Kiss Decides to Cut First LP Since 1998
It has been announced that, beginning next year, the iconic rock and roll band KISS will hit the studio to record their first new album of material since 1998’s release “Psycho Circus.”
Even the reluctant bassist, Gene Simmons is on board although his opinions about the music industry are well documented.
“The record industry is in such a mess,” he told Billboard in November of 2007. “There is nothing in me that wants to go in there and do new music. How are you going to deliver it? How are you going to get paid for it if people can just get it for free?”
But with Paul Stanley producing and in complete control of the project, it will be an exciting new avenue for the rockers to explore.
“I would consider doing it if I could do it the way I wanted to do it,” he explained, adding that his 2006 solo album “Live To Win” confirmed how he’d “like music to sound that I’m a part of. To do another KISS album, I would not e willing to compromise my point of view perhaps as much as I have in recent years.”
Still unresolved is just how the band will distribute the new album which will feature longtime members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons alongside guitarist Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer on the drums.
KISS is also expected to embark on a North American tour at some point in the New Year, but no dates have been announced at this time.
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John Fogerty Returns with “Blue Ridge Rangers” Project
Seminal ‘swamp’ rocker and former Creedence Clearwater Revival front man John Fogerty is putting the finishing touches on a new project appropriately called: “John Fogerty: The Return Of The Blue Ridge Rangers.”
The Blue Ridge Rangers were originally a one-man band in which Fogerty released a set of country and roots cover songs. Although the Blue Ridge Rangers concept allowed Fogerty complete artistic control (he played all the instruments), this project will be different, as he explained to Billboard.
“I’ve known for years that if I ever did a Blue Rangers album again I sure didn’t want to play all the instruments. I had long felt that was probably something that was wrong with the first album.”
The project was recorded during a 10-day session at Village Recorders in Santa Monica, California, with T-Bone Burnett and Lenny Waronker as co-producers. Among the musicians contributing to “The Return Of The Blue Ridge Rangers” were Greg Leisz, Dennis Crouch, Buddy Miller, Kenny Aronoff and Jay Bellerose. The set includes fifteen songs that were recorded from a list of about forty titles that Fogerty, Burnett and Waronker had assembled.
“My pre-requisite was that I didn’t want to get into the realm of trying to be really hip and obscure,” explained Fogerty. “I’ve seen people get really out there, and it’s stuff nobody’s heard of or maybe it’s stuff nobody wants to hear of. For me it just had to be a good song, a great song, ‘cause great songs will carry you a long way.”
Fans of Fogerty and of the classic rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival can expect a quality release, although there has been no definitive release date.
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Decemberists’ New LP Is Concept Oriented
Indie-Pop rockers the Decemberists new album from Capitol Records should arrive in stores near the end of March 2009. The 17-track effort will chronicle a twisted love triangle, mixed with fantasy, with a woodland queen playing very heavily into the storyline.
However, this is not the first time the Portland, Oregon Indie-Pop crew has waded into the concept album territory. Its predecessor, “The Crane Wife” (2006) included a retooled Japanese fairy tale as its central theme.
====================================================
Indigo Girls Team With Vanguard For New Album
The Indigo Girls have started their own label to release their next album. "Poseidon and the Bitter Bug" is due March 24 from IG Recordings, with distribution through Vanguard.
The double-disc set includes the album as well as a second all-acoustic version, the latter featuring the bonus track "Salty South."
"It's basically like two perspectives of the same song," group member Amy Ray told Billboard of the Mitchell Froom-produced project. "It gives everybody both sides of the equation."
The Indigo Girls spent most their career on Epic before shifting to Hollywood for 2006's "Despite Our Differences."
Friday, December 12, 2008
Grunge Rockers Pearl Jam to Reissue Their LP “Ten”
Pre-orders for the reissue of Pearl Jam’s 1991 debut album will be available March 24from their former Epic Records label (also pre-orders have already begun on the band’s website www.PearlJam.com).
In fact, four different editions of the legendary debut include a host on previously unreleased tracks and special surprises from the vaults. Each version will include a digitally remastered version of the original as well as new remixes and was done by longtime producer Brendan O’Brien (who did not work on “Ten,” but produced the band’s next four LPs). Additionally, bassist Jeff Ament and designer Andy Fischer have teamed up to revamp the artwork.
The music produced by O’Brien for the project includes six previously unreleased cuts including early versions of “Breath,” “State of Love and Trust,” “Brother” (with vocals- not the instrumental version from the 2003 rarities release “Lost Dogs”), “Just a Girl,” “Evil Little Goat” as well as a Stevie Ray Vaughan-inspired jam session with improvised vocals from Eddie Vedder.
Band members have been coaxing O’Brien to take on the remixing project for years and he relented after he had remixed the “Ten” cuts, “Once,” “Black” and “Alive” for the band’s greatest hits release in 2004 called “Rearviewmirror.”
“The original ‘Ten’ sound is what millions of people bought, dug and loved, so I was initially hesitant to mess around with that,” explained O’Brien. “After years of persistent nudging from the band, I was able to wrap my head around the idea of offering it as a companion piece to the original-giving a fresh take on it, a more direct sound.”
The seminal and groundbreaking album has sold more than 9.6 million copies in the US and certainly vaulted Pearl Jam to mainstream superstardom worldwide.
The ‘Legacy’ edition of the reissue includes a DVD of the band’s previously unreleased “MTV Unplugged” performance in 1992. Fans could also choose a double-vinyl version that features the original “Ten” on one LP and O’Brien’s remix on the other.
However, the package that is sure to appease even the most die-hard fans of the group will include two CDs, a DVD and four vinyl records. It will all be housed in a linen-covered, slip cased clamshell box as well as a replica of an item that is second to none in Pearl Jam Lore.
Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament, who served as the art director for the original Ten packaging, reprised his role for the reissues collaborating with designer, Andy Fischer, of Cameron Crowe’s Vinyl Films (Into the Wild soundtrack LP, Vanilla Sky soundtrack LP, Harold and Maude anniversary edition soundtrack LP).
"The goal was to assemble the ultimate fan-piece,” explains Fischer. “Something Pearl Jam lovers could pore over as they experience an indelible record all over again, in an entirely new way."
“The original concept was about really being together as a group and entering into the world of music as a true band...a sort of all-for-one deal,” says Jeff Ament. “There were some elements of the original Ten artwork that didn't turn out the way we had hoped, due to time constraints. With this reissue, we’ve been able to take our time and invest resources into making the design the way we had originally intended.”
Pick up a copy of “Ten” here: http://tinyurl.com/5bdqj5
THE FOUR EDITIONS OF TEN: ALBUM EXTRAS PER PACKAGE
1. Legacy Edition (2-disc set in mini-LP style slipcase):
• Disc 1: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered (original mix)
• Disc 2: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered and remixed by Brendan O’Brien, plus six bonus tracks: “Brother,” “Just a Girl,” “State of Love and Trust,” “Breath and a Scream,” “2,000 Mile Blues” and “Evil Little Goat”
• Re-designed packaging
2. Deluxe Edition (2-disc set plus DVD specially designed hardbound package):
• Disc 1: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered (original mix)
• Disc 2: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered and remixed by Brendan O’Brien, plus six bonus tracks: “Brother,” “Just a Girl,” “State of Love and Trust,” “Breath and a Scream,” “2,000 Mile Blues” and “Evil Little Goat”
• DVD of Pearl Jam’s previously unreleased 1992 MTV Unplugged performance including never before seen bonus performance of “Oceans” with 5.1 surround sound audio remix
3. Vinyl Collection (2-LP set)
• LP 1: original Ten tracklisting remastered for vinyl
• LP 2: original Ten tracklisting remastered for vinyl and remixed by Brendan O’Brien
4. Super Deluxe Edition (2-disc set plus DVD, 4 LPs and replica cassette in linen-covered, slip-cased clamshell box):
• Disc 1: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered (original mix)
• Disc 2: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered and remixed by Brendan O’Brien, plus six bonus tracks: “Brother,” “Just a Girl,” “State of Love and Trust,” “Breath and a Scream,” “2,000 Mile Blues” and “Evil Little Goat”
• DVD of Pearl Jam’s previously unreleased 1992 MTV Unplugged performance including never before seen bonus performance of “Oceans” with 5.1 surround sound audio remix
• LP 1: original Ten tracklisting remastered for vinyl
• LP 2: original Ten tracklisting remastered for vinyl and remixed by Brendan O’Brien
• LP 3 & 4: Drop in the Park – Live at Magnuson Park in Seattle on September 20, 1992 (audio mixed by Brendan O’Brien)
• Cassette: replica of original “Momma-Son” Pearl Jam demo cassette featuring “Alive,” “Once” and “Footsteps”
• Package also includes an Eddie Vedder-style composition notebook filled with replica personal notes, images and mementos from the collections of Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament, a vellum envelope with replicated era-specific ephemera from Pearl Jam’s early work and a two-sided print commemorating the Drop in the Park concert
In fact, four different editions of the legendary debut include a host on previously unreleased tracks and special surprises from the vaults. Each version will include a digitally remastered version of the original as well as new remixes and was done by longtime producer Brendan O’Brien (who did not work on “Ten,” but produced the band’s next four LPs). Additionally, bassist Jeff Ament and designer Andy Fischer have teamed up to revamp the artwork.
The music produced by O’Brien for the project includes six previously unreleased cuts including early versions of “Breath,” “State of Love and Trust,” “Brother” (with vocals- not the instrumental version from the 2003 rarities release “Lost Dogs”), “Just a Girl,” “Evil Little Goat” as well as a Stevie Ray Vaughan-inspired jam session with improvised vocals from Eddie Vedder.
Band members have been coaxing O’Brien to take on the remixing project for years and he relented after he had remixed the “Ten” cuts, “Once,” “Black” and “Alive” for the band’s greatest hits release in 2004 called “Rearviewmirror.”
“The original ‘Ten’ sound is what millions of people bought, dug and loved, so I was initially hesitant to mess around with that,” explained O’Brien. “After years of persistent nudging from the band, I was able to wrap my head around the idea of offering it as a companion piece to the original-giving a fresh take on it, a more direct sound.”
The seminal and groundbreaking album has sold more than 9.6 million copies in the US and certainly vaulted Pearl Jam to mainstream superstardom worldwide.
The ‘Legacy’ edition of the reissue includes a DVD of the band’s previously unreleased “MTV Unplugged” performance in 1992. Fans could also choose a double-vinyl version that features the original “Ten” on one LP and O’Brien’s remix on the other.
However, the package that is sure to appease even the most die-hard fans of the group will include two CDs, a DVD and four vinyl records. It will all be housed in a linen-covered, slip cased clamshell box as well as a replica of an item that is second to none in Pearl Jam Lore.
Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament, who served as the art director for the original Ten packaging, reprised his role for the reissues collaborating with designer, Andy Fischer, of Cameron Crowe’s Vinyl Films (Into the Wild soundtrack LP, Vanilla Sky soundtrack LP, Harold and Maude anniversary edition soundtrack LP).
