The Grand Tour Drinking Game

As you may or may not know, the Grand Tour is the multi-year long, alpha/chronological play through or my music collection- estimated to be about 3500 titles, mostly physical CD with a growing number of digital albums as well.

Who needs retirement money?

Anywhoo… the Grand Tour is also a much neglected blog, and a running thread on my Twitter feed. And like any great entertainment endeavor, it’s needs one thing.

A drinking game. 

This game is not limited to my GrandTour. It can and should be used for your own tour of your music collection. And to make clear: if you for medical, legal, or personal reasons do not drink alcohol, beverages of your choice may be substituted. Also know when to say when. Drink and play music responsibly.

Just BUY music irresponsibly. There are starving artists and A&R people out there. SAVE THEM!!!

This game can be played while listening to your collection or blog. THE FULL LEADED BOOZEY VERSION CAN NOT BE PLAYED WHILE DRIVING OR PILOTING. If you are playing while on public transit, you may have a problem. If you are playing while your chauffer is driving you… dude, pay him or her better.

If you are playing the game while your parents are drving you… you may have a problem.

I’m not judging. I just care.

Eponymous-  Drink.

If an album is named after the band or artist, that’s certainly cause to drink. Use ‘eponymous’ in your own writing.. it makes you feel like a real big deal music critic.

Plus, if you are playing R.E.M.’s ‘Eponymous,’ drink twice to Michael Stipe, the clever bastard.

Live  Album- Drink. If actually better than the studio albums,  drink twice. If worse, chug.

Live Albums exist to fulfill a) contractual obligations, b) the artistic ego or c) the desire of fans to experience live performance without paying the full god damn price. TICKETS ARE EXPENSIVE!
They also vary wildly in quality. Some catch a band playing with all the energy and fervor the Producer tried to kill. Some catch a band showing why they should stick to studio work.
Special Edition/Remaster- Drink. Another way artists and companies cash in on old material and b-sides. I mean re-introduce their material to new listeners with new technologies
Special Edition/Remaster- Drink. Another way artists and companies cash in on old material and b-sides. I mean re-introduce their material to new listeners with new technologies

Multiple Discs- 1 drink per additional album or cd. If it’s a download that doesn’t have ‘discs’ or ‘parts’ then drink for every full hour after the first hour. It doesn’t matter if the additional disc is more of the album,b-sides, other content.

 Cover Songs- 1 drink. Now,if you are listening to a covers album, or a “Standards” or “Tribute” album, just chug. We are enabling you. Not trying to kill you.

Artist Re-Recording Their Own Material – Drink. This is increasingly common as artists can’t get their original recordings back, but still want to make money off music the FUCKING MAN OWNS!

The fucking man ,man.

Soundtracks/OST/ Original Score-  Drink. If this is a score or OST from a movie, play or tv show, drink.

If it has one or more volumes, drink per each full volume.

Some movies need multiple soundtrack discs to cover the full score and selected songs. Sometimes a movie ‘inspires’ new songs. Even songs that have been out decades before the movie. Most often, this is about cash on the brand name. For example, did “Hackers” or “Dazed and Confused” need 2 cd’s? Did Mortal Kombat need 3-5? No.

Did I buy them and not regret it? Yes.

If it’s an Alan Silvestri Soundtrack- CHUG. Alan Silvestri frigging rules OST’s and Scores for Films.  Check out the job he did on the Sylster Stallone  ‘ Judge Dredd’ sound track if you don’t believe me.

Side Projects/ Spin Offs- Drink.

Pop Music is full of side projects and spin offs… Green Day has had at least 1500, as of last count. Side Projects are when the band stays together- for example, Mick Jagger having a solo album while the Stones tours are all the only thing they have going for them. Spin offs are when the bands breaks up into smaller bits- like Blink-182 becoming +44 (really good) and Angels And Airwaves (kill me, now.)

If the Side Project/Spin off is better, drink once. If it is worse, drink twice. And if it is Angel and Airwaves, for GODSAKE STOP LISTENING AND PUT ON BLINK! And chug,

To forget.

Second Generation Artist/Band- Drink.

If this is either a band made up of children of a previous act or star- (Neneh and Eagle Eye Cherry, for example) or a band whose children are now playing in it (Led Zeppelin) Drink. Or think Ziggie Marley or

Julian Lennon or Sean Lennon.  

