Archive | June, 2010

Response to Best Album Cover of All Time

4 Jun

The home lawn of Citi field spawns another Mets win and I leave the stadium thoroughly entertained! Now on to the post.

A few weeks ago I ran a poll on the best album cover of all time. I believe it is about time that I conclude that post with a response post of my own. After the vote, Nevermind and its heavily symbolic…and naked album cover won in a close race. I’m not surprised by this. Each album chosen can easily be considered the greatest album cover of all time. But, I’m afraid I have to disagree with the winner. Another album cover has always struck my eye, both for its interesting story and frighteningly intriguing imagery. This is the iconic album cover of In The Court of the Crimson King.

Let me tell you a little story about the album that Pete Townshend considers an “uncanny masterpiece” and I consider to be one of my favorite pieces of connected music ever. In 1969, a few talented and already accomplished musicians joined forces to play a euphonious mixture of modern classical, folk, jazz and pop music. The odd combination emitted a true ethereal sound that gave fans a real sensory music listening experience, especially when paired with the richly obscure and rather dense poetry of lyricist Peter Sinfield. When this all came together on King Crimson’s debut 1969 album In The Court of the Crimson King, music fans heard one of the finest examples of the newly established progressive rock genre (formed out of the art rock experimentation of The Beatles, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck and even early Pink Floyd in the mid 1960s).

Here enters Barry Godber, the young computer programmer (yeah, they existed) and artist who painted the album cover. The tortured face on front (see above photo) is the frightened schizoid man (there is a song on the album called “21’st Century Schizoid Man”) while the seemingly stoned face on the inside cover is the Crimson King. Yet, intelligent guile on the part of Godber reveals a completely different Crimson King if you cover his grinning face. Go ahead, try it. After the album was released with Godber’s painting on October 10, 1969, Godber died of a heart attack at the age of 24 in February of 1970. The curse of the Crimson King. Or, just bad, bad luck. But, his legacy still lives on through the only copy of the original painting owned by King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp, and the many copies of the 12-inch LPs and CD’s that continue to be sold today with Godber’s perennial image permanently pasted on front. The paranoid face melting into the surrounding space, lost and alone…

Like this

Tags:

Meet the Mets

4 Jun

I am heading out to Citi field tonight to welcome the “only can win at home” New York Mets back from another unfortunate road trip. Stay tuned later for the official Friday post. But, for now here is the true Mets fight song below. It does not matter how old I get or how much the Mets stink; whenever I know I am going to watch the Mets play I get weirdly giddy. Enjoy and Lets Go Mets!

Upcoming Releases: The Weepies and Blitzen Trapper

3 Jun

I love the Internet. The fact that I can post on this blog and be linked to various other sites, searches and people in a matter of seconds is something extraordinary. Yesterday, directly after Armando Galarraga’s perfect game was taken away by a missed call at first base by umpire Jim Joyce, numerous videos, pictures and reactions spread like the bubonic plague throughout Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and several blogs. A black mark for baseball turned into an Internet wildfire resulting in over 5,000 people joining an anti-Joyce Facebook group by this morning. 

Musicians have also learned to take advantage of this age where a mere Google search can reveal up to the second information about a particular subject. Yes, the unfortunate prevalence of torrents and stealing music has not made life easy for the musician. But, since this topic seems to be as inevitable as Chipper Jones (the third basemen for the Atlanta Braves) injuring himself, musicians have had to learn new ways to get people interested in buying their albums. What is one way they are doing it?

http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=127035190&m=127200669

By releasing the entire album several days before it goes on sale. Blitzen Trapper, the experimental folk/rock/pop sextet based in Portland, Oregon, has released the entirety of their fifth studio album Destroyer of the Void as an exclusive preview on NPR’s website.

Credit: Todd Roeth

 This is an interesting release strategy. It seems similar to going to Borders and reading an entire book before you choose whether or not to buy it. The question can be raised, does this help with sales. I think it’s smart. Blitzen Trapper is just taking advantage of a quick-paced Internet age by allowing fans to get a real bite out of the album. And, if they think it is tasty, they may be more willing to buy either the entire album, or specific songs they like, from Itunes.

