Random Music Thoughts

[apsham]

Look, I really like The Buggles but I was listening to Elstree earlier and now all I can hear is.

Elstree, remember me
I had a part in the Bee Movie

And this is just something I want to burden on everyone else.

[VerbalPuke]

On 17/04/2021 at 11:34, VerbalPuke said:

I'm glad you mentioned Billy Gibbons because I think one of my next big posts will be about ZZ Top and how good they are. 

Alright cool lets do this. 

I love ZZ Top and I have always loved ZZ Top. ZZ Top was my very first concert ever, saw them with Lynrd Skynrd. Skynrd ok if you like them, but ZZ Top, man they WERE INCREDIBLE. They sounded so good, they were so tight, and had just a great presence. 

But really, I think this stems from hearing La Grange a few weeks ago on my wifes Spotify playlist. I was listening to the drums and thinking "fuck....I wish I'll never be that good" but that's not a fair comparison for myself to make. Frank Beard is a wonderful drummer. 

Oh wait quick aside, let me get address in the elephant in the room. LOL THE ONE GUY IN ZZ TOP WITHOUT A BEARD IS NAMED FRANK BEARD.

Ok good, with that out of the way let's continue. It's really not fair to compare yourself to the greats, and I think that is maybe lost on some folks, because I think a lot of people figure Billy Gibbon to be a great guitarist but are the other dudes forgotten? I sure hope not, they are great great musicians. 

But see, this is what makes ZZ Top so fucking interesting. They took blues music and made it more of a party boogie thing, but infused good hard rock into it. There's a documentary on Netflix on ZZ Top I highly recommend. What I really love about them is that it seems like they are one of those universally appreciated rock bands that metal heads, punks, classic rockers, etc etc can say "Yeah I like these dudes, they're catchy". But see I think people see ZZ Top as the two bearded guys and the drummer with a mustache (Frank Beard lol) and think thats always been ZZ Top. 

Thing is, they were a really well known blue rock band before the beard thing right? Maybe I'm the idiot that didn't realize that was common knowledge? I mean, I fucking know Tres Hombres came out (and what a dynamite album that is) in 73 so not exactly like they haven't been around, but come on, ZZ Top are absolutely associated with those beards as much as Kiss is associated with their face paint and Gene Simmons shitty attitude. 

But in reality (and I'm getting to a point here) ZZ Top took a hiatus in the mid 70s and if I remember correctly Billy Gibbon and Dusty Hill just sorta didn't shave during that period. So they come back after the hiatus and it is the 1980s and they manage to adapt to the 1980s beautifully. They retain their style and their hard rock licks, and Sharp Dressed Man and Give it All Your Loving become two of their biggest hits. This is also fascinating in its own way because they kind of dont seem like they should fit in with early metal, punk, new wave, pop, hip hop, etc. They really should have felt like a product of the 70s but managed to remain more than relevant. They fucking fit right in and manage to cement their legacy. 

It makes sense though, the documentary pointed out that Billy Gibbons was pretty forward thinking musically. I guess during the hiatus I noted above he decided to travel and mentioned that he really got into the punk scene. He didn't mention any specific bands but noted (and I'm paraphrasing here) "I liked the punk scene, get in their and doing that pogo dancing". He basically loved the energy, the rawness, and I think wanted to maybe incorporate some of that musical mindset into his future stuff. 

So I guess in summary, ZZ Top is a fine band. I'd highly recommend seeing them if you get the chance, honestly may never be another chance but take it if its there. 

 

[Gorka]

While I know that Ian Curtis (of Joy Division) died young, I wasn't aware he died at just 23 years old. God, there's a bloke and a band beyond their years when it came to lyricism and sheer talent.

Felt worse finding out he's my age than when up-and-coming footballers break into the first team at 18 years old.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

I picked up the 2005 Warped Tour Compilation for 25p in a charity shop whilst I was in Tenby for the week (how it got there of all places is a question I don't have the answer to) and it's such a class list of bands and I can't wait to dive into it and uncover a whole load of bands I've not listened to properly. Gonna use it as a springboard discover loads of new (old) stuff.

[RPS]

18 hours ago, Bad News Jericode said:

I picked up the 2005 Warped Tour Compilation for 25p in a charity shop whilst I was in Tenby for the week (how it got there of all places is a question I don't have the answer to) and it's such a class list of bands and I can't wait to dive into it and uncover a whole load of bands I've not listened to properly. Gonna use it as a springboard discover loads of new (old) stuff.

