duga

i really appreciate the positive comments, guys! it really motivates me to know people are actually checking my journal out....i'll be writing here as often as i can. it is actually quite relaxing to write about this stuff.

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Confusion will be my epitaph...

duga

Before I get too ahead of myself with albums, I thought this would be an appropriate time to pay homage to something that has probably instilled more musical appreciation in me than any one album. As I sit and listen to the relaxing sounds of B.B. King, I am compelled to write of where my life began. That place is Memphis, Tennessee.

I’m sure as most of you read those words you immediately knew how this entry would go. The legend of Memphis is forever ingrained into the history of Rock n’ Roll. It continues to be a haven for all things blues and is a Mecca of sorts for anyone who count themselves as a rock enthusiast. It also played a large part during the Civil Rights Movement, and is the site of Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination. Yes, on March 1st, 1986, I entered the world through the gateway of Memphis. Was it even possible that I not be into music?

Before I get into the glamorous side of Memphis, I think it is important to describe exactly how it was to grow up there. Memphis has some incredible places to explore as a tourist, but step outside of known “tourist” areas and you are met with nothing more than your stereotypical inner city projects. I have done no specific research on the political side of the city, but whatever they are doing it is definitely not 100% effective. The city is run poorly and in quite a corrupt manner. Money is continuously pumped into said tourist spots and the “projects” of the city are continually neglected. It also keeps getting worse. Areas known to be prosperous and safe are eventually overrun with crime and turn into projects themselves. Racism is still a very real problem. For a place with such a vibrant history, these aspects truly break my heart.

Of course, in my youth I was blissfully unaware of anything I mentioned in the previous paragraph. Race and religion were nothing to a small child, and experiencing it as I got older gave me true insight into the problem of racism. It is truly a product of one’s parents. All of my friends didn’t care if I was white or black. However, these issues slowly crept into my peers’ minds and as I entered the 5th grade, comments like, “You can’t be on my team, whitey” were commonplace. In the classes where white children were in the majority, the black children were blatantly ostracized. The teachers were paid a pittance and could care less what happened. These tensions continue into adulthood, and you can feel the way people think while walking in some parts of the city. My neighborhood slowly degenerated into a crime filled haven for drug addicts, and at one point had a known brothel. That is when my parents felt it best to move away.

Though the ugly side of Memphis is there (and quite obvious to those who visit and venture out deep into the city), there is a reason I and countless others still feel so connected to it. I’ve been to many big cities in the U.S., but one thing about Memphis that sets it apart from the others is the presence of a true culture. Most places I see within the country seem very neutral and quite void of a personality, to me. Memphis, however, feels like Memphis. It is unlike any other city in the country. What is the culture? The music, of course. That is why I am writing this, after all. You can feel the blues walking down the street. Even if there were no blues playing, you wouldn’t be able to help but imagine it playing (but there is always blues playing, so imagining is not necessary). The Cajun influence is also incredibly apparent from the catfish to the accent some people adorn. And the BBQ ribs. Words can’t describe how amazing Memphis ribs are. If anyone reads this and takes a trip to Memphis, go to the B.B. King Blues Club and get a full rack of ribs and a pint of B.B. King’s Blues Ale. Trust me on this. I have never seen a place since where music pervades the atmosphere so deeply.

I doubt Memphis’s contribution to the world of music needs to be stated, but for the sake of completeness, I think it is important to mention. Blues, heavily inspired by the songs sung by slave laborers got its roots in the Mississippi delta in the early 1900s. Harsh economic and race related conditions led those early blues artists directly the Memphis. Blues may have not started "in" Memphis, but it definitely evolved and gained it first piece of recognition there. Beale Street became a haven for every blues artist in the south. And who doesn’t know Sun Studios? Many a famous artist got their start in that tiny studio (Elvis being the most known). Countless others (some still going strong) started in Memphis. B.B. King, Johnny Cash, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Robert Johnson…the list could go on. Anytime I put on some blues it takes me back there. I can’t help but to think of Memphis and walking down Beale Street. Memphis even has its own brand of blues, rightfully dubbed "Memphis Blues". It emphasizes a more danceable rhythm and is more heavily influenced by jazz than other forms. It is hard to find genuine blues these days. In fact, I find myself going back to the classics more than trying to discover a new blues artist. However, visiting Memphis reminds me the blues is alive and well. The blues, regardless of how popular it is anywhere else, will forever be a part of Memphis. It is the soul of the city, and anyone needing to hear some new blues need look no further than there.

So, would I recommend visiting? Most definitely. Every city has an ugly side. It just so happens that the history, culture, and atmosphere of many of the places in Memphis make it worth seeing. If you are feeling really touristy go check out Graceland. Growing up in a place like that ingrained music as a vital need in my life, not just a pleasure. I still visit Memphis a lot, as I still have family there and each time I go, I take a day to walk around Beale Street and do nothing but sip some beer, eat some ribs, and get lost in the blues.

