Monthly Archives: August 2009

Live At Leeds (The Who) – Album Review

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A Discreet Cover For An Explosive Album

A Discreet Cover For An Explosive Album

As successful as Tommy would prove to be for The Who, it would also prove to bring about a series of difficulties that were to undermine the band, the way it saw itself, and the way the audience saw it. The problem with the famed rock opera was that the sound of the record was not even remotely reminiscent of the way The Who sounded on stage, and since many people discovered them through Tommy they had no idea of the volume and electricity the band generated when playing live. How could they address that situation and make newcomers realize how they really sounded, and show their old fans that they were as demolishing as ever? The answer was to be named “Live At Leeds”, and nowadays any fan of rock & roll knows the words. They are inscribed into the collective soul of rockers, and into the cognition of those who have experienced music in its purest form.

“Leeds” found the different band members at the point in which they realized The Who was to be what they were to do for the rest of their lives. Not because they were making a substantial income, but because they had found something they truly excelled at, and something that truly inspired others to do their best. Continue reading →

Nadav Poraz (WhoSampled) – Interview (Part 2)

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This is the second part of the interview with Nadav Poraz from WhoSampled.com. If you haven’t done so already, check out Part 1 here.

PART II

MUSIC & YOU

When did you become interested in music? What was the first album or single you ever purchased?

I’ve been a music fan since about the age of 8. I guess the first band I really got into was The Police – I bought all their back-catalogue when I was 10! My taste in music has changed quite dramatically since then though. Continue reading →

My Favorite Elvis Costello Lyrics (Part 1)

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Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello

What a task it is to pick favorites from Costello’s lyrics! I will say again what I said when reviewing my favorite Keith Moon’s drum breaks – this is just a list of lyrics I truly connect with, or that hold some kind of thematic poignancy to me. I could have a list made up of 80 lyrics and I would still feel like I omitted a worrying amount of excellent lyrics from him. I will see how many installments I end up running as regards this topic. In the meantime, these are (in no particular order) 5 of his lyrics that I relate to the most. I chose some obscure songs to start, too, so as to avoid quoting the ones everybody knows to the bone.

1)

“But if I’ve done something wrong there’s no “ifs” and “buts”
Cause I love you just as much as I hate your guts”

If someone asks you what a paradox is, do not give them a tome on rhetoric – give them this lyric. It is from the song “Alibi”, which is included on the “When I Was Cruel” album. That single song justifies purchasing it. Continue reading →

Nadav Poraz (WhoSampled) – Interview (Part 1)

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Today I have the pleasure to interview Mr. Nadav Poraz from WhoSampled.com, the community site that revolves around sampling and cover songs which I reviewed last week. Nadav kindly answered the following questions about his site, the response it has had so far and what the future holds in store. Continue reading →

Extreme Honey (Elvis Costello) – Compilation Album

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Costello From Every Angle

Elvis Costello From Every Angle

This CD compiles Costello’s recordings during his tenure at Warner Brothers, a time of constant reinvention that resulted in some really good music, some disconcerting experiments and overall timid performances on the charts. The CD has 18 tracks, and every album minus “Kojak Variety” (a collection of covers released in 1995) is represented.

The one song you might be familiar with is “Veronica”, co-written with Paul McCartney along with “So Like Candy”. The song was incredibly successful and it received heavy airplay when it was released at the tail end of the 80s. It has Elvis on a very accessible pose, granted, but I feel that without the McCartney connection it would have shared the fate of most of his late day compositions: respected by critics, accepted by fans, revered by a few, and ignored by the masses. Continue reading →

Kisstunes – Record Songs Online And Share Them With Everybody

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Kisstunes

Name: Kisstunes

URL: http://www.kisstunes.com

This website offers a very practical solution for musicians everywhere, namely the ability to compose using the computer’s keys as if they were making up a couple of octaves. That is:

KeyboardKissTunes

Not only that, you can record the finished piece and send it to friends easily. An account must be created to these effects, but that comes at no cost and it is dealt with smoothly. Continue reading →

The Very Best Of Willie Nelson (Sony 1999) – Compilation Album

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The Front Cover Of The 2 CD Set

The Front Cover Of The 2 CD Set

The first song by Willie Nelson I ever listened to was “Gulf Coast Highway”, his duet with Emmylou Harris. The song was part of Emmylou’s 1992 compilation of duets, an album released to somehow piggyback on the success of the “Trio” collaboration with Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton. As you probably know by now, “Duets” was my first country album ever.

I regarded that particular duet as the emotional high point of the album, and that is a bold statement considering that “Love Hurts”, “That Lovin’ You’re Feelin’” and “Wild Montana Skies” are part of the same compilation. I immediately decided to learn more about Willie, and see which compilation could I find and get my hands on. Continue reading →

Filtersage – Find Related Music Releases & Movies Socially

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FiltersageName. Filtersage

URL: http://www.filtersage.com

Quite an ingenious site, this one will appeal not only to music lovers but also to film buffs everywhere. What it does is to compare and contrast music and movie releases then and now, and let you: A) Find the connection through pieces all through history, and B) Find similar or related releases to the ones you are keen on today.

The site involves the asking and answering of questions in order to build up a database. This database is then used for directing other members of the online community towards similar releases they could enjoy. Continue reading →

Tigerlily (Natalie Merchant) – Album Review

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The CD Cover. Many Photos From The Same Shot Decorate The Booklet. This Is Easily The Less Appealing One.

The CD Cover. Many Photos From The Same Shot Decorate The Booklet. This Is Easily The Less Appealing One.

In many ways, Natalie’s debut can be named “predictable”. That is, it has the share of compositions that the debut album of anybody who has been in a band for years will have – IE, songs which are not that detached from the original vision of the band. Yet, Natalie was the dominant voice within the Maniacs. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that the Maniacs’ albums without Natalie are the ones were the influence is felt the most, as those albums (notwithstanding how excellent they are) seem overtly attached to Ms. Merchant’s approach and sensibility. Continue reading →

Elton John In His Own Words (Susan Black) – Book Review

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Elton John IHOW

The Front Cover Of The Book

Compiled by Susan Black, this book was released by Omnibus Press in England in the year 1993. As in other “In Their Own Words” titles it gathers assorted quotes from all through the years and mashes them together by theme. I used the verb “mash” deliberately, as the book could use some editing – there are quotes that appear multiple times under different headings, and such a thing can turn out to be certainly annoying.

Some of the featured chapters include “Songwriting”, “”Money & Possessions” and (of course) “Clothes & Accessories”. The most comprehensive section is thankfully the one named “The Records”, and we can see facets of Elton that are not necessarily palpable through his music in the chapters “Sports” and “Politics”. Continue reading →