General Music Discussion?

[afx]

Haven't heard the tribute album but I do like Dread Zeppelin.

 

[afx]

 

[afx]

Its too bad they play up the shtick bit as I think they are good musicians. 

[iamsuperdan]

Dread Zeppelin are fantastic musicians. I got the change to see them live back in the very early 90s. Un-Led-Ed had just been released, and we happened to be on vacation in England at the time. The stars aligned and I went. Such a good show, and I'm not even a huge Zeppelin fan. They totally played up the reggae stereotypes, and the Elvis impression was bang on to any footage I've seen of Elvis himself. And despite all the comedy, the sound was perfect. Such a tight band. Would definitely go see them again if their tour and my schedule could get together.

 

 

Looking at Encomium reminds me of just how many excellent soundtracks  & compilation albums there were in the 90s. 

 

The Crow - really introduced doomy, gothy, industrial music to the masses. This is still a killer album, and I listen to it a lot.

Judgement Night - decent movie, awesome soundtrack. Really kind of broke the metal meets rap genre into the mainstream. Collaborations from bands like Slayer, Faith No More, Pearl Jam, Helmet, and Dinosaur Jr with rap artists like Onyx, house of Pain, Run DMC, Cypress Hill. To this day, one of my favourite albums. In fact, I got nostalgic and I'm listening here at work as I type this.

https://open.spotify.com/album/1qwrbuNLtDcuj2myhuESlh?si=SOFp683mTw21TxMYTacS1w

Songs In The Key of X - this is not a soundtrack per se. it's an album of music inspired by The X Files. Foo Fighter,s Sheryl Crow, Filter, Screamin Jay Hawkins, REM. it's just a dark, moody, atmospheric album. And I love that the CD has hidden tracks. Hidden tracks, that are NOT just tacked on to the end of the disc after a large gap. As the albums says, Zero is a number...

Pump Up The Volume - i love this movie. And the soundtrack...Leonard Cohen, Richard Hell, Ice T, Pixies, Sonic Youth, Decscendants, Soundgarden. Just fantastic.

Singles - THE definitive soundtrack to the grunge movement. Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Chris Cornell, Jimi Hendrix. Excellent movie too. mmm...Bridget Fonda...

 

 

[JollySipper]

As cheesy as the movie was, Batman Forever had a good soundtrack..... PJ Harvey has a song on it that I've never found anywhere else.....

The Crow movie soundtrack was excellent! Helmet, Rollins Band, a lot of good stuff from that time frame....

[Brutalform]

[afx]

Billie Eilish wrote and will sing the theme for the new James Bond film - looking forward to hearing it. 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/14/entertainment/billie-eilish-james-bond-trnd/index.html

[iamsuperdan]

8 hours ago, Brutalform said:

I have most of those!  Grew up on metal, and much to my wife's dismay, I stil love it!

 

[iamsuperdan]

3 hours ago, afx said:

Billie Eilish wrote and will sing the theme for the new James Bond film - looking forward to hearing it. 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/14/entertainment/billie-eilish-james-bond-trnd/index.html

Interesting choice. I'm sure her brother will come up with a solid song for her. The Bond themes are typically really good. Except for the Sam Smith one, didn't like his song much at all.

Go back a few movies, I wish they had chosen Muse over Adele. Their song is excellent.

[JollySipper]

I remember Weird Al did the theme to the spoof 'Spy Hard'..... it was hilarious! 

[Brutalform]

1 hour ago, iamsuperdan said:

I have most of those!  Grew up on metal, and much to my wife's dismay, I stil love it!

 

\\m//

[NYLIBUD]

Cool photo.Black Sabbath,or anything to do with Ozzy are still my favorite.I also still really like Kiss.Favorite song is She, and Parasite.Parasite has a great drum solo.Gene,Gene,Gene!!!!!????

[JollySipper]

What are you guys' top five albums of your youth? The ones that influenced you the most? Mine are as follows:

Fashion Nugget by Cake...

