Today I have the pleasure to interview Mr. Nadav Poraz from WhoSampled.com, the community site that revolves around sampling and cover songs which I reviewed last week. Nadav kindly answered the following questions about his site, the response it has had so far and what the future holds in store. Continue reading
Extreme Honey (Elvis Costello) – Compilation Album
Elvis Costello From Every Angle
This CD compiles Costello’s recordings during his tenure at Warner Brothers, a time of constant reinvention that resulted in some really good music, some disconcerting experiments and overall timid performances on the charts. The CD has 18 tracks, and every album minus “Kojak Variety” (a collection of covers released in 1995) is represented.
The one song you might be familiar with is “Veronica”, co-written with Paul McCartney along with “So Like Candy”. The song was incredibly successful and it received heavy airplay when it was released at the tail end of the 80s. It has Elvis on a very accessible pose, granted, but I feel that without the McCartney connection it would have shared the fate of most of his late day compositions: respected by critics, accepted by fans, revered by a few, and ignored by the masses. Continue reading
Kisstunes – Record Songs Online And Share Them With Everybody
Name: Kisstunes
This website offers a very practical solution for musicians everywhere, namely the ability to compose using the computer’s keys as if they were making up a couple of octaves. That is:
Not only that, you can record the finished piece and send it to friends easily. An account must be created to these effects, but that comes at no cost and it is dealt with smoothly. Continue reading
The Very Best Of Willie Nelson (Sony 1999) – Compilation Album
The Front Cover Of The 2 CD Set
The first song by Willie Nelson I ever listened to was “Gulf Coast Highway”, his duet with Emmylou Harris. The song was part of Emmylou’s 1992 compilation of duets, an album released to somehow piggyback on the success of the “Trio” collaboration with Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton. As you probably know by now, “Duets” was my first country album ever.
I regarded that particular duet as the emotional high point of the album, and that is a bold statement considering that “Love Hurts”, “That Lovin’ You’re Feelin’” and “Wild Montana Skies” are part of the same compilation. I immediately decided to learn more about Willie, and see which compilation could I find and get my hands on. Continue reading
Filtersage – Find Related Music Releases & Movies Socially
Name. Filtersage
URL: http://www.filtersage.com
Quite an ingenious site, this one will appeal not only to music lovers but also to film buffs everywhere. What it does is to compare and contrast music and movie releases then and now, and let you: A) Find the connection through pieces all through history, and B) Find similar or related releases to the ones you are keen on today.
The site involves the asking and answering of questions in order to build up a database. This database is then used for directing other members of the online community towards similar releases they could enjoy. Continue reading
Tigerlily (Natalie Merchant) – Album Review
The CD Cover. Many Photos From The Same Shot Decorate The Booklet. This Is Easily The Less Appealing One.
In many ways, Natalie’s debut can be named “predictable”. That is, it has the share of compositions that the debut album of anybody who has been in a band for years will have – IE, songs which are not that detached from the original vision of the band. Yet, Natalie was the dominant voice within the Maniacs. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that the Maniacs’ albums without Natalie are the ones were the influence is felt the most, as those albums (notwithstanding how excellent they are) seem overtly attached to Ms. Merchant’s approach and sensibility. Continue reading
Elton John In His Own Words (Susan Black) – Book Review
The Front Cover Of The Book
Compiled by Susan Black, this book was released by Omnibus Press in England in the year 1993. As in other “In Their Own Words” titles it gathers assorted quotes from all through the years and mashes them together by theme. I used the verb “mash” deliberately, as the book could use some editing – there are quotes that appear multiple times under different headings, and such a thing can turn out to be certainly annoying.
Some of the featured chapters include “Songwriting”, “”Money & Possessions” and (of course) “Clothes & Accessories”. The most comprehensive section is thankfully the one named “The Records”, and we can see facets of Elton that are not necessarily palpable through his music in the chapters “Sports” and “Politics”. Continue reading
Natalie Merchant – General Introduction
Along with Emmylou Harris, Natalie Merchant is the female figure in music that I am the fondest of. Born in 1963, she began her career as a founding member of the American band 10,000 Maniacs in the 80s. I have covered them extensively already, and the only thing I have to say is that they were an incredibly talented group to which Natalie made a fascinating contribution, and when she parted ways with them in the early 90s many a heart went down. But as it turned out, both The Maniacs and Natalie would retain their edge and keep on doing what they did best: writing and performing music that goes from heart to heart. Continue reading
Rex Benson – Interview (Part 3)
This is the third and final part of the interview with Rex Benson from Rex Benson Music Group. It deals with songwriting. Remember to read Part 1 (about his company) and Part 2 (entitled “Music & You”).
PART III
SONGWRITING
What goes into writing a song which is set to become a standard? Is that something natural, something you have to chase actively, or a little of both?
To me, Songwriting is a lot like Real Estate…The overall potential value of a song is determined by How great the Idea/title/concept is…In Real Estate they say ‘Location, Location, Location’…In other words you don’t build a dreamhouse in an undesirable setting…Same with a song…Start with a great setting and then you have at least a CHANCE to write a strong and memorable piece…
As to becoming a standard…that depends on so many factors including the audience’s response to the song…whether Radio plays it…the impact of the artist or artists who record it…Many other factors too… Continue reading
The Great Rock & Roll Swindle (The Sex Pistols) – Album Review
No Wonder Johnny Rotten Badmouths McLaren At Every Turn
When I bought this album I was in the middle of my punk heydays, and I don’t recall feeling as enraged ever in my life as when I first played it. I didn’t really get it. And any person who goes into it thinking only in terms of “Never Mind The Bollocks” will be but disappointed.
You see, this was the soundtrack to a widely-banned movie that manager Malcolm McLaren assembled after Johnny Rotten had left. Many were approached by McLaren with a view of becoming the Pistols’ new lead singer, including Ten Pole Tudor and the Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs (one of the most celebrated criminals in history). In the end, everybody (including the original Pistols) handled vocals, and some early recordings featuring Johnny Rotten were thrown into the mix.