Prefab/ Reality Show- Drink. If this is a band or artist who were either put together by management, or are the products of a reality  show.

Drink twice if they are actually good. If you are listening to the Monkees, and feel shame… chug. You really need to relax. THE MONKEES ROCKED!

Foreign Language- If you are listening to a group and have no idea what they are saying, drink.If you’ve researched lyrics that don’t come with the album, drink twice. If you have researched Sigur Ros lyrics, slowly sip in a blissful state.

If you have researched Rammstein lyircs, CHUG YOU DIRTY ANHAGER! CHUG! CHUG!!!!!!

This isn't a complete set of rules, but a good starting point. Now go forth, listen and sip deeply. 

Have an All-American Rejects 4th of July Weekend!

Occasionally, barely updating your music collection blog can lead to fortuitous coincidence. Like.. writing about the All-American Rejects 4th on the All American Holiday- July 4th!

Well, at least starting to write about them. I'll probably get this post up by the 6th. BUT DARE TO DREAM!

The Rejects first appeared to me on MTV, with the delightful 'Swing, Swing.' This was from their eponymous first CD. ( And as per the Grand Tour Drinking Game Rules, every time I write 'eponymous'... DRINK!) Clearly, a nice bit of pop rock, Blink-182 meets Emo, but actually rocking. And of course, there was the immediate fangirl swooning over Tyson Ritter. 

But the band grew legs. They kept going, and continually put out solid music. AAR was a group I might not have searched out, but swinging by the new disc racks at the Best Buy or catching a new tune on radio ( oh, radio it's true. Someone still loves you, but I just miss you while playing Pandora.) I'd be happy to see them, and would pick 'em up.

The follow up 2005's 'Move Along' featured this little ditty, 'Dirty Little Secrets.' The secrets video gave a nice shout out to postsecret.com. You haven't gone since the video? Go. People are still just as conflicted, torn, and fucked up. Maybe more so. Only judge every fourth post when you do.

It also featured 'Move Along,' which was as good as any post-9/11/ post-Dubya still in office/ post-depressive raise your spirit anthem out there. You know it? No? Find it yourself. I'm already doing the hard work for you. And take out the trash while you're at it.

With 2008, 'When The World Come Down' came out. This one featured the full 2nd 'Best Buy Exclusive' cd. Maybe a bit much, but what the hey? Fun with bad relationships continues,and the band continues to have a sense of humor. Important for alt/indie gone corporate rock:  don't take yourselves to seriously. 

DID YOU HEAR ME 'ANGELS AND AIRWAVES?'

A good example was the song, 'Gives You Hell.' You may have heard them on 'Glee' but don't hold that against them. 

I recommend them. They may not  be a necessary part of any collection, they are solid American rock with heart, and a band that deserves to keep on going. I'll be picking up their 2012 'Kids In The Street' and do a follow up then.

Happy Independence Day, and remember: Let the pros do the fireworks. I mean, the ones that go boom in the sky. If you are at bbq and your friends are going through emotional fireworks, sit back, watch and imagine the heartfelt, rocking tune the All-American Rejects would make out of it.

I gave all their albums 4 stars. Playable and re-playable, good to mine for mixes and parties, and just all over rocking.  

Artist: The All-American Rejects

Album: The All-American Rejects

Year: 2003

Date Listened in Tour: 7/23/2008

Rating: ****

Best Songs: 'Swing, Swing', 'My Paper Heart'

Album: Move Along

Year: 2005

Date Listened in Tour: 7/24/2008

Rating: ****

Best Songs: 'Move Along','Dirty Little Secret'

Album: When The World Comes Down

Year: 2010

Date Listened in Tour: 1/29/2009

Rating: ****

Best Songs: 'Give You Hell', 'Another Heart Calls'

Go Ask Alice... wait, is she on X? Or Special K? or Alice DeeJay

Svengali in the back. Babe of beauty and hopefully vocal skills in the front. This is the formula for.. well, a hell of a lot of pop music. 

"Who Needs Guitars Anyway?" was a 1999 cd, with DJ Jurgen (we'll see him again later) and Alice. Alice, is a a particularly attractive young lady, who after her time in techno, became part of a Dutch reality celebrity making show. So maybe Alice Deejay didn't set the world aflame.