That's a good compilation. I think that is peak Warped Tour. It was at its peak with the big acts from the 90s and the band's influenced by those big 90s acts in the early 2000s. I think it was also my last Warped Tour. 

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

I've gone through the first disc, the standouts from the first listen were MxPx and Dropkick Murphys, which were both at least familiar names so I kinda expected it. There were a few other good ones I can't remember which just looking at the track list.

Couple of familiar names on disc two (Pennywise, Flogging Molly, Motion City Soundtrack) so hoping for more good things. I've actually found you can still buy a load of the Warped Tour compilations on Side One Dummy's EU store so may pick a couple of others up.

[apsham]

2001 was a huge influence on my tastes

[RPS]

I was more influenced by the Punk O Rama series. The later ones especially so. I dug the Warped Tour ones but I primarily enjoyed the Epitaph acts. Epitaph between 2000-2005 was top tier. 

[Malenko]

15 hours ago, RPS said:

I was more influenced by the Punk O Rama series. The later ones especially so. I dug the Warped Tour ones but I primarily enjoyed the Epitaph acts. Epitaph between 2000-2005 was top tier. 

I have all the punk o rama and oddly enough never got any of the warped tour compilations even though chances are I'd like them. To be fair, I don't care much for compilations but got the 1997 p-o-r because I still didn't know that many bands back then and then kept getting them every year out of habit. It's definitely something I wouldn't have done today.

[MalaCloudy Black]

I always saw those at Hastings (RIP) but never picked them up. Same for the Rock Against Bush albums, I always thought about picking one up but never did. Instead I'd just play it safe and buy an old Misfits album, or whatever I'd come there looking for.

[VerbalPuke]

Even though this link is cool enough for it's own thread....I'd rather place it here instead of making a whole new topic. 

Some of you probably are already aware, but it's basically a site that lets you listen to radio stations across the world. I haven't dug too deep, but I think it's a lot of lesser known stations in areas. I'm really interested in checking out stuff in some of those remote parts of the world. 

http://radio.garden/visit/baghdad/FbtE5Fc9

[VerbalPuke]

Yep, this is pretty neat.

[MalaCloudy Black]

That came up in my recommended a while back because I was listening to a lot of Crowbar, Eyehategod, etc. I love it.

Also, while I'm here: I'm on a Big Freedia kick tonight. Her part in the remix of "Friday", while short (like... under 20 seconds) is what totally makes that remix for me. 

Also, this song rules.

 

[MalaCloudy Black]

I only just learned yesterday that the original, album cut of "Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida" is like 17 minutes long.

[apsham]

1 hour ago, CLDY said:

I only just learned yesterday that the original, album cut of "Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida" is like 17 minutes long.

That's why the Simpsons bit about it works, haha.

 

[VerbalPuke]

5 hours ago, CLDY said:

I only just learned yesterday that the original, album cut of "Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida" is like 17 minutes long.

Whaaa?? Wow, I thought every knew that.

My friend pissed people off at a bar once because he managed to play it at the end of the night and people didn't get their last few songs in (on them internet juke boxes).

[MalaCloudy Black]

Yeah. I dunno. I guess I had always only ever heard the single edit. It blew my poor mind when I looked it up and i immediately had to listen to it. 

[VerbalPuke]

1 hour ago, CLDY said:

Yeah. I dunno. I guess I had always only ever heard the single edit. It blew my poor mind when I looked it up and i immediately had to listen to it. 

It's really great, there's some cool stuff where the drummer and guitar player get their own solos. I guess I could see the 17 minute version getting redundant, but if you're kinda stoned and zoning out it works nice. 

[MalaCloudy Black]

45 minutes ago, VerbalPuke said:

It's really great, there's some cool stuff where the drummer and guitar player get their own solos. I guess I could see the 17 minute version getting redundant, but if you're kinda stoned and zoning out it works nice. 

You’re talking to someone who listens to Sleep. I can handle it. 😎

[MalaCloudy Black]

I just learned just how prolific a songwriter Dan Wilson from Semisonic is. Had no fucking idea just how many modern pop & alternative songs he's had a hand in writing.