The Music Banter Members' Journals Monthly Update Thread

[Key]

Must not have been any other interesting posts this week since Norg was chosen for this post of the week. Oh well. Guess everyone deserves a win at some point.

[Trollheart]

Like an approaching tsunami, we've been waiting for something to hit and kick things into life down here in Journaltown. And this week it seems it did. Four new journals, the return of “The Showroom” and some serious work being done by certain members. Let's get to a safe height and observe the waves crashing in....

Anteater is going all Steely Dan in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ravaganza.html as he looks into the seminal “Aja”

then the first of those new journals almost pushes Ant off the top sspot alphabetically, though not quite, as Aux-in opens his journal, http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...continuum.html wherein he explores --- anyone? --- yup: electronic music. Starting off with Skrux, Andy Moor, Namaste ... all names I have never heard, but that's not surprising as I am not the biggest electro fan. If you are --- or even if you're not --- check his journal out, but beware: as he says himself, it is going to be “video-intensive”. Don't forget those spoiler tags, man!

And while we're on the subject, what's with those pictures that extend the text off my page, Batty? (Looks at sig: Windows 98? There's a Windows 98? When did that happen?) If you want to read all about the adventures of, um, Squirrel Girl, and have a better PC than me, go http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-oblivion.html

Briks is getting into “Romeo and Juliet” (the film, so I guess “William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet”? Why did the makers feel it was necessary to put that part on? People aren't stupi --- oh, wait. These are the people for whom “The madness of King George III” had to be retitled without the numeral, lest they think it was the last of a trilogy! Carry on...) Anyway, he doesn't like it. There are also more Haiku reviews and he's waxing lyrical about moving to Mars. Maybe. He also has something to say about Valentine's Day.

It's 2002 in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...63-2013-a.html and albums included are from Queens of the Stone Age, Bus Driver, EI-P and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, then on to 2003 where it's Dizzee Rascal, The Black Keys, Guided by Voices and Mew in the running

while another new journal opens, from the oddly named grtwhtgrvty (what? Does he hate vowels too?), eager to express http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-opinions.html, and the first is on Lana Del Rey.

Hard on his heels is another new member with his journal. Innerspaceboy has quickly made himself a home here and I don't think anyone who's read his material has a bad word to say about him. In fact, he's the sort of member we always hope to attract, and hopefully he will stay on. In http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nnerspace.html he starts off asking what will the current generation's legacy be in terms of music and art, then veers completely left to check out some of his favourite choons from “Sesame Street”! Ah, memories!

I honestly don't know what to tell you about http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nal-music.html this week. Ki has really been (ki)lling it with a boatload of entries, including words on Floyd, Jeff Bridges, more from Pg. Lost, as well as a visit to Seattle's EMP and word from below about Valentine's Day. Some worker!

Neapolitan hops onto the question posed in Innerspaceboy's journal and makes his case for Rachel Flowers in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...i-journal.html

Norg has a journal! No, you read that right. Norg has a journal. With typical Norg subtlety and finesse, it's called http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...s-journal.html and he's kicking it off with something called Phuture Doom (not sure if that's his spelling or if it really is spelled that way) as well as some latin music he likes. As my avatar says, fascinating. Perhaps.

More from http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...rgy-story.html as Oriphiel gives us chapter six of his story while

on the http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...crap-heap.html Pet_Sounds is checking out some of his favourite Bowie tracks

and Sidewinder has The Jazz June, Boards of Canada, Queens of the Stone Age and Sonic Youth among others in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ar-1965-a.html for 2002.

Which brings us back to me. Now, as I've been whining on about for several weeks, my journals are not getting updated as they should, because I'm currently writing material for Star Trek Month, due to warp into a journal near you (mine, basically) on March 1. It should be worth waiting for. But while I try to avoid neglecting my other journals, and my main one, I have only managed to throw the one Tom Waits album review into http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...d-journal.html, though http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-emporium.html has been getting some attention, with the long-not-awaited opening of American Dad vs Family Guy, as well as a new section concentrating on surprising moments in movies.

