A day 'working from home', so more of this to pass the time while fixing lights on the attic...
Jumping Jack Flash (live) - Peter Frampton
Clipping The 8th (Hello Hello [Demo Version]) - Caravan
Strip The Soul - Porcupine Tree
Experience - Gentle Giant
Hoedown - Caravan
Painted Bird - Siouxsie And The Banshees
Zeit - Tangerine Dream
Ali Click - Brian Eno
Attack Ships On Fire Off The Shoulder Of Orion - A Beautiful Machine
Circle of Fire - Native American Music
Tuulilta Tuleva - Värttinä
You Burn Me Up I`m A Cigarette - Robert Fripp
Still Life In Mobile Homes - Japan
Ci Sei Solo Tu - Litfiba
Jawbone And The Air-Rifle - The Fall
Say It Like You Mean It - Matchbook Romance
Surucucu - Weather Report
Fade Away - Blur
7 Ghosts I - Nine Inch Nails
Parasite - Nick Drake
Track 7 - Unknown E. Europe music, found on a computer at work. I have no idea,
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots pt. 2 - The Flaming Lips
Thank You For Sending Me An Angel - Talking Heads
Kayleigh (Album Demo) - Marillion
Crying In The Night - Buckingham Nicks
The Time Of The Turning - Peter Gabriel
Bruise Pristine - Placebo
Formentera Lady - King Crimson
Singing Bridges (We All Fall) - Matchbook Romance
The Third Hoorah - Jethro Tull
Presto Vivace - UK
Ahma - Maria Kalaniemi & Aldargaz
D.C.B.A. - 25 - Jefferson Airplane
This House Is Condemned - Pulp
Pantomime Horse - Suede
Nena Lena - A Toys Orchestra
Wee Wee Man - Steeleye Span
John Barleycorn - Jethro Tull
Bornlivedie (Intro) [Live] - Porcupine Tree
02 - Hung Over Part Two - Godspeed You Black Emperor
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) - Talking Heads
Teen Beat - Fleetwood Mac
Song Of The Stars - Dead Can Dance
Untitled - Judee Sill
L'orque - Les Viox de L'Ocean
Good King Wenceslas - Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers
Wolf In The Breast - Cocteau Twins
Passion In Moisture - Mick Karn
Better Days - Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Mediterranean C - Richard Wright
The Hunter - Free
River - Joni Mitchell
Nightingale - Norah Jones
Aegian Sea - Aphrodite's Child
Movement 3 - Vangelis, from 'Mask'
Song For Sharon - Joni Mitchell
Tiny Grief Song - Sinéad O'Connor
Quick And To The Pointless - Queens Of The Stone Age
3 Ghosts I - Nine Inch Nails
Penetrate - Godhead
Fixed ratio harmonic bells - Brian Eno
Showing posts with label day off. Show all posts
Showing posts with label day off. Show all posts
Friday, 14 March 2008
Thursday, 28 February 2008
Home Taping Is Killing Music
This Guardian blog caught my eye this morning, as I sit at home and avoid doing what I'm supposed to be doing.
"When's the last time you really listened to an album?"
LP - Back in January, either 'Twelfth Night' or Don Maclean 'Tapestry', found in a charity shop, on my Rega P3
CD - Genesis 'Wind and Wuthering' in the car (on my way to an interview), and Epsilon Indi 'Crystal Soup' at home on my home hi-fi at the weekend just gone
MP3s - Coheed & Cambria on my 'Pod, and Bert Jansch with 'Pod plugged into my home hi-fi
I tend to agree with this comment - ironically, given my recent posts - by 'bertjansch':
"I dont know how much of this is down to the digital age and how much is simply down to growing up and just not having the liberty to fart round staring at lyric sheets. For almost all of us over 25s, an appreciation of music began in early to mid-teens when lets face it, we had a hell of a lot more free time to sit around darkened rooms, smoking fattie boombatties and listening to 'Meddle' while staring at the cover. I know i tend to skip the crap tracks on my ipod, but im an impatient bugger and even on vinyl The Crunge never got too many spins! You have made me all nostalgic now im going to skive off home to sit on the floor with the curtains drawn watch Live at Pompeii while my partner and our daughter are out at playgroup, hurrah!"
Replace 'partner and daughter' with 'wife and son', and 'Live at Pompeii' with 'Yes: Symphonic Live' and you've pretty much described my (new) plan for this afternoon.
