The Vinyl thread

[goose]

Robert Plant, Principle of Moments begins the adult swim portion of our evening. This is one I've been putting off getting on CD, mainly because I've never run into it in a store.

 

Again, starting with side 2 (another esthetically pleasing aspect of vinyl, for some reason). "Through With The Two Step" is a nice enough ballad. It's mediocrity really helps "Horizontal Departure" shine in my view. Some strong drum work by Phil Collins, and Robbie Blunt is in good form on the guitar, showing some real diversity in his approach.

 

The more experimental "Stranger Here..." features Barriemore Barlow on drums and is another track I really like. It's interesting to hear Barlow taking an approach similar to one Neil would later take on Mystic Rhythms.

 

OK, off to play cribbage with Emily!

[goose]

Cribbage game over, and I narrowly escaped a skunk at the hands of my daughter (a 16 and a 17-hand in the same game?!?).

 

Principle of Moments merited the two-sided treatment, and I'm thinking that this album is worth the price of a new stylus by itself. By following the lyrics of the first four albums I played, Robert Plant's skills as a lyricist really stand out.

 

The genius behind Plant's selection of the backing band also comes through loud and clear on side one of this effort. "Other Arms" starts of the album as a strong radio track (back in the day, anyway). But for me, "In the Mood" resonates more. Plant is at his more traditional, simple lyrical style on this song, which showcases his vocal talents. Phil Collins again provides great drumwork for the song, nicely complementing Robbie Blunt's subtle guitar work.

 

"Messin' with the Mekon" and "Wreckless Love" are two decent tracks to close side one.

 

And now for a two-disc set I've been dying to hear for ten years - Dire Straits' 1984 live effort, "Alchemy".

[goose]

Dire Straits - Live Alchemy truly shocases the talent of Mark Knopfler and his band. According to its cover jacket claim, it contains no overdubs. It's pure, live, Dire Straits.

 

Side one opens up with a great version of "Once Upon a Time In the West". Knopfler shows an ability to get his trademark tone (the one that got him voted guitarist of the year in '78) to sound as pure on stage as it does in the studio, and his playing on this track is truly lyrical (apparently, Knopfler does wanna make it cry & sing). Later on in the song, Alan Clark's atmospheric keyboards being to shine, and Terry Williams' drum work is skillful throughout.

 

The only other song on side one is "Romeo and Juliet", one that features Knopfler on his signature National guitar. Knopfler sometimes talks more than sings, and this is one of those songs. But, like Dylan, Knopfler can pull it off. The strength of the lyrics on this song - which are a dialogue between the two lovers - feel like poetry, so the spoken delivery seems to fit, as the crowd response throughout shows.

 

A final note: this album has something that most RUSH albums too often lack - variation from the studio tracks. Lots of extended versions and extra fills from the band throughout, which is what most people want from a live effort.

Edited January 10, 2008 by goose

[GeddyRulz]

QUOTE (goose @ Jan 9 2008, 11:07 PM)

OK...got my frst replacement stylus in ten years. It's installed and up & rockin'. God, vinyl kicks ass! My choice of album for the maiden voyage was inspired by the Zebra thread - their debut album. Here's the play by play. Opening track of "Tell Me What You Want" is better than I remembered. Absence has certainly made the heart grow fonder in this case. I always liked it, but after a ten year layoff, I'm in love. "One More Chance" and "Slow Down" (a cover) are less memorable tracks than the opener. Not bad, with good musicianship of course. Just nothing to write home about. Zebra gets back on track with "As I Said Before". A very well-arranged song, with some interesting percussion thrown in. And it segues perfectly into the closing track - "Who's Behind the Door?", which is probably the strongest track on the record. It builds into a great crescendo, closing the album side on an emotional high. I'll save side two for some other time. On to another record...

Is "The La-La Song" on that first album? Inspired by Yes, and another of their good ones.

 

Also on Zebra's first: "Take Your Fingers From My Hair" and "When You Get There," two break-up songs.

[steelcaressed]

QUOTE (goose @ Jan 10 2008, 12:25 AM)

How about Cheap Trick at Budokan with the Japanese tourbook included? Oh, the good old days!

I forgot all about that!

 

I had to break it out just to see if it's still there. It is! Complete w/ the lyrics in Japanese. I'll have to put this one on my upcoming list. Thanks for the reminder.

