The Music Banter Members' Journals Monthly Update Thread

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Would rather do a proper, double one this Sunday.

Heh. Twice on Sunday.

[Urban Hat€monger ?]

Don't worry I got this weeks covered.


This week in Urban's Doctor Who Thing I did an awesome review of Warriors Of The Deep and also looked at a Doctor Who / Monty Python crossover, as well as posting some other rather cool videos to watch.
You can read such awesome content HERE

Oh and some other people updated theirs too.

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Urban Hat€monger ?

Don't worry I got this weeks covered.


This week in Urban's Doctor Who Thing I did an awesome review of Warriors Of The Deep and also looked at a Doctor Who / Monty Python crossover, as well as posting some other rather cool videos to watch.
You can read such awesome content HERE

Oh and some other people updated theirs too.

Like anyone gives a ****.

[Unknown Soldier]

Originally Posted by Urban Hat€monger ?

Don't worry I got this weeks covered.
This week in Urban's Doctor Who Thing I did an awesome review of Warriors Of The Deep and also looked at a Doctor Who / Monty Python crossover, as well as posting some other rather cool videos to watch.
You can read such awesome content HERE
Oh and some other people updated theirs too.

Yer Urban treated us to the gem known as "Warriors of the Deep" and on mine there was some hot stuff by Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden.

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Like anyone gives a ****.

They certainly do batty boy.

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

on mine there was some hot stuff by Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden.

Like anyone gives a ****.

[Unknown Soldier]

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Like anyone gives a ****.

30,566 viewers would disagree with you.

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

30,566 viewers would disagree with you.

30,566 viewers eat their own feces.

[Unknown Soldier]

Originally Posted by The Batlord

30,566 viewers eat their own faces.

They would be hard to identify then.

[Trollheart]

There's a shadowy, spooky netherworld where time seems to pass at a different rate to the rest of the world, where harsh neon lights glare down at you like angry angels who know what you've done and don't approve in the slightest, and where the sound of an approaching footstep kindles brief hope in a heart in which all hope is slowly dying, only for that hope to be extinguished as the footsteps fade away, echoing into the distance and your personal darkness closes in around you once more, suffocating, smothering, as your eyes stray, almost fearfully but inexorably, towards the white plain clock on the wall and you wonder how many more hours will pass before you get out of this hellhole?

This, ladies and gentlemen, is what passes for Accident and Emergency in Ireland. A&E, where if your wait is less than six hours you'd be deliriously happy. Where people moan and toss and snarl and cough on hard steel trollies, vainly awaiting a proper bed in a ward, where ambulances come and ambulances go, and where the sighting of a real doctor is rarer than one of Bigfoot or Elvis. A&E, where they kindly provide you chairs which must have been donated by some Spanish Inquisition enthusiast, and where the TV always shows the worst possible programmes. A&E, where patients, nurses and paramedics tramp the corridors endlessly, like doomed lost souls never to again see the light of day, and occasionally a name will get called, someone will look up in hope and almost amazement that they're finally going to be seen, while the rest slump back down in their chairs, try to get comfortable --- impossible --- or grab some sleep --- equally impossible --- while outside the sun rises on another day.

A&E in Ireland: the living proof that a two-tier health system only allows those at the bottom rung to be ground down while those who can afford it have to suffer none of the delays, indignities or frustrations endured by we who are, almost, the Dead in terms of healthcare. What a country!

Which rambling intro just serves to preface why there was no update last week, why even this one is a day late, and why I can't honestly guarantee this won't happen again. When your sister is sick and the ambulance has to be called, you can only hope and pray that you'll get back to the house before the council agree it must have been abandoned and change the locks. But these things have to be done.

And so we come, finally and very late, with my apologies, to the most recent update, which happens through no design of mine to now encompass both the last update of February and the first of March. Is that the sun I see? No? Just another fluorescent light, you say? Well, let's push on anyway. Here's what the industrious inhabitants of Journaltown have been up to while I've been sitting in the emergency room, dreaming of a big steak dinner and a comfortable bed...

Anteater is telling us about his “Band of the week”, a local outfit called Galactic Cowboys, as well as looking back into his childhood and zeroing in on the bands who influenced his musical preferences, with first up the powerful prog rock trio of Gentle Giant, Camel and, er, Zep. Hey, they had their prog moments! It's all here in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...n-dollars.html

Having ripped me off to the nth degree, Briks is now finally settling into his own style again, sort of, in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...seur-cave.html, with “Essential emo albums I have never heard”, featuring so far Jawbreaker, Cap'n Jazz and Taking Back Sunday , though why he'd want to hear albums recorded by large Australian flightless birds I don't .... oh, I see! Emo. NOT emu. I understand. Still, sounds like that could have been fun... He's also “in the mood for some metal”, with Manowar and Metallica (hey, who isn't?) and “Unprepared for the worst” with a look at Modest Mouse. And he's talking Coldplay too. Hey, is he trying to outdo Ki or something?

Butthead, interestingly, is also looking at Taking Back Sunday, though in fairness he seems to have got there first in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...therapy-s.html, which seems to be where our man Briks got the idea for his journal entry. Ah, inspiration has many fathers, or something...

