Rants By Topic

Music Appreciation

Keith Emerson

03.21.2016

Keith Emerson at the mighty moog. Keith never made the turn into the great second career he deserved as a serious composer. On the other hand, he almost single handedly invented the position of keyboard player and that is more than enough for him to be remembered as one of the greatest musicians of our age.

Worst Classical Music Cover Of All Time

03.9.2016

Hmmm..., Music Appreciation

OK, I know it’s adolescent of me, but I can’t help it. I just loooooooove this thing. You gotta love it when Barbarella meets The Planets.

Worst classical album cover of all time. Holst Planets

Although, I gotta say. This may be a close second…

worst-album-covers-beethoven

Maurice White – Stand By Me

02.4.2016

Music Appreciation, News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osoOW0ljaZU

I mourn Maurice White’s passing today. As much as I love Earth Wind And Fire, I want to highlight this song from his solo album.

As frequent readers know, my contempt for ‘covers’ is almost as great as that of movie sequels. But for me, this thing is like The Godfather II of covers. It has everything I like about music from the 80’s. Great playing, singing, arrangement. Everything. It’s almost ‘prog’ in its sophistication and power. In fact, I often use it as a reference track for my own mixes. (One of my goals in life is to mix a song almost as good as this.)

If the sky and the mountains crumbled to the sea. I’ll be there so long as you stand by me.

“If the sky and the mountains crumbled to the sea. I’ll be there so long as you stand by me.”

If that doesn’t scream ‘prog’ to you? You’re not listening.

And forgive me if I gush especially about Maurice’s singing, which was just about the most expressive I ever heard. Yeah, the ladies always lost their minds (and underwear) over Philip Bailey, but for me Maurice was the business.

Yeah, I can heartily recommend checking out White’s older material–his early drumming especially. But the guy was one of those guys who was simply too talented to stay behind the kit.

Bowie Vs. Frey In Second Life

01.19.2016

Culture, Music Appreciation

Actually a coda to our last conversation. Glenn Frey. David Bowie. So much death in rock and roll lately. Every artist has multiple lives. More on aging gracefully.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-utsqR7zdyM

Roger CortonBowie last week. And now Glenn Frey?

JCHTransitions! (laughs) Yeah, they’re droppin’ like flies, baby.

RCAny thoughts?

JCHLook, the world isn’t waiting on baited breath for anything I would have to say about these guys.

RCBut that never stopped you before, so…

JCHSo, I will say I was never a huge fan of Bowie. I have probably actually enjoyed more Eagles music over the years.

RCSeriously? I’m surprised. I thought you dug T-Rex and Roxy Music the most so I guess I just assumed…

JCHYOU ASSSSSSUMED!!!? No, I never dug ‘glam’ all that much. Great songs? Always. But all the androgyny and especially those honky guitars? Naaahhh. But with regard to Bowie, all the different personas seemed a lot more important than the actual notes.

RCAs […]

Two Roads

11.24.2015

Culture, Music Appreciation, Progressive Rock

Why all that classical jazz? Lenny Bruce does Father Flotsky and a prison break. Sting. Pete Townshend. Keith Emerson. What should prog guys do when they (finally) grow up?