tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8803202536460639782024-03-05T02:20:40.994-08:00Land of 1000 ListensOne man's attempt to listen to everything in "1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die"Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-9818654183585281702018-09-22T12:52:00.001-07:002018-09-22T12:52:32.538-07:0021. AC/DC - Back in Black<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkptnei_QDdGdGerALglbxRm9Kx0AuPj1JnU4bvys90Ani7Ur2n3zhBgFeEtpx_MxcUK3oWB_hMOdcsFA0diBLs-FurLlwYcdoZTwbmq2c6LAcyqgAIWCkbrw-iUWreSJIvO_ctceUl0fw/s1600/download.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkptnei_QDdGdGerALglbxRm9Kx0AuPj1JnU4bvys90Ani7Ur2n3zhBgFeEtpx_MxcUK3oWB_hMOdcsFA0diBLs-FurLlwYcdoZTwbmq2c6LAcyqgAIWCkbrw-iUWreSJIvO_ctceUl0fw/s1600/download.png" /></a></div>
Another one that was added by Spotify in the interim, this classic rock staple was significantly easier to get into than the last album!<br />
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Amazingly, I've never listened to this album - I only knew the radio regulars from it. Frankly, I don't feel like I missed out. I've always been an appreciator of AC/DC, not a fan - and this album didn't turn me around.<br />
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As my stepfather would say, it's subtle like a brick. Every song, every screamed lyric is done at 85 MPH. No nuance at all. Booooring.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-52514857951130582772018-09-22T12:25:00.000-07:002018-09-22T12:25:05.239-07:0020. Khalifa Ould Eide & Dimi Mint Abba - Moorish Music From Mauritania<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kjnWcf1OzC5VOOIJu9yYQ8DCW-ub_YsnOG_gCCt3O6BFu_BqdR-cWFHcbQb4Cyq9b3kUgHtpnsIzUdfmOhYSPKEv-x8qJkHfvF8C0xFZ_RYL8IB9ycjpWO6Yhjd8AYteXAiQXwR3r-ST/s1600/a3592328312_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1195" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kjnWcf1OzC5VOOIJu9yYQ8DCW-ub_YsnOG_gCCt3O6BFu_BqdR-cWFHcbQb4Cyq9b3kUgHtpnsIzUdfmOhYSPKEv-x8qJkHfvF8C0xFZ_RYL8IB9ycjpWO6Yhjd8AYteXAiQXwR3r-ST/s320/a3592328312_10.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
Well, after several years of ignoring this blog, I'm back! The first thing I did was to go back and see if Spotify added some of the albums I had to skip when I started this. Lo and behold, this was was on there.<br />
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This was not an easy return. I could get into the rhythm right away, but the vocals just sounded really indistinct. However, by the second listen, I really starting digging the was Eide's voice ebbs and flows as she improvises - it really swings!<br />
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Not one I'll go back to, but the song "Art's Plume" is killer.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-52894159456558298122014-03-30T14:35:00.000-07:002014-03-30T14:35:16.967-07:0019. Marian Anderson - Spirituals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMyjiqj3g_of0RAFj7BQLX2tS046hFE5wtXGbflFXZuCtDj_HTKrzRbjO7SG22LtvczsvgEhJLd_IqAvNKDxTuo5hjHVcitc1oDAJef7kL_IdeBfDwq6O91x5KV_QhHv82jEC_6UV0Caq/s1600/anderson-marian-23-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMyjiqj3g_of0RAFj7BQLX2tS046hFE5wtXGbflFXZuCtDj_HTKrzRbjO7SG22LtvczsvgEhJLd_IqAvNKDxTuo5hjHVcitc1oDAJef7kL_IdeBfDwq6O91x5KV_QhHv82jEC_6UV0Caq/s1600/anderson-marian-23-l.jpg" height="320" width="318" /></a></div>
When the first notes of this album began to play, a sense of dread filled me. Of all the musical styles I love... opera isn't on it. Having seen the song list, I was looking forward to hearing this. Many of the songs I knew from versions done by some of my favorite artists, including Jerry Garcia, Pete Seeger, The Wayfaring Strangers and others.<br />
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But this was opera - and there were 30 songs on the album!<br />
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I gave it a chance, and within a few <a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/6nBL5rptURgk4JSEnehH45" target="_blank">songs</a>, I was really into it. Her voice is rich and smokey, like a good porter, and works perfectly with with the subject matter - songs of religion and the pain of slavery.<br />
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I'm not sure this is something I'd listen to all the time, but I'm really glad I stuck with it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-65993684168167216602014-03-25T10:17:00.001-07:002014-03-25T10:17:55.223-07:0018. Albert Ammons and Meade "Lux" Lewis - The First Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWpiGvoqjo6ce91lP7env5nBZ5z2DfqBzKPMlf4jHniOGMyugqPFUo6HsmuvlL148Ktg3mU8RtQxqy84I1v6vVN5FkS_uw3N10Y5dEb61Ck29uImEa8vitVByYncsRovEOsiMZWLGk_jS/s1600/ammons-albert-meade-lux-lewis-22-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWpiGvoqjo6ce91lP7env5nBZ5z2DfqBzKPMlf4jHniOGMyugqPFUo6HsmuvlL148Ktg3mU8RtQxqy84I1v6vVN5FkS_uw3N10Y5dEb61Ck29uImEa8vitVByYncsRovEOsiMZWLGk_jS/s1600/ammons-albert-meade-lux-lewis-22-l.jpg" /></a></div>
