Home of the jester in the court of the ragtag soldiers.
Music
Oh, That Bad Boy Bono
Jan 5th
Some people have all the nerve.
This past weekend, U2’s lead singer penned an op-ed for the New York Times covering an assortment of topics. Ten, in fact. One of them was file sharing. Which, for the record, has nothing to do with passing around the emery board at a sleepover. He said:
Caution! The only thing protecting the movie and TV industries from the fate that has befallen music and indeed the newspaper business is the size of the files. The immutable laws of bandwidth tell us we’re just a few years away from being able to download an entire season of “24” in 24 seconds. Many will expect to get it free.
A decade’s worth of music file-sharing and swiping has made clear that the people it hurts are the creators — in this case, the young, fledgling songwriters who can’t live off ticket and T-shirt sales like the least sympathetic among us — and the people this reverse Robin Hooding benefits are rich service providers, whose swollen profits perfectly mirror the lost receipts of the music business.
We’re the post office, they tell us; who knows what’s in the brown-paper packages? But we know from America’s noble effort to stop child pornography, not to mention China’s ignoble effort to suppress online dissent, that it’s perfectly possible to track content. Perhaps movie moguls will succeed where musicians and their moguls have failed so far, and rally America to defend the most creative economy in the world, where music, film, TV and video games help to account for nearly 4 percent of gross domestic product. Note to self: Don’t get over-rewarded rock stars on this bully pulpit, or famous actors; find the next Cole Porter, if he/she hasn’t already left to write jingles.
As one can imagine, the BitTorrent brigade has been howling ever since. Spoiled rich rock star. We’re not stealing. We’re standing up to The Man. Power to the people. More Ovaltine, please. (Okay, I threw that last one in to see if you’re paying attention.)
In other words, they’ve reacted without reading.
As Bono makes clear, the big boys and girls don’t notice the lost revenue all that much. It’s the Chris Ryans of this world, the ones trying to make it as artists, who get hurt the most by file sharing both directly and indirectly. Directly, every copy of their music downloaded illegally is that much less money in their pocket. A very shallow pocket. Indirectly, as the revenue stream for record companies shrink, they become less interested in taking a chance on any new artist that doesn’t come across as immediate pop fan fodder. Thus, anything outside the ultra-commercial norm gets put to the side. Anything… and anyone.
Believe me, I’m no music industry lover. Exact opposite. However, like any other business it deserves what it earns. Taking content without compensation is inexcusable. It hurts all parties involved, not just the soulless corporation. It’s asking people to work for free, people who spend a lot of money, time and effort on their work in hope of earning a living from their art. If you see no problem with that, make sure you volunteer your services at work whenever someone wishes for it to be that way. Assuming you have a job or are actively trying to get one, that is.
So yeah, rail against Bono all you want. He’s telling the truth. Don’t like it? Too bad.
P.S. Before anyone jumps on the “who are you to talk — you’re using copyrighted material in this post” bandwagon, yes I am. The differences between this and file sharing? One, I give credit, including a link back, to the source. Two, the content is available for free from the originator, therefore no revenue is lost when you click over to read the entire article, thus seeing the ads on the Times’ site. So save the faux outrage.
P.S. Here’s some Chris Ryan for you:
It’s Christmas Eve, So Naturally I’m Listening To Pink Floyd
Dec 24th
Don’t worry. I’ll bust out the Harry Simeone Chorale later.
Anyway, assuming you can get past the cheesy “so which backup singer was the director dating” aspect, here’s a live version of “Dogs Of War” from A Momentary Lapse Of Reason. Enjoy. And do the dogs of war hang out with the hound of heaven?
[video http://www.diecast-dude.com/gac/dogs_of_war_pink_floyd.flv nolink]
Some People Can’t Help Themselves, I Guess
Nov 7th
I like the Foo Fighters’ music a lot. Last year I went to see them in concert for the first time, and left rather wishing I hadn’t. It wasn’t that the performance was lacking. Rather, it was how in-between songs band leader Dave Grohl’s banter was an incessant stream of f-bombs. It was like being back in junior high during gym class. Childish and ridiculous.
Anyway, a few days ago Foo Fighters released a greatest hits CD, which I bought. On it are two new tracks, one of which (“Wheels”) is currently receiving major airplay on multiple radio stations. The other, “Word Forward,” probably won’t be getting as much attention. Why? Not because it’s a bad song, but because Grohl decided a f-bomb would be just the thing to put at the beginning of the chorus. I’m sure the record company’s thrilled.
Seems Grohl just can’t help himself when it comes to profanity.
I note this as an illustration of what we’re presently seeing in Congress. The Democratic leadership is so drunk on its own power and delusion it can manage any and every aspect of life better than the private sector it is shoving painfully flawed legislation down our throats — health care, cap and trade — under the guise of it being good for us.
Sure.