Engine is back to talk to us about http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...avy-music.html from Toronto, focussing particularly on that band he loves, Mare

and while he was adamant it was not a journal per se, Freebase Dali's http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nd-i-like.html shows signs of threatening to become one, as he discusses the merits of one Igorr. Meanwhile

in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ening-log.html our favourite walking music encyclopaedia is checking out Natalie Imbruglia (wouldn't we all love to?), OneRepublic and rather a lot of one Mister Timberlake, as well as The Raincoats and a band called Houndmouth, whom I may have to give a listen to, given he turned me on to Strawfoot. Hmm, what's next I wonder? Papertoes? Metalfingers?

Not content with working superhard on one journal, Ki is starting a second one, of which more in a mo. In his original, http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nal-music.html he's fighting his case for Dio not being the man for Sabbath (to which I say a resounding BOO!), waxing lyrical about Steven Wilson, ZZ and Riverside and then based off an idea planted in his head by yours truly in response to his dig at ELP's “Love beach” last time out, http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...le-albums.html is just what it says: Ki reviews (well, mini-reviews) some albums he deems to be well below the grade. Starting off with Sabbath, Sigur Ros and AC/DC and moving on into Linkin Park and Theocracy. Also, he finally realises what a turd Asia's “XXX” is. Man, I've been trying to tell you that for over a year now!

Things are beginning to happen now here in Journaltown, as no less than three vacant houses have been snapped up, the first of which has become the residence of the supernaturally beautiful and talented RoxyRollah, who is opening http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...doras-box.html and letting us all glimpse the wonders inside. With music from We are Trees, LSD and the search for God, Witch, Dead City Emily and oh loads more, plus a really great and fun writing style that shows this lady has tons of brains to go with her beauty, you'll need to probably light one up and head on into the bead-screened recesses of her very different cave. Don't be afraid now, she doesn't bite. That costs extra.

More cut out joy for Screen 13 in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...all-music.html, with music from MC5, Iggy, Big Star and, er, Scraping Foetus from the Wheel... is that the Religious Right I hear banging down the door? Go away! We're all just holograms here!

Another new journal, one of two written by apparently people who do not consider English their first language, comes from Silenzio as she begins the first brush strokes on http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...mix-music.html and tells us all about what music means to her, with a review of an album by Danish indie band Efterklang. Looks like this one could be well worth watching.

If it's Japanese or French bands you want to know about then check out http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...c-journal.html, the last of our new journals, and another written by a non-English speaker. I honestly don't know if Totsama is male or female, and many male Japanese names end in -a so that's no guarantee. But man or woman, boy or girl, this journal looks to be another that will be going places, with already featured Aunt Sally, Guernica and Serge Gainsborough.

After my adventures in the land of A&E you'll not be too surprised to find that I haven't exactly done a lot in my own journals, but I've managed to squeeze in the odd update. So in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...d-journal.html there's a review of that Strawfoot album, a new section called “Say what?” and I finally begin the review of Progarchives' Top 100 Prog Albums of 2013. Well, I transfer one of the two reviews done so far from my old thread to my journal, with the first one being Cosmograf's “The man left in space.” http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-emporium.html is mostly concerned with new, upcoming series to be featured soon, with Robin of Sherwood and Life on Mars so far, though I have also engineered the triumphant return of Francis Urquhart in the second part of the “House of cards” trilogy, “To play the king.” Lots more to come.

http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...y-history.html is all about the NWOBHM now, as we delve into the best of 1980, and Unknown Soldier looks at some brilliant albums, including the debut from Iron Maiden, as well as Sabbath, AC/DC and perhaps an odd choice for his number one album from that year? I don't think you'll be expecting it...

My thanks to Urban for trying to fill my tired shoes and sitting in my chair last week, but his update was, ah, how can I put this? A little too Urban-centric? Doesn't change the fact that in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...who-thing.html he's continuing to look at some of the worst DW episodes ever, with the truly awful “Warriors of the deep” and yes, a Monty Python/Doctor Who crossover. Well, sort of. Oh, and big news for you Urban: I'm about to gatecrash your party and step on your toes with my dainty size sevens! Keep watching the skies! Well, actually, you'd be all better watching “The Couch Potato”, where the announcement will be made...

With video game soundtracks, Chvrches and music from Brian Eno, http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-personal.html is well worth a read, even when he's drunk. Or not.

Finally, Zero would like to officially thank an unnamed counter assistant at a record store for NOT selling him Papa Roach's “Infest.” Find out why at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nal-sound.html

And so to this week's

He probably won't thank me for it, but I just felt I had to say “NYA NYA NYA! Told you so!” so here it is, as Ki finally sees the light. He's made some perhaps questionable claims in his journals about, among others, Dio and AC/DC, and maybe one day he'll be retracing those too. Or not. But at least he's man enough to admit he's seen the error of his ways and that after thirty years of producing quality albums, Asia have finally, it seems, run out of ideas.

Originally Posted by Ki

Asia - XXX (but Ki, you raved about this album so much in your other journal)

• It took me longer than necessary to realize how bad this album is.
• In comparison to the rest of their catalog, this one is by far their worst, it has no traditional Asia sound to it.
• I do wish I had realized it sooner but I believe I was still in my younger Asia loving days when I first heard this album, because it was of course when I figured any Asia album would be good.
• You were right Trollheart, this album sucks.

And that, ladies and gentlebeings, takes us finally to the end of a well-overdue update. Again, apologies for the delay but sometimes real life has a habit of grabbing you by the scruff and demanding your attention, and it's hard, nay impossible to say no. As long as we have no more upheavals this week I should be back to the usual update at the usual time on the usual day. Fingers crossed!

Till then (or whenever)
Toodles!

[Isbjørn]