You'd Prefer an Astronaut by Hum...

American Thighs by Veruca Salt...

II (two) by Meat Puppets

Nevermind by Nirvana...

These albums shaped my taste in music as well as me as a person!

[iamsuperdan]

This is similar to a facebook thing from a year or so ago. THe only time I have ever done one of those name 10 things and tag your friends challenges.

That one was all about picking your 10 most important albums, and telling the story.

 

So because I could talk for hours on music, I see your top five, and rasie you another five.

Here's my top 10!

 

Album one for me has to be The Real Thing by Faith No More. Growing up, I was surrounded by music. Thanks to my parents, I was introduced at an early age to all types of music. From my mum it was The Beatles, Cat Stevens, Engelbert Humperdinck. From my dad, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton. I was exposed to everything, so had a wide range of tastes.

But then in the late 80s metal entered the picture, and it just wasn’t cool to admit to liking music that wasn’t metal. So I kept it hidden that I liked pop music, and new wave, and whatever else I actively listened to.

And then I discovered The Real Thing. This album was metal. But it was also rap, and jazz. And I loved it. I wore out two cassettes, and have two CD versions. I can still sing along to every track, and can play most of the album on guitar. This album more than any other took me out of my shell, and this is when I stopped hiding what I listened to, and really just put it out there that I listen to everything.

This is my desert island album.

 

Iron Maiden’s Powerslave was THE album that got me really into metal. Hands down. I remember being out with my dad at West Edmonton Mall. As we usually were, we were in a record store. Music World? Sam The Record Man? The name of the store is lost, but the experience isn’t. We’re poking around, and dad holds up two vinyl records.

“Which one should we get?”

He was holding two Maiden albums; Aces High and Powerslave. I looked at them both and chose Powerslave for two reasons. As Aces High was just a single, Powerslave had more songs. And I thought the artwork was killer. I was 11 and had no idea what Maiden sounded like.

Purchase made, we went home and dad put the album in. The song Aces High plays and I love it. Then 2 Minutes To Midnight. Then the instrumental. Listened to whole thing, and was amazed. I hadn’t heard anything like it before.

I would take that album cover and study it, and read the lyrics, and memorize all of it. Visual Easter eggs like references to Indiana Jones and Star Wars. Lyrics that inspired me to go and read Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Heavy stuff for an 11 year old.

And of course, this album spawned the Live After Death double live album, which blew my mind even more.

Maiden is where it all began. Thanks dad!

 

 

This is the album that made me want to play the guitar. I had a guitar, didn’t do much with it for a year or two. Took lessons, but wasn’t super in to it.

Then, as we often did, my best friend Joe and I were hanging out watching music videos. Would have been probably 1987-88 or so. I don’t remember where. Would have been either in his basement, or up at his family’s cabin on Pierce Lake. Anyway, when it happened and where it happened aren’t important. What is important is when one particular video played.

Empty room, a wall of camoflaged Marshall stacks, and then a bunch of guys handbanging with pointy guitars. How could my 13 or 14 year old self not be hooked on this? From that moment, I became obsessed with guitar. I played more, I talked about it more, I read about it more. And as many will attest, I still jabber on about guitar to this day. Anthrax quickly became my favourite band from that era, and I still love them to this day. Heck, just saw them live a couple of weeks ago.

Over thirty years ago. Whoa!

 

 

 

Start to finish, one of the best albums ever created. Ever.

That period around 1996 was not a great one for me. There were some good points, but in a very short period, I lost two grandparents and the family dog we had since I was in grade 5. I was a few years out of high school, and was not involved with most of my friends from that era, just sort of drifted out my life. I was thinking about how much I really didn’t enjoy high school at all, and was still sort of aimless when it came to my future. Yeah, I was going to university, and yes I had friends, but I was just not in a great place.

