The Music Banter Members' Journals Monthly Update Thread

[Trollheart]

Just want to say thank you to all my viewers, as the Playlist of Life has just passed one hundred thousand views, a true milestone! Thanks again and I hope to continue entertaining you for another hundred thousand at least!

[CanwllCorfe]

Thank you so much for featuring me!

[Unknown Soldier]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Just want to say thank you to all my viewers, as the Playlist of Life has just passed one hundred thousand views, a true milestone! Thanks again and I hope to continue entertaining you for another hundred thousand at least!

I wish I never f*****g reminded you now.

[Trollheart]

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

I wish I never f*****g reminded you now.

Oh believe me, I needed no reminding! I've been watching that sucker climb since Christmas, had the insane hope that I'd hit the magic number before then. Goddamn you all, where were you when I needed you?

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Oh believe me, I needed no reminding! I've been watching that sucker climb since Christmas, had the insane hope that I'd hit the magic number before then. Goddamn you all, where were you when I needed you?

Reading better journals.

[Trollheart]

Just a little note before the next update to advise I'm thinking of implementing a new section (what is this, a journal?) in which I'll be "going after" those who used to have or still have great journals but who have not updated in quite some time.

Now, before anyone gets on their high horse and demands why I think I can do this, bear this in mind: as with just about anything I write or purpose, none of this is meant to offend, so I hope it doesn't. What the intention is, is to draw attention to Great Journals We Miss and try to convince their authors to pick them up again. I of course realise there are many reasons why people stop updating, and very many of these reasons are valid. Life has a way of intruding. But sometimes it's just that people have become bored, see their work as stagnating, have run out of ideas or perhaps lost the will to continue writing as they believe nobody is reading.

This section will address a journal I pick out which I have particularly enjoyed, explain a little about what it's about, maybe take an extract, I haven't decided yet, and encourage the author to try to update. Of course, you're free to tell me to go boil my head, but maybe this could be the incentive/impetus you've been waiting for. Maybe it's time to drag out that dusty folder from under the coffee table, read your hastily-scrawled notes and think about maybe giving it another go.

I am under no illusions that people will just start writing again because I think they should, but there are some amazing journals here which have not been updated in months, some even longer, and it would be nice to see them come to life again. Hell, if only one in ten, one in twenty decide it's a good idea to try again I'll consider it worth the others I annoy who ignore me.

So watch out! I'm heading down into the dusty vaults of Journal Land (there must be a better name: Journalia? Journalopolis?) to see if I can pry open some of the forgotten, neglected coffins down there and pull out the stakes that have been pinning them to the earth for so long. Maybe I'll get my neck bitten, but hey, it's worth the risk, I feel.

Now, where's my crucifix and holy water....?

[bob.]

hey trollheart....i just wanted to say thank you for the kind words and the nod....i sincerely appreciate it....and will try my hardest to update at least once a week

i just finished my piece on Unsane

and thanks man....and i truly appreciate what you do here

[Big Ears]

. . . TH, on the 100,000 mark.

[Trollheart]

Good to see a resurgence in updates people! No time for a snappy intro this week as I'm way behind schedule, so let's get right to it.

Now, as I've pointed out before there are loads of genres of music I personally am not interested in, but I will always read a well-written article, even if it's about something I have little or no stake in. A very good example is Antonio's truly incredible review of Tyler the Creator's "Wolf" album. I'll be honest: this was slated for this week's Showcase, and it's only the amount of time and energy Gavin B has put into his latest entry that has pushed it to next week's instead. But it will feature next Sunday. If you want to read it before then (and you should) here's where to go: http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ng-ground.html

Nothing in the Batcave this week, for perhaps the first time ever, but there's a good reason for that. More in a moment, but don't forget to check out http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...lks-about.html where the batty one is currently on, er, a Britney kick! Yeah, if you thought his forays into the world of Country (no doubt he'd drop the "o"!) were off the all for the Batlord, well just experience his views on Ms. Spears, where he seems to be determined to make it through her entire catalogue. Rather you than me, man! As for the reason there's no update to the Batcave, well, seems he's started a new journal, making now three in all. This one's different. He's reading Nick Hornby's seminal "High Fidelity", and so has created http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-fidelity.html, where he's already looked at ... er, nothing yet. But I'm sure the songs will start pouring in once he gets this going.