Another journal I've been trying to resurrect is http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...i-reviews.html, and with so many albums from this year already to get through I'm rolling a few reviews out, including albums from Funeris and Blush. Judge Dredd reaches the end of the “Robot wars” in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...d-2000-ad.html and as mentioned http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-showroom.html returns, with music from our friend Xurtio's band.

http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...y-history.html continues into 1984 with Armored Saint and Great White

while Urban is firmly rooted nearly two centuries earlier, talking about Saint-Saens in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nal-stuff.html

Jumping http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ta-coffin.html William the Bloody finishes off his look at Circle Jerks, and puts in a handy index to his journal so far. Thinking of doing one for mine, but, you know, nearly 200 pages to catalogue?

Taking us out this week is Wpnfire, who's listening to Run DMC and Judas Priest (not at the same time presumably) in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...s-journal.html

This has to be the first week that one member won both awards (well, the “Workhorse” hasn't been around that long, to be fair) but I couldn't really see any other outcome. I did consider some of you, but in the end it had to be that man who won the

After all, he updated his journal with seven different entries (and they weren't short either) while also going out and about and having a life! That's what I call dedication. So, Ki, you're well on the way to being the hardest-working member here for 2015.

And you also win the

for having the courage (some might say temerity) to ask this question about this band:

Originally Posted by Ki

You're saying to yourself right now..."man, you're really going to start with Pink Floyd to bring back Worth The Hype?" Well yes, I am. Why bother pussyfooting around when I could just get right into it with one of the most successful bands out there. Plus, I feel like talking about Pink Floyd, sue me.

Anyway, yes, we have Pink Floyd up on stage and we are going to dive in and see if we can reach a verdict as to whether or not they are worth all the hubbub they get across numerous platforms. Most people know Pink Floyd when they hear the name Roger Waters, and even more people know Pink Floyd when you mention albums like Wish You Were Here, and The Dark Side of the Moon. And sometimes people recognize the name when you go all the way back to the Piper at the Gates of Dawn era, which is pretty cool too.

I'm of the opinion that the Roger Waters era of Pink Floyd is the far superior of the two different sides of Floyd that people talk about. I'm of course speaking of the whole Waters vs Barrett argument. And I know there are a lot of people out there who will say that if Syd Barrett stuck through the hard times and stayed with Pink Floyd, they'd be far better off. Well, all I can say is that you're wrong. But I digress, let's really get into this shall we.

Let's talk about their discography, and i'm speaking specifically their studio albums. We've got albums like Animals, The Division Bell, Wish You Were Here, The Dark Side of the Moon, and Meddle, to name a few. All very very fantastic albums. But on the other side, we've got albums like A Saucerful of Secrets, and Ummagumma, which...aren't all that great, in my opinion anyway. I just couldn't get into them as much as I could the later albums, but that could easily be the cause of me getting into Pink Floyd with their later albums, so I has already associated the later album sound with Pink Floyd, which meant any different sound just seemed...wrong. Not to say they're terrible albums, but...yeah they're pretty bad. The hype that surrounds Pink Floyd however does come from the later albums as well, which are the ones I mentioned above. One that is hugely the main focus of all the hype does go to The Dark Side of the Moon.



That leads to an important question though. Does one album justify the amount of the hype that the band got as a whole? Is the hype that surrounds the band as a whole worth it in the long run? The verdict comes to...



Yes, I do believe that the hype that surrounds one album as much as it does definitely justifies the hype that the band gets as a whole. The thing is, if I personally never heard of The Dark Side of The Moon through means of radio or music forums, I never would have really bothered looking into their other albums. I mean, sure, I would have eventually found out about them and gave them a listen, but being exposed to such an album that Dark Side is, really put a huge impact on how I felt Pink Floyd should sound, which could explain why I like the sound of the later albums. Am I wrong? Maybe, but hey, they win in my book, no matter what people say about *cough* Endless River *cough*.

So well done man! Now it's time for our final look into Anteater's first faltering pawsteps (do anteaters have paws?) as we check out his debut journal for the last time in

As April of 2009 prepared to give way to May, Ant got all proggy and checked out Gentle Giant's Acquiring the taste, then May saw Grobschnitt's Rockpommel's land, with Ambrosia's self-titled making a trio of seventies albums, taking us well into June where he decided to have some Lemon Jelly with Lost horizons. Things went quiet then till August when he reviewed Barren dream by Mr. Sirius and Friendship Time's s/t. September then made him all jazzy and he introduced us to Steve Cole with NY LA, Holderlin with Holderlin's traum, kicking off another trilogy of seventies reviews, with Vangelis and Jeremy Steig making up the other two, and in fact bringing to a close his first journal.