 

 

[steelcaressed]

QUOTE (goose @ Jan 10 2008, 02:06 AM)

The only other song on side one is "Romeo and Juliet", one that features Knopfler on his signature National guitar. Knopfler sometimes talks more than sings, and this is one of those songs. But, like Dylan, Knopfler can pull it off. The strength of the lyrics on this song - which are a dialogue between the two lovers - feel like poetry, so the spoken delivery seems to fit, as the crowd response throughout shows.

That particular song is very special to me. It single-handedly brought me out of my metal-only phase. That was a real eye-opener, and broadened my musical horizon significantly.

 

And I agree. It's very hard not to compare him w/ Dylan here, both in terms of lyrics and vocals. And he does pull it off remarkably well.

 

As an aside, when Jerry Garcia was asked who his favorite guitarist was, he didn't hesitate as he named Mark Knopfler.

[goose]

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Jan 10 2008, 10:15 AM)

QUOTE (goose @ Jan 9 2008, 11:07 PM) OK...got my frst replacement stylus in ten years. It's installed and up & rockin'. God, vinyl kicks ass! My choice of album for the maiden voyage was inspired by the Zebra thread - their debut album. Here's the play by play. Opening track of "Tell Me What You Want" is better than I remembered. Absence has certainly made the heart grow fonder in this case. I always liked it, but after a ten year layoff, I'm in love. "One More Chance" and "Slow Down" (a cover) are less memorable tracks than the opener. Not bad, with good musicianship of course. Just nothing to write home about. Zebra gets back on track with "As I Said Before". A very well-arranged song, with some interesting percussion thrown in. And it segues perfectly into the closing track - "Who's Behind the Door?", which is probably the strongest track on the record. It builds into a great crescendo, closing the album side on an emotional high. I'll save side two for some other time. On to another record... Is "The La-La Song" on that first album? Inspired by Yes, and another of their good ones.   Also on Zebra's first: "Take Your Fingers From My Hair" and "When You Get There," two break-up songs. Side 2, which should see some time tonight.

[goose]

QUOTE (steelcaressed @ Jan 10 2008, 11:26 AM)

QUOTE (goose @ Jan 10 2008, 02:06 AM) The only other song on side one is "Romeo and Juliet", one that features Knopfler on his signature National guitar. Knopfler sometimes talks more than sings, and this is one of those songs. But, like Dylan, Knopfler can pull it off. The strength of the lyrics on this song - which are a dialogue between the two lovers - feel like poetry, so the spoken delivery seems to fit, as the crowd response throughout shows. That particular song is very special to me. It single-handedly brought me out of my metal-only phase. That was a real eye-opener, and broadened my musical horizon significantly.   And I agree. It's very hard not to compare him w/ Dylan here, both in terms of lyrics and vocals. And he does pull it off remarkably well.   As an aside, when Jerry Garcia was asked who his favorite guitarist was, he didn't hesitate as he named Mark Knopfler. Jerry had great taste! But Knopfler's not for everybody. I remember my German brother-in-law and I were discussing favorite guitarists, and i mentioned Knopfler as one of mine. His reponse, in a thick German accent, was, "He's quite boring. Everything sounds the same." I changed topics.

[TheRocinanteKid]

http://yadogg.com/pictures/vinyl-sleeve-heads/

 

Try doing that with CDs!!!

[concretesea]

im only 18 and own 500+ 8 tracks and around 400 records, i can count on one hand how many cds i own, and thanks to an 8 Track of "2112" "fly by night" and of courrse "Rush" i discovered one of my favourite bands, and f**k anyone who thinks 8 tracks have poor quality

[goose]

QUOTE (concretesea @ Jan 12 2008, 08:33 AM)

im only 18 and own 500+ 8 tracks and around 400 records, i can count on one hand how many cds i own, and thanks to an 8 Track of "2112" "fly by night" and of courrse "Rush" i discovered one of my favourite bands, and f**k anyone who thinks 8 tracks have poor quality

Sounds like you have a very cool collection! Keepin' the dream alive!

 

 

 

There is something about the warmth of analog media that's hard to explain to those who don't appreciate it.

 

One thing about some 8-tracks that bugged me was that goofy fade out/fade in around the track switch - oh, and no rewind!. And with cassettes it bugged me when they re-arranged the order of songs to balance the length of each side.

 

 

A little 8-track history lesson...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereo_8

Edited January 12, 2008 by goose

[goose]

QUOTE (TheRocinanteKid @ Jan 11 2008, 10:48 AM)

http://yadogg.com/pictures/vinyl-sleeve-heads/ Try doing that with CDs!!!

Very cool! Thanks for that link!

[steelcaressed]

Ok, as promised...long ago....

 

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Nuthin' Fancy

 

Saturday Night Special - No need for details here. It was in heavy rotation on classic rock stations for ages. Good opener. Great guitar sound. Odd message (see below)

 

Cheating Woman - Sweet, bluesy number here. A hammond organ beating out a pattern reminiscent of "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys," yet much less cumbersome and lengthy. Oddly enough, the song ends w/ a threat to gun the cheating woman down, which sits in bizarre juxtaposition w/ the opening song.

 

Railroad Song - Strangely enough, this one features a harmonica. Predictable three chord blues pattern. This obvious attempt at getting back to their roots bores me to tears truthfully.

 

I'm a Country Boy - See above. Just not my favorite, though the music is more complex and interesting than the preceding song.

 

On the Hunt - Starts w/ a nice slow riff that will stick in your head for days. Van Zant really shines here, setting the mood, which is sultry and nasty, in a sexual way. The solo shines too, but I can never tell which of the three guitarists it is. This one could have been the single from this album; though slow and winding, it has a powerful punch.

 

Am I Losin' - A nice little flowing tune that belies the title in tone. Someone is kicking in some harmony on this one, and it's pretty sweet. Though I like it, it's not a very remarkable tune. In other words, I wouldn't change the station if it came on.

 

Made in the Shade - More roots music, but this time it works. A very retro song. Van Zant comes up w/ something a little different singing w/ a drawl right out of a Louisiana Juke. The guitar and dobro sounds like it was recorded by the same guy that recorded Leadbelly. Here however, it adds a certain down home charm. It makes you feel like you're at a family gathering after dinner, when your cousins break out whatever they play. The harmonica and dobro stay low in the mix, which is quite effective here. I think this song actually achieves what they were going for in this album: Fame has changed them, but they're still good ol' Florida rednecks.

 

Whiskey Rock-A-Roller - Pretty stupid drinking/road song. The bridge is really good though. Makes you wish the whole song was similar. It gets a little repetitious at times. The piano keeps it from sinking into the well. It's still guitar-centric, but that's not enough to save it. "Lord please don't take my whiskey, and Rock-n-Roll." A mediocre ending at best.

 

They are obviously hitting their third album lull w/ this release, common among many artists. Overall, it was nowhere near making the list for upgrade to CD. It does stir some interesting old memories, which is where the true value of this one lies for me.

 

 

[ES-335]

I pulled out ELO's Out of the Blue today. Mr. Blue sky

 

Never mind I'll remember you this

I'll remember you this way

[goose]

Prince: Sign O' the Times

 

Im not a big fan of a lot of his early work, but I have tremendous respect for his talent and skill as a musician and song writer. I find most of his up-tempo stuff pretty annoying, but there are aalways a few songs on an album of his that show why he's so well-repsected in the music business.

 

The opening track, Sign O' the Times, is a good example. The title track has a great groove, simple percussion backing, vocals that call up the great stevie Wonder, and strong lyrics. The opening line is great and sets the tone:

 

"In France a skinny man died of big disease with a little name,

By chance his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the same"

 

Track 2 is "Play in the Sunshine", one of those "Minnesota sound" songs that I've never grown to appreciate. While the break is pretty cool, complete call-out to the drummer to do his thing, "Housequake"'s opening command of "Shut Up, Already!", sums up my feelings by the end of this second song.

 

"Housequake" is good , ass-shaking fun. A pounding beat, driving bass line, funny, in-your-face lyrics - everything I like about old-school funk (WAR, Avg White Band, Parliament, James Brown...)

 

"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" is another one of those songs that makes me appreciate Prince's talent for telling a good narrative. When he slows it down, gets away from his house-party jam schtick, this is where he's at his best. Once again, he shows his ability to write songs in a class with Stevie Wonder, and to sing them with a classic soul feel.

 

 

[goose]

Eric Clapton - Behind the Sun

 

The list of musicians on this album is pretty impressive, including the likes of Phil Collins, Jeff Porcaro, Donald Dunn, Lindsey Buckingham...oh, and Eric Clapton.

 

This isn't a collection of songs I hear much about, but I've always liked it. I think it's a good showcase of Clapton's talents as a guitar player, singer and songwriter. He really does have an amazing range of ability, both on guitar and vocally. Side 2's contrasting cuts "Forever Man" and "It All Depends" illustrate this perfectly.

 

 

[steelcaressed]

I tried to get through Triumph - Never Surrender. By track two, I realized why I never listened to this one much. While there is some solid guitar work, it's sporadic. The real problem is simply the cheese. It's just so 80's. It's easy to tell that they were chasing someone else's sound, not their own. The lyrics are exceptionally weak.

 

Exerpt from All the Way:

 

Where there's a will, there's a way,

Every dog will have his day,

Those who wait are only wastin'time.

 

See what I mean?

 

On to something else.

Edited January 14, 2008 by steelcaressed

[steelcaressed]

Fastway - All Fired Up

 

This is where Fast Eddie Clarke (formerly of Motorhead) ended up in the mid 80's. Dave King, the vocalist, sounds amazingly like a young Robert Plant. Pete Way, the original bassist, never actually recorded w/ the band. Drummer Jerry Shirley, formerly of Humble Pie, turns in a very competant performance.

 

All Fired Up - This one just jumps right in. Fast Eddie is up front, and the pace fits the topic. The lyrics are fairly weak, but the musicianship makes up for that.

 

Misunderstood - Complete Zeppelin rip-off tune. In spite of that, it's done tastefully. The bridge even screams Zeppelin. Worth a listen just to hear how close King sounds to Plant (When he doesn't sound like Plant, he adds a growl reminiscent of Dio.)

 

Steal the Show - Fast Eddie lives up to his name on this one. The rythym is fast indeed, yet melodious. It's a bit repetitious, and features a cowbell during the break, but it's still a fun song. Again, the lyrics are typical 80's tripe. It's just such good rock though that it doesn't matter.

 

Station - Very cool opening riff. Sheesh, he really sounds like Plant again. Fast Eddie even sounds like Page, w/ a twist of Joe Walsh, which is an engaging combination. Light on the solo w/ a good hard end. This one avoids the repetition.

 

Non Stop Love - OK...I hate that title. His voice is straining and sounds a bit nasally on this one. It's passable, but there's really nothing new here. The lyrics plunge to new depths as well. There is a sweet minute or so of Fast Eddie jamming. That lifts the song a bit. Towards the end, the tempo picks up significantly. That helps too. It's still one of the weaker songs on the album.

 

Hurtin' Me - By now, I'm ready for a change of pace. They deliver w/ a slow, bluesy piece here. King sounds too effeminate to really like here, though he does go for some Plantian wails. Nice licks by Eddie during the solo. For the first time, the bass is up in the mix, to great effect. A nice closer for side one.

 

Tell Me - Another great opening riff from Eddie. This one is the cleanest sounding yet, real crisp and clear. However, the thumping single-note bass line combined w/ repeat use of that riff make this tune a daydreamers delight.

 

Hung up on Love - Another title I can't stand. The song is as remarkable as the title.

 

The Stranger - This one has a bit more charm, and some soft spots to offset the tempo that has become omnipresent by this point. It helps, but by now, this album is wearing.

 

Telephone - Heavy blues opening. This one is has a real basic blues line underlying King's powerful vocals. He's right on w/ this one. The rythym kind of rolls along, w/ the drums and bass up in the mix again. They should have done that more often. It sets a different tone. Another good solo by Eddie. However, as they come out, there is just no surprise there. They do exactly what you expect, and it's rather disappointing. A slightly flawed gem.

 

If You Could See - This one starts off slow, but it's a ruse. after about 8 measures, it pumps up. A combination of big 80's sound and blues, they actually pull it off w/ some panache. This one rocks, all the instruments up in the mix again. It's rounded off w/ a nice, soft ending. One of the better songs on a solid album.

 

As an aside, Dave King is now the vocalist for Flogging Molly. He no longer sounds like a young Robert Plant.

 

 

 

 

[TheresThatThing]

I have an iPod and all of my music on there so I can carry it around. But music will always sound its best on vinyl, especially Rock music

[tangy]

QUOTE (steelcaressed @ Jan 12 2008, 10:10 PM)

Ok, as promised...long ago.... Lynyrd Skynyrd - Nuthin' Fancy Saturday Night Special - No need for details here. It was in heavy rotation on classic rock stations for ages. Good opener. Great guitar sound. Odd message (see below) Cheating Woman - Sweet, bluesy number here. A hammond organ beating out a pattern reminiscent of "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys," yet much less cumbersome and lengthy. Oddly enough, the song ends w/ a threat to gun the cheating woman down, which sits in bizarre juxtaposition w/ the opening song. Railroad Song - Strangely enough, this one features a harmonica. Predictable three chord blues pattern. This obvious attempt at getting back to their roots bores me to tears truthfully. I'm a Country Boy - See above. Just not my favorite, though the music is more complex and interesting than the preceding song. On the Hunt - Starts w/ a nice slow riff that will stick in your head for days. Van Zant really shines here, setting the mood, which is sultry and nasty, in a sexual way. The solo shines too, but I can never tell which of the three guitarists it is. This one could have been the single from this album; though slow and winding, it has a powerful punch. Am I Losin' - A nice little flowing tune that belies the title in tone. Someone is kicking in some harmony on this one, and it's pretty sweet. Though I like it, it's not a very remarkable tune. In other words, I wouldn't change the station if it came on. Made in the Shade - More roots music, but this time it works. A very retro song. Van Zant comes up w/ something a little different singing w/ a drawl right out of a Louisiana Juke. The guitar and dobro sounds like it was recorded by the same guy that recorded Leadbelly. Here however, it adds a certain down home charm. It makes you feel like you're at a family gathering after dinner, when your cousins break out whatever they play. The harmonica and dobro stay low in the mix, which is quite effective here. I think this song actually achieves what they were going for in this album: Fame has changed them, but they're still good ol' Florida rednecks. Whiskey Rock-A-Roller - Pretty stupid drinking/road song. The bridge is really good though. Makes you wish the whole song was similar. It gets a little repetitious at times. The piano keeps it from sinking into the well. It's still guitar-centric, but that's not enough to save it. "Lord please don't take my whiskey, and Rock-n-Roll." A mediocre ending at best. They are obviously hitting their third album lull w/ this release, common among many artists. Overall, it was nowhere near making the list for upgrade to CD. It does stir some interesting old memories, which is where the true value of this one lies for me.

I like/had that record too.

 

Saturday Night Special, Am I losing, MAde in the shade are my faves.

 

I for one appreciate the message in Saturday Night Special. Could they make it more clear? No.

 

Hard to say what my alltime skynyrd fave is but it might be

 

Skynyrds First and Last.

[goose]

QUOTE (TheresThatThing @ Jan 15 2008, 12:58 PM)

I have an iPod and all of my music on there so I can carry it around. But music will always sound its best on vinyl, especially Rock music

I like you're avatar!

 

[goose]

Giving the Church - Starfish a spin. I was a big fan of their first two albums, and when I got this one I remembering being disappointed. I think that was a reflection of my youthful preference for more up-tempo stuff, which you won't find on Starfish (at least until side 2). Listening to it now, I like it a lot more than I did. I guess we've both aged well. Edited January 15, 2008 by goose

[TheresThatThing]

Haha yes. Good band

[steelcaressed]

Minor Threat - Self-titled debut.

 

Filler - The title of the first song? Nice little crunchy punk ditty punctuated by Ian MacKaye's vocals. Back in the early 80's, these were the new kids on the punk block in DC. Fast and furious.

 

I Don't Wanna Hear It - Finally, a little bass in the intro. That's the only time you hear it though. Still fast, in the Motorhead vain. The drummer loses track in the middle, but recovers nicely for the end.

 

Seeing Red - Different chord progression, unusual and complex. Again w/ the bassline intro. Again, it's drowned out by the rest of the band.

 

Truthfully, this album doesn't need a song-by-song breakdown. They all sound very similar. A ripping fast, distorted guitar, and MacKaye's vocals shouting over most of it. Crazy drums pound at a ferocious tempo throughout. At times, they sound like the Misfits, at others, Suicidal Tendencies, and sometimes Motorhead (w/o the bass.) They even throw in an odd guitar solo occasionally.

 

There are some great tracks, and though they are attempting a social statement, it's often so humorous the point is just lost. On "In My Eyes," the message is focusing not fitting in with the crowd. Yet, as he ponders his lot, MacKaye suddenly screams out "What the f**k have you ever done?!?"

 

This one brings back some memories for me for sure. Me and an old friend used to sit in his room and smoke and scream these lyrics at each other. He's no longer w/ us, but this album brings back those memories in a very good way.

 

BTW, they do a hilarious cover of "Steppin' Stone" as a closer.

[Stormtron]

! I wouldn't have guessed you were a Minor Threat fan.