Gavin B is back! And has he got a treat for us. Now that the gates of http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...use-songs.html have been reopened, he's kicking off a huge essay on soul music, which really has to be read to be believed. It's going to be massive, and just to underline that, I've chosen an extract from it as this week's Showcase. Yeah, it's that good!

And speaking of the Showcase, bob is no doubt flushed with success from his being featured last week, and it seems to have galvanised him to write more! Yeah man! That's why I decided to start up this whole thing! Good for ya! Now keep it up... The next band to enter his crosshairs are apparently one of his favourite, if not his absolute alltime favourites, Unsane. He certainly knows his stuff. If you're into noise rock, and you're NOT reading bob's journal, I have only one question: why?

Ki's been doing a considerable amount of writing this week too, and in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nal-music.html he's looking at albums from Iron and Wine and Streetlight Manifesto, as well as "Sixteen albums you should listen to", beginning with A Swarm of the Sun, Agalloch and Pendulum. Oh yeah, he's also starting a new section in which he asks the question "Worth the hype?" Worth the read? You know the answer to that!

Looking for your fix of Motown music? Head to http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ic-memory.html, where Ladyislingering has everything you need, and more!

Powerstars is branching out! He's taking a break from rock albums to look at something called ... Chiptune? Hmm, I dunno: maybe an explanation as to what that is? Anyway, the album is called "The early attampts" and is by Fearofthedark, so make of that what you will. Also, delighted to see he took my advice and reviewed the album I sent him, Richie Sambora's excellent "Aftermath of the lowdown". Cool review. Oh, and he's having a rant against Windows Media Player --- who ever thought that piece of bloated software was a good idea?? All this and more at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...sicalness.html

And so we come back around to me. I've been trying to keep updates going this week, and in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...d-journal.html you'll find my next bit of "History set to music", with the release of Nelson Mandela, also my second Roll of the Dice, featruing Cancer Bats, as well as a review of Yes' s"Union" album. Oh, and we just passed one hundred thousand views! First time ever for a journal, as far as I can see. Thanks everyone!

Meanwhile, over at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-emporium.html there's another episode from "The New Statesman" and the introduction to Michael Dobbs' political dark thriller "House of cards", the original one starring Sir Ian Richardson. There's also another update of "Supernatural" on the way; it may be posted by the time you read this, it may not, but it's certainly coming. And in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...i-reviews.html there's a review of Belgian (I thnk) AOR band Frozen Rain's album "Ahead of time".

That takes us to Unknown Soldier, who's still http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...y-history.html and rocking up 1975, where he has reviews of seminal albums from Led Zep and Aerosmith.

And normally that would be it, but we're favoured by the presence of the lovely Vanilla, who has an update to http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-eargasms.html, where she's letting us all in on her musical tastes. An essential read.

So on that pleasant note we end another update. Not a bad week overall: new journals, resurrected journals and a whole lot of interesting and eclectic music to choose from. Where else would you get it only here, at Music Banter, the home of music. And banter. And music banter too, obviously.

And so to this week's Showcase. As mentioned, it was originally to be the amazing review of Tyler the Creator's "Wolf" by Antonio, but I've put that back just one week because I've been so impressed by this new article that Gavin B has started working on.

It looks like it's going to be one hell of a read: educational, fun and entertaining. This is just the intro; he's already written two updates to this. I suggest you head to his journal and avail yourself of his knowledge, particularly if you're a soul aficionado, but even if you're not, as I said at the start, a good article is always worth reading.

Originally Posted by Gavin B.