However, at least one of the songs lasted. You've heard it. And if you haven't seen the video, well.. WELCOME TO DUTCH PEOPLE BEING INDIAN AND MANIPULATING SOME DUDE IN THE DESERT! 

"Who Needs Guitars Anyway?" is a fun little CD. A bit of techno history and pop ephemera, but worth a listen, if not a must have in the collection. A solid 3 out of 5, which if you like your techno, is replayable, worth grabbing for mixes, and occasionally wondering just what drugs they were on, and if not.. WHY WEREN'T THEY?


Artist: Alice Deejay       

Album: "Who Needs Guitars Anyway?" 

Year: 1999

Date Listened in Tour: 7/25/08

Rating: ***

Best Songs: "Better Off Alone."

Video Catch Up- (500) Days of Summer & +44

So.. when you catch up on an (up-to know) under maintained music blog, you think.. well, HOW DID I GET HERE?!?!

Actually, you think what you could have done differently to make it better.

Why.. VIDEO'S OF SOME OF MY SONG PICKS OF COUSE!

Let's get this multimedia.

And since I have a back log I want to pad, Let's start with the song pick from the (500) Days of Summer soundtrack, which somebody whipped into a decent video for The Smiths's 'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.'

Ah, the love of the hip, not quite hipster, watered with the wine of decades old, decades strong Moz and the Lads.

No one ever called them that? Ah, well.

And another Video Catch Up, +44's 'Make You Smile.' While YouTube offered no official video ( and a Sims video I was tempted for out of sheer why-the-hell-not) I went with this live show. Note the shout outs and people having fun. Compare this to when we get to Angel and Airwaves and Tom DeLonge SINGS FOR THE WHOLE GORAM 'VERSE!

(A Firefly reference was so, so needed.)

Again, +44 may not have rocked the world as hard they deserved, but respect to them.

Well, thanks for joining in for the first Video Catch Up. 2005 thanks me for embracing it's technological advances, and we tour ONWARDS!

I wanna be an Airborne Toxic Event Ranger, I wanna live a life of danger!

You know when you were little, and adults looked like they had it all under control? 

Then you were a teen, they were revealed to be less in control, some really screwed up, and you... You, YOU were holding it together in varying degrees, hoping you'd figure it out eventually.

And then at any point between 25 & 45 you have the hormonal drive of a teen but the pad and easy credit of a grown up, and were on or hungover from something light and recreational while lost over some girl or guy who broke your heart, and OH GOD THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE EASIER!

Welcome to the world of The Airborne Toxic Event.

Airborne may be one of the last bands MTV/VH1 ever break for me. In the rush before work, the video for 'Sometime Around Midnight' was played during the few programming hours dedicated to music. It just grabbed me.. the sheer amount of feelings that one song generated, stopping me for a moment while I was on the rush to work. I was happy to hear them start popping up in other places. Seeing them on 'Friday Night Lights'.. altmusic heaven.

Did they or the album become one of my all time faves? Not quite. I think Airborne are a band you need to see live, and explore more of before becoming a true faithful, That being said, their debut is a rocking album, with good diversity. And any album with 'Sometime Around Midnight' on it gets a bump up out of the pretty darn good, to solid rock.

4 out of 5, with a recommendation for follow up exploration if you like your rock with all the feelings, decent use of strings, and no shame about either.

'Some Time Around Midnight'

'Happiness Is Overrated.

Artist: The Airborne Toxic Event           

Album: The Airborne Toxic Event 

Year: 2009

Date Listened in Tour: 8/14/2009

Rating: ****

Best Songs: 'Some Time Around Midnight', 'Happiness Is Overrated.

Je peux le sentir venir dans l' AIR ce soir, oh seigneur

When you start a blog following a GrandTour of your music collection, you have to do two things.

1) Listen to your music collection in alpha/chrono order.

2) Blog it.

I did the first. A good 1140 cd's worth.

In the mean time, I found while catching up that I had blogged about A Fire Inside.

Twice.

Twice, man. I mean, I like them, not quite that much.

Why you work the program. WHY YOU WORK THE PROGRAM!

Ok. So game on.

Let's talk about: Air.

First off, Air is the French Pink Floyd.

True, they didn’t name themselves after American bluesmen. They don’t have a lost member trolling around a French university town, running from fans seeking out his mad genius. And neither of them are the arrogant sumbitches Water or Gilmour are.

