I learned something really disturbing on "Antiques Roadshow." Someone brought in a copy of the Beatles' "Yesterday and Today" with its original cover. I had never heard of this before, but it turns out that the album cover offended a lot of people, and it got pulled from Sears shelves after only a day. The record company, instead of re-wrapping all of the records, pasted an alternate cover on it. The woman who brought her copy in had bought it the day they sold it with the original cover. Apparently, it's worth like 10,000 dollars.
I've elected not to show the cover here, because I agree that it's wicked disturbing. Let's just say they call it the "Butcher Cover" and it involves dismembered baby dolls, raw meat, and eerie grins. I always knew the Beatles were a bit freaky, but this is ridiculous. Not cool guys . . . not cool. And by the way, Pete Townshend was right, your music isn't really that good.
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
LPs, CDs, and MP3s
I've been thinking about music a lot lately. I picked up the new Rush album this week, and I think I like it. The songs sound good, but the mastering is pretty bad (see "Loudness War" at Wikipedia). The lyrics, as usual, are kind of hit-or-miss. Neil Peart isn't the intellectual a lot of people think, but I usually don't pay attention to the lyrics, anyway. Occasionally he'll write something I really like, as in this line from "Far Cry" on the new album: "One day I feel I'm ahead of the wheel/And the next it's rolling over me." I don't know why I like this line, but it feel both playful and profound. The melodies and rhythms are what get me, though. Rush has always done a good job at constructing songs. I'm even more excited to see them this summer.
But I've drifted from the topic I intended to discuss. the two albums I've been listening to the most recently are Cheap Trick "At Budokan" and the new Rush, and it has made me think of how CDs changed the way we listen to music, and how the iPod is doing the same again. Let me stick with the "At Budokan" disc. I mainly listen to just a couple of tracks, but I listened to the whole thing the other day. What I realized is that when I was a kid, I only ever listened to side 2 of the record. I don't even recognize the songs from side 1 of the album. Then I started thinking about other albums from when I was a kid, like "2112" by Rush and Led Zeppelin IV and others, and I realized that I only listened to one side of many of them. I remember "2112" distinctly because one of my brother's friends made me listen to side 2 in the 1990s, and I had never heard some of the songs there. Other albums, like "Who's Next" by the Who were more likely to get a listen on both sides.
In any case, it was perfectly possible to have a favorite side of an album or cassette. With the advent of the CD, that became a thing of the past. Bands could now put more songs on albums, and no decision had to be made about which side to put them on. Of course, the difference was now that instead of moving the needle to skip a song or having to fast-forward all the way through a track, you could skip songs with the push of a button.
Then along came the MP3, which made it possible to choose songs a-la-carte. The Apple iTunes store is a perfect example of this. You can now simply download the song you want (for free if you are that kind of person) and not have to get the entire album. With the iPod and other digital music players, you can create playlists easily (without having to go to crazy lengths to tape a record), so albums are becoming less and less relevant.
I'm not trying to pass judgement on this, but I think it's an interesting development. Changes in technology are really influencing how we listen to music.
But I've drifted from the topic I intended to discuss. the two albums I've been listening to the most recently are Cheap Trick "At Budokan" and the new Rush, and it has made me think of how CDs changed the way we listen to music, and how the iPod is doing the same again. Let me stick with the "At Budokan" disc. I mainly listen to just a couple of tracks, but I listened to the whole thing the other day. What I realized is that when I was a kid, I only ever listened to side 2 of the record. I don't even recognize the songs from side 1 of the album. Then I started thinking about other albums from when I was a kid, like "2112" by Rush and Led Zeppelin IV and others, and I realized that I only listened to one side of many of them. I remember "2112" distinctly because one of my brother's friends made me listen to side 2 in the 1990s, and I had never heard some of the songs there. Other albums, like "Who's Next" by the Who were more likely to get a listen on both sides.
In any case, it was perfectly possible to have a favorite side of an album or cassette. With the advent of the CD, that became a thing of the past. Bands could now put more songs on albums, and no decision had to be made about which side to put them on. Of course, the difference was now that instead of moving the needle to skip a song or having to fast-forward all the way through a track, you could skip songs with the push of a button.