When I first got into jazz via the Columbia Jazz Club (I may not have the name exactly right, but they would send you several jazz CDs each month), one of my favorites was Erroll Garner's "Concert by the Sea." The boogie-woogie in this 1939 album reminded me a lot of that. <br />
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Fun fact I learned from the 1000 Recordings book - this was the <i>first </i>album released on the amazing Blue Note label. Great rollicking energy in this album...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-33592023421055643202014-03-25T10:04:00.001-07:002014-03-25T10:04:31.644-07:0017. Los Amigos Invisibles - Arepa 3000: A Venezuelan Journey into Space <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0oSHtHHYIVOVywPsO9lTK9BPD_92h82MdHaG9ekE3n2JCjdkfqsLAMpwZqgfMEtmnmHCCJSWMVRVE_e0mxlWwPxhcrMakb2rOSBrpKByuDxZ7bayCUYSVIo4b17WMutsul6wXKtPggSj/s1600/Arepa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0oSHtHHYIVOVywPsO9lTK9BPD_92h82MdHaG9ekE3n2JCjdkfqsLAMpwZqgfMEtmnmHCCJSWMVRVE_e0mxlWwPxhcrMakb2rOSBrpKByuDxZ7bayCUYSVIo4b17WMutsul6wXKtPggSj/s1600/Arepa.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
This album is an absolute blast! Latin grooves mix with classic disco sounds for one big dance party. Spacey, weird, funky songs blend together (I'm always a huge fan of songs segueing into each other)<br />
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My only quibble with this album? Too damn long. There's almost no way to sustain this type of fun for 66 minutes, so by the end, you're feeling "OK, I got it!"<br />
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Party on!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-20041323396243844542013-11-16T14:11:00.000-08:002013-11-16T14:15:59.037-08:0016. Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream & Other Delights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzKJtluYOQXhhiiQRsbbJ5dHVCaeg5fsMvVVy5wlgT3I5fif02BraFsI7IbqThvCpduyOjxJV_qHDifvs9ErHG4tTJaiXMo-L5dDYwsVSObe77L5zBUkfjTrys8ammmGZbpNLUxKvuZV1/s1600/Cover-Whipped-Cream-and-Other-Delights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzKJtluYOQXhhiiQRsbbJ5dHVCaeg5fsMvVVy5wlgT3I5fif02BraFsI7IbqThvCpduyOjxJV_qHDifvs9ErHG4tTJaiXMo-L5dDYwsVSObe77L5zBUkfjTrys8ammmGZbpNLUxKvuZV1/s320/Cover-Whipped-Cream-and-Other-Delights.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shagadelic, baby!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, I knew this album from its so-famous cover (and various cover knock-offs, one of which I've included below).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps it was revolutionary in its time, but it didn't really age well in my opinion. It sounds like one big episode of <i>The Dating Game</i>. Perhaps the most interesting thing is <a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/6il1KvpVKFa3fvfZT0svLT" target="_blank">A Taste of Honey</a>, which makes me want to hear the Beatles version.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZABcKdz4KibEl8xi-fup29Rj8jI6FgvUKIQ6wr2l5OFA2rmhNK6-2DQ45D3YtG3UXAiyf8raRL4XW12Biet0dpdvgLyJC002dwO-P16hcRfVkpSFNdj22qi5sR1oDYpg5PjaTZUUvX8Oq/s1600/Soul-Asylum-Clam-Dip-Other-Delights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZABcKdz4KibEl8xi-fup29Rj8jI6FgvUKIQ6wr2l5OFA2rmhNK6-2DQ45D3YtG3UXAiyf8raRL4XW12Biet0dpdvgLyJC002dwO-P16hcRfVkpSFNdj22qi5sR1oDYpg5PjaTZUUvX8Oq/s1600/Soul-Asylum-Clam-Dip-Other-Delights.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-65286861079162259272013-11-15T11:02:00.000-08:002013-11-15T11:02:48.471-08:0015. The Almanac Singers - State of Arkansas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zI9YdE1G8jSm_5KXWxLt5AL1kg3RXJWGXySq92Jh0bmM52969zChLZxv48f7Qba2gCWk8nGLALPzciV9xIy8mHWuousnwLT_XFWWVGJK7rOZFdZi2Qa_AoHpl3fKEbaHVME51fNUHG1H/s1600/51GhRGUvGTL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zI9YdE1G8jSm_5KXWxLt5AL1kg3RXJWGXySq92Jh0bmM52969zChLZxv48f7Qba2gCWk8nGLALPzciV9xIy8mHWuousnwLT_XFWWVGJK7rOZFdZi2Qa_AoHpl3fKEbaHVME51fNUHG1H/s1600/51GhRGUvGTL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Years ago, when I lived in Cincinnati, I was doing some volunteer writing for a Holocaust organization. The head of the group introduced me to the political cartoons of Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a really eye-opener for me. Courtesy of the wars of my lifetime, I had always been led to believe that the right was pro-war and the left was anti-war. But these cartoons educated me to the fact that it was the LEFT that really wanted the U.S. to get involved in WWII, and the right wanted to stay out of it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was reminded of this when listening to the Almanac Singers 1941 recordings. Admittedly, I had never heard of the Almanac Singers before this, but any group that includes Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger is worth checking out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of the stuff on here is typical early folk music, with themes I was very familiar with from previous listening to Pete Seeger - unions good - bossman bad, etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the mind-blowing song on here is <a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/7vsvoQZjmBjYe4pJvvoN9r" target="_blank">Round and Around Hitler's Grave</a>. Over the music of a lilting children's nursery rhyme, the song hits the same themes as those Dr. Seuss cartoons I'd seen years earlier. Definitely put a new perspective on early folk for me.