But yeah, French Pink Floyd. Long form music, ties with cinematic artistes (Sofia Coppola, you may not have made a good movie since ‘Lost in Translation’ but  you gave us Air) and even though they are largely known for one pop music genre - dance - they pretty much do whatever they want.

So yeah, Gallic Pink Floyd.

That’s not a bad thing. Floyd, even if they became the spark that launched a thousand punk bands, was part of the expansion of rock’s possibilities. And Air likewise expanded the possibilities of 90’s to Aught’s dance and electronic/dance/chill. They seem to come out of an alternative-Euro 70’s that never ended, and avoided all the really bad drugs.

Plus, let’s face it.. in the early 21st century, when we were getting used to the true wired frenzy of the internet non-stop world, starting off on endless war, and realizing how truly fucked as a species we might be, Air had a place. We needed intelligent chill. We needed people who could calm us without knocking us out.

Thanks, Air. Well done on that.

Across the board, I give Air 4 out of 5 stars. As great as they are, they seem to miss a final, transcendent spark that pushes them up to that final notch. Their music, by design, isn’t about hooks or grabbing you. In fact, it demands a little more attention than you might be ready to give. But buy, listen, ideally on a long trip, somewhere you can look out the window, and let the words and music full your headspace.

Like a good Floyd album. With sexier vocoder.

The essential buys are Moon Safari and Talkie Walkie. You like those two, fill in the rest. The quick reviews I did while writing this reinforced the band’s consistency. Grab the two, grab the rest.

Artist: Air           

Album: Moon Safari
Year: 1998
Date Listened in Tour: 7/17/08
Rating: ****
Best Songs: All I Need, Kelly Watch The Stars, Ce Matin La

Album: The Virgin Suicides - Score
Year: 2000
Date Listened in Tour: 7/19/08
Rating: ****
Best Songs: Playground Love/Highschool Lover

Album: Talkie Walkie
Year: 2004
Date Listened in Tour: 7/17/09
Rating: ****
Best Songs: Cherry Blossom Girl, Run, Alone In Kyoto

Album: Late Night Tales
Year: 2006
Date Listened in Tour: 7/19/08
Rating: ****
Best Songs: Lovin’ You- Minnie Ripperton, Let’s Get Lost- Elliot Smith, The Old Man’s Back Again- Scott Walker

Late Night Tales is compilation series featuring mixes by different artists, which I recommend tracking down the series when you get the chance.

Album: Pocket Symphonies
Year: 2007
Date Listened in Tour: 7/19/08
Rating: ****
Best Songs: Left Bank, Photograph, Somewhere Between Waking and Sleeping

Album: Love 2

Year: 2009
Date Listened in Tour: 9/20/09
Rating: ****
Best Songs: So Light is Her Footfall. African Velvet.

Vocoder Heaven. I imagine them partying with Daft Punk at some point, and ‘Love 2’ being the goody bag.

And now.. ONWARDS WITH THE BLOGGING!

A Fire? WHERE? INSIDE! Really?

You need to forgive me for two things. One, of course is for not writing in this blog for just over a year. Two, for being out of order.

Hey, it happens.

You don't have to forgive me for writing about A.F.I.... or A Fire Inside. Now, let's get the wise cracks out the way first.

Yes, this band should be played if you are doing hardcore Vampire: The Embrace Larping. This band does go well with black eyeliner and feelings of angst and loneliness well past high school. This band is great if you are lifting weights and need really good music to get angry with but not so angry with that you throw them around and and end up hurting something.

In it's own way, AFI is corny and sincere as all hell. And guess what.. that's why they rock.

I heard the name on radio a couple of times, and saw some concert postings in NYC, but never really knew them until they appeared on The American Music Awards, and gave a pretty solid showing.

Leading to "Oh, so that's who these guys are?" And a two album investment.

A.F.I. it seems has a long history, incredible groups of fans who they give a hell of a lot back to. This is a band that if you sink your teeth into.. vampiric imagery unavoidable... you may just hit a throbbing vein of rock and emotion that will carry you away.

Or, you may just get a pretty good band worth checking into.

A.F.I. can be heard in many groups out there.. intentionally or not. Linkin Park and Evanesence have them in their DNA, for example. And while I wasn't ever really drawn in, I'm glad to have them in the collection.

