So, what have you been listening to lately?

[uwe]

When I saw them, a medium-size hall (capacity of 4.000) that Bowie would have never played, was only half full, probably less. And at least 50% of the people there were waiting for a David Bowie hit, just one hit pleeeze!, most of them female. But he didn't do it.

In hindsight that was probably a mistake, i.e. perceived as arrogance. If they had sprinkled in, say, Ziggy Stardust, Suffragette City, Jean Genie, Rebel Rebel and Heroes, it would have still been a Tin Machine gig and the Bowie faction would have been content.

It didn't matter to me, I loved what I saw/heard. Ironically, it was the only "Bowie"-concert I've ever been to. With Tin Machine, he really downplayed his front man role, Reeves Grabrels was astounding as a guitarist, Adrian Belew, Earl Slick and Mick Ronson rolled into one, and the the two Sales brothers were very dominant (there was also an additional rhythm guitarist though Bowie played acoustic and electric rhythm guitar as well - plus some sax), it appeared as if it was THEIR band.

Hunt and Tony Sales are forever etched in my memory as the most unconventional, daring, yet shit-tight rhythm section I ever saw. They did unison breaks you'd swear they'd never get out of alive, yet they always did. They would sometimes even leave the meter to the point of breaking everything down and then - WWWHHHAAAMMM! -, always be back on the one, it was f***ing amazing. Really pushing the envelope of what rhythm sections in hard rock outfits do.

[uwe]

"It dawned on me that it was mainly the high pitched vocals that (lots of) people hate about Hard Rock."

That is one of Edith's (the ole folkie!) major criticisms of harder music. High pitched wailers like Rob Halford, Brian Johnson, Glenn Hughes, Robert Plant (when he sings high), Graham Bonnet, Ozzy, Lou Gramm leave her cold. "Why are they always screaming and pressing so hard?" My pet theory is that the sheer force of high-pitched singing appeals to men's sense for athletic achievements while women are somewhat bewildered at why any man would want to sing so high (in my personal experience, most women deem their own talking voice too high and would like it deeper). She likes male singers like Paul Rodgers or Van Morrison. And of note especially to you, Rob, while Edith knows very little of Thin Lizzy except Whiskey in the Jar and The Boys Are Back In Town, whenever she hears Lynott she asks: "Who's that, his voice is nice? He doesn't scream."  Mind you, she also has a disdain for nasal sounding Brit accent singers like Al Stewart, David Gahan (DM) or the guy from The Pet Shop Boys (all of which I like).

But Bob Dylan is alright. 

The other two hard rock/heavy metal elements that Edith doesn't like is a pummeling double-bass drum so prevalent in heavy music today and an overtly chugging rhythm guitar, think of Kiss' Lick it Up or Priest's You've Got Another Thing Coming. That to her is just "moronic". Or anything by Status Quo! And playing Priest's Painkiller always elicits  the same reaction with her: "Heavens, WHAT IS THIS? Mind turning it down, I have a headache already!" 

[Basvarken]

...whenever she hears Lynott she asks: "Who's that, his voice is nice. He doesn't scream.

The other two hard rock/heavy metal elements that Edith doesn't like is a pummeling double-bass drum so prevalent in heavy music today and an overtly chugging rhythm guitar, think of Kiss' Lick it Up or Priest's You've Got Another Thing Coming. That to her is just "moronic".

Edith is obviously a woman of great taste.
I fully agree on all of the above. 

[uwe]

She's a friggin' David Gilmour/Pink Floyd floozy!

[Basvarken]

nobody is perfect 

[uwe]

Speaking of ... this found favor even with her - and not only because Ian Paice is featured, her favorite Deep Purple guy.



Nothing can ever beat the original icon of a record, but as all-star-tributes of famous records go, this is certainly in the upper echelons. Bootsy's interpretation of Roger Waters'/David Gilmour's bass parts (let's face it, with Floyd you never know who played the bass if Waters couldn't be bothered) towards the end is a hoot!

For those of you curious who played/sang on it (in alphabetical order):

Rod Argent

Carmine Appice

Bootsy Collins

Mel Collins (not a sibling!)

