What are you listening to?

[Savonarola]

(I don't think one was influenced by the other.)

Braxton was definitely influenced by Glass because he dedicated one of the compositions in Alto Saxophone Improvisations (1979) to him.

The question is timing because 1974 was before Einstein on the Beach. Steve Reich was already well established by then though.  I'd bet Braxton had listened to one or both by 74.

How about that, I wouldn't have thought there was a connection (especially since it reminded me of Glassworks, which was 1981 (although Glass could have been influenced by Braxton in that scenario.))

Terry Riley would also have been established by that time; Glass is simply the minimalist composer I'm most familiar with.

[Savonarola]

This week marks the 25th anniversary of the Marshall Mathers LP; the BBC has a profound retrospective on the album.  I was living in Detroit at the time and I remember Marshall got himself arrested on gun charges, then immediately sold a million copies of his new album and encouraged ten million white boys in Metro Detroit to become rappers.  Then he got arrested again on gun charges, sold another million copies of his album and encouraged another ten million white boys in Metro Detroit to become rappers.  I'm not sure how that was possible, since the population of Metro Detroit at the time was about 5 million, but it did happen.  ( )

Personally I think The Slim Shady LP is superior; on that one he's rapping about being broke and suffering low self esteem on The Marshall Mathers LP he's rapping about the pressures of being white and successful.  It's a little like listening to Elon Musk rap.  The Marshall Mathers LP did have many more hits, so it is deservedly his breakthrough album. 

He did manage to offend everyone from Lynne Cheney to GLAAD to Moby; and now he shills for Chrysler and performed at the Superbowl.  No matter how edgy you once were, if you live long enough you become the establishment.

In any event, I once saw a exhibition of Annie Leibovitz's photographs.  One of them was this photo of Rakim, Eminem and Dr. Dre:



She wanted them to move in closer together; but they told her, that was not hip-hop.

[Duque de Bragança]

This week marks the 25th anniversary of the Marshall Mathers LP; the BBC has a profound retrospective on the album.  I was living in Detroit at the time and I remember Marshall got himself arrested on gun charges, then immediately sold a million copies of his new album and encouraged ten million white boys in Metro Detroit to become rappers.  Then he got arrested again on gun charges, sold another million copies of his album and encouraged another ten million white boys in Metro Detroit to become rappers.  I'm not sure how that was possible, since the population of Metro Detroit at the time was about 5 million, but it did happen.  ( )

Personally I think The Slim Shady LP is superior; on that one he's rapping about being broke and suffering low self esteem on The Marshall Mathers LP he's rapping about the pressures of being white and successful.  It's a little like listening to Elon Musk rap.  The Marshall Mathers LP did have many more hits, so it is deservedly his breakthrough album. 

He did manage to offend everyone from Lynne Cheney to GLAAD to Moby; and now he shills for Chrysler and performed at the Superbowl.  No matter how edgy you once were, if you live long enough you become the establishment.

In any event, I once saw a exhibition of Annie Leibovitz's photographs.  One of them was this photo of Rakim, Eminem and Dr. Dre:



She wanted them to move in closer together; but they told her, that was not hip-hop.

  

[Savonarola]

Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974)

The music, especially on the first album, is well done.  They seem to run out of steam later in the second album, but there's enough that's good to get to the finish line.  The storyline is... different.  Even by the standards of a rock opera this one doesn't make a lot of sense.  The individual songs generally have decent lyrics (and Genesis does get in a genuinely funny song in with "Counting out Time"), but as part of a larger story they don't really work.

[Syt]

This Friday it's gonna be 30 years since Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill came out.



EDIT: I'm working with people who weren't born when this was released.

[garbon]

This Friday it's gonna be 30 years since Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill came out.



EDIT: I'm working with people who weren't born when this was released.

I'm that weirdo who went to the covid delayed 25th anniversary tour and now going to see her for the 30th.

[Josephus]

This Friday it's gonna be 30 years since Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill came out.

EDIT: I'm working with people who weren't born when this was released.

Does seem a lifetime ago, to be honest.