"The goal was to assemble the ultimate fan-piece,” explains Fischer. “Something Pearl Jam lovers could pore over as they experience an indelible record all over again, in an entirely new way."
“The original concept was about really being together as a group and entering into the world of music as a true band...a sort of all-for-one deal,” says Jeff Ament. “There were some elements of the original Ten artwork that didn't turn out the way we had hoped, due to time constraints. With this reissue, we’ve been able to take our time and invest resources into making the design the way we had originally intended.”
Pick up a copy of “Ten” here: http://tinyurl.com/5bdqj5
THE FOUR EDITIONS OF TEN: ALBUM EXTRAS PER PACKAGE
1. Legacy Edition (2-disc set in mini-LP style slipcase):
• Disc 1: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered (original mix)
• Disc 2: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered and remixed by Brendan O’Brien, plus six bonus tracks: “Brother,” “Just a Girl,” “State of Love and Trust,” “Breath and a Scream,” “2,000 Mile Blues” and “Evil Little Goat”
• Re-designed packaging
2. Deluxe Edition (2-disc set plus DVD specially designed hardbound package):
• Disc 1: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered (original mix)
• Disc 2: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered and remixed by Brendan O’Brien, plus six bonus tracks: “Brother,” “Just a Girl,” “State of Love and Trust,” “Breath and a Scream,” “2,000 Mile Blues” and “Evil Little Goat”
• DVD of Pearl Jam’s previously unreleased 1992 MTV Unplugged performance including never before seen bonus performance of “Oceans” with 5.1 surround sound audio remix
3. Vinyl Collection (2-LP set)
• LP 1: original Ten tracklisting remastered for vinyl
• LP 2: original Ten tracklisting remastered for vinyl and remixed by Brendan O’Brien
4. Super Deluxe Edition (2-disc set plus DVD, 4 LPs and replica cassette in linen-covered, slip-cased clamshell box):
• Disc 1: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered (original mix)
• Disc 2: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered and remixed by Brendan O’Brien, plus six bonus tracks: “Brother,” “Just a Girl,” “State of Love and Trust,” “Breath and a Scream,” “2,000 Mile Blues” and “Evil Little Goat”
• DVD of Pearl Jam’s previously unreleased 1992 MTV Unplugged performance including never before seen bonus performance of “Oceans” with 5.1 surround sound audio remix
• LP 1: original Ten tracklisting remastered for vinyl
• LP 2: original Ten tracklisting remastered for vinyl and remixed by Brendan O’Brien
• LP 3 & 4: Drop in the Park – Live at Magnuson Park in Seattle on September 20, 1992 (audio mixed by Brendan O’Brien)
• Cassette: replica of original “Momma-Son” Pearl Jam demo cassette featuring “Alive,” “Once” and “Footsteps”
• Package also includes an Eddie Vedder-style composition notebook filled with replica personal notes, images and mementos from the collections of Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament, a vellum envelope with replicated era-specific ephemera from Pearl Jam’s early work and a two-sided print commemorating the Drop in the Park concert
Deep Purple Issuing Deluxe Edition of Stormbringer
Legendary rockers Deep Purple and EMI have announced that they will release a special edition of the album "Stormbringer" on February 23.
http://tinyurl.com/57x8fc
The album, first released in November 1974, peaked at #20 on the US album chart and was considered a bit uneven after "Machine Head" and "Who Do You Think We Are." At the time, the band was made up of Ritchie Blackmore (his last album with the group), David Coverdale, Glen Hughes, Jon Lord and Ian Paice.
The album will be issued in a CD/DVD combo with the CD having the original album plus five bonus tracks and the DVD containing an original Quadraphonic mix album as 5.1 DTS 96/24 and the original album Quadrophonic mix stereo 48/24 with on screen images. A 2-LP vinyl set will also be issued with an additional three bonus tracks.
The track listing for the CD/DVD set:
Stormbringer
Love Don’t Mean a Thing
Holy Man
Hold On
Lady Double Dealer
You Can’t Do It Right
High Ball Shooter
The Gypsy
Soldier of Fortune
Holy Man (Glenn Hughes remix)
You Can’t Do It Right (Glenn Hughes remix)
Love Don’t Mean a Thing (Glenn Hughes remix)
Hold On (Glenn Hughes remix)
High Ball Shooter (instrumental, from Listen Learn Read On Box Set)
The track list for the 2-LP set:
Stormbringer
Love Don’t Mean A Thing
Holy Man
Hold On
Lady Double Dealer
You Can’t Do It Right
High Ball Shooter
The Gypsy
Soldier Of Fortune
Holy Man (remix)
You Can’t Do It Right (remix)
Love Don’t Mean A Thing (remix)
Hold On (remix)
High Ball Shooter (instrumental)
High Ball Shooter (quad)
You Can’t Do It Right (quad)
Soldier Of Fortune (quad)
Deep Purple has always been near the top of my list of favorite rock and roll bands and I am excited about this release!
http://tinyurl.com/57x8fc
The album, first released in November 1974, peaked at #20 on the US album chart and was considered a bit uneven after "Machine Head" and "Who Do You Think We Are." At the time, the band was made up of Ritchie Blackmore (his last album with the group), David Coverdale, Glen Hughes, Jon Lord and Ian Paice.
The album will be issued in a CD/DVD combo with the CD having the original album plus five bonus tracks and the DVD containing an original Quadraphonic mix album as 5.1 DTS 96/24 and the original album Quadrophonic mix stereo 48/24 with on screen images. A 2-LP vinyl set will also be issued with an additional three bonus tracks.
The track listing for the CD/DVD set:
Stormbringer
Love Don’t Mean a Thing
Holy Man
Hold On
Lady Double Dealer
You Can’t Do It Right
High Ball Shooter
The Gypsy
Soldier of Fortune
Holy Man (Glenn Hughes remix)
You Can’t Do It Right (Glenn Hughes remix)
Love Don’t Mean a Thing (Glenn Hughes remix)
Hold On (Glenn Hughes remix)
High Ball Shooter (instrumental, from Listen Learn Read On Box Set)
The track list for the 2-LP set:
Stormbringer
Love Don’t Mean A Thing
Holy Man
Hold On
Lady Double Dealer
You Can’t Do It Right
High Ball Shooter
The Gypsy
Soldier Of Fortune
Holy Man (remix)
You Can’t Do It Right (remix)
Love Don’t Mean A Thing (remix)
Hold On (remix)
High Ball Shooter (instrumental)
High Ball Shooter (quad)
You Can’t Do It Right (quad)
Soldier Of Fortune (quad)
Deep Purple has always been near the top of my list of favorite rock and roll bands and I am excited about this release!
What to do with those old records?
Those of us of a certain age will no doubt remember playing music on vinyl. I remember getting my first "hand-me-down" record player, spending my pocket money on 7" singles, later on hunting down picture discs and other limited edition records, and generally having fun with my music.
Time passes however, and the scratchy old black discs have been replaced by shiny silver coasters. I've not been able to face the thought of ditching my old records and so they've been languishing in storage for the past decade. At least they were until I got the bright idea of trying to transfer them onto my computer.
Now a lot of it I've already re-bought on CD (or in some cases bought MP3s online), but some of it just isn't available in any format other than vinyl. It would be nice to get these lost classics (or old crap as my wife puts it) in an easy to use format. Of course, I've still got a stereo stacker system (remember those?) which I've hooked up to my PC and recorded off an album or two.
There are some disadvantages to this.
One is that the stereo is large, heavy, bulky and pulling it over to where the PC is also means that I'm tripping over the damn thing whenever I'm trying to record from it.
OK, so thats more of an inconvenience than a real problem. So do things get easier once you've plugged the earphone socket of the stereo into the soundcards line-in?
Nope.
The sound levels can be a bit tricky to set up correctly. Once you've set up the graphic equalisers on the front of the stereo to a nice level, found the right volume to avoid clipping when you're recording it back and finally managed to record the album you STILL find an annoying hum (from the stereo's built in amplifier).
Now you can remove the worst of the hum, hiss and crackle from the records using Audacity (or whatever other audio software you use) but sadly the more you need to clean up, the more the sound quality of the final track suffers. (Before any audiophiles get in and start telling me about resisters that need to go between this, that and the other, forget it. I'm trying to record some music, not take lessons in soldering.)
The final results were passable, but still contained a bit of hum, which was certainly noticable when playing them alongside regular MP3s.
So what are the alternatives? Well, these days you can get hold of USB Turntables reasonably cheaply. These plug directly into your computers USB port and allow you to record directly from there. If you shop around you can normally pick up a cheap one from just over £20 (or less if you can get something in the sales). I picked mine up for just over £11 which was a bit of a bargain. They're also small enough to fit on my desk next to my PC when I'm in the mood to transfer some of my music.
If you are using Windows then you can just plug in and go (* see the notes at the end). There is a "drivers" disk supplied with the turntable, which doesn't actually contain any drivers. Instead it installs a copy of Audacity for you. The accompanying instructions take you through recording, cleaning up and exporting your tracks using Audacity.
Using it with Linux was just as easy. I plugged it in, installed Audacity using the package manager and from there on in the provided instructions were fine.
Recording using the turntable is much more straight forward than using the stereo. Firstly there are no levels or volume to adjust, you just plug in, select the USB device to record from and that's about it.
The instructions probably won't be needed for most of us, but it's always nice to see how other people do things. Personally after recording the track I normalise it, use a low level noise reduction to remove the worst of the hiss and clicks, manually split it into separate tracks and then save it to MP3. You can, of course, save to WAV, FLAC, OGG or whatever else floats your musical boat.
For those of you who may be interested, I tested this out with what is probably the oldest album that I've got - Baby Grand's self-titled first album from 1977, which was the first album I owned (I'd won it at a fairground).
The annoying hum from the stereo was totally absent when recording via USB and the overall sound quality on the final tracks was surprisingly good. All in all a good solution to the problem of transferring my old music.
SOURCE: posted by Dano at http://half-a-page.blogspot.com
Sony PS-LX300USB USB Stereo Turntable System - Black
Time passes however, and the scratchy old black discs have been replaced by shiny silver coasters. I've not been able to face the thought of ditching my old records and so they've been languishing in storage for the past decade. At least they were until I got the bright idea of trying to transfer them onto my computer.
Now a lot of it I've already re-bought on CD (or in some cases bought MP3s online), but some of it just isn't available in any format other than vinyl. It would be nice to get these lost classics (or old crap as my wife puts it) in an easy to use format. Of course, I've still got a stereo stacker system (remember those?) which I've hooked up to my PC and recorded off an album or two.
There are some disadvantages to this.
One is that the stereo is large, heavy, bulky and pulling it over to where the PC is also means that I'm tripping over the damn thing whenever I'm trying to record from it.
OK, so thats more of an inconvenience than a real problem. So do things get easier once you've plugged the earphone socket of the stereo into the soundcards line-in?
Nope.
The sound levels can be a bit tricky to set up correctly. Once you've set up the graphic equalisers on the front of the stereo to a nice level, found the right volume to avoid clipping when you're recording it back and finally managed to record the album you STILL find an annoying hum (from the stereo's built in amplifier).
