Well, Sunday has rolled around again and we're heading inexorably and unavoidably towards the festive season: just thought I'd throw that in to bug you all! Only --- let's see --- thirty-six shopping days left to Christmas! Ho ho bloody ho!
Anyway, that's all apropos of nothing, so now that I've depressed as many of you as I can, let's move on and see what's happening in the world of music journals this week.
Big Ears is back with a review of the debut album from psychedelic/space/prog/heavy rockers (take your pick) Captain Beyond, which also featured as the album of choice in our Prog Rock Album Club, which you can find (and join, if you so desire) in the Prog Rock subforum of the Metal subforum. So it's a sub-subforum. Oh, you know what I mean! Anyhoo, his journal is here
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...s-journal.html, and always worth a read.
Glad to see a new journal from
Janszoon, now that the wonderful “25 albums you must hear before the moon crashes into the Earth and we all die” is finished. This time he's looking at a very lonely figure, and some very lonely albums, in
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...sible-man.html, with already a review of the legendary and tragic Bud Powell's “Time waits”. Expecting great things from this new journal, from the man who also brought you “Time and place”. Is there no end to his talents?
A newer poster, but saying some very intelligent things, and concentrating more on the actual writing than posting videos,
Mankycaant's journal, with the eclectic title
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...er-abroad.html has some deep ruminations on why bands continue making music if they don't enjoy it, and thereby turn out substandard albums? He looks at the examples of Green Day and Weezer, and his thoughts and conclusions are interesting to say the least. Don't expect YouTubes by the barrel-load, but do expect insightful, thought-provoking writing if you head his way. Which you should. Now.
Pedestrian, also a phenomenal writer, chooses at the moment to concentrate on yet another of her many talents, and displays more of her artwork for Autotune the Unicorn, in her journal
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...sswalking.html. While you're there, check out her poetry and her TV script: you'll be amazed. And moved.
Over at
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...d-journal.html as I may have mentioned I'm trying to squeeze as many current album reviews in as I can before the year catches up on me, but I'm finding it a bit of a strain meeting my targets, as they say. In other words, my abilities are not living up to my intentions. Last week, I reviewed eight albums, spread across the two journals. This week, it's only six. Only! I'll probably trim it down to four in the coming week, as I want to also upload some other stuff, especially a few larger items I've been working on recently. For now though, you can find reviews of the new albums by ZZ Top, Mystery, Marillion, The Script and Big Big Train, as well as the second outing for “No! It can't end like this!”, featuring one of my favourite recent songs from Mostly Autumn, “Tearing at the faerytale”.
Not a lot happening in
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...i-reviews.html, with just the one review, the new one from Barenaked Ladies. Again, being more realistic in the amount of albums I try to review a week will result in there being more entries in this journal, as it certainly is not living up to its name at the moment!
Someone who you can always guarantee is working hard on his journal is
Unknown Soldier, who is currently reaching the end of 1971 in
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...y-history.html, with albums by Black Sabbath (“Master of reality”, which was posted just an hour after I uploaded last week's update, so it should really have been in it but our timelines crossed), the incomparable “Led Zeppelin IV”, as well as something called “Can't get through” by a band called Hairy Chapter? Hey, you know, check it out. Not content with all that, he's also got reviews of live albums by Free and Humble Pie, as well as a fistful of titles that, as he says himself, didn't make the cut. Man, this guy is
busy!
A last word then for
Urban Hatemonger, who only seldom graces us with his wisdom, but when he does it's always worth it. Check out his journal
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nal-stuff.html for the strange tale of the man who thinks he's an Egyptian pharaoh! I kid you not!
That's it then for this week. There'll be another update next Sunday. Now, I advise you to leave swiftly, as the hounds
have been released...
