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Post by jk on Apr 19, 2020 19:07:07 GMT
I'm about halfway through Boston's debut--and I love it!
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Post by kds on Apr 20, 2020 0:49:13 GMT
One of the great debuts of all time, and like I said before, I'd consider Boston's debut as the all time greatest AOR album.
I only wish Boston had been more prolific in their prime.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 20, 2020 0:54:58 GMT
Their mastermind, Tom Scholz, is also a mastermind on the technical side. His Rockman brand was hugely important in guitar amp modeling / effects. You could buy this little box that was identical to a Walkman, plug in your headphones and your guitar, and it was astounding. In hindsight I'm sure it would sound like crap because that's how progress is, but at the time? It was remarkable.
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Post by kds on Apr 20, 2020 0:57:08 GMT
Their mastermind, Tom Scholz, is also a mastermind on the technical side. His Rockman brand was hugely important in guitar amp modeling / effects. You could buy this little box that was identical to a Walkman, plug in your headphones and your guitar, and it was astounding. In hindsight I'm sure it would sound like crap because that's how progress is, but at the time? It was remarkable. He really is one of the unsung geniuses in rock history. Of course, being the leader of a band like Boston isn't going to help your standing in the rock elite.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Apr 24, 2020 14:05:02 GMT
One of my quarantine projects was to enter all my vinyl into discogs, which I finished last weekend. Since then, I’ve been letting the randomizer on the discogs phone app choose what records to listen to. It picked some albums I tend to ignore, and I have to say I’ve enjoyed listening this way. Whenever I shake my phone and see a random album selection, it’s a bit a of a thrill, like an unexpected song coming on the radio. Here’s what got picked for me over the past week:
Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request The Kinks - Are the Village Green Preservation Society Tears for Fears - The Hurting Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring The Manish Boys/Davy Jones and the Lower Third The Beach Boys - That’s Why God Made the Radio The Kinks - State of Confusion Roxette - Joyride
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 24, 2020 17:14:38 GMT
I don't know about "been listening to recently" (since that implies repeat listens), but I just listened to this and loved it as much as I did 20 years ago.
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Post by jk on Apr 25, 2020 21:19:49 GMT
I finished Oar yesterday evening. Standout tracks for me were "War in Peace", "All Come to Meet Her" and the spooky closer "Grey/Afro". Then I moved on to Cap'n's recommendation by Simon Bookish--and it's great so far. Never a dull moment! I'll read your review, sir, after I've heard it all.
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Post by jk on May 20, 2020 13:52:43 GMT
I thought of this while manoeuvring my socially distancing way through the streets to the butcher's this afternoon on a rare shopping expedition. (My son and his family do almost all our shopping these days.) I guess we're all destined to be zig-zag wanderers for the time being. Curiously, I see this Beefheart song was used last year in (of all things) a Hyundai ad.
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Post by jk on May 25, 2020 11:42:15 GMT
"'25th Century Quaker' [the only track off Mirror Man I ever listen to] is based on a squarish two-bar ascending riff which is very close to the melody. The musette [oboe thingie] sounds out-of-place here (particularly at the end, where it sounds like a loon being strangled), and Van Vliet uses it sparingly. Here again he works his voice hard, using repetitions of words and fragments of phrases much the way Van Morrison uses them. Under this chanting the guitars slowly change the shape of the basic riff, while keeping everything available in small rhythmic boxes. The effect is again hypnotic, though the track as a whole is less successful than 'Tarotplane.' The guitarists here are Alex St. Clair and Jeff Cotton, and their playing is much looser than that of later Magic Bands. [Drummer John] French here again provides the rhythmic binding that keeps the fragments together." [ Source]
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Post by Kapitan on May 25, 2020 12:34:38 GMT
I've got to admit, I never listen to Mirror Man. I did when I was first discovering Beefheart, but over time I found it just boring, either interesting intricate parts a la Trout Mask or the latter music, nor particularly catchy pop blues a la Safe as Milk or the early 70s albums. (The late 90s reissue of the complete sessions was interesting for its commentary on the recordings and then-unreleased outtakes that were to be a part of It Comes to You in a Plain Brown Wrapper.)
jk, knowing your interest in the band and in serious music, you might find the series of interviews by Samuel Andreyev (a Canadian composer living in Alsace) with members of the Magic Band. On his channel, he interviews John French (Drumbo), Bill Harkelroad (Zoot Horn Rollo), Mark Boston (Rockette Morton), Art Tripp, and Jeff Cotton (Antennae Jimmy Semens).
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Post by jk on May 25, 2020 14:48:54 GMT
jk, knowing your interest in the band and in serious music, you might find the series of interviews by Samuel Andreyev (a Canadian composer living in Alsace) with members of the Magic Band. On his channel, he interviews John French (Drumbo), Bill Harkelroad (Zoot Horn Rollo), Mark Boston (Rockette Morton), Art Tripp, and Jeff Cotton (Antennae Jimmy Semens).
Now that's a familiar name! Have you ever watched the video of his analysis of "Frownland"? Utterly mind-blowing. Thanks for the tip, Cap'n. I have Zoot's book Lunar Notes--and a most interesting read it is too!
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Post by Kapitan on May 25, 2020 14:59:48 GMT
I actually haven't watched the Frownland vid yet, though I'd marked it to watch later after hearing him discuss it in at least one of the interviews with Magic Band members.
Lunar Notes is indeed a good read. A little troubling in spots, but interesting.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on May 28, 2020 13:32:45 GMT
Since the Brian Eno documentary I saw several weeks ago, I've been meaning to check out a few of his more well-known albums. I can't say that I got pulled all the way into Another Green World, though it has some really good moments on it. I do find the very pretty Everything Merges With the Night to be quite enchanting though. This one's a keeper for sure.
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Post by Kapitan on May 29, 2020 11:28:33 GMT
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Jun 17, 2020 18:36:25 GMT
Rayland Baxter's whole Wide Awake album is quirky, thoughtful, and overall just wonderful, but I'm super into this lovely song in particular lately. Love the reference to Crimson and Clover (over and over).
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