The Music Banter Members' Journals Monthly Update Thread

[butthead aka 216]

wow awesome job trollheart and pokerstars!!!!

[Mojo]

Originally Posted by The Batlord

How did I get two points this week? I didn't even post.

I got a point as well and also didn't post. I don't know. Is it for views?

[YorkeDaddy]

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

I'm in fourth spot and ahead of both The Batlord and Urban but behind YorkeDaddy who the **** is YorkeDaddy!

btw Powerstars, a great design for the league table, blue is a nice colour for it.

eyyyyyyyyyyyyyy im not about all this mudslinging and slander bro

seriously though, i'll be #1 on this list before any of you know it. And then I shall rule with an iron fist.

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by djchameleon

I really like the graphic that you used for the table design. Good job.

Yeah, much better than Trollheart's.

[Trollheart]

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Yeah, much better than Trollheart's.

I completely agree, as I already said. Graphics are not my strong point. That chart is the Caravaggio to my LS Lowry! I'm intrigued also as to how you're awarding points, PS. Oh, and you should definitely change your username to Pokerstars!

[Powerstars]

Originally Posted by The Batlord

How did I get two points this week? I didn't even post.

Originally Posted by Mojo

I got a point as well and also didn't post. I don't know. Is it for views?

I don't know. Perhaps it may have been for something I didn't factor in last week. Or it could have been a small single post as a reply.

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

I'm in fourth spot and ahead of both The Batlord and Urban but behind YorkeDaddy who the **** is YorkeDaddy!

btw Powerstars, a great design for the league table, blue is a nice colour for it.

Originally Posted by djchameleon

I really like the graphic that you used for the table design. Good job.

Thank you guys so much, I love to hear it!

Originally Posted by Trollheart

I completely agree, as I already said. Graphics are not my strong point. That chart is the Caravaggio to my LS Lowry! I'm intrigued also as to how you're awarding points, PS. Oh, and you should definitely change your username to Pokerstars!

Yup! Promote gambling to the kiddies!

Thanks to the strong support, this is gonna keep on going!

[Powerstars]

Sorry guys, this week's league table might be a day late. It's harder than I expected to be honest, but I'mma keep going.

[Powerstars]

Never mind, I got the table done.

Wolverine once again, with Trollheart right behind her, but who ended up at number 3? The guy who updated again...Batlord. PRAISE ME BATLORD. KNEEL. Ahem, anyways, rounding out the top 5 are Urban and Unknown, who ties with YorkeDaddy. At number 10 we have Trollheart again, with me, Engine, and Bulldog in the top 15. Tied for 16 are Phonographic Memory, and a Tree that enjoys to romp through Neo-Folk. Good luck to everyone next week and congrats to our top 3~

[Trollheart]

A few changes in the format this week. Well, not that many really. Lots of updates, no new journals this particular week but some excellent entries, while one or two journals go unattended, but we know the writers are hard at work on some masterpiece and will only let it be seen once it's finished.

So what about the journals that have been updated? You know, I'm glad you asked...

Anteater is still proclaiming the merits of Crimson Glory in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...n-dollars.html: probably should really give them a listen, as soon as I get a spare minute...

After taking a break last week, The Batlord is back firing on all cylinders with three chapters of "The return of the Kings of Metal", so head on down to http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...t-schemes.html and get reading! No poseurs need apply...

DJ Chameleon is hitting "the Razor's Edge" hard this week, with reviews of albums from Gogol Bordello, Selena Gomez and Hands for Houses. He's also throwing in a new section, "Random thoughts", so get http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...chameleon.html and see what it's all about!

Bone Thugs N Harmony and Bus Driver both figure in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...dox-music.html

while Ki is reviewing an album by Tesseract and also considering whether or not Smashing Pumpkins are "Worth the Hype" (TM) in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nal-music.html

and LadyisLingering plays some more extracts from her http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ic-memory.html for us, with T. Rex (surprise, surprise!), Genesis, Bobby Fuller and Billy Idol, to name but a few. Hope you'll be back fully online soon, Lil!

One of our other leading ladies, Lateralus has written a review of a gig she went to by Karnivool, and it forms part of http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...anderings.html, which are always good to hear.

Mondo Bungle is considering a month now in his new home, while also "Turning the Spotlight on" John Zorn. Get some http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...istortion.html in your life!

Powerstars is I think finding that maintaining the League Table is not as easy a job as it may seem. And don't forget, I used to have to do that AND write this update PLUS maintain four journals! Still, best of luck to him with and he's certainly made a great start. In http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...sicalness.html this week he has an interesting cover version of the Eagles' classic, "Hotel California". Can't say I love it, but it is different, I'll give it that.