Perhaps the music-listening thing has turned full circle. Back in the 50s and 60s it was all singles and EPs, with albums only being established commercially in the 60s. Perhaps it's the fault of the computer-generated supermarket CDs, with 2 or 3 'decent' tracks and a dozen or so fillers, that are to blame for downloading of single tracks taking over. I'm not really sure it's that important, though. Some albums cry out for end-to-end listening, others don't.
My main problem is finding time, and sharing a house with others who don't share a lot of my musical taste.
"When's the last time you really listened to an album?"
LP - Back in January, either 'Twelfth Night' or Don Maclean 'Tapestry', found in a charity shop, on my Rega P3
CD - Genesis 'Wind and Wuthering' in the car (on my way to an interview), and Epsilon Indi 'Crystal Soup' at home on my home hi-fi at the weekend just gone
MP3s - Coheed & Cambria on my 'Pod, and Bert Jansch with 'Pod plugged into my home hi-fi
I tend to agree with this comment - ironically, given my recent posts - by 'bertjansch':
"I dont know how much of this is down to the digital age and how much is simply down to growing up and just not having the liberty to fart round staring at lyric sheets. For almost all of us over 25s, an appreciation of music began in early to mid-teens when lets face it, we had a hell of a lot more free time to sit around darkened rooms, smoking fattie boombatties and listening to 'Meddle' while staring at the cover. I know i tend to skip the crap tracks on my ipod, but im an impatient bugger and even on vinyl The Crunge never got too many spins! You have made me all nostalgic now im going to skive off home to sit on the floor with the curtains drawn watch Live at Pompeii while my partner and our daughter are out at playgroup, hurrah!"
Replace 'partner and daughter' with 'wife and son', and 'Live at Pompeii' with 'Yes: Symphonic Live' and you've pretty much described my (new) plan for this afternoon.
Perhaps the music-listening thing has turned full circle. Back in the 50s and 60s it was all singles and EPs, with albums only being established commercially in the 60s. Perhaps it's the fault of the computer-generated supermarket CDs, with 2 or 3 'decent' tracks and a dozen or so fillers, that are to blame for downloading of single tracks taking over. I'm not really sure it's that important, though. Some albums cry out for end-to-end listening, others don't.
My main problem is finding time, and sharing a house with others who don't share a lot of my musical taste.
Please Stop Staring At Me
OK, some self-regarding nonsense for a while...
Following the Comment on the previous post 'All The Best Freaks Are Here', by Stuart Maconie, here are some expanded thoughts on the edition of the 'Freak Zone' Podcast that I heard. Please feel free to scatter 'IMO' liberally throughout this...
I stumbled upon this 'cast on iTunes while looking for something else. As I said, I rarely listen to DAB radio (I only have one, and that's in the kitchen, and other family members don't share much of my music taste), so was pleased to see this on offer, particularly with the title of "FreakZone: Brazilian Grooves and Bert Jansch 24 Feb 08".
With a running time of 19:33, and with the music rights issue, it was fairly obvious that music would be presented in brief extracts (although I have heard full radio shows before as Podcasts, contrary to what Mr Maconie suggests - perhaps they simply stumped up the royalties).
My main problem was that the Podcast didn't stand up as a separate entity. It was clearly edited from the full show (which I haven't heard yet) and came across as confusing, repetitive and shallow, and, most importantly of all, didn't do justice to the album under consideration. Three 30 second bits of tracks linked by some (but not enough) biographical detail - why no mention of Danny Thompson, given the earlier mention of The Pentangle? - which was repetitive, and seemingly sourced exclusively from Wikipedia.
I didn't like the dedication of less than 5 minutes to this album, followed by 13 minutes of Professor Justin Spear (complete with comedy voice) and his thesis on Brazilian Bossa Nova - it just seemed unbalanced.
in brief:
00.00 - 00.20: intro, complete with scat,
00.20 - 00.25: "...we'll have three tracks from... Avocet. Enjoy"
00.25 - 01.05: confusingly, given the introduction, some 'retro-garage'
01.05 - 01.25: we learn it's BJ's favourite of his own albums, and was only released on CD 15 years after the vinyl release
01.25 - 02.00: (a bit of) Kingfisher
02.00 - 3.15: another mention of the delayed CD release and some (interesting) biographic detail, and some info on the nature and recording of the album
3.15 - 3.50: (a bit of) Avocet
3.45 - 4.40: repeated recording details, and another mention of it being BJ's favourite. A mention of Martin Jenkins, without context, and no mention of Mr Thompson. The tracks are apparently named after birds, based on birds and have an ornithological bent
4.40 - 5.20: (a bit of) Bittern, with an abrupt edit into Dick Dale
6.00 - 'witty banter', and stuff I'm not hugely interested in. Chacun a son goût, of course.
