Monthly Archives: August 2009

Natalie Merchant – General Introduction

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Natalie Merchant

Along with Emmylou Harris, Natalie Merchant is the female figure in music that I am the fondest of. Born in 1963, she began her career as a founding member of the American band 10,000 Maniacs in the 80s. I have covered them extensively already, and the only thing I have to say is that they were an incredibly talented group to which Natalie made a fascinating contribution, and when she parted ways with them in the early 90s many a heart went down. But as it turned out, both The Maniacs and Natalie would retain their edge and keep on doing what they did best: writing and performing music that goes from heart to heart. Continue reading →

Rex Benson – Interview (Part 3)

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This is the third and final part of the interview with Rex Benson from Rex Benson Music Group. It deals with songwriting. Remember to read Part 1 (about his company) and Part 2 (entitled “Music & You”).

PART III

SONGWRITING

What goes into writing a song which is set to become a standard? Is that something natural, something you have to chase actively, or a little of both?

To me, Songwriting is a lot like Real Estate…The overall potential value of a song is determined by How great the Idea/title/concept is…In Real Estate they say ‘Location, Location, Location’…In other words you don’t build a dreamhouse in an undesirable setting…Same with a song…Start with a great setting and then you have at least a CHANCE to write a strong and memorable piece…

As to becoming a standard…that depends on so many factors including the audience’s response to the song…whether Radio plays it…the impact of the artist or artists who record it…Many other factors too… Continue reading →

The Great Rock & Roll Swindle (The Sex Pistols) – Album Review

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No Wonder Why Johnny Rotten Badmouths McLaren At Every Turn

No Wonder Johnny Rotten Badmouths McLaren At Every Turn

When I bought this album I was in the middle of my punk heydays, and I don’t recall feeling as enraged ever in my life as when I first played it. I didn’t really get it. And any person who goes into it thinking only in terms of “Never Mind The Bollocks” will be but disappointed.

You see, this was the soundtrack to a widely-banned movie that manager Malcolm McLaren assembled after Johnny Rotten had left. Many were approached by McLaren with a view of becoming the Pistols’ new lead singer, including Ten Pole Tudor and the Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs (one of the most celebrated criminals in history). In the end, everybody (including the original Pistols) handled vocals, and some early recordings featuring Johnny Rotten were thrown into the mix.

Continue reading →

Black Sea (XTC) – Album Review (Part 2)

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This is Part 2 of the review. Don’t forget to read Part 1 for the introduction!

The original album had 11 songs, and the CD rerelease 14. If we had to summarize what XTC achieved here in one word, that would be “consistency”. The album is a true work, and in certain places it feels like a continuous track (some songs actually run into each other).

It is not an easy task picking favorites this time – as I said, there is such a sense of unity that the album is one of the most rewarding listening experiences within XTC’s catalog. What I can do is pick out personal favorites: these would be any of the singles plus the splenetic “Paper & Iron” and “Burning With Optimism’s Flames”. “Paper & Iron” has my favorite performance from Terry on any of their albums – he carries the whole song, takes it wherever he wants and finishes it with a detonation the kind Keith Moon would be proud of. For its part, “Burning With Optimism’s Flames” has a mesmerizing chorus that makes the title of the composition become more than a mere asseveration.  Rather, it turns into a true validation for pushing forwards no matter what. Continue reading →

Black Sea (XTC) – Album Review (Part 1)

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On Of The Original Names For The Album Was Gong To Be "Work Under Pressure". The Photo Session That Produced The Album 's Cover Was Based On That.

One Of The Original Names For The Album Was Going To Be "Work Under Pressure". The Photo Session That Produced The Cover Was Inspired By That, Hence The Diving Suits. The Title Was To Be Scrapped, But Not The Shot.