For the next week, I'll be devoting my journal to a history of soul music viewed from the historical, cultural & regional perspective of the three leading soul music record companies of the '50s & 60's era.

• Chapter I will cover Atlantic Records founded in New York City at the dawn of the R&B era in 1947.
• Chapter II is a history of the Stax Record label founded in Memphis Tennessee ten years later in 1957.
• Chapter III is a profile of Barry Gordy who founded the soul music powerhouse label Motown in Detroit Michigan in 1959.
• Chapter IV will focus on four soul music superstars; Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke, James Brown & Al Green. These four artists either owned their own record labels or recorded on smaller labels outside of the Atlantic/Stax/Motown axis.

I'm currently writing an additional adjunct chapter which picks up on the soul music story in the '80s with the rise soul influenced artist like Prince, Terence Trent D'Arby, Seal & August Darnell's eclectic soul/funk ensemble Kid Creole & the Coconuts. Chapter V will also survey neo-soul revival which began in late '90s and continues to be a force to reckon with in contemporary black music. The neo-soul descriptor has been used to describe a wildly diverse menagerie of American & British artists including Erykah Badu, Alicia Keys, Janelle Monae, Eli "The Paperboy" Reed, Mayer Hawthorne, Sam Sparro, Raphel Saadiq, Jose James, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Amy Winehouse, Alice Russell & Duffy. This chapter is a work in progress and I'm not sure when I'll finish it since my Music Banter posts are sandwiched between writing projects I do out there in the real world of journalism.

==========

Sources

My sources for this history of soul music extravaganza include the following books, news articles & websites:

Books

Dorothy Wade & Justine Picardie's biography of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Eretegen: Music Man: Ahmet Ertegen, Atlantic Records and the Triumph of Rock & Roll, (W. W. Norton, New York, 1990)

Rob Bowman's history of Stax Records: Soulsville U.S.A: The Story of Stax Records. (Prentice-Hall, New York, 1997)

Gerald Posner's book on Motown Records: Motown: Music, Money, Sex, and Power (Random House, New York, 2005)

Chris Woodstra,Vladimir Bogdanov & Stephen Thomas Erlewine: All Music Guide to Soul: The Definitive Guide to R&B and Soul (Backbeat Books, Montclair New Jersey, 2002)

Websites

The official Atlantic Records website @ Atlantic Records

The official Motown Records website @ Motown

The Stax Records museum website @ Home » Stax Museum

New Articles

Obituaries written in tribute to Ahmet Ertegen upon his death at Rolling Stone & Billboard websites.

Various album reviews & biographies of soul music artists & producers at the All Music website @ AllMusic : Music Search, Recommendations, Videos and Reviews

Field Research

I've visited and collected information from the archives of the both the Stax Records Museum in Memphis & the Motown Museum in Detroit in the early '90s to do research on my undergrad thesis on the sociological & cultural impact of the blues, soul music & reggae music.

=================

There's a reason that I've posted my sources at the beginning of the article instead of the end. My journal on MB is written without the benefit of an editor to discover errors of fact and point out any attributed or unattributed quotes in the article. Since many Music Banter forum members are passionate followers of contemporary music, I invite them to point out any errors of fact in the content and I will correct them. I also wanted to list my sources prior to to posting the article to give the reader an idea of the research framework I used in advance, since the article will be serialized in four or five different posts and won't be read in one sitting.

Now that most readers are sufficiently bored to tears with my overly long preface & I offer them hope. I will post Chapter I The Atlantic Records Story as soon as this introductory post is cleared and approved by admin for posting...Hopefully that will be sometime tomorrow which is Saturday May 18th in my little corner of the galaxy.

So that's this week's Showcase. My apologies to Antonio, but you're definitely in for next week, mate. Superb review. (By the way, you people don't have to wait till next week: check out his article now. Nothing's stopping you. Look: it's just a few clicks of a mouse away!)

Till next week, remember to check out the journals and consider starting one yourself if you're not already doing so.