But there was one person I was very close with, and she turned me on to Depeche Mode, and in particular, Songs Of Faith And Devotion. I had been aware of DMode, but had never really bothered to listen. The album fit my general frame of mind. It was dark and moody, very retrospective. I think it also helps that SOFAD marked a departure for DMode, as it was their first real guitar driven album, made it easier for me to get behind.

Our relationship was never like THAT, but a lot of the meaning of this album for me is centered around the time we had spent together. The correlation between this album and that relationship is more of an overall feeling than a true soundtrack, but the are definitely some lyrical themes that nailed the importance of this to me.

And even though that relationship unfortunately faded and disappeared, this album didn’t and I still listen to it constantly.

The lyrics now mean more as well. I’ve come to realize that I don’t need to have lived a particularly hard life to relate to the words in a song like Walking In My Shoes. The reality is that my experience in any situation is different than anyone else’s. And maybe in the grand scheme of things I haven’t had a tough life, but it still resonates.

Condemnation follows the theme a little, and echoes where I am now. At this point in my life, I am who I am, I’m comfortable with the decisions I’ve made, and I accept the consequences of those decisions. Being honest should never require an apology.

Whoa. Pretty friggin’ deep for a forum post eh? And this my friends is how I get when I discuss great music.

 

 

 

Pop Will Eat Itself - This Is The Day, This Is The Hour, This Is This.

Along with Faith No More’s The Real Thing, this album is probably has the most influence on the music I love today. A perfect mix of metal, industrial/electronic music, and even rap. This band is criminally underrated. All of their albums have been a little ahead of their time, and I think that’s why fame and fortune always seemed to elude them.

Even hooking up with Trent Reznor didn’t get them the mainstream recognition they deserve.

Fun fact, Clint Mansell was one of the main guys, and he has now gone on to be a multiple Grammy award nominee for his songwriting. Requiem For A Dream being one of his movies.

Anyway, love this band, love this album.

 

 

Poison - Look What The Cat Dragged In.

Yeah, that’s right. Screw you, I still listen to Poison. And all other 80s hair metal for that matter. And while I’m on the subject, even though I use it, I don’t particularly like the term hair metal, as it diminishes the contributions and the talents of many of the artists of that era. There were some killer musicians back then, but because they are labelled hair metal, they get overlooked.

Poison are NOT killer musicians. They wrote some darn catchy songs, and were a lot of fun. And those early albums still are.

But the reason Poison are on this list is that they are the reason I got so into BC Rich guitars. I was 13, 14 years old. I was playing guitar, and loving it. And in the late 80s, when MuchMusic and MTV still played music videos, we were glued to it. In those pre-internet days, it was the only way to see your musical heroes. We loved the videos. THe music, the spectacle, and for me, the guitars. What was everyone playing?

Then Poison blows up. And all of a sudden, all over the tv is CC Deville with dozens of these custom guitars that just looked awesome. I had to have one. And a little while later, I ended up with my 1989 BC RIch ST-III in black & red crackle finish. And I still have it. I’m up to 14 BC Rich guitars now, but that was my first love. It’s the one guitar my kids aren’t allowed to touch. I’ll be buried with it. And it all started with some drag queen looking dudes asking chicks to talk dirty to them.

PS. Poison are the crappiest live band I’ve ever seen, but I still love the albums.

 

 

What have we learned so far in this 10 days of music thing?

First, Iron Maiden got me into metal.

Second, Anthrax got me into playing guitar.

A now, we learn about the band that made me try to get serious about playing lead. Extreme are one those bands lumped into the hair metal category, when they really weren’t a hair band. Yeah, they had hair, but it wasn’t all chicks and parties. Look at a band like Warrant or WInger or Poison and then look at Extreme. Not the same.

