Museum Musica

Zhanteimi · 01-14-2019, 03:38 PM

0124 Leonard Cohen - New Skin for the Old Ceremony
(Canada, 1974, singer-songwriter / contemporary folk)

It took me a while to get into Cohen because he demands a close listen to his lyrics, but if you give him that time, you’ll not be disappointed. He’s got a lot of raw, confessional—sometimes rather embarrassing to hear—stories, and so many of his songs revolve around how he just can’t get the whole love thing right. Love, for him, is a battlefield.

Zhanteimi · 01-14-2019, 09:40 PM

0125 Claude-Michel Schönberg -Les Misérables - The Musical That Swept the World (10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall)
(France / UK / USA, 1996, soundtrack)

This is the dream cast, collected from all the English-singing troupes. I’ve come to realize that this kind of music is for fans of the stage, so the people (like me) who love it are going to really really love it, and those who don’t care for the genre are going to shrug and wonder why this kind of music is so popular. Well, for me, it’s the storytelling, the swells of beauty, and the depths of despair. Les Misérables is one of my favorite books, one I re-read often, simply because I love the struggles and final triumph of Jean Valjean. The selfless and self-sacrificing bishop at the beginning of the book is inspiring, too, to say the least. However, Hugo often digresses in his narrative, descending into not only Napoleonic history (wherein he pontificates) but the history of the Paris sewers! All this non-essential scribbling is left out of the music, and the story is better for it.

OccultHawk · 01-14-2019, 10:04 PM

Quote:

This is my favorite Stones album

Mine too.

Zhanteimi · 01-15-2019, 04:44 AM

0126 Lou Reed - Transformer
(USA, 1972, glam rock / art rock)

Is this the most technically proficient album ever made? The most beautiful? Is it even that good musically? No, not really. But that doesn’t matter. I love this album for its unique NY charm and sense of detached cool, carried a lot by the awkward vocals. “Perfect Day” is the song that, for most people, rises above the rest of the tracks, but for me, it’s just part of the suite. Reed certainly had a knack for writing a melody, especially when it came to the chorus. If you haven’t yet, babe, take a walk on the wild side.

Zhanteimi · 01-15-2019, 05:18 PM

0127 Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice - Jesus Christ Superstar
(UK, 1970, rock opera)

Since I watch the 1973 film every Holy Week, it’s nice to also have the 1970 concept album on vinyl to spin. There are subtle differences between the two. I greatly prefer Herod’s mocking song in the film, for example, more than the one on the record, but almost all the other songs, though different in tiny ways, are neither better nor worse. This rock opera is a family favorite, so when this one came up in this random list project, I saved it until I could spin it for all the kids. The songwriting here is fantastic, and yes, it’s quite kitschy in spots, and I love that, too. Showtunes are my thing, so I take them on their own terms. This album isn’t exactly showtunes, though, with its symphonic prog and art rock elements to it.

Zhanteimi · 01-15-2019, 06:31 PM

0128 Exuma - Exuma
(Bahamas, 1970, Caribbean folk / freak folk)

This is what music can be: not giving a single fuck while it expresses the human soul, reminding you that you have feelings and that music can evoke from you the most visceral and beautiful reactions. This is First Utterance’s black cousin.

Zhanteimi · 01-15-2019, 09:13 PM

0129 Al Green - Let’s Stay Together
(USA, 1972, southern soul / smooth soul)

Al Green’s pure vision of love always inspires me. He’s just so damn wholesome, never running around playing, but seeking the natural end of love: to give himself completely to one woman for life. I love the touches of his sweet, sexy falsetto. Also this album has one of the best covers of any song ever: Green’s rendition of the Gibb brothers’ “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?” I believe him when he sings.