“Black Sea” was the fourth album released by XTC. The record was issued in the year 1980, and it garnered unanimous praise. It is now considered as their first truly indispensable album. Critical reaction was so fabulous that Andy & Colin were compared for the very first time to Lennon & McCartney. Such a comparison was sure to elicit a reaction, for the mere fact that even thinking about placing someone on par with the two timeless composers is sacrilegious to many. In hindsight, it showcases what a lukewarm response the Swindon boys were eliciting from critics even in those days. And – maybe most importantly – they were starting to reach a broader public. The album had another Top 20 hit, and this time it was a song penned by Andy. Success, at last. Or was it? Read on…

The main denominator of the songs contained here is the toughness and density of the sound. Andy insisted on recording only arrangements that could be replicated live. That meant that if they included a keyboard, that would be at the expense of a guitar and so on. This worked on their advantage in the long run, as the songs were free from unnecessary embellishments (“The Big Express”, anybody?) and could be reproduced onstage naturally. Continue reading →

Les Paul Passes Away At Age 94

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Mr. Les Paul

Mr. Les Paul

As you know, earlier today (Thursday the 13th of August, 2009) Mr. Les Paul passed away. He was the creator of the solid body electric guitar, no less, and Gibson even created a model which was named after him. It was the one that musicians like Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend popularized.

Mr. Les Paul was also responsible for developing the multitracking system which is so commonplace in music nowadays. Indeed, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall Of Fame in 2005 as well as being an Honorary Member of the Audio Engineering Society. Continue reading →

Elton John – Album Review (Part 2)

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(This is part 2 of the review. It discusses the remastered version. The original LP is dealt with in Part 1.)

All the “classic” Elton John albums were re-released in the mid 90s, remastered and with some bonus tracks to offer fans an incentive that would justify the purchase, as well as giving both fans and newcomers a sort of parallel overview of the songs that were released concomitantly yet left off each particular album.

The “Elton John” album is considered one of the best bonus-tracked releases along with the “Captain Fantastic” reissue. It includes three additional tracks: the b-side to “Border Song”, and a single of its own (Rock & Roll Madonna/Grey Seal). Of course, the name Grey Seal rings an immediate bell as the song was to be recorded anew with Elton’s classic band for the successful “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” album in 1973. The consensus is that the later-day version is more cohesive, yet this early take has historic value since it stands as Elton’s recorded debut on electric piano. Continue reading →

Elton John – Album Review (Part 1)

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A Somehow Enigmatic Cover, Don't You Think?

A Somehow Enigmatic Cover, Don't You Think?

Elton’s rise to fame was not that immediate as many often think. He had been covering other people’s songs for some time, not to mention being a paid songwriter along with Bernie for longer than was fulfilling. His first solo album went unheeded, despite oozing enthusiasm from every fiber.

If anything, his career was a matter of different pieces falling into position – his lyricist, his producer, his arranger and finally his classic band. On this, his second album (and the one that broke the commercial apathy) we see the addition of two of these figures, namely producer Gus Dudgeon and orchestral arranger Paul Buckmaster. They all had some heavy names on their resumes such as David Bowie and Eric Clapton, and the moment they agreed to work with Elton anything he would put out was to be digested differently, because their experience was to be felt in the final product . Continue reading →

JamsBio – Your Life Through Music

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JamsBio

Name: JamsBio

URL: http://www.jamsbio.com

What would you say is the soundtrack to your life? Have you ever really taken a minute or two and thought about it? If you have never done that, this site will make you stop in your tracks and ponder on your musical past.

In essence, it is a community site that lets anybody share his music-related memories such as the first concert he attended, the first album he bought…. If you become a user you will be able to keep your own journal, write reviews of those pieces that have left a mark on you, and recommend them to other people who also visit the site. It is even possible to engage that people by creating lists and competing in music trivia games. Of course, that is a top way of creating bonds. Continue reading →

Featured On Startup Meme!

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Another reason to take the champagne off the ice (well, sort of). MusicKO was featured on Startup Meme. This is the original post:

http://startupmeme.com/musicko-the-encyclopedia-to-be-of-music-reviews/

I like the basic premise of the post – MusicKO as the eventual definitive encyclopedia of music reviews. That is a bit lofty, isn’t it? If I manage to create a spot where music lovers can interact and learn more things about their favorite performers I will be more than happy. And you know, now I am more enthusiastic than ever – these last days have been very good in terms of traffic, big thanks to all the people who have spread the word either by writing about MusicKO or by retweeting these articles. Continue reading →