Destroying the economy and devastating the public sector the Democrats fail to understand yet loathe all the same will reap a whirlwind of benefits. Spending the country into bankruptcy even as heavier taxes and fees are levied against the people is a surefire method of making things grand for one and all. Continuing to function under the delusion, which should have been dispelled by the collapse of multiple former financial giants under the weight of debt accumulated through a multitude of defaulted homeowners loans made to those incapable of paying them under the threat of the Community Reinvestment Act yet obviously has not been, that there is a magic pile of money “they” have and should share with everyone else will bring bountiful blessings upon the land.
And Twinkles the happy unicorn is dancing in my living room.
One can only watch as the prideful and arrogant do their utmost to destroy this country under the guise of leading it to the promised land. Their fall will be great. In the meanwhile, we pray the damage they cause and the suffering they inflict on the innocent won’t be too great.
Not much more to say, is there. Other than when I listen to Foo Fighters at least I hear some great tunes. As opposed to the rhetoric from Washington.
Seems they just can’t help themselves.
Bride Brings The Good Stuff
Oct 27th
New Examiner column talking about my favorite Christian album (thus far) of 2009.
It seems like ancient history now, the raging debate in evangelical circles over heavy metal. Then again, in pop culture circles metal itself seems like ancient history, having long since faded from public view since its halcyon days in the ’80s when spandex and makeup-laden sneers ruled the land. The more serious, darker sides of the genre also enjoyed higher visibility back then before grunge took over and the powers that be decided flannel shirts and depression were the ticket to stardom. Metal went back into the none-too politely ignored department, where it remains to this day despite how veteran acts such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest still pack arenas whenever they come to town.
Back to the metal controversy among evangelicals. The cartoonish rebellion and sex-drenched antics of pop metal acts coupled with the far more sinister appearing elements of its more aggressive side were met with near universal revulsion, many an evangelist turning decrying the obvious (at least to them) satanic evil permeating the artists and the music itself into something of a cottage industry. Meanwhile, there was a contingent of Christian metal fans, small in number but stalwart in the extreme, who with equal fervor declared all music capable of glorifying God and metal’s raw power perfect for proclaiming the raw truth about Jesus. It was a clash of three-piece suits looking for Beelzebub in backmasking versus t-shirts and denim with an occasional outbreak of leather preferring to worship at full volume as they slammed for the Lamb.
Whether metal is any more accepted in the evangelical church now than in the past is debatable. This duly noted, there remains a thriving underground metal scene in contemporary Christian music. A re-energized Stryper is being hailed on its twenty-fifth anniversary tour. Now, an equally veteran band has released what it easily the best album of its career. Which, when you realize the band in question is Bride, says a lot.
Bride has long been the metal band for people who can’t stand metal. Led by the Thompson brothers (Dale on lead vocal and Troy on guitar), Bride has over its lengthy career managed the delicate balancing act of appealing to both pop metal fans as well as those preferring heavier fare. The Thompsons have also brought sufficient grit into their music to where rockers who customarily reject metal as formulatic posing have embraced Bride as the real deal. And oh, is their new album the real deal.
For Tsar Bomba, Bride has embraced the business model of other veteran acts such as the English progressive rock band Marillion, that being music for the fans and directly paid for by them through pre-selling an as yet unrecorded album in order to finance its creation. The fans who participated are getting their money’s worth, as Tsar Bomba is stuffed to the gills with terrific hooks, crunch a-plenty, tons of guitar, and an overall vibe of a band well versed in classic metal without having turned a deaf ear to what’s been going on in harder music the past twenty years.
Troy Thompson is a painfully underrated guitarist, and throughout Tsar Bomba makes this evident via both thunderous solos and the occasional classical interlude, the latter highlighted by a sly rendition of the operatic portion of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The years have taken some of the razored edge off of Dale Thompson’s singing, which is actually a good thing as his more gruff sound fits in well with the album’s more modern grunge and industrial-influenced songs such as the superb and aptly named “Industrial Christ.”
Tsar Bomba is both an oasis for thirsty metalheads and a fantastic introduction for newer fans who love it loud but aren’t altogether sure where loud came from. Do yourself a huge favor and seek out a copy, either on iTunes or the band’s Web site. You will not be sorry.
It’s A Triple Shot Weekend… Or Something Like That
Sep 25th
A triple shot of tunes with which to start your weekend.
This one… because it pretty much sums up where I’m at these days:
[video http://www.diecast-dude.com/gac/jackson_browne_running_on_empty.flv nolink]
This one… because it pretty much sums up where the conservative movement is these days:
[video http://www.diecast-dude.com/gac/billy_squier_the_stroke.flv nolink]
And this one… because it reminds us all that even in this world there are certain constants. Like Kate Bush making bizarre videos.
[video http://www.diecast-dude.com/gac/kate_bush_king_of_the_mountain.flv nolink]
What Else Am I Supposed To Say?
Sep 20th
Not that I get my jollies from writing negative record reviews. However, ’tis far better to be truthful, as is the case with today’s Examiner column.
Does Skillet have the skill?
