2. Robert Glasper Experiment
3. Ghost - Opus Eponymous
4. Opeth - Blackwater Park
5. FZ Side Z
Right, so last night I made two mistakes I said I wouldn't do again this year.
For one, I went to the cinema and paid to see a Marvel film.
It was Doctor Strange, and actually to be fair, it wasn't bad, it was much better than I expected.
The second mistake I made was texted my ex (to be fair, only the second time since we've broken up. Ever have a breakup that made you take up piano? Well there ya go).
I decided to make up for later mistake by deleting all her info, so I can't hopefully make that particular mistake again.
And in order to help with the Marvel mistake, I drank the remainder of a bottle of Jameson.
Didn't make me forget it, but left me with a warm fuzzy depressed feeling.
And then I more or less wrote the blog about Kristijan's choices.
So right now I have Ghost blaring away here whilst about to crack open some Chivas Regal.
Unfortunately I must admit I don't recall many of John's choices doing much for me, but in his defense at the time I did ask him for music that inspired him whilst he drew art, and this is what he gave me.
I've known John for a good few years, and he's a good friend who takes his art seriously. I often refer to him as the Mayor of Don't Give A Shit town, and anyone who's dealt with John will understand. He does things his way and that's the way it's gonna be. On the one side I have the height of respect for that, but I don't regard it as the ideal attitude to all situations in life. But John makes it work for him, and that's all that really matters. He also remarked that if I asked him for the albums that got him in to music, I was gonna get a lot of Earth Wind and Fire albums. I feel a little hard done by that I ended up with this list to be perfectly honest John, what was wrong with some Disco ???
Radiohead - OK Computer (Airbag)
Wow, this took my by surprise and then some!
I think my favorite track is actually the opener, and this album flows beautifully throughout. And the vocals really fit in, I feel like this guy actually believes in what he's singing here. He's got soul, see guys? James Brown ain't the only guy out there who's got soul, this guy is singing from the heart, and whilst it's not as overt as Siekiera, it's definitely there. Highly recommend this album, and was very happy that it was actually good as I have another Radiohead album to listen to this year. And I'm pretty sure this isn't just the scotch talking. If you've not listened to Radiohead, and in particular an album, I think you owe it to yourself to put this one on, sit back, relax and take it all in. It's not fancy, it's not ground breaking, but it's something that is all of it's own. It doesn't feel like it's trying to be anything or anyone else in particular, it's these guys just making beautiful music together, and doing so well.
Robert Glasper Experiment - Black Radio
I'm making this album second, as there's some nice covers on here. But that said, it's all pretty soulless. I keep going on about soul this month, and realise I can't really define it at all. I'm like one of those judges in that Larry Flynt movie "I can't define it, but I know it when I see it". It reminds me of a line in Jerry Maguire, when the babysitter gives them a tape, and has little speech about how this tape of Davis & Coltrane, in the peek of their artform before "sleazy lounge singers" dragged the medium down to the sewer. Whilst there is some nice beats on this, it doesn't really do it for me. But at the same time, I think these guys are trying to do something with the genre, and I very much respect that. I'm not particularly nuts on this jazz hip hop hybrid they've got going on, but hey, if somebody with hip hop predilections listens to this and decides to investigate jazz further, or vice versa, who am I to say this is a bad thing at all?
I think I owe it to myself to listen to this album again in the future, but I'm not 100% sure that my opinion of it will change.
Ghost - Opus Eponymous
Allegedly this album is black metal, but it doesn't sound particularly black or metal to me. Some nice chunky riffs throughout, and by no means a bad album, but doesn't really stand out to me as being heavy in any way. It's a little like Weezer, except not shit. It's not really that heavy at all, I really don't get these metal genre definitions at all.
How is this "black metal", when Guns n' Roses has heavier guitar and bass, along with heavier lyrics, and that's still only hard rock?
I have had this on while I drive around, and it seems OK. But to actually sit and listen to this album without any other distraction, I don't see it. This is just background music again to me, it doesn't really do anything particularly interesting for any substantial length of time. The most exciting bits of each track seem to be the opening thirty seconds, and then it tapers down to nothing interesting in particular at all at all.
And their Hammond organ cover of "Here Comes The Sun" is an interesting novelty, but does nothing really amazing for the song either. It sounds like the Doors. How is that metal???
But if you feel like you want a non-shit version of Weezer in your life, this could be the band for you!
Opeth - Blackwater Park
Ok, now this does sound a bit metal! We've got that driving guitar, those cookie monster vocals, and that double beat drum. Not off to a bad start at all. But of course these guys think they have to have it all in there, the whole kitchen, sink and all it's paloova. Why do we need a 10 minute opening track, which is essentially the same the way through, bar a little interruption with some Spanish wannabe acoustic guitar, polished off with some "sentimental" piano at the end? The first track kinda rubs me up the wrong way, but to be fair the following tracks do integrate the acoustic guitar a little nicer. Still doesn't do anything in particular for me. There doesn't really feel like anything unique here. This could be any random metal band with a video on MTV/Kerrang or whatever the cool kids watch nowadays. I don't really think it's got any soul or bite to it, and just doesn't really click with me at any point the way through.
FZ Side Z
Jesus, this felt like a waste of my time.
Random 8 bit tunes from a video game soundtrack, that has little or no appeal to me.
I could imagine hearing this stuff over an elevator or whilst shopping in Dunnes.
Actually, if they played this in Dunnes I may actually be disappointed.
It's not particularly bad, and that nearly offends even more.
It can coast on in the background without requiring any degree of commitment from the listener whatsoever.
And of course, being a soundtrack as opposed to an actual album, it doesn't really have any flow, and repeats things in different mixes.
Just when I thought I was done with one thing, it's on again, or a thinly disguised version of it.
I have pretty much no desire to be in the same room as this thing again, and even less to play the allegedly amazing indie game to which it is accompanied.
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