The musicianship was way above the others. The songs had a bit more groove to them, it wasn’t just hooks and riffs. And after the the first album, the lyrics became a little more serious.
But for me, it was all about Nuno. Man, now that guy can play the guitar. I liked other shredders before him, but this guy just hooked me. So for a time, I practiced my ass off and I tried to be the lead player I wanted to be.
After a time, I realized that I had way more fun sticking to playing rhythm. And really, fun is what this hobby is all about.
Anyway, III Sides is a killer album from front to back. And has all of the elements I love about lead guitar.

 

 

Trip hop. Because sometimes you just need something mellow and relaxing. And it doesn’t get much better than this.

 

 

Pretty easy choice for me, as I loved White Zombie long before this album came out. Then this one hit the shelves, and changed how I approach the guitar.

Wait, metal, but without solos? Metal that focused more on the groove than the blazing shred solo? As somehow that has never been a proficient lead player, this was speaking to me. Throw in some samples and a little bit of an industrial influence, and I was hooked. I still listen to these guys a lot. A lot more that Rob Zombie’s solo stuff too. Not that I don’t like that stuff, but his old band was better.

 

 

The self-titled debut from one of my favourite bands. This album in particular takes me back to my days at Concordia University.There are a couple of people this album really reminds me of, and I can’t help but look back fondly at this era.

This is just a solid rock album. Haunting vocals, dark lyrics, powerful drums, rock guitar. All the things I like.

 

 

[JollySipper]

That's a pretty cool list! I guess to make mine ten, I'd add the top 5 albums that Primus put out. Caught a Lot of flack for listening to them, but I thought it fit who I was.....

[Can-Con]

15 hours ago, JollySipper said:

What are you guys' top five albums of your youth? The ones that influenced you the most? Mine are as follows:

Fashion Nugget by Cake...

You'd Prefer an Astronaut by Hum...

American Thighs by Veruca Salt...

II (two) by Meat Puppets

Nevermind by Nirvana...

These albums shaped my taste in music as well as me as a person!

So, TJ, I bet you must be around 40 ?

My tastes are a bit older.  Plus, being Canadian, we had a lot more European influences in our "top 40" radio airplay back then.

Bonus "best of" album,, Canada's greatest bar band in the '80s. 

I still have all these on cassette and play them loud when I'm cruising around in my T/A.  ?

[afx]

Growing up we were lucky enough to have one the greatest Rock radio stations in the country, WDVE out of Pittsburgh.  I distinctly remember hearing B52s – Rock Lobster for the first time.  Their debut album is fantastic but it would be several years before I owned it and heard it in its entirety. 

My top five:

Genesis – A Trick of the Tail:  Love the lyricism and the mystic qualities of the album.  It set me on the hunt for more Genesis and Genesis related music.

Peter Gabriel – Security:  I learned that Gabriel had left Genesis just before release of Trick of the Tail so I had to check him out.  This was the first, but certainly not the last PG album I would buy.  I love percussion and this album has it in spades along with great intensity and passion.

Phil Collins – Face Value:   When Phil released his solo debut I had to have it.  He was going through a very difficult period in his life and he bares his soul in this album, great percussion to boot.

Yes – Fragile: Great composers, great musicians, quite possibly my favorite band of all time.  The Vivaldo or Beethovens of Progressive Rock.  The band was a fan of Stravinsky.

Pink Floyd – The Wall:  Not much needs to be said.  There was a white cement block wall in our dorm room in college on which I painted “Pink Floyd” in the script of the album cover.

Edited February 2, 2020 by afx

[Can-Con]

4 minutes ago, afx said:

Growing up we were lucky enough to have one the greatest Rock radio stations in the country, WDVE out of Pittsburgh.  I distinctly remember hearing B52s – Rock Lobster for the first time.  Their debut album is fantastic but it would be several years before I owned it and heard it in entirety. 

My top five:

Genesis – A Trick of the Tail:  Love the lyricism and the mystic qualities of the album.  It set me on the hunt for more Genesis and Genesis related music.

Peter Gabriel – Security:  I learned that Gabriel had left Genesis just before release of Trick of the Tail so I had to check him out.  This was the first, but certainly not the last PG album I would buy.  I love percussion and this album has it in spades along with great intensity and passion.