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-18988770472801036272013-02-11T19:21:00.002-08:002013-02-11T19:26:01.919-08:0014. The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_YXaUO4QdM1x7_drELevOqFH5Za1cPdiWrW_IaQKdUF2X4lbEFlAzhzM_XWGxu2XZruBT-wn0ySd-jBy_9G5lrTioxoKyEC2qYds9bg3vCxgXhhS7heZgOH9ss4TR6F1N5bw1lTiU-X_j/s1600/allman-brothers-band-18-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_YXaUO4QdM1x7_drELevOqFH5Za1cPdiWrW_IaQKdUF2X4lbEFlAzhzM_XWGxu2XZruBT-wn0ySd-jBy_9G5lrTioxoKyEC2qYds9bg3vCxgXhhS7heZgOH9ss4TR6F1N5bw1lTiU-X_j/s1600/allman-brothers-band-18-l.jpg" /></a></div>
Wow.<br />
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This was the first album in the 1000 Listens journey which really turned me around. First, let me explain that I did my "listen" to this many many months ago, before I took my hiatus from writing this blog.<br />
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The Allman Brothers Band were a group that I knew I should listen to, but never really got around to. I guess I just put them in the blanket category of Southern Rock - and I knew a lot of the songs from the radio, but was never all that impressed.<br />
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When I began listening to Fillmore East for the first time, my opinion didn't change. I even equated them in my head with - gasp! - .38 Special. (side note - I just Googled .38 Special to make sure I wrote their name correctly. Did you know the band began in 1974? I sure didn't).<br />
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But then I heard You Don't Love Me/Soul Serenade. <br />
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Ho<br />
Ly<br />
Shit<br />
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My mind was completely blow - and the Mountain Jam a few songs later further splattered my brains all over 34th Street. Suddenly I went back and listened to everything else on the album and GOT it.<br />
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A few months later, I got to see the ABB on a double-bill with Santana. Although the 90 minutes they played wasn't nearly long enough, Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks did the legacy of Duane Allman proud.<br />
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Down to the Whipping Post indeed.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-37607609567270261092013-02-10T06:41:00.000-08:002013-02-10T06:41:43.487-08:0013. Mose Allison - The Collection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVgZb8QjBpwxQuy34emylp_dhf2dfM95L5EjYiKEFX8oB-KBIquxwK4uDH0bVrZAbWVnqwNNx_aH43L-EVtFzCFfMzjq9tSbAXov8JbxDGtf4gKguhLRfTpZ_i1ChZMjuxPm0ff6UgyRN/s1600/8295661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVgZb8QjBpwxQuy34emylp_dhf2dfM95L5EjYiKEFX8oB-KBIquxwK4uDH0bVrZAbWVnqwNNx_aH43L-EVtFzCFfMzjq9tSbAXov8JbxDGtf4gKguhLRfTpZ_i1ChZMjuxPm0ff6UgyRN/s1600/8295661.jpg" /></a></div>
Before listening to this album, I knew only two things about Mose Allison:<br />
<ol>
<li>The Pixies song "<a href="http://spoti.fi/MbSOGZ" target="_blank">Allison</a>" is about him</li>
<li>He wrote two one of The Who's most kick-ass live songs - "Young Man Blues" and Tommy's "Eyesight to the Blind"</li>
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Now I know that he has an incredible jazz singing voice - he's like Nat 'King' Cole if Nat wrote about drinking and gambling. Helluva piano player too. The second half of this long collection is mostly instrumentals, and I found myself yearning for his voice again. Don't know how I missed him during my jazz years, but he's someone I'm going to check out more.<br />
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I'll leave you with this gem:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VeXJKlogiM4" width="420"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-82626901731853896222013-02-09T14:12:00.000-08:002013-02-09T14:12:36.727-08:0012. Alice in Chains - Dirt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WG48ybkL13G8hUU00L4zlRX0tqpCDlod0SKmnupn2t5F9uGrTs5tfGcWnD-MPsdmeI_4JE1zbczATXoSHDqsAT3tyPOTZLJi76EHnrqy0pa7nvhul6Hm3vQB5TjA_DA09lVNguhLGsFw/s1600/dirt-4dda547006498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WG48ybkL13G8hUU00L4zlRX0tqpCDlod0SKmnupn2t5F9uGrTs5tfGcWnD-MPsdmeI_4JE1zbczATXoSHDqsAT3tyPOTZLJi76EHnrqy0pa7nvhul6Hm3vQB5TjA_DA09lVNguhLGsFw/s320/dirt-4dda547006498.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was definitely into grunge in the early 90s - watching 120 Minutes on MTV was a weekly staple, and I would tape it and watch it over and over throughout the week. In 1991, we visited friends in Seattle, and saw our first Starbucks. When we got home, I couldn't wait to tell people about this magical land of lattes.<br />