Now you can remove the worst of the hum, hiss and crackle from the records using Audacity (or whatever other audio software you use) but sadly the more you need to clean up, the more the sound quality of the final track suffers. (Before any audiophiles get in and start telling me about resisters that need to go between this, that and the other, forget it. I'm trying to record some music, not take lessons in soldering.)
The final results were passable, but still contained a bit of hum, which was certainly noticable when playing them alongside regular MP3s.
So what are the alternatives? Well, these days you can get hold of USB Turntables reasonably cheaply. These plug directly into your computers USB port and allow you to record directly from there. If you shop around you can normally pick up a cheap one from just over £20 (or less if you can get something in the sales). I picked mine up for just over £11 which was a bit of a bargain. They're also small enough to fit on my desk next to my PC when I'm in the mood to transfer some of my music.
If you are using Windows then you can just plug in and go (* see the notes at the end). There is a "drivers" disk supplied with the turntable, which doesn't actually contain any drivers. Instead it installs a copy of Audacity for you. The accompanying instructions take you through recording, cleaning up and exporting your tracks using Audacity.
Using it with Linux was just as easy. I plugged it in, installed Audacity using the package manager and from there on in the provided instructions were fine.
Recording using the turntable is much more straight forward than using the stereo. Firstly there are no levels or volume to adjust, you just plug in, select the USB device to record from and that's about it.
The instructions probably won't be needed for most of us, but it's always nice to see how other people do things. Personally after recording the track I normalise it, use a low level noise reduction to remove the worst of the hiss and clicks, manually split it into separate tracks and then save it to MP3. You can, of course, save to WAV, FLAC, OGG or whatever else floats your musical boat.
For those of you who may be interested, I tested this out with what is probably the oldest album that I've got - Baby Grand's self-titled first album from 1977, which was the first album I owned (I'd won it at a fairground).
The annoying hum from the stereo was totally absent when recording via USB and the overall sound quality on the final tracks was surprisingly good. All in all a good solution to the problem of transferring my old music.
SOURCE: posted by Dano at http://half-a-page.blogspot.com
Sony PS-LX300USB USB Stereo Turntable System - Black
Album Cover Art
We're almost to the top ten of Gigwise.com's list of the sexiest and dirtiest album covers, here is #11 (Gigwise comments in quotes):
11. Jimi Hendrix Experience: ‘Electric Ladyland’ –" Unhappy with his record label’s adamant snubbing of his proposal for the 968 album to picture band member Linda Eastman posing with children at the foot of a statue of Alice In Wonderland in favour of a blurred image of his head, Hendrix took drastic action. Instead, the original UK pressings featured a gaggle of naked women – a decision that was steeped in controversy."
Electric Ladyland is the third and final album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, released on October 16, 1968 on Reprise Records. Written and produced by Jimi Hendrix, the album is seen as the peak of Hendrix's mastery of the electric guitar, and is frequently cited as one of the greatest rock albums of all time. It is not only the last of his albums released as the Jimi Hendrix Experience, but also the last of Hendrix's studio albums to be professionally produced under his own supervision. After Electric Ladyland, Hendrix spent the remaining two years of his life attempting to organize a new band and recording a breadth of new songs.
Alternate Cover
Released as a double album, Electric Ladyland is a cross-section of Hendrix's wide range of musical talent. It includes samples of several genres and styles of music, including the psychedelia of "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" (previously a UK single in the summer of 1967), the bluesy guitar jam "Voodoo Chile", the New Orleans-style rock and roll of "Come On", the epic studio production of "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)", and the social commentary of "House Burning Down". The album also features a cover version of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" that was widely praised by many, including Dylan himself, as well as "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", a staple of both radio and guitar repertoire.
Electric Ladyland was first released in the U.S. in October 1968 and became a massive hit; it was Hendrix's only #1 album. The UK edition reached #5 upon its release amid considerable controversy. A letter Hendrix wrote to Reprise described exactly what he wanted for the cover, but it was mostly ignored. He expressly asked for a colour photo by Linda Eastman of the group sitting with children on a sculpture from Alice in Wonderland in Central Park, NY, even drawing a picture of it for reference. The company instead used a blurred red & yellow photo of his head, taken by Karl Ferris. Track Records had its own art department, which produced a cover depicting of several nude women lounging in front of a black background. The original UK & German CD release from the 1980s features the UK artwork cover, while the Allan Douglas' re-master CD issue features the U.S. version by Ferris, which has since become the official worldwide cover of Electric Ladyland. The company Experience Hendrix, which owns the rights to the album and most of Hendrix's catalogue, has stated that the original UK nudes cover will not be used any longer, since Hendrix himself did not like it; nonetheless Hendrix's own choice, the Eastman photo, is still ignored. A dispute nearly happened with the album's title. In the final stages of production, a studio technician renamed the album "Electric Landlady." The album was almost released under this official title until Hendrix noticed the error, which upset him considerably. Kirsty MacColl later used this alternate title for an album of her own.
In 2005 Q magazine readers voted Electric Ladyland the 38th greatest album of all time; in 2003 the TV network VH1 placed it at number 72. In 2003, Rolling Stone declared it the 54th greatest album of all time. The album is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
11. Jimi Hendrix Experience: ‘Electric Ladyland’ –" Unhappy with his record label’s adamant snubbing of his proposal for the 968 album to picture band member Linda Eastman posing with children at the foot of a statue of Alice In Wonderland in favour of a blurred image of his head, Hendrix took drastic action. Instead, the original UK pressings featured a gaggle of naked women – a decision that was steeped in controversy." Electric Ladyland is the third and final album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, released on October 16, 1968 on Reprise Records. Written and produced by Jimi Hendrix, the album is seen as the peak of Hendrix's mastery of the electric guitar, and is frequently cited as one of the greatest rock albums of all time. It is not only the last of his albums released as the Jimi Hendrix Experience, but also the last of Hendrix's studio albums to be professionally produced under his own supervision. After Electric Ladyland, Hendrix spent the remaining two years of his life attempting to organize a new band and recording a breadth of new songs.
Alternate CoverReleased as a double album, Electric Ladyland is a cross-section of Hendrix's wide range of musical talent. It includes samples of several genres and styles of music, including the psychedelia of "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" (previously a UK single in the summer of 1967), the bluesy guitar jam "Voodoo Chile", the New Orleans-style rock and roll of "Come On", the epic studio production of "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)", and the social commentary of "House Burning Down". The album also features a cover version of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" that was widely praised by many, including Dylan himself, as well as "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", a staple of both radio and guitar repertoire.
Electric Ladyland was first released in the U.S. in October 1968 and became a massive hit; it was Hendrix's only #1 album. The UK edition reached #5 upon its release amid considerable controversy. A letter Hendrix wrote to Reprise described exactly what he wanted for the cover, but it was mostly ignored. He expressly asked for a colour photo by Linda Eastman of the group sitting with children on a sculpture from Alice in Wonderland in Central Park, NY, even drawing a picture of it for reference. The company instead used a blurred red & yellow photo of his head, taken by Karl Ferris. Track Records had its own art department, which produced a cover depicting of several nude women lounging in front of a black background. The original UK & German CD release from the 1980s features the UK artwork cover, while the Allan Douglas' re-master CD issue features the U.S. version by Ferris, which has since become the official worldwide cover of Electric Ladyland. The company Experience Hendrix, which owns the rights to the album and most of Hendrix's catalogue, has stated that the original UK nudes cover will not be used any longer, since Hendrix himself did not like it; nonetheless Hendrix's own choice, the Eastman photo, is still ignored. A dispute nearly happened with the album's title. In the final stages of production, a studio technician renamed the album "Electric Landlady." The album was almost released under this official title until Hendrix noticed the error, which upset him considerably. Kirsty MacColl later used this alternate title for an album of her own.
In 2005 Q magazine readers voted Electric Ladyland the 38th greatest album of all time; in 2003 the TV network VH1 placed it at number 72. In 2003, Rolling Stone declared it the 54th greatest album of all time. The album is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Vinyl Records – 60 Years Strong and Still in the Groove
I want to thank Jeffrey B. Palmer, Director of Marketing & Communications at the The Vinyl Institute for allowing me the exclusive right to reprint his wonderful article about the love for vinyl records.
ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 23, 2008 – In 1948, Dr. Peter Goldmark developed the first long-playing record made of PVC. Vinyl records were quieter than the earlier shellac disks, could play at 33 1/3 rotations per minute which allowed up to 30 minutes per side of playing time, and were more affordable and less sensitive than shellac.
Today, to paraphrase Mark Twain, rumors of the death of vinyl records have been greatly exaggerated. In fact, their popularity has received a louder buzz throughout the country in just the past couple of months.
The Aug. 5 "Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer" noted The Flip Side music store was saved from extinction by adding used and new vinyl records and refurbished turntables to its inventory.
The Aug. 6 "Charlotte (N.C.) Observer" reported vinyl LP's at Lunchbox Records accounts for 45 percent of its sales.
In the Aug. 17 "Buffalo (N.Y.) News" Kelly Mordaunt, Record Theatre's University Plaza manager and buyer, claimed much of his vinyl-buying customers are "college age and under."
The Aug. 20 "Boston (Mass.) Herald" reported a Newbury Comics music superstore opening in Norwood will carry an extensive inventory of new vinyl records.
In just the last four weeks, independent news features on the growing demand for vinyl records have run in newspapers in Pueblo, Colo.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Bellingham, Wash.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Spokane, Wash.: Superior, Wis., and "The New York Times."
And the Sept. 23 "Fort Worth Star-Telegram" reported A + R Record & Tape Manufacturing in Dallas has seen a 25 percent upturn in vinyl record production in the last three years, prompted by interest in hip hop, dance, and punk rock records.
To meet the widespread demand, more musicians are releasing their latest recordings on both vinyl and CD - Madonna, U2, Buddy Guy, R.E.M., the Drive By Truckers, Elvis Costello, and Wilco among them. Neil Young typically releases both LP's and CD's of his music.
Sundazed Records has developed a large catalog of "high definition" vinyl reissues of 1960's rock mainstays like The Byrds, Love, Spirit, The Remains, Jefferson Airplane, The Stooges, Aretha Franklin, and Bob Dylan.
Also answering the demand for new/old vinyl recordings, Capitol/EMI Records launched its Capitol Vaults reissues Sept. 2, including classic rock chestnuts like Steve Miller Band's Greatest Hits 1974-1978 and the Beach Boys' 1966 Pet Sounds, as well as the music catalogs of newer rock bands like Radiohead and Coldplay. Capitol Records' Jane Ventom indicated the releases are aimed at "audiophiles who continued to collect vinyl through its leanest years, baby boomers who are dusting off turntables, and the iPod generation that's discovering classics on vinyl." Some record companies are offering digital downloads or CD versions of albums with the purchase of a vinyl copy.
However, many simply prefer the sound of an analog recording on vinyl instead of its digital alternative. Words they use to describe their vinyl treasures are "richer," "warmer," "more natural," "more durable," "better bass," and simply "cooler."