"Awake", the new album by Christian rock band Skillet
A rather remarkable event occurred a couple of weeks ago when Awake, the new album by Christian rockers Skillet, debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts.
No, not the Christian charts.
The Top 200.
It would have been impossible during previous generations for such to occur. The pioneering work of artists and bands such as Undercover, Daniel Amos, the 77s, Steve Taylor, Altar Boys, Crumbächer and others paved the way for groups such as Skillet, Pillar and other bands who successfully ply their trade in both the pop and Christian market. (More information on the first generation of Christian modern rockers is available in the book God’s Not Dead (And Neither Are We), written by the author of this column.)
Returning to the here and now, while such moments are tremendous highs for evangelically-minded youth to open doors for conversations about Christ with their unsaved friends, how does Skillet’s new album stack up against today’s musical environment?
Pretty much like everything else in its genre.
In other words, meh.
Skillet is Linkin Park meets Papa Roach with a dash of Evanescence thrown in for church youth groups; i.e. another emo minus the screamo group pretending to be monster rock mavens. Unlike Linkin Park there are no pseudo-rap lines, but musically it’s from the same groove as the aforementioned bands, sounding like it has a hard rock edge and crunch to it but in fact pure pop. The style is present. But the substance? Not so much. Ironically, Pillar is in much the same vein yet has genuine bite. Skillet can barely muster a nibble.
Lyrically the album is chock-full of evangelical angst, faith and doubt pitted against each other. This can result in some bizarre juxtapositions, such as in “Hero” where one minute we hear about losing faith and the next about a hero (Christ) living in us. Skillet is great at painting the situation and asking questions, but the answers, at least on this album, are a bit harder to discern.
It’s not that Awake is a bad album. It does what it does quite well. The problem is what it’s doing has been done to death over the past several years, and it’s become fundamentally disinteresting if in fact it was interesting in the first place. Skillet deserves congratulations for its success, but one can only hope somewhere along the line it does something other than churn out more of the same ol’ same ol’.
Some People Have Way Too Much Free Time On Their Hands
Sep 19th
But the results can be pretty darn funny…
Revisiting “Chinese Democracy”
Sep 17th
Now that the furor over Chinese Democracy, the Guns ‘N Roses album that was eighteen years in the making has long since passed with most dismissing it as an abject failure, has long since passed it’s time to revisit it on its own terms minus coloration by the circus that one W. Axl Rose brings with him to whatever he may be connected with at the moment.
And why does it deserve revisiting?
Because it’s a rock masterpiece.
One of the problems many had when considering Chinese Democracy as a singular entity is they wanted Appetite For Destruction II or at least Use Your Illusion III. Not going to happen. The dynamic of Guns ‘N Roses in its original incarnation was the tension between Rose’s musical leanings, which will be explored in a minute, and Slash’s bluesy hard rock. Which he does very well, at least part of the time. But that’s all he does, and apparently is capable of doing. Rose has something more in mind.
Rose is clearly a disciple of ’70s rock, in this going far past the same handful of songs that have long since been played to death on classic rock stations worldwide. Instead, his affection is for the experimentation, the pushing of boundaries that marked the beginning of the decade before it collapsed into the formulaic, bloodless vapidity of arena rock running alongside the cartoonish pseudo-nihilism of punk. Rose’s affection is for an era when pursuit of creativity was honored.
Clearly he is enamored with the piano plus orchestra stylings of early Elton John. “November Rain” said as much. Chinese Democracy expands this across several songs chock-full of unexpected melodic twists. It’s difficult envisioning describing a Guns ‘N Roses album as beautiful. Yet there are several moments which are just that.
Not that Rose had mellowed over the years, mind you. The album snarls far more than it soothes. Rose has obviously paid attention to what’s been going on in hard rock the past decade plus as he’s woven industrial patterns into his crunch. The end result is music that even with the aforementioned affinity with ’70s rock sounds like it was recorded in the current millennium.
Separate what’s gone on before and Rose’s antics over the years from his music today. Chinese Democracy is a true rock masterpiece in an era where such is well nigh impossible to find. Paying homage to its influences while not only connected to the here and now but blowing most everything else away, this album is the real deal. Period.
Another Moment From Childhood Now Gone But Never Forgotten
Sep 16th
God speed, Mary Travers.
Making this video even more poignant is the presence of John Denver, who wrote the song.
How About A Song Instead?
Sep 15th
Sorry about the brevity of posts lately. I can’t handle writing another “I’m depressed” one, and to be honest I’m not feeling all that depressed at the moment. Which is a good thing, of course. Simply getting a tad overwhelmed and overrun by this thing called life. End result is not a whole lot of energy left over with which to get it in writing.
I do have a couple of post ideas, but they’re both of the mongo variety and therefore won’t be gotten to for a while. But they will be gotten to. Promise.
In the meanwhile, how about a song that for whatever reason came to mind the other day? From that decade usually referred to as the ’80s, power popsters the Producers with “What’s He Got.”
[video http://www.diecast-dude.com/gac/the_producers_whats_he_got.flv nolink]
