also- I'm sorry I made Trysty sad by moving cross-country. You people in the DC area who don't go to her show on Friday should be shot with a cross-bow... or otherwise endure some strange mode of death from the Omen movies. Because she is great musically! And an awesome lady! Check out her freakin MySpace musics if you think she is merely making Lumpy Gravy:
"Badblood MOC" by multi (i.e. her)
http://www.myspace.com/multi
"From My Fingers" and "Goodbye" by The Sort
http://www.myspace.com/thesort
Glad to see recoveringmale, hansel, and Eddie on Sunday, as well as the other 3 ex-SGers who were hauling stuff all day and later someone maybe some drinking beers and smokin stuff.
I feel like rambling!
I find it funny sometimes how, as a fan, you can like something by a musician and really hate something by them too. My example today is Frank Zappa's Burnt Weeny Sandwich versus Lumpy Gravy. BWS is such a great album, a real delight. The 30-second percussion pieces are, well... optional, and the doo-wop songs that bookend it... well, they're alright.
But the rest is some quite beautiful mixture of rock, jazz, and classical stylings. And the violin soloing is great. While similar stuff on Hot Rats didn't move me at all, this one is smoking.
Conversely, LG is just rambling garbage. It's not even music for the most part. It's spoken word... but not poetic or amusing spoken word, just what seem to be stoned hippie ramblings. Now, since Zappa hated drug use and hippies, I'm not sure if he includes all this for irony but if so IRONY IS DEAD. I would've preferred (and I could be crazy here) MUSIC to the outrageously boring collage-work of this album.
I have a somewhat similar prob with Sun Ra's Space Is the Place, but that's more just a music-taste thing. The first 3 songs all coalesce pretty well. The last 2 kinda lose the track, though... but I'm willing to admit that he provides ample warning by titling the 4th track "Sea of Sounds." It's just a sea of sounds made by the Arkestra... hey, it could've worked... and maybe it does for someone.
At the same time, I have to admit some FAULTS as a music LISTENER. I've often remarked on my initial indifference to London Calling and Louder Than Bombs, to name two. Well, upon listening to Neil Young's American Stars and Bars, I have to say I was wrong 15 years ago when I thought "Saddle Up the Palomino" was one of the best songs on here, and "Will to Love," "Hold Back the Tears" and "Bite the Bullet" were not worth taping. it's quite the opposite, really. But, I have to say, if "Star of Bethlehem" and "Saddle Up..." are the worst things on here (I believe they are), this is a damned underrated Neil album.
Also, one of my fave album covers:
I don't even know where to begin! First of all, the 70s-psychedelic design style of the stars behind... err, above passed-out Neil and the nice young lady whose skirt we look up (I believe Nicolette Larson?)... secondly, the puns. They are drunk off their ass in a BAR with the STARS above. Stars and bars. (Also, Neil is a star... and perhaps making a reference about American celebs in fancy night clubs?) And the fact that the CANADIAN whiskey occupies the middle of the cover, repazenting for Neil's home country. And the stockings, garter, and polka-dot bloomers. And Neil's smooshed face. And a SPITTOON. This cover owns. Neil's album cover above is the second-best drunk-ass album-cover to my All-Time Faive Albumm Covar Ever:
(couldn't find bigger/ clearer pic, sorry) I lovvve this cover. Stephens is all leaning on his legs, like "Oh, hi, I'm drunk," and Andy Hummel is leaning into Alex with his whiskey all like "Whasadat?" and Alex is like "They takin a album cover!" pointin at the camera while drinkin and smokin... and the big-Lemmy-sideburns guy in the back (maybe it was Lemmy, roadieing for Big Star after being kicked out of Hawkwind) and the lady in the front smokin n lookin at Big Star. It's just my fave, but GOD you need to see the VINYL for the full effect (and I still have my copy... well, in northern VA... cuz you need it).
I'm starting to feel better. 