Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence - ROBERT FRIPP.
Information is not knowledge;
knowledge is not wisdom;
wisdom is not truth;
truth is not beauty;
beauty is not love;
love is not music;
MUSIC IS THE BEST - FRANK ZAPPA.
I think we're a little happier when we have a little music in our lives - STEVE JOBS.
Music in the soul can be heard by the universe - LAO TZU.
Rock and Roll is fire, man. FIRE. - DAVID BRIGGS.
Music grips you, gets into your soul -
GEORGE MARTIN
Genre: Metal Places I remember: Virgin megastore (Dubai Mall) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Almost Easy
Gear costume:Afterlife Active compensatory factors: The album replicates the Metallica idea - plain cover (in this case white) and eponymous title, who in turn stole the idea from The Beatles (a.k.a. the white album). Like Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold gained my patronage as a result of that ploy (albeit for the one album). And I guess, if people like me buy it, that explains why true metal-heads regard this as a sell out of sorts. Shrug. Almost Easy was my entry point. A great repeated lyric - I'm not insane...and, come back to me - it's almost easy! Slashing guitars from the wonderfully named Synyster Gates, great vocals from M. Shadows and The Rev's inspired drumming (it's his song so I guess he was invested - haha) make this a killer track.
Where do they all belong? I perservered through to Nightmare which I've subsequently sold. This one will do though - all of what I like about modern metal is present and correct.
Jon AndersonOlias Of Sunhollow(Vinyl, Atlantic, 1976) *** Jon AndersonSong Of Seven(Vinyl, Atlantic, 1980) *** Jon AndersonIn The City Of Angels(Vinyl, Columbia, 1988) ***
Genre: prog rock Places I remember: Little Red Book Shop (Hastings); Amoeba Records (Hollywood) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles/ Gear costume: Hold On To Love (ITCOA)
Active compensatory factors:Jon Anderson's solo career is interesting but not essential. I've dipped into it from time to time because I love Yes and Jon Anderson is the voice of Yes.
It's that simple. These three have their strengths and weaknesses. Olias Of Sunhollow is a sci-fi concept album that doesn't particularly spin my wheels. Jon plays and sings most of the album, so it's a true solo album. Song Of Seven benefits from a group approach but eighties synth sounds don't mix happily with the organic instruments for my money. In The City Of Angels has better pop songs but too much of the Toto sound can be too much of the Toto sound. Anderson's earnestness can be admired (or not). I don't know really - I have hippy tendencies but when it's saturating every track it can get a bit too much. So, it's a case of YES to yes and a meh to the Anderson solo output. Where do they all belong? All up, approach with caution if you are a Yes fan but if you are a student of the eighties you'll be delighted.
David HentschelStartling Music(Vinyl, Ring O'Records, 1975) *
Genre:Apple/Dark Horse/Ring O'Records Places I remember: Direction Records (Auckland) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles/ Gear costume:The least objectionable track would be Have You seen My Baby?
Active compensatory factors: Yikes. This is tough going. One for die hard completists only, it takes each song from Ringo's greatest ever album (Ringo), (big call? No way Jose!!) and rearranges it for synthesizer. Throw in some drums from Phil Collins (what was HE thinking?) and put out via Ringo's vanity record label. Yes, folks, it's as bad as all that sounds.
Where do they all belong? My copy is pristine - it's been played twice. Once when I got it back in 1975, and just now so that I could refresh my memory. It has NOT improved with age!
The BeatlesSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band(Vinyl and various CDs, Parlophone, 1967) *****
Genre: The Beatles are, of course, their own genre. Places I remember: The record store within David Jones department store in Sydney, Australia, is, I believe - the place. My family was on holiday - we stayed in King's Cross (this is back in the day - so family friendly hotels were a thing in King's Cross then) and travelled into the CBD to shop. I have some distinct memories of the trips (I think we did three over the period from 1968 to 1973). Dad had business meetings in Sydney and we tagged along and went shopping with mum. It was the first time we'd experienced underground train stations, donut making machines, colour TV (Yellow Submarine was playing on TV on day and I couldn't watch it all because they family was going out to explore Sydney), and record bars in huge department stores. I saw the gatefold Sgt Pepper sleeve on display and was a little disappointed to see it was a single sleeve when I bought my copy. Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles:All these Pepper songs are so well known but the stand out track is undoubtedly A Day In The Life.
Gear costume: I love these songs but Getting Better just keeps getting better with age and Within You Without You is always rewarding of the lesser known tracks. Active compensatory factors: Screeds have been written about this album (best of all time?) but I'm yet to see anyone address the APOSTROPHE CONTROVERSY. Check your copy - the drum skin on the cover HAS NO APOSTROPHE! The spine of my vinyl copy - same!! This is corrected mostly in CD editions on the labels but that drum skin remains. It must have driven John nuts! What is going on??? Where do they all belong? A peak, or should I say, another peak!
Joe BonamassaA New Day Yesterday Live(CD, J & R Adventures, 2004) ****
Genre: Blues Places I remember: JB HiFi (Palmerston North) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Cradle Rock
Gear costume:A New Day Yesterday Active compensatory factors: If guitar wig outs are your thing (as they are mine) then you already know about Joe. He's amazing. Very unassuming, looks like a bank manager. Then he plugs in his guitar and transforms into a axe weilding monster! He's also very prolific. This was first live album (now there are about 537 live Joe albums) and if you can stay neutral after the opening Blues Jam/Cradle Rock (yes the Rory Gallagher song), then this album is definitely not for you. So that would mean you don't like guitar wig outs. Shame.
Where do they all belong? This is the last genre in this round of the CD albums from the vault. back to vinyl next - which, of course means a return to the greatest band of all time.
Russell AllenRussell Allen's Atomic Soul(CD, Inside Out, 2005) ****
Genre: Progressive rock Places I remember: Virgin Megastore Abu Dhabi Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Unjustified
Gear costume:Voodoo Hand, Saucey Jack Active compensatory factors: This is Allen's first solo album (his day job is vocalist for the prog band, Symphony X). The prog rock tag is a bit of a stretch here - Allen admits this being more like a hard rock sound but his affiliation with Symphony X means I lodge this in the prog section of the collection. I was in Abu Dhabi, looking to broaden into some new sounds when the shop assistant suggested this album. I listened on headphones to the start of the first three tracks and was instantly hooked.
Where do they all belong? If you grew up with Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Rory Gallagher et al as I did, you'll figure out where Atomic Soul belongs for yourself.
Bob Marley and The Wailers Live!(CD, Tuff Gong/Island, 1975) ***** Bob Marley and The Wailers Live At the Roxy(CD, Tuff Gong/Island, 2003) ***** Bob Marley and The Wailers Babylon By Bus(CD, Tuff Gong/Island, 1978) ***
Genre: Reggae Places I remember: The Warehouse Cambridge (Live! and BBB); Music store in the Al Ain Mall (Live At The Roxy) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Get Up Stand Up/ No More Trouble/ War (from Live At The Roxy)
Gear costume: Positive Vibration on all three live sets; Jamming on BBB; Trenchtown Rock on Live! and the Roxy show.
Active compensatory factors: Live! and the Roxy show (from 1976) have a huge advantage over Babylon By Bus in that they are concerts from one venue - one night (and wowsers - what nights!!) The Live! album has the advantage of being a single album, which means the featured songs stand out; nothing gets lost along the way. The Roxy show appears on a double album and features the 24 minute encore (featured above). Remarkably, there is not one second of those 28 minutes that is superfluous.
Babylon By Bus from 1978 is just not as tight - even though it contains some wonderful moments.
Where do they all belong? If you want to relive the galvanising effect Bob Marley had on audiences then these albums are your go to items.
