Black Sea (XTC) – Album Review (Part 2)

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This is Part 2 of the review. Don’t forget to read Part 1 for the introduction!

The original album had 11 songs, and the CD rerelease 14. If we had to summarize what XTC achieved here in one word, that would be “consistency”. The album is a true work, and in certain places it feels like a continuous track (some songs actually run into each other).

It is not an easy task picking favorites this time – as I said, there is such a sense of unity that the album is one of the most rewarding listening experiences within XTC’s catalog. What I can do is pick out personal favorites: these would be any of the singles plus the splenetic “Paper & Iron” and “Burning With Optimism’s Flames”. “Paper & Iron” has my favorite performance from Terry on any of their albums – he carries the whole song, takes it wherever he wants and finishes it with a detonation the kind Keith Moon would be proud of. For its part, “Burning With Optimism’s Flames” has a mesmerizing chorus that makes the title of the composition become more than a mere asseveration.  Rather, it turns into a true validation for pushing forwards no matter what. Continue reading →

Black Sea (XTC) – Album Review (Part 1)

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On Of The Original Names For The Album Was Gong To Be "Work Under Pressure". The Photo Session That Produced The Album 's Cover Was Based On That.

One Of The Original Names For The Album Was Going To Be "Work Under Pressure". The Photo Session That Produced The Cover Was Inspired By That, Hence The Diving Suits. The Title Was To Be Scrapped, But Not The Shot.

“Black Sea” was the fourth album released by XTC. The record was issued in the year 1980, and it garnered unanimous praise. It is now considered as their first truly indispensable album. Critical reaction was so fabulous that Andy & Colin were compared for the very first time to Lennon & McCartney. Such a comparison was sure to elicit a reaction, for the mere fact that even thinking about placing someone on par with the two timeless composers is sacrilegious to many. In hindsight, it showcases what a lukewarm response the Swindon boys were eliciting from critics even in those days. And – maybe most importantly – they were starting to reach a broader public. The album had another Top 20 hit, and this time it was a song penned by Andy. Success, at last. Or was it? Read on…

The main denominator of the songs contained here is the toughness and density of the sound. Andy insisted on recording only arrangements that could be replicated live. That meant that if they included a keyboard, that would be at the expense of a guitar and so on. This worked on their advantage in the long run, as the songs were free from unnecessary embellishments (“The Big Express”, anybody?) and could be reproduced onstage naturally. Continue reading →

Les Paul Passes Away At Age 94

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Mr. Les Paul

Mr. Les Paul

As you know, earlier today (Thursday the 13th of August, 2009) Mr. Les Paul passed away. He was the creator of the solid body electric guitar, no less, and Gibson even created a model which was named after him. It was the one that musicians like Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend popularized.

Mr. Les Paul was also responsible for developing the multitracking system which is so commonplace in music nowadays. Indeed, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall Of Fame in 2005 as well as being an Honorary Member of the Audio Engineering Society. Continue reading →

Elton John – Album Review (Part 2)

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(This is part 2 of the review. It discusses the remastered version. The original LP is dealt with in Part 1.)

All the “classic” Elton John albums were re-released in the mid 90s, remastered and with some bonus tracks to offer fans an incentive that would justify the purchase, as well as giving both fans and newcomers a sort of parallel overview of the songs that were released concomitantly yet left off each particular album.

The “Elton John” album is considered one of the best bonus-tracked releases along with the “Captain Fantastic” reissue. It includes three additional tracks: the b-side to “Border Song”, and a single of its own (Rock & Roll Madonna/Grey Seal). Of course, the name Grey Seal rings an immediate bell as the song was to be recorded anew with Elton’s classic band for the successful “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” album in 1973. The consensus is that the later-day version is more cohesive, yet this early take has historic value since it stands as Elton’s recorded debut on electric piano. Continue reading →

Elton John – Album Review (Part 1)

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A Somehow Enigmatic Cover, Don't You Think?

A Somehow Enigmatic Cover, Don't You Think?