Now obviously, in a live radio show, if you're playing an 18 minute track, there's less talk to be edited in, and I have no other FZ 'casts to compare it with. A main issue with this particular one was the repetitive nature of the information, and the omission of important info (cue 'funny' nerdy voice: musicians, label, in/out of print, previous and subsequent albums for an idea of where it fits into the oeuvre). I have the album - vinyl - but I think I would be in the dark listening to the Podcast on its own.
Now Stuart, thanks again for your comment - I couldn't resist rising to the challenge to explain my thoughts beyond my brief sketch. The Podcast certainly provoked me to re-visit the album on my iPod, and I will try to remember about the existence of BBC 6Music in future, and maybe 'Listen Again'.
Keep up the good work, and keep playing those 18 minute songs.
Any job going at the BBC for a 40 y-o disillusioned scientist with a passion for music, and prog in particular?
Following the Comment on the previous post 'All The Best Freaks Are Here', by Stuart Maconie, here are some expanded thoughts on the edition of the 'Freak Zone' Podcast that I heard. Please feel free to scatter 'IMO' liberally throughout this...
I stumbled upon this 'cast on iTunes while looking for something else. As I said, I rarely listen to DAB radio (I only have one, and that's in the kitchen, and other family members don't share much of my music taste), so was pleased to see this on offer, particularly with the title of "FreakZone: Brazilian Grooves and Bert Jansch 24 Feb 08".
With a running time of 19:33, and with the music rights issue, it was fairly obvious that music would be presented in brief extracts (although I have heard full radio shows before as Podcasts, contrary to what Mr Maconie suggests - perhaps they simply stumped up the royalties).
My main problem was that the Podcast didn't stand up as a separate entity. It was clearly edited from the full show (which I haven't heard yet) and came across as confusing, repetitive and shallow, and, most importantly of all, didn't do justice to the album under consideration. Three 30 second bits of tracks linked by some (but not enough) biographical detail - why no mention of Danny Thompson, given the earlier mention of The Pentangle? - which was repetitive, and seemingly sourced exclusively from Wikipedia.
I didn't like the dedication of less than 5 minutes to this album, followed by 13 minutes of Professor Justin Spear (complete with comedy voice) and his thesis on Brazilian Bossa Nova - it just seemed unbalanced.
in brief:
00.00 - 00.20: intro, complete with scat,
00.20 - 00.25: "...we'll have three tracks from... Avocet. Enjoy"
00.25 - 01.05: confusingly, given the introduction, some 'retro-garage'
01.05 - 01.25: we learn it's BJ's favourite of his own albums, and was only released on CD 15 years after the vinyl release
01.25 - 02.00: (a bit of) Kingfisher
02.00 - 3.15: another mention of the delayed CD release and some (interesting) biographic detail, and some info on the nature and recording of the album
3.15 - 3.50: (a bit of) Avocet
3.45 - 4.40: repeated recording details, and another mention of it being BJ's favourite. A mention of Martin Jenkins, without context, and no mention of Mr Thompson. The tracks are apparently named after birds, based on birds and have an ornithological bent
4.40 - 5.20: (a bit of) Bittern, with an abrupt edit into Dick Dale
6.00 - 'witty banter', and stuff I'm not hugely interested in. Chacun a son goût, of course.
Now obviously, in a live radio show, if you're playing an 18 minute track, there's less talk to be edited in, and I have no other FZ 'casts to compare it with. A main issue with this particular one was the repetitive nature of the information, and the omission of important info (cue 'funny' nerdy voice: musicians, label, in/out of print, previous and subsequent albums for an idea of where it fits into the oeuvre). I have the album - vinyl - but I think I would be in the dark listening to the Podcast on its own.
Now Stuart, thanks again for your comment - I couldn't resist rising to the challenge to explain my thoughts beyond my brief sketch. The Podcast certainly provoked me to re-visit the album on my iPod, and I will try to remember about the existence of BBC 6Music in future, and maybe 'Listen Again'.
Keep up the good work, and keep playing those 18 minute songs.
Any job going at the BBC for a 40 y-o disillusioned scientist with a passion for music, and prog in particular?