Zhanteimi · 01-16-2019, 04:04 PM

0130 Miles Davis - On the Corner
(USA, 1972, jazz fusion / jazz-funk)

I have no problem with this album. As a matter of fact, I love it. I never read reviews, either of new or old albums, so I never know the meta before going into an album. I just trust my ears. And so I’ll like something that’s panned or hate something that’s acclaimed. But the other day I ran across someone online talking about the critical re-evaluation of this album. Wait what? Critics thought this album was bad? What the hell! Is an artist not allowed to do new things, to stand on the corner and listen to the music of the street and then incorporate that music into his own? Now you know why I don’t read reviews. By the way, if you need further enticement, this has McLaughlin on guitar, Hancock on piano, and DeJohnette on drums.

rostasi · 01-16-2019, 04:49 PM

Oh, man. On the Corner was seen as almost “evil” when it came out.
I had just turned 14 and a regular reader of downbeat magazine and
I think it gave it something like a one star rating and panned it mercilessly.
Other magazines and newspapers followed the same pattern of namecalling.

I was shocked because it was so amazingly forward-looking at the time,
but I had already been used to him changing up his style for practically
every LP during those days. Even freakin Eugene Chadbourne reviewed
it for Coda magazine and said it was something like “pure arrogance” (!)

... and then there was Dave Liebman, who played on the album, who
didn’t like it until something like 20 years later when he listened to it again
and thought it was total genius. Stories abound. Still wear the t-shirt.
I could comment on nearly all of your music posts, but I try to restrain -
except in this case.

OccultHawk · 01-16-2019, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rostasi

Oh, man. On the Corner was seen as almost “evil” when it came out.
I had just turned 14 and a regular reader of downbeat magazine and
I think it gave it something like a one star rating and panned it mercilessly.
Other magazines and newspapers followed the same pattern of namecalling.

I was shocked because it was so amazingly forward-looking at the time,
but I had already been used to him changing up his style for practically
every LP during those days. Even freakin Eugene Chadbourne reviewed
it for Coda magazine and said it was something like “pure arrogance” (!)

... and then there was Dave Liebman, who played on the album, who
didn’t like it until something like 20 years later when he listened to it again
and thought it was total genius. Stories abound. Still wear the t-shirt.
I could comment on nearly all of your music posts, but I try to restrain -
except in this case.

https://www.nashvillescene.com/music...-on-the-corner

Quote:

Eugene Chadbourne, a fairly iconoclastic musician in his own right, turned up his nose at the album in a review for Canadian jazz magazine CODA: "His new music is pure arrogance. It's like coming home and finding Miles there, his fancy feet up on your favorite chair."

Wow. That’s really ****ed up.

01-14-2019, 03:38 PM	#1101 (permalink)
Zhanteimi Mord Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Tokyo Posts: 4,873	0124 Leonard Cohen - New Skin for the Old Ceremony (Canada, 1974, singer-songwriter / contemporary folk) It took me a while to get into Cohen because he demands a close listen to his lyrics, but if you give him that time, you’ll not be disappointed. He’s got a lot of raw, confessional—sometimes rather embarrassing to hear—stories, and so many of his songs revolve around how he just can’t get the whole love thing right. Love, for him, is a battlefield. __________________ Zhanteimi LetsTalkMusic

01-14-2019, 09:40 PM	#1102 (permalink)
Zhanteimi Mord Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Tokyo Posts: 4,873	0125 Claude-Michel Schönberg -Les Misérables - The Musical That Swept the World (10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall) (France / UK / USA, 1996, soundtrack) This is the dream cast, collected from all the English-singing troupes. I’ve come to realize that this kind of music is for fans of the stage, so the people (like me) who love it are going to really really love it, and those who don’t care for the genre are going to shrug and wonder why this kind of music is so popular. Well, for me, it’s the storytelling, the swells of beauty, and the depths of despair. Les Misérables is one of my favorite books, one I re-read often, simply because I love the struggles and final triumph of Jean Valjean. The selfless and self-sacrificing bishop at the beginning of the book is inspiring, too, to say the least. However, Hugo often digresses in his narrative, descending into not only Napoleonic history (wherein he pontificates) but the history of the Paris sewers! All this non-essential scribbling is left out of the music, and the story is better for it. __________________ Zhanteimi LetsTalkMusic