That's why both CD's get 3 stars. Solid rock albums, cool stuff on them, but I haven't replayed them much since. Worth experimenting, and not letting the stereotypes stop you.

Artist: A Fire Inside

Album: Sing The Sorrow
Year: 2003
Date Listened in Tour: 7/16/08
Re-listened: 8/13/12
Original & Standing Rating: ***
Best Song: Silver and Cold

Artist: Afro Celt Sound System

Album: Vol. 3
Year: 2001
Date Listened in Tour: 7/17/08

Re-listened: 8/13/12

Original & Standing Rating: ***

Best Song: 37mm

Brattleboro Mon Amour

This is re-post from my LiveJournal blog. I'm reposting it here on the off chance someone reads it and contributes.

Music posting to resume later...

So Vermont has been an important part of my families life and mine.

My Dad and his sister went to University of Vermont. It was one of the best times of his life. The way the school reached out and embraced him as his classes' 50th reunion came about was equally gratifying.

As a little kid, I remember fondly vacationing there a couple of times, going up for my dad's 25th or 30th reunion. Vermie, the stuffed mouse I got from the Vermont book store was a star of my menagerie for years.

My sister went to Middlebury, and it was there on one visit that wee James became known as "Who's the little dude puking off house porch?" and first had Olympia Beer. (Motto: "It's the Water." More like "It Is Water.) It was also in these visits I had my first aware glimpse of a winter Vermont sky. I saw more stars in one night than I'd had seen in all my life up to that point.

I think my first glimpse of the Milky Way was there.

Plus, I'm pretty sure I saw an early Phish tape or two laying around people's dorm rooms.

For me, my time in Vermont was in the winter of '93. I got a role in the Whetstone Theater's Christmas Carol, playing young Scrooge and Bob Cratchit. The company was an amazing mix of characters.. Green mountain natives and transplanted New Yorkers, and me showing up after my Mon saw an add in a Amherst news paper.

The town itself.. was brilliant. I'll admit to forgetting a lot of names.. I man, we're going on 20 years since I was there. But the Latchis Theater featured mainstream movies and an amazing women's film festival ( I saw "Wayne's World 2," "Adams Family Values" and "Ruby in Paradise" in this same theater. "Ruby..." was better than the other two, by the way.)

The cast was great. I crashed in a house with one of the staffers for a couple of months, and was really welcomed. And tolerated at points. Hey... new actors can suck some in rehearsals before things come together.

I left, lost touch. Heard some people in the company passed.

And then the Hurricane.

Folks, we are all broke beyond human belief and all have causes to help, towns in need. Fellow Empire staters need help as well.

But on behalf of old friends and old memories in Vermont, and some newer ones, I'm asking folks to consider giving some to the Green Mountain State.

Here's a link to a great web page- http://7d.blogs.com/blurt/2011/08/after-irene-how-you-can-help-vermont.html

Cut, paste, and give a little.

Afro Celt What the Hey is this?

Let’s talk about “World Music.”

At the old Virgin Megastores (miss those gigantic, corporate bastards oh so much) somewhere near the back, was a rack or two of music from all over the world, at least a quarter of which were from Peter Gabriel’s Real World label.

“World Music” is not always a bad thing. Sometimes, it’s about people learning about different music, and appreciating other cultures native sounds. Sometimes, it’s about western pop types getting really funky and partnering with non-western types to rock the fuck out.

Sometimes, it’s an aging English rock start making an embarrassing documentary about drumming in Africa. Sometimes, it’s a weapon the more pretentious use against the less pretention to prove their music tastes are superior.

Sometime’s it’s just a mess of what the fuck that your ears can bleed.

Afro-Celtic Sound System, Vol.3 piqued my interest based on the regular airplay of a song featuring  Peter Gabriel, “Falling,” featuring a man falling from the sky, through the Earth, and out the other side. I saw it for cheap at a little CD store in the Pavonia Newport Mall in beautiful Jersey City, right by where I lived for a bit.

I have rarely had such a serious “WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST PAY FOR?” reaction as I’ve had with this. I love Celtic music, I dig most African sounds. Hell, I actually liked a lot of Deep Forest’s stuff.

Don’t judge me.

But this is just such an indulgent, ready to be background music in a 1990’s English chocolate commercial mess, I have no idea what they were thinking, or intending. It must be like being trapped at a weekend long Phish show without being a fan or being stoned off your ass.