Geoff Downes

David Ellefson

Rik Emmett

Edgar Froese

Steve Hackett

Steve Hillage (having Steve as a first name helped to get on the guitarist roster!)

James LaBrie

Tony Levin

Patrick Moraz

Ian Paice

Todd Rundgren

Joe Satriani

Rat Scabies

Billy Sheehan

Steve Stevens (I told you so!)

Geoff Tate

Rick Wakeman

Jah Wobble


Rat Scabies and Jah Wobble on a Floyd tribute?! 

Yes my brethren, the culture wars have finally ended. Jake, you can take off your helmet and surrender your arms now.

[OldManC]

I've been going through a Jellyfish/Imperial Drag/Lickerish Quartet thing lately.



Between all three iterations of this band they might be closest to what I always wished my bands could have been.

[Dave W]

Almost forgotten Mike Nesmith gem from 1973.

[amptech]

Started this day with a bit of vintage Öyster (no Paltrow jokes, please..)

I have given this album and fire of unknown origin a spin lately, I never gave this band a listen before someone here made a reference to them.

[TBird1958]

Started this day with a bit of vintage Öyster (no Paltrow jokes, please..)

I have given this album and fire of unknown origin a spin lately, I never gave this band a listen before someone here made a reference to them.

Secret Treaties is one of my all time favorite albums start to finish I just love it....... C'mon, any song that has the phrase Junkers Jumo 004! As part of the chorus, or "Harvester of eyes" as a lyric.......
I saw them at least 4 times over the years, including when the recorded part of "On your feet or on your knees" here in Seattle - They were on fire as a band at that point. 

[uwe]

That was an album that gripped me too. I first saw them around the time of Cultösaurus Erectus and more than half a dozen times since. The Bouchard Bros were of course a missing ingredient at one point. Albert and Joe always had the wackiest songs, Eric Bloom was this MARVEL villain type conferencier, Allen Lanier provided NYC cool as if he had just stepped off a Lou Reed stage and Buck Dharma is one of the great unsung North American guitarists with his fluid and melodic lines - his influence gave BÖC a West Coast touch though they were all New York boys.

Albert Bouchard recently did a charmingly raw, almost unplugged version of his Imaginos album (credited to BÖC for commercial reasons at the time), it's called ReImaginos.

[Dave W]

Found this gem on YT. Barbara Lynn with Gatemouth Brown, Billy Cox on bass.

She and Billy are still around.

[TBird1958]

That was an album that gripped me too. I first saw them around the time of Cultösaurus Erectus and more than half a dozen times since. The Bouchard Bros were of course a missing ingredient at one point. Albert and Joe always had the wackiest songs, Eric Bloom was this MARVEL villain type conferencier, Allen Lanier provided NYC cool as if he had just stepped off a Lou Reed stage and Buck Dharma is one of the great unsung North American guitarists with his fluid and melodic lines - his influence gave BÖC a West Coast touch though they were all New York boys.

Albert Bouchard recently did a charmingly raw, almost unplugged version of his Imaginos album (credited to BÖC for commercial reasons at the time), it's called ReImaginos.

I like that Uwe!

Secret Treaties was their high point for me, the songs, lyrically, thematically, jigsaw together so well, it's dark - no other band was quite where they were at the time, all these years later I ca still listen to it and love it. Their music, not all of it but a fair bit sits well with me, to this day "Don't fear the Reaper" can raise goosebumps on my arms, it's quality is ethereal. They were a great live show back in the day.       

[uwe]

I liked that they didn't have a classic larger-than-life frontman, but rather the whole band stood out as five distinctly different individuals. That probably hindered them from really hitting the big league, but I found it pleasingly different.



They are also the band with the song ("Deadline") that has the most bass note bending (from a second to a minor third - incessantly in the verse) ever. I found that unbelievably catchy and have nicked it into my repertoire of "play-to-impress" bass riffs. 



Always dug Bouchard's bass playing even though he has admitted that he grew bored with the instrument and therefore switched to guitar with the advent of his solo career.

[uwe]

Found this gem on YT. Barbara Lynn with Gatemouth Brown, Billy Cox on bass.

She and Billy are still around.

That was real nice. I like her left hand (she's a lefty) thumb pick strumming.