Rants By Topic

Music Appreciation

It’s About Time: Yes Inducted Into Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame For 2017

12.28.2016

Well, they finally made it. If you read the short bio on the site, it’s actually pretty good. The piccie they chose for arguably the defining progressive rock group? Nicht so gut. Bill looks a bit out of place. And Rick? That hat? Oy veh. (He never did quite look comfortable in the mold of astral traveller, now did he?)

Regardless, THREE CHEERS. Look, I’ve made no secret of the fact that Yes is my personal fave of all times. Lots of people say they have one record that “literally changed my life!!!!!!!” And for me, Yessongs is it. I can never say enough good things about that album and what it means to me.

And frankly, I thought they’d never get in. Time has passed and the whole idea of the Hall Of Fame has become (like the Grammys) truly diluted and polluted with stuff that is a million miles from the […]

The Christmas Marketing Contest

12.20.2016

Marketing, Music Appreciation, Progressive Rock

Merry Christmas! Why aren’t there more JC’s in the world! Why the disconnect between ‘Prog’? A marketing contest. With prizes! SnapChop! Tool. Periphery. Transatlantic. Butch Cassidy.

Roger CortonThe comments we got on our last Chat were mostly, “Are you guys fighting?”

JCHYears ago, when my ex and I were scouting locations for our wedding, we met with an old couple who had an old farmhouse they rented out for such events. They were talking about some memory and then they started having the most pleasant disagreement about whatever. And the old man said, “Dear, are we arguing?” And the woman said something like, “Well, I suppose we are. It doesn’t matter, Dear.” And then they both laughed and we moved onto some other topic. It took me a loooong time to realise that they really were arguing! That was their ‘argument’.

RCWhy did that stick with you?

JCHBecause that’s not an ‘argument’! It’s like in Crocodile Dundee where the mugger threatens Dundee […]

My Babies

12.13.2016

Culture, Music Appreciation, Progressive Rock

If you’re seriously about your art, you think of your work as your babies. Lyrics in Progressive Rock. Gay people kissing in public? Greg Lake, RIP. Those Moody Blues poems. The lyrics drive the music. Is a secular Bach even possible? A Dan Brown festival in every piece.

Roger CortonTwo years ago you ranted on Why So Serious? Despite my feeling that it is marketing death to indulge you, at that time I promised we’d get back to that. So here I am, keeping my promise to shoot you in the foot. Again. OK, you have the floor.

JCHWow. With my bleeding foot. So… remind me not to invite you to my funeral (laughs).

OK, I keep thinking about the new Dream Theater record (The Astonishing) from last time. Every fan I’ve talked to about the record says two things: a) How ludicrous they find the lyrics. b) But they simply don’t care. And you agreed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZZF-2dZ5cM

RCI did. What can I say? We […]

Reg Kehoe And His Marimba Queens (Amazing Bass Solo)

11.14.2016

Culture, Music Appreciation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1tQNqQqIU8

I will never get tired of watching this. It is ‘show biz’ to me. And that matters. It’s got a great gimmick. Now do I want to watch ninety minutes of this? Probably not. But it harkens back to a time of Vaudeville or Ed Sullivan–real variety shows. If only I could figure out a gimmick as cool as this.

Of course, the highlight is the totally insane bass solo. I want that guy in my band. I mean any band I could ever imagine in any style of music? I want that guy. He has the attitude. 😀

NB. I got started playing in supper clubs where you’d see a selection of entertainers during an evening and frankly, I think it’s the way to spend an evening out. Now? We stay in and flip through our ‘devices’ and ‘self-curate our entertainment experience’. I now see the wisdom of a great show: a complete evening experience where you got a series of entertainments that were curated with great care, to great a particular effect. Today, I suppose it’s just like how a great DJ chooses a complete set to tell a story. Same difference. Structure is structure.

Allison Lupton Band – Where O Where My Rising Star

11.2.2016

Music Appreciation

I got worn out of most ‘fiddle and banjo crap’ (as Martin Mull put it) DECADES AGO. But every once in a while, there’s something that still has the magic for me–and this is one of them. Great folk music–even at its happiest–simply has to have a certain weariness to be worth much. At its source are people who never get the smell of work off their skin.