Vinyl-philes also revel in the indescribable joy of taking a vinyl record out of its sleeve, gazing at the album cover art, reading liner notes without the aid of a microscope, playing the record through one side and flipping it over, and even the occasional pop and skip of a scratched record. One long-time vinyl enthusiast remarked, "With vinyl, music listening is an experience, not just knocking off a couple of songs on your iPod while commuting to work."
Other vinyl releases recent and planned include re-issues of Paul McCartney & Wings' Band on the Run, John Lennon's Imagine, Jimi Hendrix' Band of Gypsys, The Eagles' Hotel California, The Allman Brothers' Live at Fillmore East, Def Leppard's Pyromania, The Who's Who's Next, and a deluxe box set of the late jazz trumpeter Miles Davis' legendary Kind of Blue sessions.
While sales of CD's have continued to drop over the last few years, 17 percent in 2007 from the previous year, sales of new vinyl LP's continue to surge, a 37 percent increase from 2006 to 2007. The Recording Industry Association of America states 1.3 million new vinyl recordings were sold in the United States in 2007, and analysts project annual sales to range from 1.6 million to 2 million by the end of 2008. Also, sales of new turntables nearly doubled in a year, from 275,000 in 2006 almost half a million in 2007.
Another plus for vinyl recordings -- no "laser rot." An article in the Aug 22 "Detroit (Mich.) News," stated laser rot is when the aluminum coating on the surface of old CD's and DVD's oxidizes and degrades, becoming irretrievably corroded. Old school vinyl recordings are immune to such digital deterioration.
The imminent demise for CD's may also be exaggerated. But while they have been around for only 27 years, vinyl LP's are 60 years old, and still spinning.
The Vinyl Institute represents the leading manufacturers involved in the production of PVC vinyl in the United States, and promotes the value of PVC and vinyl products to society.
For more information, contact:
Jeffrey B. Palmer
Director of Marketing & Communications
The Vinyl Institute
(703) 741-5669
jeff_palmer@plastics.org
Also go to: www.vinylindesign.com and www.vinylinfo.org.
ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 23, 2008 – In 1948, Dr. Peter Goldmark developed the first long-playing record made of PVC. Vinyl records were quieter than the earlier shellac disks, could play at 33 1/3 rotations per minute which allowed up to 30 minutes per side of playing time, and were more affordable and less sensitive than shellac.
Today, to paraphrase Mark Twain, rumors of the death of vinyl records have been greatly exaggerated. In fact, their popularity has received a louder buzz throughout the country in just the past couple of months.
The Aug. 5 "Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer" noted The Flip Side music store was saved from extinction by adding used and new vinyl records and refurbished turntables to its inventory.
The Aug. 6 "Charlotte (N.C.) Observer" reported vinyl LP's at Lunchbox Records accounts for 45 percent of its sales.
In the Aug. 17 "Buffalo (N.Y.) News" Kelly Mordaunt, Record Theatre's University Plaza manager and buyer, claimed much of his vinyl-buying customers are "college age and under."
The Aug. 20 "Boston (Mass.) Herald" reported a Newbury Comics music superstore opening in Norwood will carry an extensive inventory of new vinyl records.
In just the last four weeks, independent news features on the growing demand for vinyl records have run in newspapers in Pueblo, Colo.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Bellingham, Wash.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Spokane, Wash.: Superior, Wis., and "The New York Times."
And the Sept. 23 "Fort Worth Star-Telegram" reported A + R Record & Tape Manufacturing in Dallas has seen a 25 percent upturn in vinyl record production in the last three years, prompted by interest in hip hop, dance, and punk rock records.
To meet the widespread demand, more musicians are releasing their latest recordings on both vinyl and CD - Madonna, U2, Buddy Guy, R.E.M., the Drive By Truckers, Elvis Costello, and Wilco among them. Neil Young typically releases both LP's and CD's of his music.
Sundazed Records has developed a large catalog of "high definition" vinyl reissues of 1960's rock mainstays like The Byrds, Love, Spirit, The Remains, Jefferson Airplane, The Stooges, Aretha Franklin, and Bob Dylan.
Also answering the demand for new/old vinyl recordings, Capitol/EMI Records launched its Capitol Vaults reissues Sept. 2, including classic rock chestnuts like Steve Miller Band's Greatest Hits 1974-1978 and the Beach Boys' 1966 Pet Sounds, as well as the music catalogs of newer rock bands like Radiohead and Coldplay. Capitol Records' Jane Ventom indicated the releases are aimed at "audiophiles who continued to collect vinyl through its leanest years, baby boomers who are dusting off turntables, and the iPod generation that's discovering classics on vinyl." Some record companies are offering digital downloads or CD versions of albums with the purchase of a vinyl copy.
However, many simply prefer the sound of an analog recording on vinyl instead of its digital alternative. Words they use to describe their vinyl treasures are "richer," "warmer," "more natural," "more durable," "better bass," and simply "cooler."
Vinyl-philes also revel in the indescribable joy of taking a vinyl record out of its sleeve, gazing at the album cover art, reading liner notes without the aid of a microscope, playing the record through one side and flipping it over, and even the occasional pop and skip of a scratched record. One long-time vinyl enthusiast remarked, "With vinyl, music listening is an experience, not just knocking off a couple of songs on your iPod while commuting to work."
Other vinyl releases recent and planned include re-issues of Paul McCartney & Wings' Band on the Run, John Lennon's Imagine, Jimi Hendrix' Band of Gypsys, The Eagles' Hotel California, The Allman Brothers' Live at Fillmore East, Def Leppard's Pyromania, The Who's Who's Next, and a deluxe box set of the late jazz trumpeter Miles Davis' legendary Kind of Blue sessions.
While sales of CD's have continued to drop over the last few years, 17 percent in 2007 from the previous year, sales of new vinyl LP's continue to surge, a 37 percent increase from 2006 to 2007. The Recording Industry Association of America states 1.3 million new vinyl recordings were sold in the United States in 2007, and analysts project annual sales to range from 1.6 million to 2 million by the end of 2008. Also, sales of new turntables nearly doubled in a year, from 275,000 in 2006 almost half a million in 2007.
Another plus for vinyl recordings -- no "laser rot." An article in the Aug 22 "Detroit (Mich.) News," stated laser rot is when the aluminum coating on the surface of old CD's and DVD's oxidizes and degrades, becoming irretrievably corroded. Old school vinyl recordings are immune to such digital deterioration.
The imminent demise for CD's may also be exaggerated. But while they have been around for only 27 years, vinyl LP's are 60 years old, and still spinning.
The Vinyl Institute represents the leading manufacturers involved in the production of PVC vinyl in the United States, and promotes the value of PVC and vinyl products to society.
For more information, contact:
Jeffrey B. Palmer
Director of Marketing & Communications
The Vinyl Institute
(703) 741-5669
jeff_palmer@plastics.org
Also go to: www.vinylindesign.com and www.vinylinfo.org.
Collecting Vinyl Records
Unless you were born with no historical sense of music's roots, then you are familiar with vinyl records. If unfamiliar, vinyl records are an analog sound storage medium that in essence forms its effects from a flat disc with inscribed modulated spiral grooves. So what is the big deal? Surely that is what you are asking in the digital age of I-pods, Cds, MP3s and phone audio tools. Truth be told vinyl records were revolutionary for their time, and even to this very minute, monumental in shaping the future of digital music and sound. Vinyl records are obviously much more difficult to find these days due to massive advances in audio, however just like seeking a black and white TV, they still exist and are very real.
When young individuals hear about vinyl records they immediately assume they are obsolete and thus not worth their time. The irony is these records are part of the mainstream youth movement behind Hip Hop and Techno, and that's just to name a few. When you go to the club and hear the DJ, chances are he is using vinyl, and some of the most recognizable beats are due to spinning the modulated grooves on these discs. That is not to say that vinyl is all of a sudden mainstream again, but its effects are monumental and heard every single day spanning the 7 continents.
True albums on vinyl, to the biggest music enthusiasts, are like gold in record form. One of the biggest reasons vinyl records are still actively discussed today is for its nostalgic persona. But it goes beyond just remembering buying your favorite Beatles or Rolling Stones album in the 1960's. Vinyl records have had a rap for as long as they have been around about their ability to create a more authentic, real sound unmatched by digital reproductions of the same songs. Because of vinyl's linking to the positive influences of gramophone records, listeners are left with a more visceral experience.
Vinyl records are also a benchmark in the evolution of music, and serve as a bookmarked chapter in the bridge to the digital age. Collectors all over the world constantly discuss, trade and still seek out their favorite albums, almost a reminder to how much audio has changed for the better. Besides just being a warm blanket that covers music's die hard fans, vinyl records serve as an important lesson to the compression and presentation of audio beats for amazing audio output.
Mike Campbell has been a vinyl record enthusiast for 35 plus years. For more information on collecting vinyl records, and also to pick up on a few rare finds visit us at http://www.vinylrecordbin.com
When young individuals hear about vinyl records they immediately assume they are obsolete and thus not worth their time. The irony is these records are part of the mainstream youth movement behind Hip Hop and Techno, and that's just to name a few. When you go to the club and hear the DJ, chances are he is using vinyl, and some of the most recognizable beats are due to spinning the modulated grooves on these discs. That is not to say that vinyl is all of a sudden mainstream again, but its effects are monumental and heard every single day spanning the 7 continents.
True albums on vinyl, to the biggest music enthusiasts, are like gold in record form. One of the biggest reasons vinyl records are still actively discussed today is for its nostalgic persona. But it goes beyond just remembering buying your favorite Beatles or Rolling Stones album in the 1960's. Vinyl records have had a rap for as long as they have been around about their ability to create a more authentic, real sound unmatched by digital reproductions of the same songs. Because of vinyl's linking to the positive influences of gramophone records, listeners are left with a more visceral experience.
Vinyl records are also a benchmark in the evolution of music, and serve as a bookmarked chapter in the bridge to the digital age. Collectors all over the world constantly discuss, trade and still seek out their favorite albums, almost a reminder to how much audio has changed for the better. Besides just being a warm blanket that covers music's die hard fans, vinyl records serve as an important lesson to the compression and presentation of audio beats for amazing audio output.
Mike Campbell has been a vinyl record enthusiast for 35 plus years. For more information on collecting vinyl records, and also to pick up on a few rare finds visit us at http://www.vinylrecordbin.com
Album Cover Art
Here we are at #12 on the Gigwise.com's list of the sexiext and dirtiest album cover art (Gigwise comments in quotes)
12. Ice-T: ‘Gangsta Rap’- "The rapper’s latest album, released in 2006, features Ice-T and his Playboy model wife Nicole Coco Austin complete naked sprawled across a bed presumably after the act of love-making. Unsurprisingly, some sales companies and stores objected to the artwork and refused to stock the record."
