The Music Banter Members' Journals Monthly Update Thread

[Trollheart]

And so August shuffles off out the door, and September claps its hands together and plots our downfall with winter and the dreaded "C" word looming ever closer. One thing I do like about the end of August is that the kids go back to school. Now don't get me wrong: I like kids --- not sure I could finish a whole one, mind you --- but after three months of screaming, shouting, laughing and playing I'm about all summered out. And the kids are worse! I know they all hate going back to school, but I for one am looking forward to some peace and quiet, where I can write without the incessant strains of whatever chart sensation is popular blasting at brain-melting volume from next door. I mean, if I can hear it that loud out here, what can it be like inside the house?

Anyway, enough of my problems. Time for the last update of August, as we head towards the opening of winter season here in Journal Land.

Another one to take the step across the boundary into the world of movies in the wake of the groundbreaking Couch Potato's frontiersmanlike example, Anteater is looking at "Tough guys don't dance" in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...n-dollars.html and he has lots of nice things to say about it.

Hugh Laurie? You know, that's what you get when you take http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...chameleon.html! Well, whom am I to talk? I reviewed William Shatner's album! Two trips out onto the Razor's Edge this week for the everychanging one, and if you want to know who the other one is, well just mousify the above link! Do it now!

Ki's been busy again! When he says http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nal-music.html he really seems to mean it! Lots going on this week, including a "look into the future", more Heartbreak, the continuation of his favourite fifteen albums and his Last.FM list. Sure why would you not check it out?

And the same goes for his better half. LadyisLingering has her http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ic-memory.html back up and firing, and she's looking at music from John Lennon, Suede, Steve Miller and Human League to name but a few.

Working as hard as I can on my own journals while also writing "The Marillion Story" (whaddya mean, you've never seen it? Check the prog subforum...) I've managed to include a review of Meat Loaf's third stab at the Bat out of Hell franchise, bring back the culture into your life with some superb classical music while also looking at another "Two sides of the same coin". Oh, and getting Metal Month ready too. Yeah, it's no longer Metal Week: it's been extended! So watch for it! No, really: I'm putting a lot of work into it, so I expect you to read it. Please?

Over at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-emporium.html we've hit up another episode of "The Onedin Line" as well as one from "The New Statesman" (which is now approaching the end of season one) and watch out for "Futurama" starting next week! Bitesize will also be back next week, but for now I'm concentrating on just the three journals and after the not-quite-as-bad-as-I-thought-it-would-be-but-still ordeal of listening to Slayer, one of those http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ver-heard.html this week is the Waterboys' opus "Fisherman's blues".

Polishing off the year 1977 Unknown Soldier presents the usual crop of albums that didn't make the cut for various reasons, plus he's looking at an album by Quartz and a live one by Rainbow. It's all here in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...y-history.html

Wolverine has another list for us this week, her top five driving albums. She's also got an idea for what could be a fun theme, er, themed section, and needs people to participate. So if you're one of those people who quote "WWWP for Mod 2013", or even if you're not, show her your support at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-tripping.html

Now that the album is done --- I'll listen to it soon, I promise! Just been so busy! --- YorkeDaddy is wondering where the band go from here in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...sterpiece.html. Give his album a listen and while you're at it, drop in on his journal to read the fascinating story of its creation.


And so to this week's
There's a scene in the Futurama episode (starting soon in my journal, plug plug!) "A big ball of garbage" where, for reasons you won't understand unless you know the show or until you read the entry on it in the Couch Potato, the guys are standing on a massive ball of garbage that is heading on a direct collision course with the Earth. They're there to destroy it but that's not the point. This ball is made up of all New York's trash from the 20th century. When Leela calls it all garbage Fry indignantly says "I can dig in any random pile and come up with something great!" The fact that he ends up almost being strangled by a six-pack's holding ring is beside the point.

The thing is, you could say the same about Urban's journal. I literally only had to click it, grab a page at random and this was the first post (that wasn't a response or one-liner) I saw, and I knew it had to be this week's pick. It's short, it's not sweet, but it's damn funny and, more importantly, it's Urban!

Originally Posted by Urban Hat€monger ?

Psychic TV - N.Y. Scum

This album consists of two songs both of approx 15 minutes each. Here's a brief description of each song.

N.Y. Scum - For the first 5 minutes some guy rips as much feedback out of his guitar as he can manage while being backed by a bunch of Hare Krishna's on percussion, all the while a drunk couple has a domestic argument. For the next 5 minutes said drunk guy decides to meditate while still shouting for his best mate (Possibly). Then the guitarist returns with a drummer and the two of them alone with the drunk guy attempts some lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-fi Joy Division / White Stripes hybrid garage rock. The final 2 minutes drunk guy attempts to make a techno record.

Haters - What remnants of a song there is here is quickly forgotten about after just a couple of minutes as the song decends into some random shouting & howling feedback.

In a word ... Brilliant.

Boo Boo would shit himself listening to this

Rating 5/5 Soiled Pants

And so, as the sound of schoolbags being packed mingles with the moans of glum children heading back for another term, a slight grin splits old Trollheart's craggy face as he contemplates peace at last. Peace to properly update his journals. Peace to write during the day. Peace to sleep in the afternoon ... what? No, no! That's a scurrilous lie! I never sleep in the afternoons! Not me! Well, maybe on Wednesdays. And Thursdays. Possibly Mondays. Sundays too, well who doesn't? And the odd Saturday. But never Tuesdays. Well, hardly ever...

And now if you'll excuse me, there's a cup of milky tea and a Digestive biscuit with my name on them..
Till next week,
Toodles!