Oh, wait just a tension-popping moment... I almost forgot!

There are of course many reasons why people stop writing their journals. After all, it's not exactly a top priority for most people, and it's hardly the most important thing in their life. Assuming you have a life, unlike me. But there have been some truly amazing journals in the past few years, many of which have not been updated for a long time, and have consequently slid off page one and into the nether realms of Journal Land, never to be seen again except for those with too much time on their hands (yes, again, guilty!) who go looking for them.

This is a cry for those journals to be resurrected, or if not, to at least draw attention to them so that, even if their authors have no intention of getting back into them, or are unable to, or have even left our community, they can be read and enjoyed.

So, with the hope that maybe this spotlight being shone into the dark and cobwebbed recesses of the latter pages of the journal section may revitalise or even lead to the rebirth of some journals which don't deserve to die and be forgotten, here's the first in a series of journals I was really impressed with, and hope someday maybe to see back in the land of the living.


While I know he is still very much around, and busy with his other journal exorting people to give int to the temptations of smooth jazz (also worth a look at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ed-masses.html), I miss http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...s-obscure.html, which for a time I considered Anteater's main journal. In this he reviewed some pretty weird and eclectic stuff, though from what I read a lot of it was AOR and prog, two of my favourite genres, and his. Here's just a small sample, with the quiet hope that if he gets a spare moment we might see this excellent journal drag itself back onto page one, which I believe is its rightful place.

Originally Posted by Anteater

Now that you mention it, I was actually considering picking Entropia over Remedy Lane, but since I consider the latter more varied and less of a story-based concept album, I ended up with my previous review.

Now, on to the main attraction!! Today's obcure prog. gem review has to do with...*drumroll*.......SATAN!

Black Widow - Sacrifice (1970)


Track Listing

1. In Ancient Days (7:40)
2. Way to Power (3:58)
3. Come to the Sabbat (4:56)
4. Conjuration (5:45)
5. Seduction (5:38)
6. Attack of the Demon (5:37)
7. Sacrifice (11:10)

Ah, the occult. Demons and Satan and the damnation of the human soul...all of which unfortunately become part of a great cliche which pervaded so much heavy metal from the 80's onwards and has since become a thing of derision for those who despise the era. And, if you ask who gave rise to this trend which became prevalent in bands who formed at that time, you will receive the same answer from almost anyone who thinks they know a thing or two about music: "Black Sabbath".

The funny thing about common knowledge, however, is that there for every time something holds true, there are twice as many supposedly "common" facts which are DEAD WRONG. For although Black Sabbath were the first commercially successful group to incorporate the kind of Satanic imagery you'd hear talked about in Church back in 1968, there was one forgotten band in the woodwork who formed long before ol' Ozzy picked up the mike, a group who took such themes to a far darker and more interesting place with this 1970 LP, Sacrifice, a little known bunch who originally formed in 1966 as Pesky Gee!, incorporating devilish themes into their various shows until they broke up and reformed in 1969 as....

Yep, you guessed it. Black Widow. One of the best bands of that time period...who nobody really knows about. But then again, that is why this review is here, to inform the masses that they existed and are waiting to be listened to!!

The Review: This album actually hit #32 on the U.K. Albums Chart back in '70, but it was quickly forgotten within a week or so despite how different it was from anything else being done at the time. Flute, sax, a little bit of organ, and plenty of crazy keyboard and guitar antics all about Satan and Hell and all sorts of controversial things pervade this album....and yet its all so upbeat, anthemic even, despite the occult edge and ensuing controversy that this album's release caused upon release...before being forgotten anyway.

Well anyway, I would consider this album very proggy in places (especially the title track), a route Sabbath wouldn't take at all unfortunately. The arrangements defy the chorus-bridge structure for the most part, and there's lots of jazzy interludes amidst the sort of drumming, flute, and guitar playing you'd associate with Krautrock bands of that time. Lyrically its nothing to write home about, as I'm not a Satanist and find that whole thing humorous for the most part. Still, my enjoyment of the album is not lessened because, on the instrumental and delivery side of things, its ****in' jamming!!