Though "Gangster Rap" seems destined to be more or less ignored the way all of Ice-T's albums in the last ten-plus years have been (in it's first week of release the album is ranked 6,000 in Amazon CDs and Best Buy isn't even stocking it at any of their stores in my area), Ice and his fans can take some solace in the fact that the album is Ice's most invigorated sounding disc- and his most professional, tightly produced disc - since 1993's "Home Invasion" - and if you didn't care for that one (I know a few fans who didn't) we might as well give this one the ultimate praise of his best since the landmark "O.G. Original Gangster" album from 1991.
While nothing here scales the heights of almost anything on "O.G.", it is important to remember it is a different time than Ice's heyday and that the rap game and sound is far different. Ice is smart enough to know that even his greatest albums would not be looked at as revolutionary today the way they were back in the mid to late 80's; so he has crafted an album that caters to much of the rap sound and production techniques of today, but lyrically Ice is still bringing us the kind of gangster rhymes that put him on the map. This isn't always a positive since, judging by the evidence submitted by his recent albums, it means almost every album includes a host of predictable tracks: the boastful tracks about how hardcore he is, the explicit sex jam, the umpteenth telling of his upbringing; how he used to hustle, pimp and rob jewelry stores; and his most obnoxious habit of beginning almost every other song by shouting his name, the year and the title of the album we are listening to and punctuating all three with an expletive ("Yeah! Ice-T. 2006. Gangster Rap, bi_ch!"). But most of the time Ice is so good at writing these kinds of rhymes, repetitive or not, the songs usually work. Rappers write about what they know and have seen, experiences that most of us should pray we never have to endure. This writing has become something of theatre in the rap world these days (you never know if today's rappers have lived through what they rap about or if they are just mimicking their idols or telling outlandish, exciting stories to sound hardcore, top the competition and sell more records), but Ice-T and all the rappers that broke out around the same time back in the day were the real deal, and the reason they - and rap - caught on was because no one had ever so bluntly told these stories before in music. So if we've heard all of Ice's gangster tales before, I suppose all he can do is try to dress them up in new ways and move them around in different directions to keep them fresh. On this album, for the most part, he accomplishes that.
Like his last outing, 1999's "Seventh Deadly Sin," this album is a tad uneven. There will be a great song, then two or three that don't really do anything for you, but then a pair that are good enough to stand along side Ice's best stuff. Unlike "Seventh Deadly Sin" though, there are far more high points here (I'd say ten or so of the albums 16 songs will get some heavy rotation in my CD player for a while) than low, this album is not as ugly and underground; even though the lyrics are often as hard as we have come to expect, Ice and his producers have turned their attention to the music; a lot of the tracks have a bounce to them that Ice has maybe never displayed before - surely not since his heyday.
But there are a few route outings. The first track is fun for a few minutes, with Ice name dropping all the old school rappers he came up with, but it grows tiresome and track two, like a few others here and many on past Ice albums, is a perfect example of what I'm talking about when I refer to some of Ice's lazy, boastful and unconvincing attempts to keep reinstating that he is the greatest and you better not step to him (isn't this the guy who, on his "Power" album, said braiging about yourself on your records is "weak s--t from a weak mind... why don't you talk about somethin'/you're just talkin' loud and sayin' nothin'."?). In my humble opinion the album should have kicked off with the third track, "New Life." Here, Ice settles down a bit, let's some of the music do the talking - or at least help him out, and declares he's back, he never went anywhere, and is never going anywhere; well written with good rhymes. He follows that with another high point "Dear God Can You Here Me." Again, good use of music and beats; Ice raps it louder the usual, if there were rock guitars on the track it might feel like a Body Count tune. This song is also the first of three to feature KRYST. All of the songs with his hand in them are among the better ones on the album. With track six, "Pimp or Die," more of that standard issue rap that Ice is better than, and seven, "Pray," a song featuring Mrs. Ice-T (and the album's cover girl), Coco, that is well intentioned but unfortunately grows obnoxious, we are starting to realize the pattern this album will take; giving us a few good songs followed by a few that you can simply move past. Track nine, "Real Talk" has some funky musical chops on it. Ice raps in a low, relaxed Snoop-ish tone. This track is this album's comin' up/what-I`ve-accomplished-in-the-game-thus-far opus, and not bad. It's also got Kryst on it again. "Walkin' in the Rain" is this album's best shot at a single. If Ja Rule and Ashanti can have a hit with that stupid ballad they had out a few years ago, Ice certainly deserves one for this. Thug love has rarely sounded so genuine. Set it to a sample of Barry White's old tune of the same name and you've got something. Similarly, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" sounds like an old Curtis Mayfield tune. It's one of the smoothest beats Ice has ever laid vocals over. He has a hand here from Smoothe Da Hustler, who sounds like a slightly less gravel-voiced version of DMX. If "Walkin' in the Rain" wouldn't make it as a single, this one just might be Ice's other shot. Also good are two gangster anthems that recall the good old days of "O.G." and the like, "Code of the Streets" and "It's All Love" (there's Kryst again). "My Baby" is this album's sex jam. It's decent as these things go. The album ends with "Twice the Game." This isn't as tiresome as "Ridin' Low," "Pimp or Die" and the like, but it is more of the same. However, when Ice ends an album this solid by declaring he is twice the game, you really can't argue.
Ice-T fans don't need to be told to check this one out, but one-time fans who have lost track of Mr. O.G. over the last decade and are curious about how Ice sounds now, or those who have taken to VH1's "Rap School" and have seen the promos for this new disc and wonder what Ice's legacy is all about will not be disappointed if they give this one a try. It won't set the world - or Ice-T's career - on fire the way it may have at one time, but that is mainly due the sorry state of rap at this point and the fact there doesn't seem to be much of a push to get this album - or most new Ice - material out there these days. A shame considering that some of these tracks could stand up to 50 Cent and the like. (Amazon review by "By Boss Fan")
Double O.G. indeed, Ice. Keep it up.
12. Ice-T: ‘Gangsta Rap’- "The rapper’s latest album, released in 2006, features Ice-T and his Playboy model wife Nicole Coco Austin complete naked sprawled across a bed presumably after the act of love-making. Unsurprisingly, some sales companies and stores objected to the artwork and refused to stock the record."
Though "Gangster Rap" seems destined to be more or less ignored the way all of Ice-T's albums in the last ten-plus years have been (in it's first week of release the album is ranked 6,000 in Amazon CDs and Best Buy isn't even stocking it at any of their stores in my area), Ice and his fans can take some solace in the fact that the album is Ice's most invigorated sounding disc- and his most professional, tightly produced disc - since 1993's "Home Invasion" - and if you didn't care for that one (I know a few fans who didn't) we might as well give this one the ultimate praise of his best since the landmark "O.G. Original Gangster" album from 1991.
While nothing here scales the heights of almost anything on "O.G.", it is important to remember it is a different time than Ice's heyday and that the rap game and sound is far different. Ice is smart enough to know that even his greatest albums would not be looked at as revolutionary today the way they were back in the mid to late 80's; so he has crafted an album that caters to much of the rap sound and production techniques of today, but lyrically Ice is still bringing us the kind of gangster rhymes that put him on the map. This isn't always a positive since, judging by the evidence submitted by his recent albums, it means almost every album includes a host of predictable tracks: the boastful tracks about how hardcore he is, the explicit sex jam, the umpteenth telling of his upbringing; how he used to hustle, pimp and rob jewelry stores; and his most obnoxious habit of beginning almost every other song by shouting his name, the year and the title of the album we are listening to and punctuating all three with an expletive ("Yeah! Ice-T. 2006. Gangster Rap, bi_ch!"). But most of the time Ice is so good at writing these kinds of rhymes, repetitive or not, the songs usually work. Rappers write about what they know and have seen, experiences that most of us should pray we never have to endure. This writing has become something of theatre in the rap world these days (you never know if today's rappers have lived through what they rap about or if they are just mimicking their idols or telling outlandish, exciting stories to sound hardcore, top the competition and sell more records), but Ice-T and all the rappers that broke out around the same time back in the day were the real deal, and the reason they - and rap - caught on was because no one had ever so bluntly told these stories before in music. So if we've heard all of Ice's gangster tales before, I suppose all he can do is try to dress them up in new ways and move them around in different directions to keep them fresh. On this album, for the most part, he accomplishes that.
Like his last outing, 1999's "Seventh Deadly Sin," this album is a tad uneven. There will be a great song, then two or three that don't really do anything for you, but then a pair that are good enough to stand along side Ice's best stuff. Unlike "Seventh Deadly Sin" though, there are far more high points here (I'd say ten or so of the albums 16 songs will get some heavy rotation in my CD player for a while) than low, this album is not as ugly and underground; even though the lyrics are often as hard as we have come to expect, Ice and his producers have turned their attention to the music; a lot of the tracks have a bounce to them that Ice has maybe never displayed before - surely not since his heyday.
But there are a few route outings. The first track is fun for a few minutes, with Ice name dropping all the old school rappers he came up with, but it grows tiresome and track two, like a few others here and many on past Ice albums, is a perfect example of what I'm talking about when I refer to some of Ice's lazy, boastful and unconvincing attempts to keep reinstating that he is the greatest and you better not step to him (isn't this the guy who, on his "Power" album, said braiging about yourself on your records is "weak s--t from a weak mind... why don't you talk about somethin'/you're just talkin' loud and sayin' nothin'."?). In my humble opinion the album should have kicked off with the third track, "New Life." Here, Ice settles down a bit, let's some of the music do the talking - or at least help him out, and declares he's back, he never went anywhere, and is never going anywhere; well written with good rhymes. He follows that with another high point "Dear God Can You Here Me." Again, good use of music and beats; Ice raps it louder the usual, if there were rock guitars on the track it might feel like a Body Count tune. This song is also the first of three to feature KRYST. All of the songs with his hand in them are among the better ones on the album. With track six, "Pimp or Die," more of that standard issue rap that Ice is better than, and seven, "Pray," a song featuring Mrs. Ice-T (and the album's cover girl), Coco, that is well intentioned but unfortunately grows obnoxious, we are starting to realize the pattern this album will take; giving us a few good songs followed by a few that you can simply move past. Track nine, "Real Talk" has some funky musical chops on it. Ice raps in a low, relaxed Snoop-ish tone. This track is this album's comin' up/what-I`ve-accomplished-in-the-game-thus-far opus, and not bad. It's also got Kryst on it again. "Walkin' in the Rain" is this album's best shot at a single. If Ja Rule and Ashanti can have a hit with that stupid ballad they had out a few years ago, Ice certainly deserves one for this. Thug love has rarely sounded so genuine. Set it to a sample of Barry White's old tune of the same name and you've got something. Similarly, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" sounds like an old Curtis Mayfield tune. It's one of the smoothest beats Ice has ever laid vocals over. He has a hand here from Smoothe Da Hustler, who sounds like a slightly less gravel-voiced version of DMX. If "Walkin' in the Rain" wouldn't make it as a single, this one just might be Ice's other shot. Also good are two gangster anthems that recall the good old days of "O.G." and the like, "Code of the Streets" and "It's All Love" (there's Kryst again). "My Baby" is this album's sex jam. It's decent as these things go. The album ends with "Twice the Game." This isn't as tiresome as "Ridin' Low," "Pimp or Die" and the like, but it is more of the same. However, when Ice ends an album this solid by declaring he is twice the game, you really can't argue.