Haven't been doing much work myself recently, which makes me guilty when I see the workload of the likes of Unknown Soldier or DJ, but hey, I've had other things to do. Still managed to get a new section into http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...d-journal.html called M*U*S*H (geddit?) which stands for Melancholy Unbelievably Slushy Heartbreakers, in other words, slow songs deconstructed. Sort of. Starting off with one from Gloria "Oye oye oye!" Estefan. Pickings have been a little slim over at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-emporium.html too, with only the second episode of "House of cards" to draw people in. Nothing in either of my other two journals: oh the shame of it!

Just to make me feel even worse, Unknown Soldier seems to have been working flat out this week! As he begins his journey into 1977 there's music from BOC, Riot, Legs Diamond and Ted Nugent! Ah, the seventies! Tis well I remember them! Catch up on http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...y-history.html here.

Now, the burning question of our time, as I'm sure you all know, is, is Urban getting old? His last few journal entries have been about the "Now" series of crappy pop singles that have blighted the charts ever since the late eighties, in addition to praising Sir Cliff and now this week he's having fond memories about Tom Jones! Hey, has the big guy finally succumbed to old age? Says the guy who just turned fifty! Well no matter what his journal is always a good and entertaining read, and you can, as Black Adder says, get it here. http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nal-stuff.html

Some pretty personal stuff in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-tripping.html, where Wolverine (I'm just going to shorten her name to that for now if that's ok) is doing a track-by-track review of the Lucius EP by Lucius, and let me say, it's something everyone should read.

This week's Showcase may in fact be the last one for a while. It may seem unlikely, but I appear to have featured everyone's journal now, and hopefully have drawn attention to those which deserved more readers. Mind you, if you feel your journal has been missed out and would like to be featured in the Showcase drop me a PM. I'm also not running the "Young guns and old hands" this week for pretty much the same reason. I may let this become more a monthly thing to see what develops. The last thing I want is saturation coverage or advertising simply for the sake of it. I want to bring your notice to journals that should be noticed, not just "the ones that are left". So this will be the last for a little while, but I think it's very well deserved.


A man who makes no secret of his love (obsession?) of the Beatles, Powerstars is one of those who has not been here years, and yet in some ways it seems like he has. His journal is mostly reviews, but there's nothing wrong with that, and he is trying to flesh it out a bit more. What does shine through is both his love of music and writing, and his genuine interest in this place, proven by his taking over of the thankless task of maintaining and running the League Table, on which I'm sure he'll do a better job than I.

As I say, he's a Beatles fan first (and second, and third) and so it would be remiss of me not to point you in the direction of his excellent review of one of their more famous albums. It's not for me, but that doesn't mean it doesn't provide one heck of a read. And if you're a fan, well then you'll enjoy it all the more!

Originally Posted by Powerstars

Review #007 - "Let It Be" by The Beatles

Year: 1970
Genre: Classic Rock/Pop

1970 was a hard year for The Beatles. Having just recorded and released Abbey Road after suffering through the hellish "Get Back" sessions, the band's future looked bleak. One thing was for sure: They had to call in someone to make something of the trainwreck that was the "Get Back" sessions. They called in Phil Spector, infamous for his "Wall Of Sound" approach.

When Paul McCartney first heard Spector's version of "The Long And Winding Road," he was furious. It went completely against the stripped-down sound that the original song, and album, for that matter, was supposed to have. He angrily called Spector and demanded that he change it back. He didn't. So, was this album any good? Or was it The Beatle's darkest hour. Let's find out.

1. Two Of Us
Opening with a bit of studio banter from John, this first song really has more of the "raw and real" feel than any other song on the album. McCartney wrote this, presumably about his wife at the time, Linda, though for whatever reason, John barged in one time and claimed he wrote it. A lot of fans interpret it as being about John and Paul, which is an easy assumption, they sing it together. Overall, a real solid track

2. Dig A Pony
Cool, groovy lil' track. The only new song that John wrote specifically for this album ("Across The Universe" was written 2 years prior, "One After 909" was written WAY back before the Beatles hit it big, John's part of "I've Got A Feeling" was also written 2 years prior), the track consist of word salad lyrics that Lennon later dismissed as garbage. Doesn't matter John, you may not like it, but this song is instrumentally tight and generally good.

