Thursday, January 5, 2012
Monday, February 1, 2010
Earth and Sun and Moon (1) – Outbreak of Love
If you'd really like to see what Peter Garrett looks like topless and swimming in a red sea, search for the video of this song on YouTube. The overtly and completely unnecessarily psychedelic video is pretty neat, but it's almost a colorized version of the Red Hot Chili Pepper's Give It Away video. Completely out of step with Midnight Oil, it's amusing how sincere the band looks while lip synching.
To focus on the music, the song is great. Yes, it's psychedelic, but not a throwback to the 60s as the video would have you believe. More of a mash of Midnight Oil's Aussie rock and the psychedelic revival sounds of bands like XTC.
The song is an excellent example of the band working together and sounding like a complete unit without a lot of overbearing production. The spaciousness of the verses perfectly balance the exhilarating fusion of the chorus and you're left with a perfect piece of music.
To focus on the music, the song is great. Yes, it's psychedelic, but not a throwback to the 60s as the video would have you believe. More of a mash of Midnight Oil's Aussie rock and the psychedelic revival sounds of bands like XTC.
The song is an excellent example of the band working together and sounding like a complete unit without a lot of overbearing production. The spaciousness of the verses perfectly balance the exhilarating fusion of the chorus and you're left with a perfect piece of music.
Midnight Oil - Earth and Sun and Moon
I'll start out by admitting that I am a huge Midnight Oil fan and while not all their albums have been fantastic, each one is worth checking out an offers fantastic songs.
Earth and Sun and Moon is the first Midnight Oil release to come out while I was a fan of the band. I had started liking the band about a year after Blue Sky Mining had come out and was working my way through their back catalog when Earth and Sun and Moon came out. While it's not my favorite Midnight Oil album, it's one of their best, is very easily accessible and still holds up incredibly well 17 years later.
(wow, writing that made me feel really old... 1993 wasn't that long ago... was it?)
For some reason, I decided not to go see them when they played the Roy Wilkin's auditorium to support this album, which resulted in me having to wait eight years for my next opportunity to see them live (September, 2001 – Celebrity Theater, Phoenix, Arizona). This made my desire to hear everything they released previously even stronger and had me keeping track of new album releases.
Stylistically, it follows all the benchmarks of a Midnight Oil album; lyrics that are environmentally, socially and politically conscious, rockin' guitars and excellent production. It also adds some well placed keyboards, which is something they've done a lot in the past, but really sound like part of the band's music this time, rather than an afterthought tossed on by a producer. It all fits together for a rewarding listen the first time as well as the hundredth.
Earth and Sun and Moon is the first Midnight Oil release to come out while I was a fan of the band. I had started liking the band about a year after Blue Sky Mining had come out and was working my way through their back catalog when Earth and Sun and Moon came out. While it's not my favorite Midnight Oil album, it's one of their best, is very easily accessible and still holds up incredibly well 17 years later.
(wow, writing that made me feel really old... 1993 wasn't that long ago... was it?)
For some reason, I decided not to go see them when they played the Roy Wilkin's auditorium to support this album, which resulted in me having to wait eight years for my next opportunity to see them live (September, 2001 – Celebrity Theater, Phoenix, Arizona). This made my desire to hear everything they released previously even stronger and had me keeping track of new album releases.
Stylistically, it follows all the benchmarks of a Midnight Oil album; lyrics that are environmentally, socially and politically conscious, rockin' guitars and excellent production. It also adds some well placed keyboards, which is something they've done a lot in the past, but really sound like part of the band's music this time, rather than an afterthought tossed on by a producer. It all fits together for a rewarding listen the first time as well as the hundredth.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Where to listen...
Before we get started, I'd like to recommend visiting www.grooveshark.com to listen to any music mentioned in this blog.
I know there are a lot of Pandora fans out there and while I think Pandora is neat, Groove Shark is a million times better.
Why?
Because Groove Shark actually lets you search their library of millions of songs to build a specific playlist of your own selected songs. You don't just pick an artist or song that you like and let Pandora build a playlist for you.
Additionally, if you're tired of picking out songs for your own playlist, you can tell Groove Shark to add new music based on your playlist. So just like I said, a lot like Pandora... only better. You can save your playlists and they also have radio stations of their own.
Check it out!
I know there are a lot of Pandora fans out there and while I think Pandora is neat, Groove Shark is a million times better.
Why?
Because Groove Shark actually lets you search their library of millions of songs to build a specific playlist of your own selected songs. You don't just pick an artist or song that you like and let Pandora build a playlist for you.
Additionally, if you're tired of picking out songs for your own playlist, you can tell Groove Shark to add new music based on your playlist. So just like I said, a lot like Pandora... only better. You can save your playlists and they also have radio stations of their own.
Check it out!
And we're back...
I started this blog a while ago because I wanted to write about some of the songs that came up when I listened to my iPod on shuffle. The wonderful thing about having a 160 GB iPod is that you can load the majority of your music collection on it. The terrible thing about having a 160 GB iPod is that it holds more music that you'll ever wind up listening to.