Ice-T fans don't need to be told to check this one out, but one-time fans who have lost track of Mr. O.G. over the last decade and are curious about how Ice sounds now, or those who have taken to VH1's "Rap School" and have seen the promos for this new disc and wonder what Ice's legacy is all about will not be disappointed if they give this one a try. It won't set the world - or Ice-T's career - on fire the way it may have at one time, but that is mainly due the sorry state of rap at this point and the fact there doesn't seem to be much of a push to get this album - or most new Ice - material out there these days. A shame considering that some of these tracks could stand up to 50 Cent and the like. (Amazon review by "By Boss Fan")
Double O.G. indeed, Ice. Keep it up.
This Date In Music History-December 11
Birthdays:
Bread songwriter David Gates (1940)
Happy birthday to Brenda Lee (1944)
Jermaine Jackson (1954)
Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx (1958)
Birthday wishes to Booker T. Jones (Booker T. & the MG's-1944)
Born on this day in 1961, Darryl Jones, American bassist who has played with the Rolling Stones since Bill Wyman's departure in 1993.
Curtis Williams, Kool & The Gang (1962)
They Are Missed:
Big Mama Thornton was born in 1926. Janis Joplin covered her song “Ball And Chain.” Thornton had a 1953 version of “Hound Dog” before Elvis Presley. She died in 1984.
J. Frank Wilson was born in Lufkin, Texas in 1941 (died 1991). With his band the Cavaliers, he enjoyed a huge hit with 1964's melodramatic "Last Kiss." Pearl Jam later successfully covered the song.
Sam Cooke was shot and killed in a Los Angeles motel in 1964.
History:
The Righteous Brothers "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" was released in 1964. It became their first Billboard Top 40 hit and reach #1 the following February.
In 1972, Genesis made their American live debut with a show at Massachusetts' Brandeis University.
In 2003, the RIAA certified AC/DC's "Back In Black" as the world's second-best-selling album of all time, behind Michael Jackson's "Thriller."
In 1968, the Rolling Stones began taping their Rock 'n' Roll Circus TV special in England, as their album Beggar's Banquet debuted on the British album charts at #3. Guests included the Who, Eric Clapton, Jethro Tull and John Lennon appearing as the Dirty Mac Band, performing "Yer Blues." The Rolling Stones withhold the special from broadcast, a decision which many believe was due to the Who's superior performance on the night.
James Brown released his 32nd album in 1971, "Revolution of the Mind: Live at the Apollo, Volume 3," boasting the half-hour epic "It's a New Day So Let a Man Come In and Do the Popcorn."
The Coasters recorded "Charlie Brown" in 1958.
Aretha Franklin made her New York stage debut in 1960, singing Blues and Pop standards at the Village Vanguard.
Bob Seger released his album "Night Moves" in 1976.
In 1961, Motown achieved their first #1 record when The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman" reached the top. The session musicians on the track included 22 year-old Marvin Gaye on drums.
Elvis Presley started a 20 week run at the top of the Billboard album chart in 1961 with "Blue Hawaii", his seventh US #1 album.
In 1989, The RIAA certified four Led Zeppelin albums as multi-platinum: "Presence" (2 million), "Led Zeppelin" (4 million), "Physical Graffiti" (4 million) and "In Through The Out Door" (5 million).
In 2002, musicologist and author Rob Durkee compiled a list of The Top Ten Christmas Songs Of All Time (according to sales and radio air play)
1. White Christmas - Bing Crosby - 1942
2. Silent Night - Bing Crosby - 1936
3. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry - 1949
4. The Little Drummer Boy - Harry Simeone Chorale - 1958
5. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms - 1957
6. The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole - 1946
7. The Chipmunk Song - David Seville and the Chipmunks - 1958
8. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee - 1958
9. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley - 1957
10. Jingle Bells - Bing Crosby / The Andrews Sisters - 1943
No word on where the ‘barking dogs’ were listed…..
Bread songwriter David Gates (1940)
Happy birthday to Brenda Lee (1944)
Jermaine Jackson (1954)
Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx (1958)
Birthday wishes to Booker T. Jones (Booker T. & the MG's-1944)
Born on this day in 1961, Darryl Jones, American bassist who has played with the Rolling Stones since Bill Wyman's departure in 1993.
Curtis Williams, Kool & The Gang (1962)
They Are Missed:
Big Mama Thornton was born in 1926. Janis Joplin covered her song “Ball And Chain.” Thornton had a 1953 version of “Hound Dog” before Elvis Presley. She died in 1984.
J. Frank Wilson was born in Lufkin, Texas in 1941 (died 1991). With his band the Cavaliers, he enjoyed a huge hit with 1964's melodramatic "Last Kiss." Pearl Jam later successfully covered the song.
Sam Cooke was shot and killed in a Los Angeles motel in 1964.
History:
The Righteous Brothers "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" was released in 1964. It became their first Billboard Top 40 hit and reach #1 the following February.
In 1972, Genesis made their American live debut with a show at Massachusetts' Brandeis University.
In 2003, the RIAA certified AC/DC's "Back In Black" as the world's second-best-selling album of all time, behind Michael Jackson's "Thriller."
In 1968, the Rolling Stones began taping their Rock 'n' Roll Circus TV special in England, as their album Beggar's Banquet debuted on the British album charts at #3. Guests included the Who, Eric Clapton, Jethro Tull and John Lennon appearing as the Dirty Mac Band, performing "Yer Blues." The Rolling Stones withhold the special from broadcast, a decision which many believe was due to the Who's superior performance on the night.
James Brown released his 32nd album in 1971, "Revolution of the Mind: Live at the Apollo, Volume 3," boasting the half-hour epic "It's a New Day So Let a Man Come In and Do the Popcorn."
The Coasters recorded "Charlie Brown" in 1958.
Aretha Franklin made her New York stage debut in 1960, singing Blues and Pop standards at the Village Vanguard.
Bob Seger released his album "Night Moves" in 1976.
In 1961, Motown achieved their first #1 record when The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman" reached the top. The session musicians on the track included 22 year-old Marvin Gaye on drums.
Elvis Presley started a 20 week run at the top of the Billboard album chart in 1961 with "Blue Hawaii", his seventh US #1 album.
In 1989, The RIAA certified four Led Zeppelin albums as multi-platinum: "Presence" (2 million), "Led Zeppelin" (4 million), "Physical Graffiti" (4 million) and "In Through The Out Door" (5 million).
In 2002, musicologist and author Rob Durkee compiled a list of The Top Ten Christmas Songs Of All Time (according to sales and radio air play)
1. White Christmas - Bing Crosby - 1942
2. Silent Night - Bing Crosby - 1936
3. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry - 1949
4. The Little Drummer Boy - Harry Simeone Chorale - 1958
5. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms - 1957
6. The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole - 1946
7. The Chipmunk Song - David Seville and the Chipmunks - 1958
8. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee - 1958
9. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley - 1957
10. Jingle Bells - Bing Crosby / The Andrews Sisters - 1943
No word on where the ‘barking dogs’ were listed…..
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Lennon License Plates Being Used to Fight Hunger
On what would have been John Lennon's 68th birthday, Yoko Ono and Michael Towner of Florida's Foundation Consultants have announced that the Imagine license plate campaign will be expanded from Florida to the other 21 states where money can be raised through specialty license campaigns.
Ono had originally agreed to the campaign, which uses the famous self-portrait of Lennon along with the word Imagine, in the state of Florida as a way to raise money for the Florida Association of Food Banks. As of October, the campaign had raised $786,125 for Feeding America through the issuing of 31,445 specialty plates.
Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America, said “As the economic crisis worsens, more and more people are coming to food pantries and soup kitchens served by our network of food banks, desperately seeking help to feed themselves and their families.” Feeding America is the United States' largest hunger-relief charity, providing food to over 25 million Americans each year.
Michael Towner explains the new strategy. "We are following on from our efforts in Florida to take the plate to Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Illinois and then move into the remaining 17 states that provide a revenue generating specialty license plate program. This will have a tremendous impact and provide critical funding to alleviate hunger in those states where they are now facing increased demand and decreased funding. I am sure John would smile as he sees his image on cars throughout the U.S.A.”
Ono had originally agreed to the campaign, which uses the famous self-portrait of Lennon along with the word Imagine, in the state of Florida as a way to raise money for the Florida Association of Food Banks. As of October, the campaign had raised $786,125 for Feeding America through the issuing of 31,445 specialty plates.
Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America, said “As the economic crisis worsens, more and more people are coming to food pantries and soup kitchens served by our network of food banks, desperately seeking help to feed themselves and their families.” Feeding America is the United States' largest hunger-relief charity, providing food to over 25 million Americans each year.
Michael Towner explains the new strategy. "We are following on from our efforts in Florida to take the plate to Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Illinois and then move into the remaining 17 states that provide a revenue generating specialty license plate program. This will have a tremendous impact and provide critical funding to alleviate hunger in those states where they are now facing increased demand and decreased funding. I am sure John would smile as he sees his image on cars throughout the U.S.A.”
Music News & Notes
EMPEROR To Release 'Live Inferno' In April
Norwegian black metal legends EMPEROR will release "Live Inferno", a special live series features various releases recorded/filmed during the band's sold-out 2005-2007 reunion performances, on April 16 (in Europe) via Candlelight Records. Several formats will be available, including a two-CD/slipcase with a 16-page booklet, a limited-edition box featuring two CDs and DVD with an enhanced 24-page booklet, a single DVD, and two limited-edition double-vinyl gatefold sets. The audio portion of the "Live Inferno" series features exclusive recordings from the band's headlining performances at Norway's Inferno festival and Germany's Wacken Open Air festival. Each recording will be pressed as individual double-vinyl sets; the first pressing limited to 1,000 copies on black vinyl with any additional pressings in varied colors selected by the band. A special gold-vinyl seven-inch limited to 2,000 copies titled "Thus Spake the Nightspirit" (featuring a live rendition of the band's famed song from the album "Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk" with a live recording of "Inno A Satana" from the band's popular "In the Nightside Eclipse" album on the b-side) will be pressed and released via the label's official webstore beginning February 16. The video portion, titled "Live at Wacken Open Air 2006 - A Night Of Emperial Wrath", has a running time of 70 minutes and includes footage professionally filmed at the Wacken Open Air festival with additional on-stage and exclusive backstage footage filmed and compiled by the band.
"It looks like these releases will be the final nail in the coffin for EMPEROR," says guitarist Samoth. "They are a testimony of the live reunion that took EMPEROR to even new heights; unique events like Wacken where EMPEROR headlined in front of 60,000 people. We had a great run of shows and feel lucky that we were able to come back even bigger and perform songs from our complete catalogue for a lot of dedicated fans old and new. There will be several cool formats and limited editions coming that should be a nice treat for the fans and a worthy representation of the EMPEROR legacy. EMPEROR is dead, long live the EMPEROR!"