EDIT: I revised a bit above, changed the BB King vid to what I originally thought it was and added a classic example of pure Memphis Blues (yep..all the way back to 1928). Enjoy!

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Confusion will be my epitaph...

duga

Ok this thing has been neglected for long enough. Time to get it rolling again, I have plenty of albums to cover.

Early Childhood
The Cranberries - No Need To Argue


This particular album marks the first bit of music that I can truly say was my own. Yep, I was around 6 or 7 years old, I had just received a Sony Walkman (the cassette kind – for you kids out there, we used strips of magnetic tape in the 80's/early 90's to listen to music...especially when traveling since the affordable CD players skipped like a mofo), and I was set to go with my first ever album. The first notes to grace my ears through those headphones were from the Cranberries and their album No Need To Argue.

Obviously, I had to get this recommendation from somewhere. What 6 year old is going to grab the Cranberries off the shelf? At this time, I started taking all my musical queues from my much older half sister. Basically, anything she had I had to have, too. I would only see her on very sporadic weekends, so she always seemed like some sort of enigmatic sage of coolness (especially since she was so much older than me). She started raving about the Cranberries and how they were her favorite band, so they automatically became my favorite band as well.

Thankfully, the music was actually pretty good! This particular album has actually been lost in time to me for quite a while. In fact, I hadn't listened to it for years and years until I decided to write this. As I listen to it, it is bringing back so many childhood memories. I can't even describe the level of nostalgia this album is putting me through right now. This is why I freaking LOVE music. For those unfamiliar with their music, they are an Irish pop rock/alternative band formed in 1989. They broke up in 2003, but reformed last year. Honestly, I haven't kept up with them at all. Their first hit came from their debut “Everyone Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?” with the song Linger. What I love about the band is they manage to maintain a decent balance of pop, rock, and alternative. There are even subtle moments of dreampop and shoegaze in some of their songs. No Need To Argue is an incredibly balanced album. I can't say there is a bad song on the entire thing. It also has its fair share of eclecticism, running the gambit from subdued (Ode To My Family, Disappointment) to in your face rock (Zombie). For the longest time, I felt Zombie was the most bad ass song in existence. In true 90's style, the album is rife with jangly guitars and nary a keyboard. Another thing I loved was how distinctly Irish Dolores O'Riordan's vocals are. I'm not sure how it would sound to someone from Ireland, but to me she has a truly unique voice. I was wondering how all of this would sound after being away from it for so long, and I am quite pleased. This album still holds up, and is worth a listen if anything I just described strikes your fancy.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I really think this album sits a lot higher on its level of influence than I previously thought. I absolutely love dreamy guitars, but I still love when a band is able to kick it up a notch. A vital draw to many bands for me is a unique singer, and the Cranberries definitely had that. I also want to be able to listen to an album the entire way through. No Need To Argue is solid from beginning to end. If I had to point to any one album responsible for my current overall taste in music, it is this one. It is safe to say I can definitely still recommend this album to just about anyone. I continued to listen to the Cranberries well into middle school, but lost them at some point after that. I'm glad I rediscovered them.

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Confusion will be my epitaph...

Gavin B.

I finally got time to read your excellent journal with a fantastic title. We have two things in common: I love Memphis Tennessee and I love the Talking Heads. I've been to Memphis and visited Graceland, Beale Street, Sun Records and Stax Records which was the greatest independently owned R&B label in the history of American music. Memphis is one of the great world class music cities and hometown of musical greats like W.C. Handy, Al Green, BB King and Alex Chilton.

I'm old enough to have seen the Talking Heads live on a few occasions. I first saw them at club in Central Square in Cambridge MA at the corner of River St. and Massachusetts Avenue right near the campus of MIT when I was a college freshman in Boston in the fall of 1976. The club was one of those places that kept changing it's ownership and it's name about once a year. I think it was just called The Club when I saw the Talking Heads there. The Club was always a dump, no matter what name the new owner called the joint. The first time I saw the Talking Heads I thought they were amatuerish and pretty awful musically but I liked David Byrne's quirky stage personnae and was impressed by their ambitous musical vision.

At the time I first saw the Talking Heads, most of the bands on the East Coast punk scene were playing three chord anthems like the Clash and the Ramones but the Talking Heads were playing complex tunes using minor chords, with odd time signatures that had a sparse minimalist sound. From around 1977 until 1980 the Talking Heads improved dramtically primarily because Chris Franz (the drummer) and Tina Weymouth (the bass player) improved dramatically as players.