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But we never went out to see any music in Seattle, and to this day I regret that. Who might we have seen in a small Seattle club? Nirvana, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam? Oh well.<br />
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This is a long way of getting to the fact that Alice in Chains was never a band I listened to back then - other than a song here or there, or the Singles soundtrack (still one of the greatest movie soundtracks <i>ever</i>).<br />
<br />
This album is raw like an open cut - but I mean that in a good way. It's truly primal stuff - intense and a kick in the teeth. You can feel the drugs and pain seeping through Lane Staley's voice. This shit's real.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-65409294418083930992013-02-09T06:32:00.001-08:002013-02-09T06:34:10.031-08:0011. Mahmoud Ahmed - Ere Mela Mela<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlogprnvw-JKjjY4BcqDIubDKw506xvTG7-TahFkC3A5izl9FMGcUSr41cnT3LsAKBJHoYEZkm_pQuX3zp4tnRWEPvixJYCV-ruoiCDIPV0Xb4RYSXvfS2Q0WuWhNujIIC25pVbMrraYc/s1600/113808912.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlogprnvw-JKjjY4BcqDIubDKw506xvTG7-TahFkC3A5izl9FMGcUSr41cnT3LsAKBJHoYEZkm_pQuX3zp4tnRWEPvixJYCV-ruoiCDIPV0Xb4RYSXvfS2Q0WuWhNujIIC25pVbMrraYc/s320/113808912.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Not surprisingly, I don't understand one word sung on this album by Ethopian singer Mahmoud Ahmed, but I still kind of like it.<br />
<br />
Listening to this album seemed to be a good excuse to write about music and lyrics. We often hear the question: "Are you a music person or lyrics person?" As someone who spends a good deal of his career writing, I would have assumed that I would fall in the lyrics category, but it's definitely not the case.<br />
<br />
Oh sure, there are plenty of great lyrics that are always bouncing around my head:<br />
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Each of us – a cell of awareness - imperfect and incomplete.
Genetic blends with uncertain ends,
on a fortune hunt that's far too fleet…</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>She sits on the porch of her Daddy's house, but all her
pretty dreams are torn. She stares
off alone into the night with the eyes of one who hates for just being born…</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>They're a band beyond description - like Jehovah's favorite
choir. People joining hand in hand, while the music plays the band - Lord
they're setting us on fire…</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But in general, the singer is just another instrument in the band and listening to his or her voice is part of the journey of a song. If you asked me what as song was "about" I'd tend to have no clue whatsoever.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That being said, I really wish I understood what happens in the second half of the story told in "Racing in the Streets"</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-19046411605006634542012-05-29T03:13:00.001-07:002012-05-29T03:13:54.587-07:0010. Aerosmith - Toys in the AtticAfter I listened to the new Van Halen, a colleague asked me how it was. My answer was: "eh, just your basic cock rock."<br />
<br />
In same ways, I feel the same way about Aerosmith. Calling it cock rock doesn't make it bad - heck, you could call Led Zeppelin cock rock - but much of the 80s hair metal can be put in this category. <br />
<br />
So, when the most suggestive song title on an album *isn't* "Big Ten Inch Record" (that honor goes to "Uncle Salty") you know there's a lot of dick swinging going on. <br />
<br />
Now that we're past all that, this is a pretty terrific album. Great blues-based rock with a continual love of the Beatles. Somehow, listening to the narcotic opening of "Sweet Emotion" sounds better in its true album context, and deeper songs like "You See Me Crying" really pack a punch. <br />
<br />