SOURCE: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com
==========================================
Jeffrey Wright on Cadillac Records
By Fred Topel | Images property of TriStar
In the latest musical biography, Cadillac Records, Jeffrey Wright plays Muddy Waters, the first blues artist discovered by Leonard Chess for his Chess Records label. To play the famous bluesman, Wright had plenty of research materials.
"There's a couple biographies, several documentaries based on those biographies but mainly, there's this library of music," Wright said. "For me, the intriguing way into the character was through the music. There is a specific cultural and historical place that the music comes from and it's also specific to personality. Not a lot of affectation. Folks aren't out there in the middle of the fields in Mississippi under that midday sun putting on airs. It's an expression of their experience and it's coming through relative to community but as I said, also relative to the personality so there really is a lot of information encoded in the music."
You don't need video or film footage when the man himself put his own voice down on vinyl. "He's a musician so just finding the music and finding his voice and listening and not only the way he expresses himself musically through the music, but also through his language and the way he speaks because the music as well, one of the things I really adore about the blues is it's a celebration of the language of the black American south, a language that I grew up with. My grandparents were from southern Virginia and North Carolina so I've always had a deep, deep love for the language and the sounds and the music as expressed through that."
Compared to other historical characters Wright has played, Waters actually offered a tad more flexibility. "I've done a fair amount of nonfictional characters, biographical characters. I think it's because I lack imagination. I'm too literal or something. They each have their individual challenges. There is a standard that you're trying to achieve obviously with a character that's known. There are different pressures. For example, with Basquiat, Basquiat was known in a much smaller circle than he is known now. The Powell piece in W recently was a different impetus. That was an opportunity to use the work to add my two cents' worth to the political discourse at the time. It was an opportunity to be relevant to these extraordinary days that we're just beginning. Each role, whether it's fictional or biographical has its own challenges, its own reasons for doing."
Cadillac Records is out in theaters now.
Cadillac Records chronicles the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists. In this tale of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in Chicago of the 1950s and 60s, the film follows the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's greatest musical legends.
The story of how the blues became popular and gave birth to rock and roll begins at a dingy bar on the rough South Side of Chicago in 1947, where an ambitious young Polish émigré, bar owner Leonard Chess (Academy Award-winner Adrien Brody), hires a talented but undisciplined blues combo that includes quiet and thoughtful guitar prodigy Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright) and impulsive and colorful harmonica player Little Walter (Columbus Short). Fascinated by the sound of the music – and eager to cash in on the record burgeoning record business – Chess arranges a recording session for Waters. Waters' early recordings start moving up the R+B charts and receiving heavy play.
Chess treats his musicians like family – he buys them a Cadillac when they record their first hit record – although the line between business and personal sometimes causes conflict with his increasingly talented and successful stable of artists. After backing up Muddy on his early recordings, Little Walter becomes a star in his own right, but his quick temper and loud manner often run him afoul of friends and the law. He also finds that the only woman he can talk to is Muddy's girl, Geneva (Gabrielle Union), who struggles to remain loyal despite Muddy's poorly concealed affairs. Big Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer), a songwriter and bandleader, also is a key member of the Chess Records family, as is Howlin' Wolf (Eamonn Walker), an intense and proud blues singer who develops a musical rivalry with Muddy.
But it's not until 1955 when a Chess artist finally "crosses over" into the realm of mainstream ("white") America – a skinny guy from St. Louis named Chuck Berry (Mos Def), whose dynamic "duck walk" and catchy, country-tinged tunes mark the birth of rock-and-roll. When Berry is arrested and jailed at the height of his career, Chess finds another talented performer to cross over – singer Etta James (Beyoncé Knowles), an emotionally scarred young woman whose vulnerability tempts Chess' loyalty and concern in unexpected ways.
As rock-and-roll grows more popular, the Chess artists find themselves revered by a new generation of musicians, but they have also each earned and lost a small fortune on booze, women and the high life, and their addictions begin to take their toll. Even as tragedy befalls, their music and their spirit remain strong: as the sixties wind down and Leonard Chess gets out of the record business, the blues live on.
http://www.cadillacrecordsmovie.com/
Norwegian black metal legends EMPEROR will release "Live Inferno", a special live series features various releases recorded/filmed during the band's sold-out 2005-2007 reunion performances, on April 16 (in Europe) via Candlelight Records. Several formats will be available, including a two-CD/slipcase with a 16-page booklet, a limited-edition box featuring two CDs and DVD with an enhanced 24-page booklet, a single DVD, and two limited-edition double-vinyl gatefold sets. The audio portion of the "Live Inferno" series features exclusive recordings from the band's headlining performances at Norway's Inferno festival and Germany's Wacken Open Air festival. Each recording will be pressed as individual double-vinyl sets; the first pressing limited to 1,000 copies on black vinyl with any additional pressings in varied colors selected by the band. A special gold-vinyl seven-inch limited to 2,000 copies titled "Thus Spake the Nightspirit" (featuring a live rendition of the band's famed song from the album "Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk" with a live recording of "Inno A Satana" from the band's popular "In the Nightside Eclipse" album on the b-side) will be pressed and released via the label's official webstore beginning February 16. The video portion, titled "Live at Wacken Open Air 2006 - A Night Of Emperial Wrath", has a running time of 70 minutes and includes footage professionally filmed at the Wacken Open Air festival with additional on-stage and exclusive backstage footage filmed and compiled by the band.
"It looks like these releases will be the final nail in the coffin for EMPEROR," says guitarist Samoth. "They are a testimony of the live reunion that took EMPEROR to even new heights; unique events like Wacken where EMPEROR headlined in front of 60,000 people. We had a great run of shows and feel lucky that we were able to come back even bigger and perform songs from our complete catalogue for a lot of dedicated fans old and new. There will be several cool formats and limited editions coming that should be a nice treat for the fans and a worthy representation of the EMPEROR legacy. EMPEROR is dead, long live the EMPEROR!"
SOURCE: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com
==========================================
Jeffrey Wright on Cadillac Records
By Fred Topel | Images property of TriStar
In the latest musical biography, Cadillac Records, Jeffrey Wright plays Muddy Waters, the first blues artist discovered by Leonard Chess for his Chess Records label. To play the famous bluesman, Wright had plenty of research materials.
"There's a couple biographies, several documentaries based on those biographies but mainly, there's this library of music," Wright said. "For me, the intriguing way into the character was through the music. There is a specific cultural and historical place that the music comes from and it's also specific to personality. Not a lot of affectation. Folks aren't out there in the middle of the fields in Mississippi under that midday sun putting on airs. It's an expression of their experience and it's coming through relative to community but as I said, also relative to the personality so there really is a lot of information encoded in the music."
You don't need video or film footage when the man himself put his own voice down on vinyl. "He's a musician so just finding the music and finding his voice and listening and not only the way he expresses himself musically through the music, but also through his language and the way he speaks because the music as well, one of the things I really adore about the blues is it's a celebration of the language of the black American south, a language that I grew up with. My grandparents were from southern Virginia and North Carolina so I've always had a deep, deep love for the language and the sounds and the music as expressed through that."
Compared to other historical characters Wright has played, Waters actually offered a tad more flexibility. "I've done a fair amount of nonfictional characters, biographical characters. I think it's because I lack imagination. I'm too literal or something. They each have their individual challenges. There is a standard that you're trying to achieve obviously with a character that's known. There are different pressures. For example, with Basquiat, Basquiat was known in a much smaller circle than he is known now. The Powell piece in W recently was a different impetus. That was an opportunity to use the work to add my two cents' worth to the political discourse at the time. It was an opportunity to be relevant to these extraordinary days that we're just beginning. Each role, whether it's fictional or biographical has its own challenges, its own reasons for doing."
Cadillac Records is out in theaters now.
Cadillac Records chronicles the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists. In this tale of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in Chicago of the 1950s and 60s, the film follows the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's greatest musical legends.
The story of how the blues became popular and gave birth to rock and roll begins at a dingy bar on the rough South Side of Chicago in 1947, where an ambitious young Polish émigré, bar owner Leonard Chess (Academy Award-winner Adrien Brody), hires a talented but undisciplined blues combo that includes quiet and thoughtful guitar prodigy Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright) and impulsive and colorful harmonica player Little Walter (Columbus Short). Fascinated by the sound of the music – and eager to cash in on the record burgeoning record business – Chess arranges a recording session for Waters. Waters' early recordings start moving up the R+B charts and receiving heavy play.
Chess treats his musicians like family – he buys them a Cadillac when they record their first hit record – although the line between business and personal sometimes causes conflict with his increasingly talented and successful stable of artists. After backing up Muddy on his early recordings, Little Walter becomes a star in his own right, but his quick temper and loud manner often run him afoul of friends and the law. He also finds that the only woman he can talk to is Muddy's girl, Geneva (Gabrielle Union), who struggles to remain loyal despite Muddy's poorly concealed affairs. Big Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer), a songwriter and bandleader, also is a key member of the Chess Records family, as is Howlin' Wolf (Eamonn Walker), an intense and proud blues singer who develops a musical rivalry with Muddy.
But it's not until 1955 when a Chess artist finally "crosses over" into the realm of mainstream ("white") America – a skinny guy from St. Louis named Chuck Berry (Mos Def), whose dynamic "duck walk" and catchy, country-tinged tunes mark the birth of rock-and-roll. When Berry is arrested and jailed at the height of his career, Chess finds another talented performer to cross over – singer Etta James (Beyoncé Knowles), an emotionally scarred young woman whose vulnerability tempts Chess' loyalty and concern in unexpected ways.
As rock-and-roll grows more popular, the Chess artists find themselves revered by a new generation of musicians, but they have also each earned and lost a small fortune on booze, women and the high life, and their addictions begin to take their toll. Even as tragedy befalls, their music and their spirit remain strong: as the sixties wind down and Leonard Chess gets out of the record business, the blues live on.
http://www.cadillacrecordsmovie.com/
Vinyl Collective Sales For November
This from my vinyl friend Virgil over at www.vinylcollective.com. Stop by and get some vinyl for your Christmas list!
Each month, we get a report from the company that manages our online store with the sales for the month. I put together the list of the top 40 sold for the previous month and share that with you. It looks like the Under the Influence 7? series dominated the charts which is pretty exciting to see. Lots of other great records made the list, too. It will be interesting to see what tops the charts for December.
