So, what have you been listening to lately?

[patman]

I just bought the first Wishbone Ash album...used to have it on LP.

Been probably 45 years since I heard it.

What great playing, and what a wonderful bass sound....

[Pilgrim]

This is what Grunge must sound to people who dislike Grunge (like me!). Mindless bar chord shoving from the guitar and root note plucking from the bass following the chord changes, with a lead vocal "melody" that sounds like he made it up during a microphone test while weaning off his antidepressants. I'm so dejected.

Rant over! Someone had to say it.

It's not as weak as Billie Eilish "singing" No Time to Die from the last Bond movie, but it's close. 

[westen44]

It's not as weak as Billie Eilish "singing" No Time to Die from the last Bond movie, but it's close.

That's the only James Bond movie I haven't seen yet.  I just now heard the song for the first time.  I like it better than the song by the post-grunge guys.  Billie Eilish probably wouldn't be my first choice to sing a James Bond song, though. 

[uwe]

I am very late to the party on these guys, but ...it's growing on me. This drummer Joey Jordison (RIP) was really something. Sadly the bassist Paul Gray is gone too.

Will we have to call you slipkn. from now on slinkp, you ole letter jumbler?!

I cannot even pretend to comprehend Slipknot's music, but I appreciate that it's skillfully done. There is undeniable method to the madness. Metal machine music indeed.

[uwe]

That's the only James Bond movie I haven't seen yet.  I just now heard the song for the first time.  I like it better than the song by the post-grunge guys.  Billie Eilish probably wouldn't be my first choice to sing a James Bond song, though. 

I'm fine with that song and the performance - it's like a nightclub song in some dystopian movie. Like something Nico could have done, I can dig artsy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGnwRnvnJdI&list=RDEMYEeAhogc6SXDE0xSSa-JlA

[westen44]

I'm fine with that song and the performance - it's like a nightclub song in some dystopian movie. Like something Nico could have done, I can dig artsy.

https://youtu.be/NGnwRnvnJdI?list=RDEMYEeAhogc6SXDE0xSSa-JlA

I did say I liked it better than Marcy Playground.  Just that Billie Eilish wouldn't be my first choice for a James Bond movie song.  I'd say, though, that Billie's song is way better than, for instance, Sam Smith's song for the Bond film "Spectre."  Both Smith and Eilish won various awards for their songs, however.

[uwe]

I just bought the first Wishbone Ash album...used to have it on LP.

Been probably 45 years since I heard it.

What great playing, and what a wonderful bass sound....

Back then it was still all Ric 4001. Martin Turner loved that bass (his first of a decent brand), but it was stolen from him. Even Argus, their third album, was still recorded with it, the legendary TBird only came after.

[Pilgrim]

I did say I liked it better than Marcy Playground.  Just that Billie Eilish wouldn't be my first choice for a James Bond movie song.  I'd say, though, that Billie's song is way better than, for instance, Sam Smith's song for the Bond film "Spectre."  Both Smith and Eilish won various awards for their songs, however.

Smith made full use of a pretty impressive voice, but I have trouble identifying with a Bond theme sung half in that very high falsetto.  However, I'm more impressed with his voice than Eiliish, who I think mutters and whispers her way through too many tunes.

My grumpy old man complaint is that neither of them have the gravitas that a Bond theme deserves.  Shirley Bassey set the standard in the 60's (three Bond movie themes), and McCartney, Carly Simon, Nancy Sinatra, Matt Monro, Tina Turner, Adele and even Sheena Easton managed to give solid performances with a certain amount of power and gravitas.  Tom Jones was of course up there with Shirley Bassey's performances in sheer power. I can't say that I find those qualities present in Eilish or Smith's performances.

List of Bond theme performers found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bond_music

End of grumpy old man rant.....

[westen44]

Smith made full use of a pretty impressive voice, but I have trouble identifying with a Bond theme sung half in that very high falsetto.  However, I'm more impressed with his voice than Eiliish, who I think mutters and whispers her way through too many tunes.

My grumpy old man complaint is that neither of them have the gravitas that a Bond theme deserves.  Shirley Bassey set the standard in the 60's (three Bond movie themes), and McCartney, Carly Simon, Nancy Sinatra, Matt Monro, Tina Turner, Adele and even Sheena Easton managed to give solid performances with a certain amount of power and gravitas.  Tom Jones was of course up there with Shirley Bassey's performances in sheer power. I can't say that I find those qualities present in Eilish or Smith's performances.

List of Bond theme performers found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bond_music






End of grumpy old man rant.....

Also, it might be taken into consideration that a few of the songs through the years that were rejected as Bond theme songs might should have been accepted.  But I've got to admit that I would have rejected several of these, too. 

https://www.smoothradio.com/features/top-songs/james-bond-theme-tunes-rejected/

[Pilgrim]

Very interesting!  Fun to listen to the cuts that didn't make it.

[uwe]

Not Schenker glory days, but that was a good line-up too - with a likewise album: High Stakes & Dangrous Men, Laurence Archer did a fine job on guitar.

[Dave W]

My YT recommendations sure turn up some unexpected nuggets.

Scary woman.

[slinkp]

My favorite 70s punk band! I love Poly Styrene's wail, the saxophone added an element that set them apart, and they had a distinctive sound with more variety to it than some of the other early punks.

[Basvarken]

Only just found out about these guys:

[uwe]

My YT recommendations sure turn up some unexpected nuggets.

Scary woman.

The sax is a redeeming feature - he sticks out like a sore thumb because he has a grasp of what to play. Rock journos loved that band in the day. Them and The Adverts: