Off & On :: Off & On

May 10, 2006

Prog Purge

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Off

HIM: Complete works

Another supposed Goth outfit who have no idea of how to be chilling. Yawn.

Josephine Foster: Hazel Eyes, I Will Lead You

Something else I read about in The Wire. Didn’t work out. :-(

On

The Cure : Complete Works

Now, this is how to do it. ‘Sfunny how when I got it the player was littered with titles like "Gothic Club Classics", and didn’t have anything by the Cure, not even their Goth tour de force, Pornography. Thanks μtorrent.

David Torn : What Means Solid, Traveller

Got stuck during the rip process when I had to input a Genre. How to describe succinctly this wonderfully off-kilter guitar-centric collection of near-instrumentals? ‘Experimental’ doesn’t quite do it, but neither is it ‘Indie Rock’, as the database suggested. Settled eventually for ‘Pronk’, though I’m open to suggestions.

David Bowie: Bowie at the Beeb

A bit of duplication with stuff I already have on there, but this double CD set my girl bought me a couple of years ago covers the essential period and has some cool alternate versions of ‘Cygnet Committee’ and ‘Widthof a Circle’.

Dead Can Dance: Into The Labyrinth

Thier masterpiece. Can’t believe I never ripped this before.

In Limbo

Jane Siberry : Child

How do I feel about selective deletion of tracks? Some people think it’s just Wrong, and I’m inclinded to agree in general. How do you know the ones you hate today aren’t going to be tonorrow’s favourites? That switcheroo has happened to me dozens of times. But I was listening in random mode when up popped "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire/ Jack Frost nipping at your nose" Not good. Parts of this album I love, but I’m afraid the rest will probably have to die.

Pink Floyd : BBC Broadcasts

I used to have all of this in one form or another, from hastily-recorded cassette to unbelievably shitty MP3s; and there are some real gems in there, like a charged version of ‘Green Is The Colour’ and ‘Interstellar Overdrive’ as skiffle. But now I have a reasonable copy of it here on my computer (not al their sessions, though - where is ‘Echoes’?) I’m wondering if I already have enough PF to be gong on with. Similarly…

Yes: Symphonic Live

How many versions of ‘Starship Trooper’ does one person actually need?

Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Ultimate Collection Cols. I & II

More prog excess, I’m afraid. Never used to like them much, even back in the 70s, but I wondered a years or so ago whether they had anything going for them. The answer: sometimes. ‘Fanfare for the Common Man’ is clearly wonderful, and this comp has ‘Nutrocker’ and ‘I Believe in Father Christmas’ (not strictly EPL, that one) and the recently-discovered ‘Take a Pebble’. However, I already killed Brain Salad Surgery, supposedly their best album, and large chunks of this may go the same way.

Metallica

Another group whos entire output came free with the asking price. I’m very glad to have Pastor of Muppets and Just Ice for All, but not sure about the rest. The "black album" was the last thing I bought by them, and they seem to have desended further into mawkishness inconsequentiality since then. Prepare to be purged.

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May 5, 2006

Minus the Bear, etc.

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On

Minus The Bear: Menos el Oso

A few years ago Minus The Bear’s debut EP – This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic – startled me with its superbly singalong harnessing of the techniques of rock’s avant-garde, causing me to coin the genre-term Fission Pop. Since then the band have successively smoothed the corners, and I wasn’t sure about this album at first, but when a track like ‘The Fix’ manages to combine the the guitar stutter of Don Caballero’s maginficently wired American Don LP with the old school Rawk moves of Kim Mitchell and MtB’s distinctive melodic ear, what more could I really ask for?

Charalambides: A Vintage Burden

I remember their name from way back, but had no idea their music was this beautiful. Thank you, The Wire mag.

Vaughan-Williams: Symphony No. 5 in D Major

Elgar: Introduction & Allegro for Strings

Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie

I really need help when it comes to classical music. Only the Vaughan-Willaims was actually one of my Set Works, but I find I do need extreme familiarity with a piece before I can really enjoy it, otherwse crucial details tend to slide past the ear in a whoosh of massed strings (much as, I guess, those for whom rock music is just a noise fail to hear it subtleties).

Anyone noticed how the Elgar sounds like early Queen?

In Limbo

Hot Snakes: Audit in Progress

Just grabbed this from a fellow Soulseeker because I liked the band’s name, but actually this a bit more no-nonsense that I normally like my punk rock.

Off

Loretta Lynn: Van Lear Rose

I can tolerate the White Stripes, but despite Van Lear Rose having Jack White’s stamp all over it, there is no space whatsoever in my heart for Vaudevillian schlock. Sorry.

Apart from that, I haven’t deleted anything much lately, which has narrowed my free space down to a worryingly meagre 2.5GB. Time for a purge.

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April 9, 2006

Red Stars Theory, etc

Filed under: Off & On

Off

Korn

Based on the few tracks that have sprung up they are a slightly above average bunch of musicians, but the singer has an intolerable whining way with both delivery and content. Ditch the shirt pronto!

On

Natalie Imbruglia

Nowhere near as bad as any other ex-Neighbours star. In fact, with sonic similarities to The Sundays and Tanya Donelly, and sampling folks like His Name Is Alive, Ms Imbuglia verges on Indie-gauche. The Waterboys-ish ‘That Day’ begs to be mashed up with something less jangly.

Red Stars Theory: Life In A Bubble Can Be Beautiful

Thank you Pandora. I like to listen to ambient rock when I work, so I try to guide the personalised radio thing in that direction. This is in the upper quartile of that deprecated genre. Two of the seven pieces here have vocals: one female and one male. A nice balance. Will listen more and report back.

Set Fire To Flames

Not sure where I heard about these bods — maybe I was just attracted to the name in someone’s p2p offering — but this really is the stuff. See review.

In Limbo

Limp Bizkit

Feels a bit odd to have three albums by a band of their reputation on my Zen, but the jury is still out after a couple of pretty decent tunes.

Cat Power: The Greatest

I have mainly liked Chan Marshall’s mournful songs and inspired covers, her gentle repetition and pleasantly inept playing. The occasional genius musical accomplice has helped, too, especially on Moon Pix. But, having made the mistake of reading about this album on the Matador website prior to listening, and trying but failing to endure its faux-Soul, I am left with the inescapable inconclusion that she’s gone all Rattle & Hum. Harnessing the drummer from Booker T & The MGs is cool, but trying to sound like Al Green (or indeed anyone else) isn’t. Now I am struggling to hear it without the wigga baggage. And Cat Power’s Achtung Baby may be just around the corner.

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