Tuesday, 5 February 2008
It's Only Goodbye
Well, for a bit at least.
The news came this morning that it's all over, and my company is in liquidation. So there you have it: no final salary, no notice, no redundancy. Thanks everyone, you useless bastards.
There will a month or so of turmoil, interspersed with job interviews, DIY and helping with the shutdown, so my posting here will probably be very sporadic. After that, I don't know.
Keep watching the skies...
The news came this morning that it's all over, and my company is in liquidation. So there you have it: no final salary, no notice, no redundancy. Thanks everyone, you useless bastards.
There will a month or so of turmoil, interspersed with job interviews, DIY and helping with the shutdown, so my posting here will probably be very sporadic. After that, I don't know.
Keep watching the skies...
Thursday, 20 December 2007
Gentle Blues
Two days and counting...
No blog yesterday, as I was at my son's nursery nativity thing. Splendid fun.
Walkin' Blues - Robert Johnson,
Story of a Man a Woman, Pt. 1: She Thought I Was Stanley Clarke - Stanley Clarke,
Emergency 72 - Turin Brakes,
Höga Berg Och DJupa Dalar (High Mountains And Low Valleys) - Ranarim,
The Easy Blues (Jelly Roll Blues/Gentle Blues) - John Martyn,
Beyond The Seventh Galaxy - Return To Forever,
Babylon Sisters - Steely Dan,
Highway Song - James Taylor,
Never Any Good - Leonard Cohen,
Hallucinations - Tim Buckley,
Hazey Jane I - Nick Drake,
Cucumber Slumber - Weather Report,
Poor Boy - Nick Drake.
T - 3; M -4; D -3
No blog yesterday, as I was at my son's nursery nativity thing. Splendid fun.
Walkin' Blues - Robert Johnson,
Story of a Man a Woman, Pt. 1: She Thought I Was Stanley Clarke - Stanley Clarke,
Emergency 72 - Turin Brakes,
Höga Berg Och DJupa Dalar (High Mountains And Low Valleys) - Ranarim,
The Easy Blues (Jelly Roll Blues/Gentle Blues) - John Martyn,
Beyond The Seventh Galaxy - Return To Forever,
Babylon Sisters - Steely Dan,
Highway Song - James Taylor,
Never Any Good - Leonard Cohen,
Hallucinations - Tim Buckley,
Hazey Jane I - Nick Drake,
Cucumber Slumber - Weather Report,
Poor Boy - Nick Drake.
T - 3; M -4; D -3
Thursday, 11 October 2007
Escape Plan II
Well, another interview today, as part of my continuing efforts to salvage my career, so no commute. More larks tomorrow
Monday, 30 April 2007
Snakes and Arrows
... tell me the good news first...
My new Rush CD 'Snakes and Arrows' came this morning. A bit of a surprise, as CD-WOW has not had a good recent record of delivering on time (see Marillion and Porcupine Tree - the latter has still not arrived).
Got a nasty throat infection, which makes me sound like Barry White, so I'm at home resting and sorting out job applications...
The Rush CD is excellent on first listen. Much better production than 'Vapor Trails', and it hangs together well. The inclusion of the two instrumentals, and the prominence of the acoustic guitar on a couple of tracks break thing up a little. I've heard some reviews comparing it to 'Hemispheres', but I can't see it. What I hear is confident musicians doing their own thing, returning to the themes of isolation in modern life (The Way the Wind Blows is particularly effective) but with an optimisitic slant (We Hold On).
I think I'll be coming back this repeatedly. 8 out of 10 for me
My new Rush CD 'Snakes and Arrows' came this morning. A bit of a surprise, as CD-WOW has not had a good recent record of delivering on time (see Marillion and Porcupine Tree - the latter has still not arrived).
Got a nasty throat infection, which makes me sound like Barry White, so I'm at home resting and sorting out job applications...
The Rush CD is excellent on first listen. Much better production than 'Vapor Trails', and it hangs together well. The inclusion of the two instrumentals, and the prominence of the acoustic guitar on a couple of tracks break thing up a little. I've heard some reviews comparing it to 'Hemispheres', but I can't see it. What I hear is confident musicians doing their own thing, returning to the themes of isolation in modern life (The Way the Wind Blows is particularly effective) but with an optimisitic slant (We Hold On).
I think I'll be coming back this repeatedly. 8 out of 10 for me
Wednesday, 11 April 2007
Sickie
Actually, no, I really am ill this morning. A mixture of hay-fever with a cold accompanied by a raging headache. I need some sleep...
