Tag Archives: Music

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 →

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 →

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 →

Tommy (The Who) – Album Review (Part 2)

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(If you haven’t done so already, read Part 1 of this review where “Tommy” is introduced, and the context in which it was created is detailed)

The album had 20 tracks. It was the first double album the band had released. The operatic connection was made evident through a formal overture and an “underture” which was mostly the extension of a theme called “Sparks”, also featured on the album and derived from a chord pattern found on “Rael” from the previous record.

Highlights included “Pinball Wizard” (the first single from the album) and “See Me, Feel Me”, a prayer sent to the most private space within the soul of every listener, a pronunciation of faith and endearment like no other within their repertoire. Other songs which merit mentioning are “The Acid Queen” and “I’m Free”, both very fine rockers. (“I’m Free” was to be released as a single too, and some time later an orchestrated version would be a minor hit.) Continue reading →

Our Time In Eden (10,000 Maniacs) – Album Review

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Their Final Studio Album With Natalie Merchant

Their Final Studio Album With Natalie Merchant

Do you remember what Elton John sang at the end of the “Captain Fantastic” album, in the song named “Curtains” – “Just like us/you must have had/ a once upon a time”. If you don’t, there is not an album that will bring that to mind better (and worse, I am afraid) than “Our Time In Eden”. The Maniacs’ final studio album with Natalie is one of the most poignant farewells you can listen to.

Broken feelings litter the album. Lost friendships abound: “Noah’s Dove” is a final portrayal of lost innocence, and the same applies to “How You’ve Grown” and “Stockton Gala Days”, albeit from different vantage points. The former laments the way we often take innocence for granted in the younger ones, and the latter deals with the shame of hiding innocence lost to someone the singer still deems as pure. Continue reading →

Joy Division – General Introduction

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Joy Division

There is something about Joy Division that is impossible to apprehend or even hope to comprehend. Is that because they beget a caterwaul of emotions when you listen to them, and these emotions turn to be the ones we want to keep our distance from yet at the same time the ones we want to have as a permanent fixture within our lives?

The band formed in Manchester in the year 1977. Its members were singer and occasional guitar player Ian Curtis, drummer Steven Morris, guitarist Bernard Albrecht and bass player Peter Hook. They were going to release one EP and two full albums, as their career was to be truncated by Curtis’ suicide in late 1979. He suffered from epileptic seizures, but his lyrics made it clear there was so much more going on, that his frail health was the tip a devastating inner conflict. And the real tragedy is that maybe what happened could have been avoided – the band members readily admitted they never paid his lyrics any heed, and after that fateful day whenever they listened to the old songs something always clicked. Continue reading →

Who Sampled – Resources For Musicians

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WhoSampled

Name: WhoSampled

URL: http://www.whosampled.com

Music that is based on other music has always been a hot issue. There is a thin, almost invisible line separating inspiration from imitation. I think it all originated in the literary world – there are titles like “Wide Sargasso Sea” in which the novelist (Jean Rhys) based her whole book on a character or incident from another author’s book – in this case, Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre”. On “Wide Sargasso Sea” Rhys did an amazing job, and explained what went into the creation of the “Madwoman in the attic” from her own vantage point. Continue reading →