Phil Collins – Face Value:   When Phil released his solo debut I had to have it.  He was going through a very difficult period in his life and he bares his soul in this album, great percussion to boot.

Yes – Fragile: Great composers, great musicians, quite possibly my favorite band of all time.  The Vivaldo or Beethovens of Progressive Rock.  The band was a fan of Stravinsky.

Pink Floyd – The Wall:  Not much needs to be said.  There was a white cement block wall in our dorm room in college on which I painted “Pink Floyd” in the script of the album cover.

JC, have you heard of this album?

If you like percussion, I think you'll like the 8th track. It's a drum showdown between him and his father. 

 

[afx]

7 minutes ago, Can-Con said:

JC, have you heard of this album?

If you like percussion, I think you'll like the 8th track. It's a drum showdown between him and his father. 

Have not heard that - thanks Steve.  I have seen Genesis live a few times and always enjoyed the drum duets between Collins and Chester Thompson.

 

[JollySipper]

1 hour ago, Can-Con said:

So, TJ, I bet you must be around 40 ?

Yep, I'll be 40 this year.... (don't remind me  )  I also like Blondie, Deborah Harry's voice is very much a pleasure to hear.... That's the main reason I like The Cardigans music, Nina Persson's voice.... Plus Blondie was almost Punk music, even played at the CBGB club....

[Can-Con]

1 hour ago, JollySipper said:

Yep, I'll be 40 this year.... (don't remind me  )  I also like Blondie, Deborah Harry's voice is very much a pleasure to hear.... That's the main reason I like The Cardigans music, Nina Persson's voice.... Plus Blondie was almost Punk music, even played at the CBGB club....

Hey, 40's not so bad. I turned 55 yesterday.  

But, yea, I can usually guess a person's age pretty close by their taste in music. 

[iamsuperdan]

9 hours ago, Can-Con said:

JC, have you heard of this album?

*Simon Collins album*

 

 

Finally! Someone else who is familiar with Simon Collins! I picked this up on CD when it came. Thought it was great. He does an excellent version of the Genesis classic Keep It Dark as well.

 

While on the subject of musical kids, how about a little Fiction Plane? This is Sting's son's band. I saw them about 10- years ago...opening for THe Police. Wonder how they got that gig?

Anyway, I dig 'em.

 

[Can-Con]

19 minutes ago, iamsuperdan said:

Finally! Someone else who is familiar with Simon Collins! I picked this up on CD when it came. Thought it was great. He does an excellent version of the Genesis classic Keep It Dark as well.

 

While on the subject of musical kids, how about a little Fiction Plane? This is Sting's son's band. I saw them about 10- years ago...opening for THe Police. Wonder how they got that gig?

Anyway, I dig 'em.

 

I have their first album.

[STYRENE-SURFER]

On 2/1/2020 at 8:51 PM, iamsuperdan said:

Pop Will Eat Itself - This Is The Day, This Is The Hour, This Is This.

I had this on cassette and my car deck ate it after too many plays! LOL!

Mike patton from Faith No More/Mr. Bungle? ...check out what he has done with John Zorn. 

https://youtu.be/0PdCgGF4sgM

If you like search you tube for (John Zorn Live Poland.) Amazing concert from 2013 for those who like a challenge... Beauty & chaos.

Can't think of top albums from my youth but I was glued to "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" and "The Midnight Special".

Edited February 3, 2020 by STYRENE-SURFER

[iamsuperdan]

3 hours ago, STYRENE-SURFER said:

 

Mike patton from Faith No More/Mr. Bungle? ...check out what he has done with John Zorn. 

 

It's weird, I LOVE Faith No More, but Mr Bungle is something I have never been able to get into. His work with Fantomas, and especially Tomahawk is fantastic though.

Will do some Spoitfy listening later this evening for John Zorn.