Walk this way indeed. <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgif_ySzlqSrwLRaZPtjC6vBZvoKcea8ZA9zDlUex3KFmbMAS8iDP9-iGB66B-S05S8YZANKeXrdFFOnyeW28lMPl9EXARtOW5YK6mQ8k9BzYkq9wlqyeCWWIzx2c8oFp4nGq53Ocuo2PRL/s640/blogger-image--2119831759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgif_ySzlqSrwLRaZPtjC6vBZvoKcea8ZA9zDlUex3KFmbMAS8iDP9-iGB66B-S05S8YZANKeXrdFFOnyeW28lMPl9EXARtOW5YK6mQ8k9BzYkq9wlqyeCWWIzx2c8oFp4nGq53Ocuo2PRL/s640/blogger-image--2119831759.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-61390378525200068712012-03-13T11:04:00.002-07:002012-03-13T11:04:57.561-07:009. King Sunny Ade - Gems from the Classic Years (1967-1974)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweCMHyrd8pdnTlycz9zapQX07NXJu2fM7pzsRWFMAcA81BNrs_oFqWH6pG_dnnimVewIJCSrwS0mBvQyPby4LUw5AATCKXiVQFbmbR-hid9rTLqmgPDXsyYi2yYJpzmzSBJ1iwWJxmv7F/s1600/King+Sunny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweCMHyrd8pdnTlycz9zapQX07NXJu2fM7pzsRWFMAcA81BNrs_oFqWH6pG_dnnimVewIJCSrwS0mBvQyPby4LUw5AATCKXiVQFbmbR-hid9rTLqmgPDXsyYi2yYJpzmzSBJ1iwWJxmv7F/s1600/King+Sunny.jpg" /></a></div>
Years ago - probably sometime in the mid-90's, I saw King Sunny Ade and band at the now-defunct Tramps. They were opening up for Poi Dog Pondering (one of my favorite bands of the 90's - I'll write about them another time).<br />
<br />
I don't remember much about the King's set, but I do recall it was more like a party than a concert, and we were all attendees. I also remember the guys from Poi Dog being in awe of having such a master open up for them.<br />
<br />
If every artist who was indebted to King Sunny Ade sent him a fruit basket, he'd have quite an orchard.<br />
<br />
The Talking Heads... Paul Simon... Vampire Weekend... the list could go on and on. This music, led by great guitar and percussion, bounces along and puts you in a trance-like state, much as the Dead or Phish can do.<br />
<br />
Party on, King!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-44961028659121325002012-02-22T19:08:00.000-08:002012-02-22T19:08:40.771-08:008. The Cannonball Adderley Quintet at the Lighthouse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgio2lD0c_Fb6QkKtuiyUWKVD-tsPqznaWlTesPh-R0SNjwk6Tfdx_9DsUEXSGYTevSyGniDfLbO8_kco2WBs_2WF7swnwGWd1XFkB2fu3MoGIDokDB8Ll132Mt-CUOGICzPmAqoJ3c-Je/s1600/adderley-cannonball-quintet-10-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgio2lD0c_Fb6QkKtuiyUWKVD-tsPqznaWlTesPh-R0SNjwk6Tfdx_9DsUEXSGYTevSyGniDfLbO8_kco2WBs_2WF7swnwGWd1XFkB2fu3MoGIDokDB8Ll132Mt-CUOGICzPmAqoJ3c-Je/s320/adderley-cannonball-quintet-10-l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This album is like jumping into a pool on a scorching hot day.<br />
<br />
So crisp, so clean, so fresh - hard bop at its best.<br />
<br />
Never saw Cannonball live, of course, but one of my first jazz concerts was seeing his brother Nat at Sweet Basil (I think). <br />
<br />
Just love this album - it swings from start to finish - definitely check it <a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/5liXliTB3HfiWNmgntRl2f" target="_blank">out</a>!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-25905015987086067502012-02-09T10:36:00.000-08:002012-02-09T10:36:19.081-08:007. Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijo429ZhVCgtrKy_Ot2GFRiIIMHMxYXk-Uz2NUtaYQIrSjTU-002y7k3kZAWTKa4QdQLFjeK67ND5o61xYOcSuRPua4pHM3tc5On0h1evBbAgV9KXmOs_pxu8oj3k8wmApbHH_r7mIxVQs/s1600/Ryan-Adams-Heartbreaker-438295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijo429ZhVCgtrKy_Ot2GFRiIIMHMxYXk-Uz2NUtaYQIrSjTU-002y7k3kZAWTKa4QdQLFjeK67ND5o61xYOcSuRPua4pHM3tc5On0h1evBbAgV9KXmOs_pxu8oj3k8wmApbHH_r7mIxVQs/s320/Ryan-Adams-Heartbreaker-438295.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div>
A few years ago, when I was living in Cincinnati, my colleague/friend Stephanie loaned me this CD to check out. My reaction then was almost identical to the one I had in 2012. I vividly remember driving on 275 when IT happened.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The album has one of the most bizarre openings ever - about 30 seconds of Ryan Adams and David Rawlings arguing about which album or albums a Morrissey song is on. After that, it kicks into some good Americana that's feels like Bob Dylan and the Band.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Then <a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/5bUl4spKG7ybkGABsprqDR" target="_blank">Amy</a> happens.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This song is so beautiful that it grabs you right by the throat and doesn't let you go. Frankly, I think it's as good as anything written by the Beatles ("For No One" from Revolver has a similar simplicity and beauty).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After that comes a gorgeous <a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/1aCsn8gpwDGfXX2H6EDwGz" target="_blank">duet</a> with Emmylou Harris and the rest of the album never coasts from there.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
An amazing album.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-17896247603322649192012-02-08T11:01:00.000-08:002018-09-26T16:40:35.040-07:006. Introduction to Johnny Adams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPZX9pyovzD3UzZDMcd5EQqR-B85CwFjV-24BVeXtLlxgX5rmRA1cg3Q5aI8X1J4e6FQvsmqzPIua_dXZ9OgSzFd6t90ic7xxMTYKMODOhkt5eNxemyIXMbguXtAK3DoCZfTteM6dvDxv/s1600/introduction-johnny-adams-cd-cover-art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPZX9pyovzD3UzZDMcd5EQqR-B85CwFjV-24BVeXtLlxgX5rmRA1cg3Q5aI8X1J4e6FQvsmqzPIua_dXZ9OgSzFd6t90ic7xxMTYKMODOhkt5eNxemyIXMbguXtAK3DoCZfTteM6dvDxv/s1600/introduction-johnny-adams-cd-cover-art.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Well, as promised, I've gone rogue.<br />