So, if you're interested in what Satanic proto-prog/jazz-rock sounded like back in the day, I'd give Sacrifice a whirl for the...hell of it. Its fun, instrumentally and compositionally sharp/inventive, and it leaves quite the impression on a would-be listener like a good record should. Highly recommended.

Album Verdict: 5/7

Here is a YouTube vid of my favorite track from the album, In Ancient Days. Bon apetit'.

Okay, so that's it for another week. Don't forget, if you're reading journals, it does pay to move beyond page one, as there is some amazing stuff there. And also remember, even a comment by you can bring that journal back onto the first page, which could be the first step towards its eventual rebirth. Come on: you know it's your civic duty!

Until next week, Journalads and Journalasses
Toodles!

[Powerstars]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Good to see a resurgence in updates people! No time for a snappy intro this week as I'm way behind schedule, so let's get right to it.

Now, as I've pointed out before there are loads of genres of music I personally am not interested in, but I will always read a well-written article, even if it's about something I have little or no stake in. A very good example is Antonio's truly incredible review of Tyler the Creator's "Wolf" album. I'll be honest: this was slated for this week's Showcase, and it's only the amount of time and energy Gavin B has put into his latest entry that has pushed it to next week's instead. But it will feature next Sunday. If you want to read it before then (and you should) here's where to go: http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ng-ground.html

Nothing in the Batcave this week, for perhaps the first time ever, but there's a good reason for that. More in a moment, but don't forget to check out http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...lks-about.html where the batty one is currently on, er, a Britney kick! Yeah, if you thought his forays into the world of Country (no doubt he'd drop the "o"!) were off the all for the Batlord, well just experience his views on Ms. Spears, where he seems to be determined to make it through her entire catalogue. Rather you than me, man! As for the reason there's no update to the Batcave, well, seems he's started a new journal, making now three in all. This one's different. He's reading Nick Hornby's seminal "High Fidelity", and so has created http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-fidelity.html, where he's already looked at ... er, nothing yet. But I'm sure the songs will start pouring in once he gets this going.

Gavin B is back! And has he got a treat for us. Now that the gates of http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...use-songs.html have been reopened, he's kicking off a huge essay on soul music, which really has to be read to be believed. It's going to be massive, and just to underline that, I've chosen an extract from it as this week's Showcase. Yeah, it's that good!

And speaking of the Showcase, bob is no doubt flushed with success from his being featured last week, and it seems to have galvanised him to write more! Yeah man! That's why I decided to start up this whole thing! Good for ya! Now keep it up... The next band to enter his crosshairs are apparently one of his favourite, if not his absolute alltime favourites, Unsane. He certainly knows his stuff. If you're into noise rock, and you're NOT reading bob's journal, I have only one question: why?

Ki's been doing a considerable amount of writing this week too, and in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nal-music.html he's looking at albums from Iron and Wine and Streetlight Manifesto, as well as "Sixteen albums you should listen to", beginning with A Swarm of the Sun, Agalloch and Pendulum. Oh yeah, he's also starting a new section in which he asks the question "Worth the hype?" Worth the read? You know the answer to that!

Looking for your fix of Motown music? Head to http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ic-memory.html, where Ladyislingering has everything you need, and more!

Powerstars is branching out! He's taking a break from rock albums to look at something called ... Chiptune? Hmm, I dunno: maybe an explanation as to what that is? Anyway, the album is called "The early attampts" and is by Fearofthedark, so make of that what you will. Also, delighted to see he took my advice and reviewed the album I sent him, Richie Sambora's excellent "Aftermath of the lowdown". Cool review. Oh, and he's having a rant against Windows Media Player --- who ever thought that piece of bloated software was a good idea?? All this and more at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...sicalness.html

And so we come back around to me. I've been trying to keep updates going this week, and in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...d-journal.html you'll find my next bit of "History set to music", with the release of Nelson Mandela, also my second Roll of the Dice, featruing Cancer Bats, as well as a review of Yes' s"Union" album. Oh, and we just passed one hundred thousand views! First time ever for a journal, as far as I can see. Thanks everyone!