After chewing on the album for several minutes, I have tasted something a little wacky, but certainly delectable. Blitzen Trapper’s last release, Furr, ranked #13 on Billboard’s Best Albums of 2008 and the title track “Furr” hit #4 on Billboard’s Best Singles of 2008. This major success lifted Blitzen Trapper to a level of recognition, and I predict that their new release Destroyer of the Void may propel them to an even higher level. Trapper singer/songwriter/composer Eric Earley, with his bands skilled touch, has found a way to organize a true hugger-mugger of genres and styles into a harmoniously neat album that is even more experimental and dramatic than their last album. They have convinced me to buy the album when it officially goes on sale on June 8.

Another idea is simply releasing the album’s first single several months before the entire album is released. The Weepies, the married folk/rock duo from California, have taken this route. Their highly anticipated Be My Thrill will be released on August 31, but, until then, you can listen to the album’s single “I Was Made For Sunny Days” over and over again on their website…or buy it on Itunes. And, if the song is any indication of what the rest of the album will be like, Weepies’ fans can rejoice.

Listen here: http://www.theweepies.com/

“Alejandro” and Miranda Lambert

2 Jun

Hey guys,

Just got back from an amazing trip halfway around the world and I’m ready to re-enter the gates of Blogland!

So Lady Gaga just released a teaser for her newest single Alejandro…judging from the 20 second clip the vid looks just as over-the-top and dramatic as the rest.

The black and white is certainly an interesting departure from the usual vivid pop Gaga fantasy. The single is perfectly timed for summer too-there’s no question that the tropical sound was geared for a summertime release date.

Gaga is also performing on ABC’s Good Morning America summer concert series on July 9th at 7 am. If you are a diehard fan and are lucky enough to be in the NYC area at that time, you should join the madness. If you are like the rest of us, you can fish for the performance on YouTube when you are awake.

Currently Gaga is on a worldwide tour and in the process of creating a new album.

Additionally, country singer Miranda Lambert (26) recently announced her engagement. I’m not one for country, but I’ve been listening to Lambert and I really dig her stuff. Probably because a lot of her music deals with burning or shooting at conniving ex-boyfriends.

If you are ever super p/o-ed, I suggest singles Kerosene and Gunpowder and Lead. I really like the angry woman vibe she puts forward in her songs. Whether she talks of hard liquor, loaded pistols, or pure rage, Lambert injects her personality into every lyric. Hopefully an engagement and wedding will fail to pacify Lambert’s musical fury. In spite of her recent happiness, I doubt that she will turn into a Stepford Wife anytime soon.

Paul McCartney is a Scared, but, Sharp Dressed Man

2 Jun

Because of a planned trip to Binghamton to pick up the keys to my new rented house and the out of place posts earlier this week, I have successfully messed up a schedule of posting that has worked for the past three months. Well, readers, do not be alarmed. On Monday, after I receive my much anticipated Internship schedule, I will be able to give you all a firm summer posting schedule. But, for now, please deal with the utter disorder of my random posting schedule. It is very entropic. Today, I come to you with the glorious return of some fresh court links. They are tasty.

Credit: ALMASI/Bauer-Griffin

Sir Paul McCartney certainly could not have been feeling so suave (like he looks above) just a few days ago, when a gang attacked his tour bus as it rolled through a part of Mexico City. The 67-year-old superstar was left “shaken up” according to a source, who also said, “At first his security team thought it was just swarms of fans but when people started scaling the bus, the situation changed in a flash.” Well, I guess fame does come with a price.

Youths forced the driver to stop and proceeded to jump up and down on the roof of the vehicle. This all occurred after McCartney’s gig at Foro Stadium at 1 a.m. this past Saturday. McCartney was unhurt.

Link: http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2010/06/01/paul-mccartney-in-frightening-mob-bus-attack-in-mexico-city-115875-22300565/

The next item is not so much news, as it is just a crazy video. All I have to say is GIVE THIS MAN A DRUM SOLO

Newer Entries →