<br />
The book had a different Johnny Adams album listed, but it wasn't available on Spotify. I listened to some snippets on Amazon, though - and loved the sound of his voice. So I checked out this album and really liked it!<br />
<br />
Great soulful voice, terrific R&B arrangements and searing blues guitar make up this collection. It gets a little schmaltzy by the end, but I'd definitely recommend checking it out.<br />
<br />
On another note, I'm thrilled to have been discovered by the "1000 Recordings" community - like-minded music nuts who are going through the book and blogging their listening experiences. Check out <a href="http://recordingtherecordings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Recording the Recordings</a>, which includes a blogroll of others doing this.<br />
<br />
UPDATE 9-26-18<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXS_MPS0yDA6uBLndSik5WUCAfFdaO-WM2Qc5iU0p0D2gZKie3bvi_evFn3WjL8t3BOoMdf26aL5GEa3eS4UCKmUtVOqgHug1F2z9Dar-O0hQNE7DYbJTxuQmyLz2ywkTdHJwz6Md64HEq/s1600/download.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXS_MPS0yDA6uBLndSik5WUCAfFdaO-WM2Qc5iU0p0D2gZKie3bvi_evFn3WjL8t3BOoMdf26aL5GEa3eS4UCKmUtVOqgHug1F2z9Dar-O0hQNE7DYbJTxuQmyLz2ywkTdHJwz6Md64HEq/s1600/download.jpeg" /></a></div>
Happily, I'm 2 for 2 on albums being added to Spotify during my long break. I had really liked Johnny Adams' voice when listening to the album above, and this one really doesn't disappoint either! It's a rollicking set of songs. I do wish I had read the description in the book before listening - didn't know it was Dr. John playing piano on this. C'est la vie.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-14495401710075407912012-01-30T11:02:00.000-08:002012-01-30T11:02:39.332-08:005. The Death of Klinghoffer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5jCGIucugtAtzH2AtBU23Z82nQKthyphenhyphene7lB3JPYt1ywCKyaUSgieF4trTtwpLqPtYCd50yRyaSvwA3_j6ppc71Vxd_9Yao1sEpnArShxAPLYhx2a6dPH9e00WorPbXsDjY_Swqp_3L0cL/s1600/johnadams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5jCGIucugtAtzH2AtBU23Z82nQKthyphenhyphene7lB3JPYt1ywCKyaUSgieF4trTtwpLqPtYCd50yRyaSvwA3_j6ppc71Vxd_9Yao1sEpnArShxAPLYhx2a6dPH9e00WorPbXsDjY_Swqp_3L0cL/s320/johnadams.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
... aka The Death of Sieger - when I tried making it through the entire recording.<br />
<br />
First of all, I've had no success in becoming a fan of opera over the years (much to the dismay of my mother, who is as passionate about opera as I am about the music I love). But, I just couldn't stomach this one. First of all, it's sung in English which - news flash - isn't the prettiest language in the world.<br />
<br />
Second, this strikes me as a very visual story - and there was no way I would get it without watching it at the same time. And there was NO way I was going to sit through 130 minutes of this on YouTube.<br />
<br />
So now I'm....<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ad1Umj6hxMw" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Here are my new rules:<br />
<ol>
<li>If it's terrible, I won't listen to it multiple times - and in extreme cases (like this one) I won't even listen to the whole thing. If I feel I've given it a fair shake - I'll move on to the next one. My job here is not to be a completest, it's just to enjoy some new music and write more.</li>
<li>Likewise, if a recording sucks, I won't add it to my Spotify <a href="http://open.spotify.com/user/sieger262/playlist/2ttOoFFPPoQ3l9Mp4HMFqL" target="_blank">playlist</a></li>
<li>Finally - if the recording in the book is not readily available on Spotify, but another album by that artist is - I may listen to that album instead. Because I can.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ob0QTmYlVKA" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-60301092013706857792012-01-26T14:27:00.000-08:002012-01-26T14:27:14.886-08:004. John Adams - Harmonium<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AZ8ZjpBzmDZjvo1JaFUaKaHf77AfKuTYHJDBacpQmgZYNYS0s92tC-36tfmRMtBmEkhK4R6hJ4hwaQ62qV5tpWZlbeC2gZY2HKOK9qQ-fksDLpvmvL0mpQ2_F8j0-HsaBK8ZOiDGNns1/s1600/Harmonium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AZ8ZjpBzmDZjvo1JaFUaKaHf77AfKuTYHJDBacpQmgZYNYS0s92tC-36tfmRMtBmEkhK4R6hJ4hwaQ62qV5tpWZlbeC2gZY2HKOK9qQ-fksDLpvmvL0mpQ2_F8j0-HsaBK8ZOiDGNns1/s320/Harmonium.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Well, if I'm going to get into classical music, this won't be the album to do it.<br />
<br />