It's perhaps ironic that this is the last entry, posted almost four years after Ant had bowed out of this particular endeavour:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

This looks an interesting journal, especially your marking system 5.3/7 and 6.1/7 for example, I'm baffled

But never fear! The insect-eating one was only getting started, as we all know, and he would return with the bigger and better Anthill 2.0, plus other journals which would all amaze and entertain us. Hey, a star had been born!

So that's it for the second classic journal. Next week I'll be slowly feeling my way through the darkness and entering http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...seur-cave.html! See you then!

Before I go, a word on our latest member, Innerspaceboy again. I have no hesitation in awarding his new journal the newest of my accolades, the never-coveted

As this award is new, let me just reiterate its point: this is for the journal which receives the most attention, in terms of comments, has the best conversations, generates the best "buzz" each week.

Since he only started his journal a few days ago, it's been flooded by comments, all appreciative and admiring, and hopefully has shown him that, yes, after all, this is where the real music discussion is to be had. Long may he reign.

And that ties it up for another week. As the rain belts down outside my window and I slot in my fifth Star Trek movie DVD (I lie; I watch them on Netflix) it's time to get back to work on Star Trek Month. See you all next week. Did I mention about Star Trek Month? I'm sure I did. Well, if not, Star Trek month is only two weeks away.

And the next update is only half that time!
Till then,
Toodles!

[Key]

Damn. As always I really appreciate the kind words about my journal. I get so many ideas in my head at once and having a journal is perfect for it.

[Trollheart]

I know February is a short month, but it only seems like last week I was talking about the first update of the month, and now here we are at the last. Must be getting old. What? Shut up....
I suppose you expect me to post this update now, huh? Not too old and senile for that, then? Yeah yeah, you and everyone else. Mutter mutter kids these days grumble wasn't like this in my time mutter....

Okay then, you want your update? Here's your precious update!


Anteater kicks us off as usual, hauling up the anchor and sailing off to the next port of call in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ravaganza.html, where we find him talking about Chris Rainbow (wasn't he with the Alan Parsons Project at one time?)

and http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...wnapilago.html we find Frownland looking at Gunther's Grass and The Pop Band.

grtwhtgrvty is looking for a fight (well, a heated debate will probably do) in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-opinions.html

One of our newer journals is among the busiest this week, as innerspaceboy reveals his Pete Namook Dark side of the Moog discs and also the latest additions to his Tom Waits collection. I'm jealous, man, I'm jealous. Catch it all in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nnerspace.html

After all the work he put in last week you'd forgive Ki for taking it easy this week, right? Well **** that, cos he's piling the pressure on all of us again! Take a look into http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nal-music.html and you'll find that not only has he another “Worth the Hype?" Section, this time on The Doors, more “Morning music” and more videogame soundtracks (“Goat Simulator?” Really? Does JWB know about this game?), he's also reviewing an album from Hawthorne Heights and Soilwork, and some other stuff that doesn't really fit any of his categories. Man, slow down and let the rest of us catch you up!

It had to happen! Pet_sounds finally reviews the album he took his username from, as well as throwing some more of his favourite Beatles songs http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...crap-heap.html

while Plankton? Well if you check out http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...listening.html this week it'll certainly be worth your while, as he's featuring some of his own music, inspired by his daughter. Don't delay: hurry there now! Actually, hang around for the rest of the update, but do make a point of visiting his journal.

Powerstars is back! Yay! After losing impetus and interest in his previous journal, he's rejoined us and is trying out http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...o-reviews.html; nothing there yet, but watch this space!