01-15-2019, 04:44 AM	#1104 (permalink)
Zhanteimi Mord Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Tokyo Posts: 4,873	0126 Lou Reed - Transformer (USA, 1972, glam rock / art rock) Is this the most technically proficient album ever made? The most beautiful? Is it even that good musically? No, not really. But that doesn’t matter. I love this album for its unique NY charm and sense of detached cool, carried a lot by the awkward vocals. “Perfect Day” is the song that, for most people, rises above the rest of the tracks, but for me, it’s just part of the suite. Reed certainly had a knack for writing a melody, especially when it came to the chorus. If you haven’t yet, babe, take a walk on the wild side. __________________ Zhanteimi LetsTalkMusic

01-15-2019, 05:18 PM	#1105 (permalink)
Zhanteimi Mord Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Tokyo Posts: 4,873	0127 Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice - Jesus Christ Superstar (UK, 1970, rock opera) Since I watch the 1973 film every Holy Week, it’s nice to also have the 1970 concept album on vinyl to spin. There are subtle differences between the two. I greatly prefer Herod’s mocking song in the film, for example, more than the one on the record, but almost all the other songs, though different in tiny ways, are neither better nor worse. This rock opera is a family favorite, so when this one came up in this random list project, I saved it until I could spin it for all the kids. The songwriting here is fantastic, and yes, it’s quite kitschy in spots, and I love that, too. Showtunes are my thing, so I take them on their own terms. This album isn’t exactly showtunes, though, with its symphonic prog and art rock elements to it. __________________ Zhanteimi LetsTalkMusic

01-15-2019, 06:31 PM	#1106 (permalink)
Zhanteimi Mord Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Tokyo Posts: 4,873	0128 Exuma - Exuma (Bahamas, 1970, Caribbean folk / freak folk) This is what music can be: not giving a single fuck while it expresses the human soul, reminding you that you have feelings and that music can evoke from you the most visceral and beautiful reactions. This is First Utterance’s black cousin. __________________ Zhanteimi LetsTalkMusic

01-15-2019, 09:13 PM	#1107 (permalink)
Zhanteimi Mord Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Tokyo Posts: 4,873	0129 Al Green - Let’s Stay Together (USA, 1972, southern soul / smooth soul) Al Green’s pure vision of love always inspires me. He’s just so damn wholesome, never running around playing, but seeking the natural end of love: to give himself completely to one woman for life. I love the touches of his sweet, sexy falsetto. Also this album has one of the best covers of any song ever: Green’s rendition of the Gibb brothers’ “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?” I believe him when he sings. __________________ Zhanteimi LetsTalkMusic

01-16-2019, 04:04 PM	#1108 (permalink)
Zhanteimi Mord Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Tokyo Posts: 4,873	0130 Miles Davis - On the Corner (USA, 1972, jazz fusion / jazz-funk) I have no problem with this album. As a matter of fact, I love it. I never read reviews, either of new or old albums, so I never know the meta before going into an album. I just trust my ears. And so I’ll like something that’s panned or hate something that’s acclaimed. But the other day I ran across someone online talking about the critical re-evaluation of this album. Wait what? Critics thought this album was bad? What the hell! Is an artist not allowed to do new things, to stand on the corner and listen to the music of the street and then incorporate that music into his own? Now you know why I don’t read reviews. By the way, if you need further enticement, this has McLaughlin on guitar, Hancock on piano, and DeJohnette on drums. __________________ Zhanteimi LetsTalkMusic

01-16-2019, 04:49 PM	#1109 (permalink)
rostasi . Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 4,008	Oh, man. On the Corner was seen as almost “evil” when it came out. I had just turned 14 and a regular reader of downbeat magazine and I think it gave it something like a one star rating and panned it mercilessly. Other magazines and newspapers followed the same pattern of namecalling. I was shocked because it was so amazingly forward-looking at the time, but I had already been used to him changing up his style for practically every LP during those days. Even freakin Eugene Chadbourne reviewed it for Coda magazine and said it was something like “pure arrogance” (!) ... and then there was Dave Liebman, who played on the album, who didn’t like it until something like 20 years later when he listened to it again and thought it was total genius. Stories abound. Still wear the t-shirt. I could comment on nearly all of your music posts, but I try to restrain - except in this case.