I saw the Talking Heads for the last time in 1980 as the headliner at the Orpheum, Boston's premier mid-size concert hall venue. They were touring in support of Remain in Light and had added a group of former P-Funk players like Bernie Worrell and Busta Jones. The ensemble of of nearly a dozen musicians played one of the most high voltage sets of funk I've ever heard.

The Talking Heads held together for years after Remain in Light but David Byrne lost interest in touring and only reconvened the group to record an album every few years. I'm pretty certain that the 1980-81 Remain in Light tour was the last Talking Head's last tour because in the decade from 1981 until 1991 when the breakup became official, David Byrne was only touring with his Brazilian ensemble and Chris & Tina were only touring with the Tom Tom Club.

There's quite a few folks who diss the Talking Heads but their first two self produced albums Talking Heads 77 and More Songs About Buildings & Food, and their 3rd and 4th Eno produced albums Fear of Music and Remain In Light contained some of the most forward thinking and visionary music of that era.

David Byrne never apologized the commerical success of the band, I don't think he cared one way or another if the Talking Heads sold millions of records or remained a cult band. Those who call Byrne a sell out are at a loss to explain why he walked away from the Talking Heads at the peak of their success to spend the next 20 years making albums of obscure Brazilian music and a string of experimental albums that tanked in the marketplace. By the same token, Byrne feels no need to apologize for his lack of commerical success with his solo career and has resisted all overtures to "cash in" with one last Talking Heads reunion tour.

duga

Yeah, that's why I love the Talking Heads...they always did whatever they wanted. They are definitely one of the most unique bands to ever make music. You are so lucky to have been able to see them! I was, unfortunately, much to young to have ever been able to see them. I was lucky enough to have parents with decent enough music taste to introduce them to me.

And I'm glad you like my journal! Keep reading and keep posting!

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Confusion will be my epitaph...

Akira

[QUOTE=duga;846295]
The Cranberries - No Need To Argue


Yup, love this album, definitely their best and always seems to be overlooked. Has some lovely songs on their and not just the singles.

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storymilo

Great journal duga..... your reviews manage to keep me interested while still being very informing. I think I'll be checking out that electronica album soon enough.

From these Cranberries videos, their singer sounds a lot like Alanis Morissette to me, though I like this music more than Alanis. Anyone else see the resemblance..?

duga

Thanks again for the comments, guys! You keep reading, I'll keep writing.

Early Childhood
Pulp Fiction Soundtrack


Remember how I said when I was little I wanted to listen to everything my older sister listened to? Well, this is another one of those. She came over one day raving about the movie and had the soundtrack in tow. Now, I was much too young for my parents to actually let me see Pulp Fiction, but they seemed to be fine with the soundtrack. It would be about another 8 years before I actually did see the movie, but I was an expert on the music in it, to be sure. I also felt like a total badass having an album with curse words in it (they weren't in the songs, they were in the little bits of movie dialogue sprinkled throughout the soundtrack).

Unlike my Cranberries cassette, I actually still have this thing. I'm not sure if it plays since it has been years since I've listened to it, but I always thought it was interesting it lasted this long. This was also the first CD I ever owned. Ah, technology!

Years later, and several Quentin Tarantino movies later, I realized the guy has consistently excellent taste in music. I tend to really enjoy the songs he puts in his films, Pulp Fiction included. I always felt his choices gave his movies a “You may not like this music, but I do and if you make fun of it I'm going to rip your ****ing head off” kind of vibe. When I was little and listening to this album, though, I was always really confused as to how an action movie could fit in music like this. The songs I would play over and over back then were **** Dale's Misirlou (even then I loved killer guitar work), Kool and the Gang's Jungle Boogie (which I love to this day), Urge Overkill's Girl You'll Be a Woman Soon, and Dusty Springfield's Son of a Preacher Man. In fact, Son of a Preacher Man used to be my favorite song on the entire album. Don't ask me why, I was a weird kid. This is definitely another nostalgia inducing album. As I listen to it again, I'm going right back to age 9 while I rock out to **** Dale. Trippy.

I think the biggest thing this album did for me was that after listening to it, I really didn't care what everyone thought of my taste in music. I like what I like, and if you don't then you are really just missing out. I think it also helped broaden my taste a bit as I rarely stick to one genre of music for too long. There are definitely unifying elements in what I listen to, but if you were to look through my collection you would see that I go all over the place. This album also set me up to love just about every Quentin Tarantino movie. I guess I was just raised to have impeccable taste.

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Confusion will be my epitaph...

Akira

Not a bad choice, but any points gained are deducted for not even mentioning Al Green, who tramples all over the rest of the tracks.

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storymilo

Dude I've had this album for a while and still haven't seen the movie () But yeah it's pretty good... I also really like Son of A Preacher Man for some reason :/