Then along came the MP3, which made it possible to choose songs a-la-carte. The Apple iTunes store is a perfect example of this. You can now simply download the song you want (for free if you are that kind of person) and not have to get the entire album. With the iPod and other digital music players, you can create playlists easily (without having to go to crazy lengths to tape a record), so albums are becoming less and less relevant.
I'm not trying to pass judgement on this, but I think it's an interesting development. Changes in technology are really influencing how we listen to music.
Snakes & Arrows
I have been a big fan of the band Rush for many years now. I am especially fond of their early music (like 2112), but I have a soft spot for what they did in the first half of the 1990s as well. The first concert I ever went to was a Who concert in 1989 when I was 12 years old. The second was a Rush concert the next year. I've now been to four Rush tours, the most recent a couple of years ago just before we went to Spain.
Well, they are putting out a new album in May, called Snakes & Arrows. They have a very brief clip from the single they're going to release in March on their website, and I think it bodes very well. The best news is that they're going to tour again this summer, and Plainbellied has said she'll go with me. To give an idea of what this means: she never liked Rush until I played her some more stuff last year. They are still not her favorite, but she will tolerate them, and it will be the first time she's ever been to a big rock show. She saw James Taylor once, but that's not the same. I used to go to concerts all the time (the Who, Rush, Lollapalooza, Deep Purple, Bob Dylan), but I haven't done much the past few years. Well, this summer we'll go see a good show (Rush is great live), and we'll have a good time. How cool is that?
Well, they are putting out a new album in May, called Snakes & Arrows. They have a very brief clip from the single they're going to release in March on their website, and I think it bodes very well. The best news is that they're going to tour again this summer, and Plainbellied has said she'll go with me. To give an idea of what this means: she never liked Rush until I played her some more stuff last year. They are still not her favorite, but she will tolerate them, and it will be the first time she's ever been to a big rock show. She saw James Taylor once, but that's not the same. I used to go to concerts all the time (the Who, Rush, Lollapalooza, Deep Purple, Bob Dylan), but I haven't done much the past few years. Well, this summer we'll go see a good show (Rush is great live), and we'll have a good time. How cool is that?
The Police
I thought it was pretty cool to see The Police play at the Grammys tonight. My brothers and I listened to them (on vinyl) growing up. I still remember my father making fun of them. Anyway, I've never seen them play live. Stewart Copeland really wails on the drums, doesn't he? I don't think I've ever seen a more enthusiastic drummer. He's really good, too.
Anyway, there is good news on the musical front for this summer. They're talking about a Police reunion tour, and Rush should be releasing a new album this spring (and therefore tour). Life is pretty good.
Anyway, there is good news on the musical front for this summer. They're talking about a Police reunion tour, and Rush should be releasing a new album this spring (and therefore tour). Life is pretty good.
Shuffle bug
As I sit here writing this post, I'm listening to my music on shuffle, as I've been doing a lot lately. I highly recommend it. You never know what's going to happen. I have a rather eclectic musical taste, so I can go from Rush to John Denver to Allison Krauss to Shaker spirituals within four songs. And I like them all. I just skipped from Maná to the Tokens without flinching. Technology is amazing.
I was introduced to the shuffle technique by a friend in high school. My family bought a CD player (finally!), and it was a six-disc changer. Not the carousel kind, it had a type of magazine thing. So we would load it up and put it on shuffle, so we had no idea what was coming next. I now have a device that allows me to load a thousand songs on it (right now I've only got about 800 or so because I like to leave empty space for some reason) and hit shuffle.
I've got to go. Vivaldi's Concerto for Two Trumpets in C just came on, and it's awesome!
I was introduced to the shuffle technique by a friend in high school. My family bought a CD player (finally!), and it was a six-disc changer. Not the carousel kind, it had a type of magazine thing. So we would load it up and put it on shuffle, so we had no idea what was coming next. I now have a device that allows me to load a thousand songs on it (right now I've only got about 800 or so because I like to leave empty space for some reason) and hit shuffle.
I've got to go. Vivaldi's Concerto for Two Trumpets in C just came on, and it's awesome!
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