That brings us to me. As http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...d-journal.html passes 200,000 views , I celebrate by ... doing nothing. That's right: I have material written and ready for posting but have not yet got around to actually putting it up, and that's partially due to Star Trek Month going full steam and ready to hit next week in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-emporium.html, but also in this journal there's another trip into the dark cinematic hell that is "Trollheart's Cinema Craptastique", in which I look at that classic movie, “Nazis at the center of the Earth”. Seriously. In http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...e-you-die.html there's a look at NERD, and Captain Beefheart and The Moody Blues get the once-over in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ive-metal.html

That leaves http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...i-reviews.html where there's music from Moonshine Avenue and Evergrey, plus the first of my looks into Anteater's Top 30 albums of 2014, starting with Ought's More than any other day. More to come soon.

Unknown Soldier has 220 Volt (who?) at 17 in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...y-history.html while Dio's The last in line is at 16

and Wpnfire is getting into some Doom Metal with Dream Death in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...s-journal.html, also discussing the relevance or lack of it of modern Celtic Frost.


has to go to Frownland, for this beautifully written and well set-out composition, which also ****s up the max image count, so I'm going to have to split this into two parts. Worth it though.

[Trollheart]

Originally Posted by Frownland

I'll get to those reviews soon, gentlemen. I'm going to do another in the meantime.

Gunther's Grass - Never in the Future That Dawned Earlier On (2013)

Gunther's Grass is a San Diego based drone duo. Marcelo Radulovich plays hurdy gurdy and the other member, Christopher Adler, plays the khaen. There are some other musicians who join the bill as well. Scott Walton joins in on bass on the tracks "Earlier in the Future That Dawned Earlier On," "Boat People," and "Hull." Charles Curtis plays cello on the tracks "Automatic Writing" and is also on "Hull" with Walton and the others. Lastly, we have Marcos Fernandes playing tamboura box on "Boat People." Given that not everyone knows what these instruments are, I'll post some photos of them.

Hurdy-gurdy

The hurdy-gurdy is a stringed instrument that is bowed using a rosined wheel, which is controlled by a handcrank. There are also keys that can change the pitch of the strings and it sounds pretty sweet. Hurdy-gurdies date back to Eleventh Century B.C. where they are depicted by Ibn Khurradadhbih (like a badass version of Marco Polo). However, the instrument was not in its modern form by that time. Due to the original size of the liras or organastrums used in the Byzantine Empire that Khurradadbih, it was played by two people at once: one person for the hand crank and one for the keys. There are other early reports that the organastrums were also used in Spain and some Middle Eastern countries, likely because of merchants spreading the various elements of the cultures that they visited. After its time in the Middle East, the solo organstrum appeared. Early versions of the solo organastrum— which is similar to the hurdy-gurdies that we see today—first appeared in Spain and France. In 1968, Donovan released the song "Hurdy Gurdy Man" and sparked interest in the instrument, although the instrument wasn't present on the track. It's since been revived after a long break and used in several genres, but I think that it's an instrument best suited for drone.

Khaen

The khaen is a mouth organ instrument made up of hollowed out bamboo shoots. It uses a free reed similar to a harmonica or harmonium and when combined with circular breathing it can be pretty interesting. Khaens date back to the Bronze Age (1000-700ish BC) Laos, where it was allegedly created by a woman who just felt like making some instruments that day. She recreated her bamboo contraption until she was ready to reveal it to the king or whateverthefuck ruler they had there. After she played it for Sir Whoeverthefuck, the gentleman said he enjoyed it and then he named it "khaen" because some kings are dicks who want to take credit for everything.

Bass

You guys know about this probably.

Cello

You probably know about the cello, too. If you don't, think of the stand-up bass's younger cousin.

Tamboura Box

A cigar box sitar. Well how about that. Sitars are badass and cigar box guitars are badass, I can't believe I never heard of or thought of this creation before Gunther's Grass.

Never in the Future That Dawned Earlier On is a beautiful album full of sustained drones that touches on some magical moments, really. All of the music is improvised, but whether or not there is some structure, I'm not sure. There are six tracks on the album and none of them are below six minutes long, in fact most of these are in the 12-16 minute mark. This is a lot more pleasant than a lot of the other drone groups that I've heard, but I do hear overtones of Keiji Haino's hurdy-gurdy playing (I highly recommend listening to any of the versions of Haino's 21st Century Hardy-Guide-Y-Man).