Meanwhile, over at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-emporium.html there's another episode from "The New Statesman" and the introduction to Michael Dobbs' political dark thriller "House of cards", the original one starring Sir Ian Richardson. There's also another update of "Supernatural" on the way; it may be posted by the time you read this, it may not, but it's certainly coming. And in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...i-reviews.html there's a review of Belgian (I thnk) AOR band Frozen Rain's album "Ahead of time".

That takes us to Unknown Soldier, who's still http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...y-history.html and rocking up 1975, where he has reviews of seminal albums from Led Zep and Aerosmith.

And normally that would be it, but we're favoured by the presence of the lovely Vanilla, who has an update to http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-eargasms.html, where she's letting us all in on her musical tastes. An essential read.

So on that pleasant note we end another update. Not a bad week overall: new journals, resurrected journals and a whole lot of interesting and eclectic music to choose from. Where else would you get it only here, at Music Banter, the home of music. And banter. And music banter too, obviously.

And so to this week's Showcase. As mentioned, it was originally to be the amazing review of Tyler the Creator's "Wolf" by Antonio, but I've put that back just one week because I've been so impressed by this new article that Gavin B has started working on.

It looks like it's going to be one hell of a read: educational, fun and entertaining. This is just the intro; he's already written two updates to this. I suggest you head to his journal and avail yourself of his knowledge, particularly if you're a soul aficionado, but even if you're not, as I said at the start, a good article is always worth reading.



So that's this week's Showcase. My apologies to Antonio, but you're definitely in for next week, mate. Superb review. (By the way, you people don't have to wait till next week: check out his article now. Nothing's stopping you. Look: it's just a few clicks of a mouse away!)

Till next week, remember to check out the journals and consider starting one yourself if you're not already doing so.

Oh, wait just a tension-popping moment... I almost forgot!

There are of course many reasons why people stop writing their journals. After all, it's not exactly a top priority for most people, and it's hardly the most important thing in their life. Assuming you have a life, unlike me. But there have been some truly amazing journals in the past few years, many of which have not been updated for a long time, and have consequently slid off page one and into the nether realms of Journal Land, never to be seen again except for those with too much time on their hands (yes, again, guilty!) who go looking for them.

This is a cry for those journals to be resurrected, or if not, to at least draw attention to them so that, even if their authors have no intention of getting back into them, or are unable to, or have even left our community, they can be read and enjoyed.

So, with the hope that maybe this spotlight being shone into the dark and cobwebbed recesses of the latter pages of the journal section may revitalise or even lead to the rebirth of some journals which don't deserve to die and be forgotten, here's the first in a series of journals I was really impressed with, and hope someday maybe to see back in the land of the living.


While I know he is still very much around, and busy with his other journal exorting people to give int to the temptations of smooth jazz (also worth a look at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ed-masses.html), I miss http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...s-obscure.html, which for a time I considered Anteater's main journal. In this he reviewed some pretty weird and eclectic stuff, though from what I read a lot of it was AOR and prog, two of my favourite genres, and his. Here's just a small sample, with the quiet hope that if he gets a spare moment we might see this excellent journal drag itself back onto page one, which I believe is its rightful place.



Okay, so that's it for another week. Don't forget, if you're reading journals, it does pay to move beyond page one, as there is some amazing stuff there. And also remember, even a comment by you can bring that journal back onto the first page, which could be the first step towards its eventual rebirth. Come on: you know it's your civic duty!

Until next week, Journalads and Journalasses
Toodles!

Chiptune is like video game styled music. This album in particular sounds like it's coming from a Super Nintendo. I highly recommend it.