No commute, so no play-list, although I did listen to the 2nd installment of Danny Baker's thing. OK, but a little flat and I've heard many of the stories before. I'm sure it'll get better as time passes - perhaps 1 hour is too long? Especially if there are to be no phone-ins to spice things up. Danny suggested that he would probably charge for the podcast in the near future, and offer it as a daily alternative to the dross that currently passes for Breakfast radio in London. A daily download is probably too much for me, as it involves too much like technology first thing in the morning, but the occasional episode would be welcome...
Also, looking forward to tonight's 'Where's the Skill In That?' on Resonance FM. It's now got a repeat on Sunday's at 7pm, which is probably better for me, if I remember. I could at least set up my computer to record it. The playlist (originally posted here)
1 The Varp : Bee Sting Soup (4.20)
2 Hanne Hukkelberg : Berlin / Fourteen (5.10 + 4.07)
3 Aronas : The Splits (3.41)
4 Flourescent Grey : I Am A Photograph Of My Old Driveway (5.30)
5 Paul Curreri : The Wasp (2.09)
6 Alexandra Gardner : Luminoso (2003) for guitar & sampled sounds (6.14)
7 Chad Oliveiri : This Just Happened (4.21)
8 Paul De Aragon : Driftin’ Love Cycle (3.22)
9 David Karsten Daniels : Jesus & The Devil/Sharp Teeth 1/Minnows (9.45)
10 Hanne Hukkelberg : Ticking Bomb (4.58)
Currently listening to some Vangelis downloads before I go and have a lie down.
No commute, so no play-list, although I did listen to the 2nd installment of Danny Baker's thing. OK, but a little flat and I've heard many of the stories before. I'm sure it'll get better as time passes - perhaps 1 hour is too long? Especially if there are to be no phone-ins to spice things up. Danny suggested that he would probably charge for the podcast in the near future, and offer it as a daily alternative to the dross that currently passes for Breakfast radio in London. A daily download is probably too much for me, as it involves too much like technology first thing in the morning, but the occasional episode would be welcome...
Also, looking forward to tonight's 'Where's the Skill In That?' on Resonance FM. It's now got a repeat on Sunday's at 7pm, which is probably better for me, if I remember. I could at least set up my computer to record it. The playlist (originally posted here)
1 The Varp : Bee Sting Soup (4.20)
2 Hanne Hukkelberg : Berlin / Fourteen (5.10 + 4.07)
3 Aronas : The Splits (3.41)
4 Flourescent Grey : I Am A Photograph Of My Old Driveway (5.30)
5 Paul Curreri : The Wasp (2.09)
6 Alexandra Gardner : Luminoso (2003) for guitar & sampled sounds (6.14)
7 Chad Oliveiri : This Just Happened (4.21)
8 Paul De Aragon : Driftin’ Love Cycle (3.22)
9 David Karsten Daniels : Jesus & The Devil/Sharp Teeth 1/Minnows (9.45)
10 Hanne Hukkelberg : Ticking Bomb (4.58)
Currently listening to some Vangelis downloads before I go and have a lie down.
Tuesday, 20 February 2007
Working from Home...
... which according to Roger Melly's Profanisourus means something entirely different.
No commute today as my 3-year old is ill. My turn to stay home and look after him.
This gives me a chance to play a few LPs, including Mahavishnu's Apocalypse, some Andreas Vollenweider, and old Vangelis, all of which went down well.
Normal service resumes tomorrow, although my workload, as the company continues on its downward spiral, is tending toward zero.
No commute today as my 3-year old is ill. My turn to stay home and look after him.
This gives me a chance to play a few LPs, including Mahavishnu's Apocalypse, some Andreas Vollenweider, and old Vangelis, all of which went down well.
Normal service resumes tomorrow, although my workload, as the company continues on its downward spiral, is tending toward zero.
Wednesday, 14 February 2007
Souped-Up Cruising SuperHero
No commute today, as I booked a day off to take the family to see 'Brum' at a local theatre. Utter nonsense of course, but my son loved it.
Managed to pick up a CD of Devendra Banhart which, on first listen, is very impressive. Not sure it suits the Tube, though, as it's a bit quiet.
Normal service tomorrow.
Managed to pick up a CD of Devendra Banhart which, on first listen, is very impressive. Not sure it suits the Tube, though, as it's a bit quiet.
Normal service tomorrow.
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