The actual CD was thrown back to the winds of fate years ago. I still have it on  MP3 in case I need to hear “Falling” or scare animals and small children.

World music doesn’t automatically suck. But ohmygod, Afro Celt Sound System, Vol, 3, most surely does.

Artist: Afro Celt Sound System

Album: Vol. 3
Year: 2001
Date Listened in Tour: 7/17/08
Rating: *
Best Songs: Falling

In Brightest Day, In "Black Love" in the year “1965”

After the “Gentleman”, the Whigs kept on going ‘til ’98. The music continues to be big, the sound expands a bit.. but the steam starts to leak. Also, they were a little loss in the surge of Alt, as it started to fade away and we all began dithering over what "Alt" meant, who was really "Alt", and why the fuck would anyone buy "Backstreet Boys" or "N-Sync"

“Gentleman” is a CD that comes to mind, that you can imagine picking up out the blue and putting on again and again. “Black Love” and “1965” are both great, and having had replayed them very recently, are both great, but aren’t as high on the instant play.  They aren’t the OHMYGOD SO AMAZING that the first album is.

Another way to describe the two is a really good scotch or whiskey. Not the best ever, but one you have to remember you have, and are rewarded for playing again. After the first sip, after the it sinks into you, you remember why you keep a bottle or two of it in your liquor cabinet.

But. these are high recommends. I need to listen to more of Dulli and co’s non-Whig output, but if you like
“Gentleman” at all, these are must buys.

Artist: The Afghan Whigs.

Album: Black Love
Year: 1996
Date Listened in Tour: 7/15/08
Rating: ****
Best Songs: Bulletproof

Artist: The Afghan Whigs.

Album: 1965
Year: 1998
Date Listened in Tour: 7/15/08
Rating: ****
Best Song: Uptown Again

You’re No “Gentleman”

One thing I have to say bewilders me. Somehow, music that you’ve burned and listened to many a time, that has happily lived on your iPod or other lesser mp3 player, disappears from your hard drive.

HOW THE FUCK DOES THIS HAPPEN? I DON’T KNOW!

!!

!

Ok.. back to the music.

In the early 90’s, while New Wave was fading and Grunge and Alt where taking over, I was working in the music industry while starting acting. And, starting to really get into music. Like, REALLY. Like, learning credit cards are FUN FUN, into music.

Anyhow.

Not every band was trying to be Nirvana, thank god. An early stand was The Afghan Whigs. I heard them here and there, saw them onto MTV News way more than they were played on MTV, and I just liked their sound, and their lyrics. Look, no matter how good a person you are, part of you has some mildly to seriously  hateful thoughts in it. And guess what..  kick ass rock n’roll can be quite cathartic in that respect.

“YEAH! WORSE PEOPLE THAN ME EXIST! AND MAKE A GREAT NEW SOUND WITH IT! AND AREN’T METAL DOUCHEBAGS!”

Well, maybe not that extreme. But you get my point.

The Whigs never took over the world, and as stories go, and allegedly they broke up amicably. Seeing Greg’s interviews, it’s not entirely believable. But for some of the best of early 90;s alt, you can’t go wrong with them.

I’ll be hitting the other two LP’s separately, but I’m including the EP in this entry. “Gentleman” is an essential part in any cd collection. Great to either amp you up or get you through dark moods, worth listening to the words while doing the head bop, and of the moment it was produced in but not stuck in the moment.

“What Jail Is Like” is a great little EP. Not only does it feature another great song from “Gentleman”, but it shows some different angles of the band. They have some banjo, they show some of the love of soul and classic R&B which marked them as more diverse than your average rock band.

And, it allows me to cheat a little. “What Jail Is Like” is another great song from the “Gentleman” cd, and instead of bursting the Best Song category completely, I get to put it in with the EP.

THANKS, GUYS!

Artist: The Afghan Whigs.

Album: Gentleman
Year: 1993
Date Listened in Tour: 7/15/08
Rating: *****
Best Songs: Be Sweet/ Deboanir

Artist: The Afghan Whigs.

Album: What Jail Is Like
Year: 1994
Date Listened in Tour: 7/15/08
Rating: ****
Best Song: What Jail Is Like

Let’s Hear It For “About a Boy”

The early 2000’s. Wow. We were all trying to chill… either from too many club drugs ( not me, but those of you who were.. it’s cool. Why didn’t you share more?), 9/11 ( me and a lot of other fine folks,) and the whole buzzkill of Y2K.