[Savonarola]

For their 50th anniversary the Talking Heads released a video for Psycho Killer directed by Mike Mills (too bad it couldn't have been Jonathan Demme.)  It's different than what I envisioned (David Byrne in the opening of Stop Making Sense more is what I thought of as the narrator) but I liked it.

[Savonarola]

Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks (1975)

Nearly every Bob Dylan album since has been hailed as "His best since 'Blood on the Tracks.'"  (Personally I think that "Desire" was his last masterpiece, but I haven't heard all his albums since then.)  This is certainly one of his best, especially the opening track "Tangled up in Blue," but the songs throughout are all good.

Joan Baez wrote "Diamonds and Rust" after Dylan called her to play a song he was working on which would become "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts." 

[Josephus]

The only Dylan album you need

[Savonarola]

David Bowie - Young Americans (1975)

Play that funky music, white boy.

David Bowie both grew bored with the elaborate stage show of the Diamond Dogs tour and became obsessed with Philadelphia soul during his tour of the United States.  The initial result, as I previously mentioned, was David Live.  This album is a continuation of that.

Bowie refers to this period as "Plastic soul", "Plastic" being a synonym for "Fake" at that time (which I though was funny in a world of paper straws and bamboo disposable cutlery - plastic has now become the genuine article.)  Still it was genuine enough soul that Bowie appeared on Soul Train.

The album does have its problems.  The two collaborations with John Lennon ("Across the Universe" and "Fame") don't fit in well with the rest of the album.  "Fame" is a good song (James Brown would copy the lick on "Hot, (I Need to be Loved, Loved, Loved)), but I don't care for his version of "Across the Universe." Bowie doesn't have the right sort of voice for the music (I still giggle sometimes when I hear him say "Sho' Nuff" on "Fascination.")

There is a lot to recommend the album though, the band is one of the best Bowie put together (including a then unknown Luther Vandross singing backup.)  Bowie makes creative use of the backup singers, not only using the call and response typical to Philadelphia soul (and a number of other genre's of US black music), but also arranging them into different parts like a choir, especially on "Right Way."

This era was when Bowie had his infamous interview on the Dick Cavett Show:

Where Bowie is obviously coked up out of his mind (one of the best comments I saw on Youtube was "Somebody get this man a fidget spinner.")  Cavett, the consummate professional, doesn't let that get in the way, but I think he's playing around with Bowie at points.  At one point he asks David what they would find on his coffee table, and the audience chuckles at that, which he then clarifies he meant what book is Bowie reading (that was a different time, I don't think anyone would ask a rock star about his or her reading habits today.)  At another point he asks Bowie "What's the kick," and Bowie's jaw drops, until Cavett clarifies he means what is the kick in performing.

[The Brain]

For posters of a certain age: former singer of Blue Swede is retiring on account of dementia.

[Savonarola]

Steely Dan - Katy Lied (1975)

An interesting parallel to "Young Americans," this one features a then unknown Michael McDonald singing backup.

This is the midpoint for Steely Dan's initial 7 albums.  They decided not to tour after Pretzel Logic and dismissed most of their road band.  It's also the last where they would use songs from their demo tapes ("Everyone's Gone to the Movies" and "Any World that I'm Welcome To.")  It's at this point that the "Steely Dan Sound" really kicks in with every song played by the best studio musicians and the production being hyper-polished.  The album's weakness is the individual compositions aren't up to the quality of their other albums; there's no big hit (highest charting single was "Black Friday" which only made it to 37 on the US charts.)  The other single, "Bad Sneakers," didn't even make the top 100, but it was a sign of what was to come, especially on "Aja."

[Savonarola]

Earth, Wind and Fire - That's the Way of the World

Now, coming from a hip place, I can dig Bowie's rap about "Plastic soul."  It's plastic compared to Earth, Wind and Fire, dig?  These dudes are far out, have mercy.  Back in the day the critics rapped that they were too far gone, but that jive's a sucker's rap, dig?  These cats are for real, have mercy.  They have a blistering horn line and can hit it and quit it just as bad as the JB's, dig? 

This was the soundtrack to a movie with Harvey Keitel that was a bomb, but the soundtrack is fantastic.  At points, though, it does come across as the Berlitz tapes June Cleaver studied to learn jive for her role on Airplane!

[crazy canuck]

Can you dig it?