1 TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET/ THE ERGS! “Under the Influence Vol 4? 7? green w/ black
2 JEALOUS SOUND “Kill Them With Kindness” dbl LP white vinyl PRE-ORDER
3 TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET/ THE ERGS! “Under the Influence Vol 4? 7? red vinyl
4 MUSTARD PLUG / BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY “Under the Influence Vol 3? 7? vinyl
5 RUSSIAN CIRCLES / THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES split tour 12? PRE-ORDER
6 MUSTARD PLUG / BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY “Under the Influence Vol 3? 7? vinyl
7 WHISKEY & CO/NINJA GUN “Under the Influence Vol 2? 7? gold vinyl
8 MUSTARD PLUG / BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY “Under the Influence Vol 3? 7? vinyl
8 TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET/ THE ERGS! “Under the Influence Vol 4? 7? set of all 3
8 TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET/ THE ERGS! “Under the Influence Vol 4? 7? cloudy sky blue
11 WHISKEY & CO/NINJA GUN “Under the Influence Vol 2? 7? BOTH COLORS
12 FAKE PROBLEMS / LOOK MEXICO “Under the Influence Vol 1? 7? yellow vinyl
13 JAWBREAKER ì24 hour revenge therapyî LP
14 MIKE PARK / O PIONEERS!!! split 7? pink/blue swirl vinyl PRE-ORDER
15 WHISKEY & CO/NINJA GUN “Under the Influence Vol 2? 7? sky blue party cloudy
16 JOEY CAPE “Bridge” LP army green vinyl
17 NORMA JEAN “The Anti-Mother” LP black/white half and half vinyl PRE-ORDER
18 THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES “Easter” LP Orange w/ White/Blue/Black Splatter vinyl
19 V/A “All Aboard: A Tribute To Johnny Cash” LP brown vinyl
20 JOEY CAPE “Bridge” CD
21 FALCON “God Don’t Make No Trash” 10? royal blue vinyl
22 MATT SKIBA / KEVIN SECONDS LP white w/ charcoal swirl
22 KID DYNAMITE “Cheap Shots, Youth Anthems” LP black vinyl
24 TIM BARRY “Manchester” LP brown vinyl
25 ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD “Only God Can Judge Me” 10? white vinyl
25 KID DYNAMITE “Cheap Shots, Youth Anthems” LP gold vinyl
27 MATT SKIBA / KEVIN SECONDS split LP set of all 4 colors PRE-ORDER
27 TIM BARRY “Rivanna Junction” LP grey/black half & half
27 JEALOUS SOUND “Kill Them With Kindness” dbl LP baby blue vinyl PRE-ORDER
30 THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM “Sink Or Swim Demos” 7? yellow vinyl
31 TWO COW GARAGE “Speaking In Cursive” LP gold vinyl
32 DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE “Narrow Stairs” LP
33 V/A “Delicious Vinyl: Fest 08? LP
33 LET ME RUN “S/T” 7? white vinyl
35 NIGHT MARCHERS “See You In Magic” dbl LP colored vinyl
36 FAKE PROBLEMS “How Do You Spell Hero?” LP picture disc
37 PORTUGAL THE MAN “Censored Colors” LP purple w/ white and green splatter
38 AVAIL “Over The James” LP beer colored amber vinyl
39 NORMA JEAN 4 x LP Vinyl Box Set colored vinyl A (400)
39 TIM BARRY “Manchester” CD
41 SAY ANYTHING “Is A Real Boy” dbl LP white vinyl
41 TIM BARRY “Live at Munford Elementary” 7? brown vinyl
Each month, we get a report from the company that manages our online store with the sales for the month. I put together the list of the top 40 sold for the previous month and share that with you. It looks like the Under the Influence 7? series dominated the charts which is pretty exciting to see. Lots of other great records made the list, too. It will be interesting to see what tops the charts for December.
1 TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET/ THE ERGS! “Under the Influence Vol 4? 7? green w/ black
2 JEALOUS SOUND “Kill Them With Kindness” dbl LP white vinyl PRE-ORDER
3 TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET/ THE ERGS! “Under the Influence Vol 4? 7? red vinyl
4 MUSTARD PLUG / BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY “Under the Influence Vol 3? 7? vinyl
5 RUSSIAN CIRCLES / THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES split tour 12? PRE-ORDER
6 MUSTARD PLUG / BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY “Under the Influence Vol 3? 7? vinyl
7 WHISKEY & CO/NINJA GUN “Under the Influence Vol 2? 7? gold vinyl
8 MUSTARD PLUG / BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY “Under the Influence Vol 3? 7? vinyl
8 TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET/ THE ERGS! “Under the Influence Vol 4? 7? set of all 3
8 TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET/ THE ERGS! “Under the Influence Vol 4? 7? cloudy sky blue
11 WHISKEY & CO/NINJA GUN “Under the Influence Vol 2? 7? BOTH COLORS
12 FAKE PROBLEMS / LOOK MEXICO “Under the Influence Vol 1? 7? yellow vinyl
13 JAWBREAKER ì24 hour revenge therapyî LP
14 MIKE PARK / O PIONEERS!!! split 7? pink/blue swirl vinyl PRE-ORDER
15 WHISKEY & CO/NINJA GUN “Under the Influence Vol 2? 7? sky blue party cloudy
16 JOEY CAPE “Bridge” LP army green vinyl
17 NORMA JEAN “The Anti-Mother” LP black/white half and half vinyl PRE-ORDER
18 THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES “Easter” LP Orange w/ White/Blue/Black Splatter vinyl
19 V/A “All Aboard: A Tribute To Johnny Cash” LP brown vinyl
20 JOEY CAPE “Bridge” CD
21 FALCON “God Don’t Make No Trash” 10? royal blue vinyl
22 MATT SKIBA / KEVIN SECONDS LP white w/ charcoal swirl
22 KID DYNAMITE “Cheap Shots, Youth Anthems” LP black vinyl
24 TIM BARRY “Manchester” LP brown vinyl
25 ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD “Only God Can Judge Me” 10? white vinyl
25 KID DYNAMITE “Cheap Shots, Youth Anthems” LP gold vinyl
27 MATT SKIBA / KEVIN SECONDS split LP set of all 4 colors PRE-ORDER
27 TIM BARRY “Rivanna Junction” LP grey/black half & half
27 JEALOUS SOUND “Kill Them With Kindness” dbl LP baby blue vinyl PRE-ORDER
30 THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM “Sink Or Swim Demos” 7? yellow vinyl
31 TWO COW GARAGE “Speaking In Cursive” LP gold vinyl
32 DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE “Narrow Stairs” LP
33 V/A “Delicious Vinyl: Fest 08? LP
33 LET ME RUN “S/T” 7? white vinyl
35 NIGHT MARCHERS “See You In Magic” dbl LP colored vinyl
36 FAKE PROBLEMS “How Do You Spell Hero?” LP picture disc
37 PORTUGAL THE MAN “Censored Colors” LP purple w/ white and green splatter
38 AVAIL “Over The James” LP beer colored amber vinyl
39 NORMA JEAN 4 x LP Vinyl Box Set colored vinyl A (400)
39 TIM BARRY “Manchester” CD
41 SAY ANYTHING “Is A Real Boy” dbl LP white vinyl
41 TIM BARRY “Live at Munford Elementary” 7? brown vinyl
Virgin Killer Album Cover Art Sensored
Access to editing a Wikipedia article in the U.K. has been effectively blocked after the U.K.’s Internet Watch Foundation added a Wikipedia article on Virgin Killer, an album from German heavy metal group Scorpions, to its blacklist.
The album is from 1976, and the cover art image, depicting what appears to be a nude underage girl, is what caused the blacklisting.
Reports are that in an attempt to block access to the Wikipedia article, the ISPs Virgin Media, Be Unlimited/O2/Telefonica, EasyNet/UK Online, PlusNet, Demon, and Opal began routing traffic through transparent proxies. However, this caused more problems, as the use of proxies means that to Wikipedia editors appear to be coming from a narrow IP address range.
Thus, as Wikipedia says in their administrators’ discussion over this issue:
As Wikipedia tracks anonymous users by their IP addresses, a flood of valid edits and vandalism are coming from indistinguishable sources, and blocking vandals from editing can affect hundreds of thousands of users as collateral damage.
British Telecom does not appear to be filtering, according to Wikipedia.
While the image was up for deletion, according to that same admin page, at least for now, that request has been tabled, based on “Wikipedia does not censor,” but also later with the following discussion over the article itself:
Secondly, for those wanting to remove the image because they believe it to be unnecessary, the article is an academic discussion of the controversy surrounding the album image. Since it is a discussion about the controversy surrounding a still-legal image (as noted above, no one has ever been charged or prosecuted for making, selling, or purchasing that album), there is no reason why the image shouldn’t be on the page.
One workaround if one needs to really see this article: use the secure Wikipedia server. According to that same post, the Virgin Killer article is now tops in popularity (small wonder).
According to Wikipedia’s lawyer, Mike Godwin, (his comment is in that admin discussion as well), the image does not violate any U.S. law. Interestingly, one of the admins compared the issue to the U.K. having its own “Great Firewall,” much like China:
“This is the first I’ve come across UK wide internet censorship, and I’m shocked. I had no idea until now that like China, we too have built a great firewall - only we keep quiet about ours. I can still access the pages from Wikipedia’s https login. This is an absolute farce …”
And no, at the time of this writing, this issue has not been resolved.
SOURCE: http://www.studenttechnews.ne
I suppose in some countries (ours included) this could be considered as 'kiddie porn' and the excuse that it is "art" doesn't fly with me. Children who are naked do not belong on album covers, it is that simple.
The album is from 1976, and the cover art image, depicting what appears to be a nude underage girl, is what caused the blacklisting.
Reports are that in an attempt to block access to the Wikipedia article, the ISPs Virgin Media, Be Unlimited/O2/Telefonica, EasyNet/UK Online, PlusNet, Demon, and Opal began routing traffic through transparent proxies. However, this caused more problems, as the use of proxies means that to Wikipedia editors appear to be coming from a narrow IP address range.
Thus, as Wikipedia says in their administrators’ discussion over this issue:
As Wikipedia tracks anonymous users by their IP addresses, a flood of valid edits and vandalism are coming from indistinguishable sources, and blocking vandals from editing can affect hundreds of thousands of users as collateral damage.
British Telecom does not appear to be filtering, according to Wikipedia.
While the image was up for deletion, according to that same admin page, at least for now, that request has been tabled, based on “Wikipedia does not censor,” but also later with the following discussion over the article itself:
Secondly, for those wanting to remove the image because they believe it to be unnecessary, the article is an academic discussion of the controversy surrounding the album image. Since it is a discussion about the controversy surrounding a still-legal image (as noted above, no one has ever been charged or prosecuted for making, selling, or purchasing that album), there is no reason why the image shouldn’t be on the page.
One workaround if one needs to really see this article: use the secure Wikipedia server. According to that same post, the Virgin Killer article is now tops in popularity (small wonder).
According to Wikipedia’s lawyer, Mike Godwin, (his comment is in that admin discussion as well), the image does not violate any U.S. law. Interestingly, one of the admins compared the issue to the U.K. having its own “Great Firewall,” much like China:
“This is the first I’ve come across UK wide internet censorship, and I’m shocked. I had no idea until now that like China, we too have built a great firewall - only we keep quiet about ours. I can still access the pages from Wikipedia’s https login. This is an absolute farce …”
And no, at the time of this writing, this issue has not been resolved.
SOURCE: http://www.studenttechnews.ne
I suppose in some countries (ours included) this could be considered as 'kiddie porn' and the excuse that it is "art" doesn't fly with me. Children who are naked do not belong on album covers, it is that simple.
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