I've always had a mild appreciation for classical and enjoyed its influence on rock (ELP) and jazz (Charlie Parker) and loved Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony in college - but choral classical music just doesn't do the trick for me.<br />
<br />
Oh well - they're not all going to be enjoyable - and the next album takes me even further down the rabbit hole - if I survive it...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-52140042787836196312012-01-21T06:58:00.000-08:002012-01-21T06:58:26.946-08:003. The Abyssinian Baptist Choir - Shakin' the Rafters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCpYRkgB4BRjPLfdL1ZfEjSOyEUCEbjN1U2tl00B_ySC0nVhK-4MuUMPqfz1DgS7w4PbqUFuI7IExLfDHhnIUCASO8blGlHOJmzsPJpdqBvZfjs8Ws8UIP1L61DkARqZUeV9Y4ork8D-0/s1600/Rafters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCpYRkgB4BRjPLfdL1ZfEjSOyEUCEbjN1U2tl00B_ySC0nVhK-4MuUMPqfz1DgS7w4PbqUFuI7IExLfDHhnIUCASO8blGlHOJmzsPJpdqBvZfjs8Ws8UIP1L61DkARqZUeV9Y4ork8D-0/s320/Rafters.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_708430003"></span><span id="goog_708430004"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><br />
Ok - now we're certainly getting into some new areas!<br />
<br />
Even though many of the artists that I love, from the <a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/4wMeBJIYhm7CVbeL5D4MGh" target="_blank">Talking Heads</a><span id="goog_708430000"></span><span id="goog_708430001"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a> to the <a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/320Cp6zueoaFw0PJik3Cft" target="_blank">Grateful Dead</a> to <a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/63g7Z2JC9t4zUBykMvJcm9" target="_blank">Bruce Springsteen </a>have incorporated gospel influences in the their music, I've never listened to a pure gospel album.<br />
<br />
Overall, I really liked this live album, recorded in Newark, NJ in the 1960s - the energy was incredible. By the end, though - I pretty much had enough - but I definitely want to explore more gospel.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-60628930357950248362012-01-19T18:57:00.000-08:002012-01-19T18:57:08.484-08:002. Muhal Richard Abrams - Blu Blu Blu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtru574o9r4ZNk3ZwpIMgcGRMmo-QzFNVQ7_R-XvAQLstuCxsTGdi9mE8R2fNKo_i2fiFJ3pDjSLuvCUlh53hdmysZMP5gqRro9Sr288ElcOvn4f6MJHONytq-mpXMcOcmNv8I92fzT7bj/s1600/120117-2b2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtru574o9r4ZNk3ZwpIMgcGRMmo-QzFNVQ7_R-XvAQLstuCxsTGdi9mE8R2fNKo_i2fiFJ3pDjSLuvCUlh53hdmysZMP5gqRro9Sr288ElcOvn4f6MJHONytq-mpXMcOcmNv8I92fzT7bj/s1600/120117-2b2.jpg" /></a></div>
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Number two dives into jazz - nice. I'm definitely looking forward to reconnecting with some great jazz. In the early 90's, I went through a phase where I listened to nothing for jazz for about three years - morning, noon and night.<br />
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It began innocuously enough - I joined the Columbia Jazz Club and got some classics in the mail - Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Errol Garner, Herbie Hancock. But for a while it was just nice background or dinner music.<br />
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Then I discovered <a href="http://www.joshuaredman.com/" target="_blank">Joshua Redman</a> and my ears just opened. Here was this guy who was about my age playing an incredibly fresh and exciting form of jazz - and jazz versions of pop songs too. We went to go see him in concert a few times and fell even deeper for it. Joshua Redman was a gateway for me to start working backwards and listen passionately to all the greats - Sonny Rollins, Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Ornette Coleman.<br />
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Suddenly my radio had only two presets - WBGO and WKCR (home of the great Phil Schapp - if you want to read about my memorable encounter with him, click <a href="http://dsieger.blogspot.com/2009/03/phil-schaap-thelonious-monk-and-me.html" target="_blank">here</a>). I'd check the mailbox each day for a new issue of <a href="http://www.downbeat.com/" target="_blank">Downbeat</a>. I could listen to a recording by Miles or Monk and name every musician playing in the session. Lunch hours were spent at HMV on 72 and Broadway with <a href="http://auraladdict.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">JK</a> - one of the jazz buyers there - getting introduced to more and more great stuff. At night, JK and I would hit the Vanguard or Iridium to see jazz guys old and young.<br />
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At some point, I faded away from jazz and moved back into folk, bluegrass (which has a lot more in common with jazz than you might think) and rock - but it was great to be so so so passionate about something.<br />