3. Across The Universe
Now for a taste of the over-production. I feel this song is better when it's not orchestrated. John said that it was a lousy track...of a great song. This is one of his songs that he still loved late into his life. He just felt it hadn't been recorded properly. The guitars were out of tune, he said, and so was his voice. I personally still love it though, but I felt 2003's "Let It Be Naked" got the best take on the lousy take.

4. I Me Mine
Ah, George. Good ol' George. Great song, but once again plagued by overproduction. Not only is there an unneeded orchestra, but Phil Spector took the track and looped a section over again to make the song longer. YOU DON'T DO THAT TO THE BEATLES! THE BEATLES ARE SACRED! Still, one of the best songs on the album, and one of George's best cuts with the Beatles. While The Beatles considered it filler, George was smart enough to know it was good, and his autobiography, named after the song, proves that he retained a liking to it.

5. Dig It
This song just makes me feel sad whenever I listen to it. Not because it's a sad song or anything, but because of all the wasted potential. It was a jam session, that originally lasted 7 minutes. They actually went and recorded it again, which lasted 12 and a half minutes. On the original "Get Back" album it was supposed to be cut down to 5 minutes. We get 30 seconds of it here. Then, when "Let It Be Naked" was released, it was removed entirely. Why, Phil Spector? Why would you cut it down when it had so much potential?

6. Let It Be
The title track also suffers from overproduction with an unneeded orchestra. Still, it is one of the Beatles' signature songs, and easily recognizable.

7. Maggie Mae
More filler, although I can say at the very least that it wasn't cut down, just short to begin with. Come to think of it, why did Phil Spector make "I Me Mine" longer, only to include 2 short filler tunes. Back to the song, it's John and Paul running through an old Liverpool standard, nothing special.

8. I've Got A Feeling
My favorite song on the album, this is possibly the last time John and Paul wrote a song together. It is not plagued by overproduction, it just feels right. Combining John and Paul's concepts for songs in a perfect way, this song may be too perfect for any more words. Just listen to it now.

9. One After 909
An old Beatles number that they didn't think was good enough to include on any of their albums until this one. I disagree. It really showcases the Beatle's influences in the most Beatley way. Listening to the 1963 version on "Anthology," I can tell you that they reinvented this song. They made it so much better and it became something truly great. Paul remembers it as not a great song, but a great favorite of his.

10. The Long And Winding Road
Ugh! Phil Spector turned this jazzy tune into a more easy listening song. This is not a good thing. You can't ruin this song, but Phil Spector came close...and his version became the hit! Listening to the "Let It Be...Naked" version just kind of makes me angry at how he drowned out the original drums, guitar, and even McCartney's voice! The anthology version is also less easy listening, but more spacey and folkish, which is a really cool sound. I can see how Paul would've been mad with what he did to this version. It's a meh take on a stellar song.

11. For You Blue
Another song that Spector (thankfully) didn't try orchestrate. Bluesy tune, I was completely obsessed with it for a time. As George puts it, it's a simple 12-bar song. Simply, catchy, and damn good. I really love the lap steel solo by John.

12. Get Back
The original title track, Spector thankfully left this one pretty much as is, although I prefer the single version by a small margin. This one is a good note to end on though and overall, there wasn't much he could've done to ruin this song anyways.

Conclusion: Some songs suffer just a bit from Spectorization ("I Me Mine," "Across The Universe"), while others are drowning in it ("The Long And Winding Road"), while others yet suffer none at all ("Dig A Pony," "Get Back," etc.) It's a good album, but unbalanced and suffering bad production. Overall though, Phil Spector can decrease the quality, but he will never ruin the Beatles

Final Score: 78/100 (Go, Johnny, Go)

So that wraps up another journal update. As I said in the introduction, there are notable absences in some journals this week, but that's ok: people need to recharge and I'm sure once the reviews are done or the ideas sorted out they'll all be back with a vengeance. Not everyone updates every week (sometimes even I find it hard) but to quote the Wise Old Man of the forum, Urban: "Quality, not quantity". How right he is. So take your time, guys and gals, and we'll breathlessly await the wondrous creations you have in store for us. What do you mean, you haven't any wondrous creations? Well, create some! Right away please!

Now if you'll excuse me it's way past my naptime. Where's my cup of warm milk? Ahhh...

Till next week, then.
Toodles!

[Powerstars]

Oh my gosh. Thank you so much for the mention and for the spotlight. You don't know how much it means to me. I will continue maintaining both my journal and the table not just for Trollheart, but for everyone!

I LOVE YOU GUYS.