Late again with the update! Ah, who reads these things, anyway? Well, I'm hoping YOU do, otherwise I'm sitting here talking to myself, and the people around me are starting to look at me funny....
Anyway, later than expected but what can you do but get on with it? This week's journal update features some surprising returns, some long-absent updaters and, well, that's it really.
A is for
Antonio, whose journal
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ng-ground.html has been dormant for a long time, but sprang back to life recently and though not regularly updated has had some interesting stuff. His latest is a review of BIG K.R.I.T's album “4eva and a day”, but really the album review, good though it is, is less important than the spotlight Antonio shines on the lesser-seen aspects of hip-hop, essentially that it doesn't all have to be gangstas and biyatches: they have their vulnerable side too, and while I can't really see any hip-hop artiste or rapper breaking out the acoustic guitar and singing “My sweet lord” anytime soon, it's nevertheless an interesting and revealing look into the other side of this often-maligned (by me, for one!) genre. Go have a read.
B is our old friend
Big Ears, and in his journal
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...s-journal.html he's making up for lost time as he reviews albums by Heaven and Hell (their only one, due to the untimely death of Ronnie James Dio), the Groundhogs (so big that he has to do
two reviews on their greatest hits!), an obscure album from 1970 from the kings of the three-chord-boogie, Status Quo, Mr Big's 2010 album AND the latest from Big Big Train, which I also reviewed last week and which is the subject of our latest discussion in the Prog Rock Album Club. Hell guys: between you and US I'm in danger of losing my crown as the hardest worked-on journal!
Mutter, mutter, they'll all pay soon, you'll see... think they can challenge ME, do they....?
M then is for
Mankycaant, but he sure can! I know, I know! You really need to check out his reflective musings on music right here
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...er-abroad.html, but don't expect an easy ride! When this guy vents about something, he vents! In his latest piece he's making the case for the comment that “music today is rubbish and previous decades were much better” being a load of Tottenham, a steaming pile of Hotspur. Hey, you want to disagree with him, be my guest! I'm not that brave!
And we're delighted to welcome back
Plankton, who is finally, after too long away, dipping once again into
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...um-bucket.html, sharing with us the tales of his youth, his history with music and the role it played in his life. Always more than worth a read, and hopefully we'll see more regular updates in future.
Now, some guy called
Trollheart won't leave me alone till I plug his bloody journal. Look, it's godawful, okay, but sure I think the guy isn't playing with a full deck, y'know? Just head to
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...d-journal.html and get him off my back, huh? I'll owe ya one!
Seriously, now that I've become a bit more sensible about how many albums I review, things a going a lot more smoothly. We've settled in at four a week, which is spread over the two journals. So this week just gone I've got a review of “On the thirteenth day”, the new, dare I say it,
magnum opus (ahem!) from Magnum, as well as School of Seven Bells' third album, and first without Claudia Dehaza, “Ghostory”. But that's not all! There's also “Run for cover!” featuring Rod Stewart's take on the Tom Waits song “Downtown train”, and Suzanne Vega is featured in “More than words”.
Just the two albums in
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...i-reviews.html, with “Focus X”, the new one from the never-ageing Dutch prog giants, and Nanci Griffith's new one, “Intersection”.
And so we come to
Unknown Soldier, who works so hard that were we to hook him and Big Ears up to the national grid, you could probably say goodbye to your electricity bills for about a year! In his
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...y-history.html he's finished up 1971 with reviews of albums by Wishbone Ash, The Groundhogs (looks like he's been talking to Big Ears, huh?) and the Pink Fairies, and is just about to move on to 1972. Can't wait!
And that, albeit a day late, is it for another week. Seriously, if there were awards for most hard work gone into journal then Unknown Soldier would definitely win the prize, with the large-lobed one not far behind! This is how to do it, guys! Any of you think you can do better, put your music where your mouth is and start your own journal. It's a lot of hard work but a hell of a lot of fun, and talk about job satisfaction ... Eh? what do you mean, we dont get paid? This is an outrage! Get my agent on the phone! What? Gone to the Seychelles? With MY money? Well, we'll just see about that, now won't we?
Excuse me, I have a phone call to make. Ah-hoy-hoy? Hitmen-R-Us? Yes, it's “Mister T”. No, not THAT one, you idiot! Yes, excellent. I have a job for you...