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Which brings me to Muhal Richard Abrams. I'd never heard of him before listening to this album, and I really like a lot of it - it falls between traditional and free jazz. I always liked free jazz in limited quantities. It's like drinking a complex, bitter and hoppy beer - delicious and satisfying - but you wouldn't have more than one. (ok, maybe two)<br />
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If you want to check out a great track that starts out slow, but builds to an amazing kick-ass jam, give <a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/0ZUDshqJwDjiOCEpZI7B7k" target="_blank">Bloodline</a> a spin...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-37211323806869400712012-01-17T19:28:00.000-08:002012-01-18T06:45:25.629-08:001. Abba - Gold<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUj1ylGXD0FDISblQbZg_46gRze5-xGJI4FMmd1mATldrdw9-c4jMw4VVbLTh4ed5mAfz6UuY5O9cXac64zaH34ER1PBKEYzhT0HLhkU9d8ywh2-fXfZYjadPJftmNppomp094yYMUxgL/s1600/Abba+Gold.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUj1ylGXD0FDISblQbZg_46gRze5-xGJI4FMmd1mATldrdw9-c4jMw4VVbLTh4ed5mAfz6UuY5O9cXac64zaH34ER1PBKEYzhT0HLhkU9d8ywh2-fXfZYjadPJftmNppomp094yYMUxgL/s1600/Abba+Gold.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
Well, this was a pretty easy way to start - nothing too challenging here.<br />
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Got lots of grief from several friends when Abba started to pop up in my Facebook feed via Spotify. Fortunately, I have no shame when it comes to music. As many of you know, I'm perfectly comfortable admitting I listen to Glee, Barry Manilow, Dan Fogelberg and other cheesy pop music.<br />
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That said, I don't think I've ever listened to an Abba album - my experiences have just been from the radio and that horrible Mamma Mia movie.<br />
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This stuff is FUN - great pop music. Even the songs I'd never heard before were terrific. Listen to <a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/45EaIq9lKyoQxxTjFkiGbl" target="_blank">Does Your Mother Know</a> and tell me it doesn't sounds like a lost Nick Lowe song!<br />
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Also, I've created a <a href="http://open.spotify.com/user/sieger262/playlist/2ttOoFFPPoQ3l9Mp4HMFqL" target="_blank">playlist</a> on Spotify for the 1000 Listens journey - after each album listen, I'll put one favorite in the playlist.<br />
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One down... many to go!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880320253646063978.post-19522441518970920092012-01-11T19:23:00.000-08:002012-01-11T19:43:17.668-08:00Welcome to the Machine!For some time, I've been looking for a motivation to starting blogging again, and this weekend - during a run on a 60-degree January day - it hit me.<br />
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I just bought Tom Moon's well-respected book <a href="http://www.1000recordings.com/" target="_blank">"1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die"</a> and decided that while I have no plans to die in the near future, I sure as hell want to hear all 1000 of these albums.<br />
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So, that's what I'll be doing over the next several years - listening, writing, and then listening some more. How long will it take? Five years? Ten years? Your guess is as good as mine. I'm in no rush.<br />
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And while I'm not going to let this journey be governed by rules, I am following some principles along the way:<br />
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<ul><li>In a slight variance from the book title, I'm not going to just <i>hear</i> these recordings, I'm going to <i>listen</i> to them. Several times for each - unless it's an album I'm very familiar with - in which case I'll probably only listen once. That's why I'm thinking I won't listen to more than one or two each week.</li>
<li>I'm going to follow the book and go in alphabetical artist order. This strikes me as fun because the musical styles I hear will bounce all over the place. That will be one of the most interesting parts of this journey for me - getting to hear genres I generally haven't touched - classical, opera, world...</li>
<li>I'm going to listen to the recordings on <a href="http://www.spotify.com/us/" target="_blank">Spotify</a> (as many of you know, this is my new addiction). If something is not on Spotify, I'll move on and come back sometime later. I'm not going to spend hours scouring the Internet for a rare recording just for the sake of perfection. It will actually be quite interesting to see how I'm digesting music when this journey is done - six months ago, I hadn't even heard of Spotify - what will music consumption be like in 2022? Crazy thought.</li>
</ul><div>OK - that's all for now - keep your eyes out for #1... soon!<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0