Elton’s rise to fame was not that immediate as many often think. He had been covering other people’s songs for some time, not to mention being a paid songwriter along with Bernie for longer than was fulfilling. His first solo album went unheeded, despite oozing enthusiasm from every fiber.

If anything, his career was a matter of different pieces falling into position – his lyricist, his producer, his arranger and finally his classic band. On this, his second album (and the one that broke the commercial apathy) we see the addition of two of these figures, namely producer Gus Dudgeon and orchestral arranger Paul Buckmaster. They all had some heavy names on their resumes such as David Bowie and Eric Clapton, and the moment they agreed to work with Elton anything he would put out was to be digested differently, because their experience was to be felt in the final product . Continue reading →

JamsBio – Your Life Through Music

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JamsBio

Name: JamsBio

URL: http://www.jamsbio.com

What would you say is the soundtrack to your life? Have you ever really taken a minute or two and thought about it? If you have never done that, this site will make you stop in your tracks and ponder on your musical past.

In essence, it is a community site that lets anybody share his music-related memories such as the first concert he attended, the first album he bought…. If you become a user you will be able to keep your own journal, write reviews of those pieces that have left a mark on you, and recommend them to other people who also visit the site. It is even possible to engage that people by creating lists and competing in music trivia games. Of course, that is a top way of creating bonds. Continue reading →

Featured On Startup Meme!

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Another reason to take the champagne off the ice (well, sort of). MusicKO was featured on Startup Meme. This is the original post:

http://startupmeme.com/musicko-the-encyclopedia-to-be-of-music-reviews/

I like the basic premise of the post – MusicKO as the eventual definitive encyclopedia of music reviews. That is a bit lofty, isn’t it? If I manage to create a spot where music lovers can interact and learn more things about their favorite performers I will be more than happy. And you know, now I am more enthusiastic than ever – these last days have been very good in terms of traffic, big thanks to all the people who have spread the word either by writing about MusicKO or by retweeting these articles. Continue reading →

Tommy (The Who) – Album Review (Part 2)

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(If you haven’t done so already, read Part 1 of this review where “Tommy” is introduced, and the context in which it was created is detailed)

The album had 20 tracks. It was the first double album the band had released. The operatic connection was made evident through a formal overture and an “underture” which was mostly the extension of a theme called “Sparks”, also featured on the album and derived from a chord pattern found on “Rael” from the previous record.

Highlights included “Pinball Wizard” (the first single from the album) and “See Me, Feel Me”, a prayer sent to the most private space within the soul of every listener, a pronunciation of faith and endearment like no other within their repertoire. Other songs which merit mentioning are “The Acid Queen” and “I’m Free”, both very fine rockers. (“I’m Free” was to be released as a single too, and some time later an orchestrated version would be a minor hit.) Continue reading →

Tommy (The Who) – Album Review (Part 1)

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The Album's Artwork Was Created By A Fellow Baba Lover, Mike McInnerny.

The Album's Artwork Was Created By A Fellow Baba Lover, Mike McInnerny.

Pete Townshend needed an album like Tommy from an intellectual point of view, and The Who needed an album like Tommy from the vantage point of its career. Tommy is regarded as the first “Rock Opera” ever. Endless discussions arise regarding whether or not it deserves that denomination, and whether or not it was the first album that could be termed like that. Leaving the denomination aside, what we have is a collection of songs that came from disparate sources and which the band assembled together as a sort of story with the aid and constant presence of manager Kit Lambert, whose driving force was felt particularly strong on this project.

The main influence might as well have been the teachings of Indian guru Meher Baba. Pete became a Baba lover about a year before the album was first released, and he tried to make the whole work showcase the Compassionate Father’s teachings. Continue reading →

GreetBeatz – Resources For Musicians

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GreetBeatz

Name: GreetBeatz

URL: http://www.greetbeatz.com

I came across this site while researching terms like “Songwriting” and “Composing” on the web today, and I think that it deserves at least a brief mention here.

GreetBeatz introduces a concept of its own when it comes to virtual gifts (IE, the gifts that are exchanged on a daily basis on social sites such as Facebook), if only because the gifts are nothing less than full songs penned by someone who knows what he is doing. Continue reading →