Even though this is a drone record full of long and blaring chords, it still moves around quite a bit. To be honest I think that it makes it a little more accessible than the more difficult drone music that they're emulating, such as La Monte Young's Theatre of Eternal Music which included John Cale, Angus MacLise, Tony Conrad, Terry Riley, John Hassell, and Terry Jennings, among others. NITFTDEO hits all the right points of drone music, in my opinion, and I think that it would be a great starter for anyone who's really interested in getting to know the genre.

Here's a live video of the group:
(No it isn't: videos are removed from these extracts. Go to his journal to see the thing.)

And here's an art piece that's cool:

Salvador Dali - The Great Batlord

Well, Frownland's opus above actually hits us over the max image limit again, so stand by for part three...

[Trollheart]

while oddly enough,

goes to the informal framework journal I put together a few weeks ago. http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...l-authors.html Not even really a journal per se, more a sounding board, brainstorming, get-round-a-table-and-discuss-ideas-for-our-journals sort of thing, but there has been a lot of debate in it this week, mostly revolving around whether or not videos (YouTubes) are essential to an album review. Opinion is divided on the subject: I say they aren't, everyone else says they are. Feel free to have your say, if you care. But for discussion I think this one takes it.


As mentioned, our old mate Powerstars, he of the thought-filled barf and so on, has made a triumphant return and we look forward to his new video-based journal.



How about I just give this as a permanent award to Ki, eh? How would that be? Come on youse guys! Step your game up! Can't have him winning every week! As he does this week, again, for his Herculean efforts. Again.

So having finished off Ant's debut effort it's time to check out another of the

and as announced last week it's going to be
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...seur-cave.html
which began at the end of October 2013. Briks began, after a scary spider picture, with a mention of Helloween's opus Keeper of the seven keys and then as October turned to November he nipped forward in time, stole my idea for comparing Black Sabbath albums and came back to match Paranoid against Master of Reality ... what? You don't think that will stand up in court? Do you know how much I pay my lawyers?? Next he actually reviewed KotSK and then the seminal debut album by Sabs, before turning onto Modest Mouse and then comparing Meat is Murder and The Queen is Dead, as November ran down into the Christmas month.

As I did with every other journal (or ones that have enough content) I will be doing two months each week. Admittedly, Briks's journal started at the end of November, but still, two months is all ya get! Also, as Urban registered his annoyance at posting extracts from people's journals here, I will in future only do that with the permission of the author. So Briks, let me know if you're okay to have parts posted from next week, OK?

And finally, a job opportunity not to be missed!

Yes, Trollheart is hiring!
I am finding keeping up with all the updates, especially given all the extra sections I've added, a little difficult, and so I'm advertising for the position of assistant journal update thread editor. The job comes with no salary, no desk and no lunch break, but plenty of backbreaking and thankless work. You will be required to be on call 24/7/364 (you get Christmas Day off, as do I. If you intend to die, you must make your application thirty working days in advance in order to be allowed the day off) and will get little or no credit for your work.
Just kidding. I will credit you. A little.
No. Seriously.
A little.
If anyone's interested, I'm particularly looking for help with the upcoming (yes it's still happening) Year in Review, and also the Second Journey Awards, which is going to take some time to sort out. If anyone is suitably braindead enough to be interested, please PM me with your CV (Chocolate/Vanilla ice cream) and we can discuss it.

So as I clear out my inbox and await a flood of prospective applicants () it's time to say goodbye once again as we reach the end of the last update for February. Imagine: next week it will be March! Who mentioned Christmas??
Toodles!

[Trollheart]

I meant to add: I was thinking of seeing about doing some sort of index or table of contents for the section; tell you whose journal concentrates on what etc, so that people will know where to look. After all, if you're a death metal aficionado you're probably better staying away from my journal, whereas if you like comics, Batty's your man and so on.

Does anyone think this would be a runner? I understand I have to run it past the mod squad, as they'd need to approve both the index (sticky?) and any updates to it, but as a basic idea what d'yas think?

[Key]

Damn, workhorse two weeks in a row? I didn't realize I was updating that often.

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

whereas if you like comics, Batty's your man and so on.

Yup. Me and Trollheart. Of course, mine journal was first.

[Frownland]

Thanks for the selection TH. I've been writing outside of MB for a while now and it's nice to see some affirmation. Btw I reviewed the new The Pop Group album, The Pop Band is a really ****ty name.