I have to be honest and say that I'm not all that excited about the bulk of this week's offerings.
Last week, in his latest installment of the Friday Morning Listen, my sometime cohort here Mark Saleski (who is back this week with his pick, along with Tom Johnson), talked about certain artists he doesn't particularly like, and why. The resulting comments thread, saw yours truly "outed" as a non-fan of the Grateful Dead.
So, you already know I won't be running out to the record store to buy the Mickey Hart reissues this week for starters.
Of course, there are a few other reissued titles this week. Matador is putting out new "definitive editions" of several Mission Of Burma releases. There's also a hits package from New Found Glory.
We also have a couple of interesting indie-rock releases to consider. London pop-punk duo The Kills has Midnight Boom, on which they continue their edgy, minimalist...well, pop-punk. The Bravery has a new "complete" version of last year's The Sun and the Moon, where the original is expanded to include a second disc with new versions of every song.
So, let's talk about the new releases that I actually will be checking out this week:
I'm curious about Haarp, the new CD/DVD package from Muse, because they have developed a reputation as a great live act over the past few years, with ambitious, elaborate shows. This set features highlights from concerts the band performed last year before 90,000 fans at London's Wembley Stadium. With the added bonus of a DVD to check out, this one will help determine if I add Muse to my "watch-list" at Ticketmaster.
But the one I'm really excited about this week is Here Is What Is, the sixth solo release from Daniel Lanois, and the first for his own Red Floor Records. Lanois is of course best known for the often layered, atmospheric soundscapes he has created as a producer — both on his own, and at times with partner Brian Eno — for artists like U2, Bob Dylan, and Peter Gabriel. On this album, he is joined by the Band's Garth Hudson on piano and drummer Brian Blade. Eno also shows up here in spoken word segments.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
I won't be running out to the record store to buy the Mickey Hart reissues
big mistake! this is mostly percussion and, more important, Hart worked with Zakir Hussain on it. it's really cool.
2 - Mat Brewster
Hart really knows his stuff, percussion wise. The man is all about the World beat. I don't have Diga Rhythm but as I recall the Planet Drum thing is pretty cool.
3 - Mark Saleski
i like Diga a lot more...but heck, i like anything if you add tablas on top of it. ;-)
4 - Mat Brewster
I'm sure I've heard Diga at some point, but for whatever reason never actually bought it. I guess that's what reissues are for.
Man, this makes me want to pull out some of my 80s Dead shows just for the drums section. Man those guys could make some spectacular noise.
5 - Glen Boyd
I'll make ya a deal. You can keep your Dead/Hart, I'll keep my Tunnel Of Love and Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, and we'll call it even...
-Glen
6 - Mark Saleski
my point was not to convince you that you "should" like the Dead...just that Diga is really a percussion record.
7 - Glen Boyd
I'm pretty much open to anything Mark. But everytime I've tried out anything associated with these guys, it's just never worked for me. And I'm not a real big fan of those world music type drum records to begin with. They are fun to watch every year at our Bumbershoot festival here in Seattle, but on a purely emotional level, the music itself doesn't move me a whole lot.
-Glen
8 - Glen Boyd
I don't like opera either ya know...
-Glen
9 - Tom Johnson
Aw, man, I missed all the fun the other day with Mark's post. That's what I get for actually working. I might not have been up for the grilling, however - I'm not a Dead fan, either. Just don't dig their sound, plain and simple.
10 - Glen Boyd
Remind me to buy you a beer next time I see ya Mr. Johnson.
-Glen
11 - Mark Saleski
i always knew there was a reason to distrust you Porcupine Tree fanatics.
12 - Mat Brewster
I don't really care if either of you like the Dead or not, but it is fun talking about them.
If I wanted to be smart I'd ask which sound you didn't like, Tom. Depending on when you listen, the Dead created all sorts of sounds. From 65 to 69 they were straight up psychedelic craziness. In the 70s they focused on songwriting as well as long jams. In the 80s they found midi and the sound went a totally different direction and the 90s. Well the 90s weren't their best period.
Solo projects though, that's another story all together.
Ok, I think the dead have successfully hijacked enough threads for now.
13 - Mat Brewster
Oh, I know how to switch the subject. Mark, give me some The Roches suggestions. I've just started listening to them and am really digging what I have (especially the Suzzy/Maggie disk Why the Long Face
What are your favorite albums?
14 - Mark Saleski
well, to go way back, you can't go wrong the self-titled, Robert Fripp-produced record.
Nerds is also good.
Speak is really good too, but that might be out of print.
15 - Tom Johnson
All I can say is that I've been around enough Dead stuff to say that I don't particularly dig any of it. It's just a band-feel thing - nothing grabs me, and I've heard enough that it covers the spectrum and that spectrum is decidedly "blechy" colored. I won't say "never," as Mark pointed out surprising a hater with something unexpected and he liked it, but it would take something extraordinary.
16 - Josh Hathaway
Percussion fans ought to check out the Ramiro Musotto record; Brazilian electronic and drum-based music. Very cool stuff.
I'm definitely checking out the Lanois.
17 - Zoooma
Some people just don't get the Dead. Most probably associate them with these grand rock concerts full of wasted dancing hippies. They just don't get it. But there's so much to "it" that it takes a special person to be able to get it. I guess they'd rather go to a concert and hear tunes exactly like they are on the album? Beats me.
18 - simple
Actually, I'd rather just listen to the album.
19 - JP
I've seen Muse a couple of times in Atlanta at the Tabernacle..they really are meant to be a stadium band.