I mean, we passed both 2000 AND 2001 with out one robot trying to kill us all. Not counting Dick Cheney. I don’t think he was a cyborg yet.

And in to that mix, came all sorts of great, but chill things. Like “Chill Lounges” and “Chill Music.” New frontiers in folk and mellowness.

And Badly Drawn Boy. Another guy who I heard more about than heard, another Brit, his video with the kids’ braces stuck together spoke to a wholesome romantic wistfulness.

And then he did the soundtrack for “About a Boy.”

You may have figured out I’m a Nick Hornby fanboy. Yes, yes I am. And save for the fact that it’s impossible to make a decent film of “Fever Pitch”, the other movies based on his work have been purty damn awesome. Even better, “About a Boy’s” screenplay was written Peter Hedges, a former teacher of mine.

One of the nicest guys you could hope to meet. EVER. You read "What's Eating Gilbert Grapes?" Go back. Buy some of his other stuff.

Anyway,  BDB was a great choice for the movie, a fun mix of odd characters in odd situations, finding themselves in London.

And the CD was one of many found at an FYE in Kingston, NY, as we were rushing to find new cd’s to play in the rental car during a good but challenging recent vacation.

I was going to give this 3 stars, but a second listen bumps it up to 4.  BDB get’s some different styles in this cd, it’s not mopetastic at all. And it works brilliantly with the film.  

But I don’t often see listening to it for it’s own sake. Plus, where the hell is “Santa’s Super Sleigh?” REALLY! But it does stand out better as a CD for it’s own sake then I first realized.

Get this if you are a fan of the film or a Badly Drawn Boy fan. It won’t let you down. If you are looking to learn about Badly Drawn Boy, I’d say track down his other albums first, but swing back to this.

Artist: Badly Drawn Boy.

Album: 19
Year: 2008
Date Listened in Tour: 4/22/09
Rating: ****
Best Song:Silent Sigh

Oi, Adele, you got Soul?

You know, England never lost soul. I mean, Soul & R&B in the US have splintered into so many different directions and sounds… there is not a distinct modern US Soul Sound. Feel free to disagree with me… you are probably right.

But the English have held on to Souls circa mid-60’s on for much longer then the US has. Underground events when desperate souls cross the isle and join each others for dance ins’. Don’t believe me?

Evidence: Nick Hornby’s “Juliet Naked. Read it.

Then see “Blue Juice”- a 1995 Welsh Surf movie. Yeah.. you can stream it. No worries. You’ll notice that as time gone on, Sean Pertwee.. the actual male lead of the flick, has been pushed aside for Catherine Zeta Jones and Ewan McGregor.

That’s not the point. The point is you’ll see over the views there is an English soul scene that I just don’t think is here in the states. I know there are amazing soul musicians and bands… just not that lingering scene.

So when people are shocked by the waves of English Blue Eyed Soul singers ( never mind that the UK is racially diverse and has talented people of all backgrounds sharing music), they shouldn’t be. Save for their press and relations with contested territories, the Brits have had soul, and always had soul.

Now, Adele… she goes beyond the hype. And yes they’ve tried to hyper her up. And yes… they’ve likely been pressuring her some to fit the more standard image of a pop singer. Or just held pictures of Duffy in front of her saying “YOU SHOULD LOOK LIKE HER!”

No, she shouldn’t.

The fact that Adele is a singer and a writer who made two brilliant albums out of utter heartbreak give her cred. The fact that she sings with undeniable soul.. both in style and in practice,  give her cred. For the fact she gets’s so many different sounds as young artists in just two albums, give her cred.

AND FOR GOD SAKES! GET HER A GOOD MAN WHO INSPIRES HER AS MUCH AS EVERY ASSWHOLE WHO GAVE HER THESE TWO ALBUMS! SHE DESERVES IT!

4 out of 5. Damn fine, and you need to own her stuff.

Artist: Adele

Album: 19
Year: 2008
Date Listened in Tour: 4/22/09
Rating: ****
Best Song: First Love

Artist: Adele

Album: 21
Year: 2011
Date Listened in Tour: 7/18/11
Rating: ****
Best Song: Set Fire To The Rain (special praise for her cover of The Cure’s “Lovesong.”)