This project proved too time consuming and I quickly ran though songs I thought were worthy of review, so I'm trying something different.
From now on, Jon's Daily Song will feature a weekly album, and each day of the week will focus on a specific song from this album (as appropriate). This inspiration came from my morning walks where I like to search through my iPod and listen to a complete album during my hour-long constitutional. I've got an eclectic list of albums to feature so far and although this blog is mostly written for my own enjoyment, I hope it helps introduce you to some new music that you enjoy.
This project proved too time consuming and I quickly ran though songs I thought were worthy of review, so I'm trying something different.
From now on, Jon's Daily Song will feature a weekly album, and each day of the week will focus on a specific song from this album (as appropriate). This inspiration came from my morning walks where I like to search through my iPod and listen to a complete album during my hour-long constitutional. I've got an eclectic list of albums to feature so far and although this blog is mostly written for my own enjoyment, I hope it helps introduce you to some new music that you enjoy.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Sonic Youth - Sympathy for the Strawberry
Band – Sonic Youth
Song – Sympathy For the Strawberry
Album – Murray Street
Before Murray Street came out, I was a casual Sonic Youth fan. I discovered them when the 100% single was released off Dirty when I was in high school, bough Daydream Nation and really didn’t think much about them. Then I was introduced to the album Murray Street. This was a very spiritual time in my life and the droning washes of sound that were so strongly featured on the album really spoke to me. The album is exceptional from start to finish and correctly follows through the experiments they attempted (and mostly failed at) on their NYC Ghosts & Flowers album.
I generally don’t like the songs Kim Gordon sings as much as the ones Thurston Moore takes lead on, but Sympathy For The Strawberry is a huge exception. Dissonant notes and a wash of sound introduce what melts into a chant-like vocal performance by Gordon and back into sonic praise for techno-god. I used to crank this song on my way home from a job I hated, to help bring me down and lift me up.
HERE’s a pretty cool video of the band rehearsing the song (visit Amazon to hear the album version)
Hear Also: The Empty Page and Rain on Tin
Song – Sympathy For the Strawberry
Album – Murray Street
Before Murray Street came out, I was a casual Sonic Youth fan. I discovered them when the 100% single was released off Dirty when I was in high school, bough Daydream Nation and really didn’t think much about them. Then I was introduced to the album Murray Street. This was a very spiritual time in my life and the droning washes of sound that were so strongly featured on the album really spoke to me. The album is exceptional from start to finish and correctly follows through the experiments they attempted (and mostly failed at) on their NYC Ghosts & Flowers album.
I generally don’t like the songs Kim Gordon sings as much as the ones Thurston Moore takes lead on, but Sympathy For The Strawberry is a huge exception. Dissonant notes and a wash of sound introduce what melts into a chant-like vocal performance by Gordon and back into sonic praise for techno-god. I used to crank this song on my way home from a job I hated, to help bring me down and lift me up.
HERE’s a pretty cool video of the band rehearsing the song (visit Amazon to hear the album version)
Hear Also: The Empty Page and Rain on Tin
The Doors - The Soft Parade
4.8.09
Band – The Doors
Song – The Soft Parade
Album – The Soft Parade
Unless you’re a pretty heavy Doors fan, you probably aren’t aware of the album The Soft Parade, other than its main single Touch Me. Released in the depth of Jim Morrison’s drug addiction and while the band was drawing in countless hangers-on, the tension works and this is, in my opinion, the ultimate Doors album. From the majestic intro of Tell All The People to the full-on country of Runnin’ Blue, the band is developing faster than it’s ability to cope.
The song The Soft Parade is a journey in itself (and far superior to the other 9 minute epic The End) with a spoken intro, baroque transition into an almost disco section, all brought together in the end with a stomping jam. It also has some of the best Morrison lyrics like, “When I was back in seminary school, there was a person who put forth the proposition that you can petition the lord with prayer,” and “This is the best part of the trip, the trip, the best part… I… I really like.”
It’s not pretty, but it’s a 100% Doors.
The best place to hear snippets is on the Amazon page HERE.
Hear Also: Wild Child and Do It
Band – The Doors
Song – The Soft Parade
Album – The Soft Parade
Unless you’re a pretty heavy Doors fan, you probably aren’t aware of the album The Soft Parade, other than its main single Touch Me. Released in the depth of Jim Morrison’s drug addiction and while the band was drawing in countless hangers-on, the tension works and this is, in my opinion, the ultimate Doors album. From the majestic intro of Tell All The People to the full-on country of Runnin’ Blue, the band is developing faster than it’s ability to cope.
The song The Soft Parade is a journey in itself (and far superior to the other 9 minute epic The End) with a spoken intro, baroque transition into an almost disco section, all brought together in the end with a stomping jam. It also has some of the best Morrison lyrics like, “When I was back in seminary school, there was a person who put forth the proposition that you can petition the lord with prayer,” and “This is the best part of the trip, the trip, the best part… I… I really like.”
It’s not pretty, but it’s a 100% Doors.
The best place to hear snippets is on the Amazon page HERE.
Hear Also: Wild Child and Do It
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