The Buddy Holly Story and then to dinner. After returning to their flat Moon and his girlfriend went to bed. Before going to bed Moon took 32 tablets of Clomethiazole (Heminevrin). This was prescribed drug to help Moon with alcohol withdrawal symptoms. He had been told by his doctor never to take more than 3 tablets in any 24 hour period.
Tags: classic rock music, deaths, keith moon, love rock music, On This Day, rock and blues, the who
On This Day – I’m the Drummer in the Beatles, Aren’t I?
Sep 3, 2009 Uncategorized
On this day in 1968 Ringo came back and rejoined the Beatles to finish recording The White Album.
What you never knew he left? Few people did.
He discovered that McCartney had bee re-recording the drum parts on to of Ringo’s when he was not looking. Mr Starkey was not best pleased, as you can imagine and stormed off. He went on a Mediterranean cruise and after a couple of weeks he went back.
You can only surmise why he came back. No one else wanted a not very good drummer? The money was too good to resist? No pride? No matter, the Fab Four were back together (well Fab three and the other one).
In case you are wondering these are the tracks from The White Album that Ringo did not play on;
Back in The USSR (all the other 3 played drums on this…..)
Dear Prudence (much loved by Gordon Brown apparently, but he’s gone off it recently)
Wild Honey Pie
Blackbird (obviously)
Julia (equally obviously)
Mother’s Nature Son
Revolution 9
All a bit of a storm in a teacup really. In fact there were lots of tensions within the band. Perhaps the biggest source of tension was the way that the royalties and touring profits were divided between the band. Ringo and George 1.5% John and Paul 15 – 30%. Even given that J&P wrote most of the songs it seems very unfair.
Ringo was not the only Beatle to quit. Harrison left on January 10th, 1969. He was upset that while he had a growing number of songs that remained unrecorded The Beatles were concentrating John and Paul’s songs. he was also miffed that John no longer really spoke to the others preferring Yoko to to attend band meetings. John wanted to replace George with either Hendrix or Clapton (surely that was joke?). He also wanted to break the news to the press. No need, Harrison himself did that. However after a few days he was back in the fold.
Tags: beatles, classic rock music, On This Day, richard starkey, ringo starr, rock and blues
On This Day – You Want to Call it What!?
Sep 2, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1971 The Grateful dead released their live masterpiece ‘Grateful Dead’. Originally the band wanted to call it ‘Skull Fuck’ (or ‘Starfuck’ if you read Rolling Stone) but the record company had a couple of objections to the idea. No idea why. The record went on to be their first to make the top 25 in the States.
2nd September 1971 was quite a day for the Dead. Their former drummer and manager Lenny Hart was arrested in San Diego on charges that he embezzled $70,000 from the band, although other estimates make that amount $155,000. He was arrested while baptizing people. He was calling himself Rev Lenny B Hart at the time. Whether or not he was ordained I do not know but have not come across anything to suggest that he was.
On a personal note I used to really like the Dead when I was younger. Then when CDs came out I went out, and as with lots of other bands I liked, I began to buy CDs to replace the Vinyl. Having bought some 15 or so CDs when I listened to them I was really disappointed they were not the band I remembered and so the CDs went onto the shelf, not to be played again. A few years later I began selling them on eBay. They went like hot cakes, particularly The Dick’s Picks series. Just as I was listing the last one I put it on the player. Inevitably I fell in love with the Dead again…… and began to re-buy the same CDs that I had sold. Story of my life.
Classic Dead from ‘77
Tags: classic rock music, Grateful Dead, lenny hart, love rock music, On This Day, rock and blues
On This Day – Thanks for the Eggs Dad!
Sep 1, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1956 Jerry Lee lewis turned up at Sun records wanting to an audition, financed by his father selling 30 dozen eggs to raise the money for the trip! This was not the first time his parents had helped Jerry Lee with his musical ambitions. When he was 8 he showed such promise playing the piano that his parents mortgaged their house to buy him his own piano.
Unfortunately, when Jerry Lee turned up to ask for an audition Sam Phillips was on holiday. Jack Clemment who was the resident producer at Sun Records agreed to let him record 2 demos. One was ‘Crazy Arms’. When Sam Phillips returned from holiday in Florida he was impressed. ‘Crazy Arms’ sold 300,000 copies locally.
Jerry Lee became a studio musician for Sun Records appearing on records by Carl Perkins (‘Your True Love’ & ‘Matchbox’). Back in the recording studio in his own right 1957 became a huge year for Jerry Lee. He recorded and released ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On’, ‘Great Balls of Fire’, ‘Breathless’, and ‘High School Confidential’.
‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On’ was recorded in one take and the vibrancy of the track shows that. It’s vitality took the world by storm. In 1957 Jerry Lee outsold Elvis, he was that big. His career took a nose dive a year later, however, when during a UK tour the British press revealed his marriage to his young second cousin.
‘Revealed’ is not really what happened. The details of the marriage to Myra Gale Brown were not secret. Marrying second cousins was not unusual in the South. The fact that she was 14 scandalised the British press. They did not like rock ‘n’ roll, it was seen as a threat to the natural order of things in society. In any event the scandal forced the end of the tour and nearly ruined Jerry Lee’s career.
Jerry Lee was always a bit loose with the rules about marriage. That his first divorce had not come through did not stop him from marrying Jane Mitcham in September 1953. He was still married to Jane when he married Myra.
Tags: carl perkins, classic rock music, jerry lee lewis, On This Day, rock and blues, sam phillips, sun records
