Musings on the byways of popular culture
I wonder it there are as many song and album titles I suspect there are including the word ‘dog’. And if there are, what does this say about western civilisation? Perhaps it is even the animal species that is most mentioned in this way?
I’ll kick off with a few diverse examples as we begin to investigate this phenomenon.
As a true son of album culture, I am forced to admit that I am increasingly preferring to listen to playlists, especially when listening on my own. A really good and large playlist on shuffle, and featuring different acts, can be really satisfying if the tunes are well chosen.
I find that I have two criteria for large playlists. Firstly, don’t load it with familiar favourites – boring – a majority of deep cuts is boss for me. Secondly, have some sort generic compatibility among the tracks, and reflect that in the list title. So I do lists with names like House Party, Grooves & Jams, Afro Beats, and so on.
Any thoughts on all this?
When prog was not yet split off from the psychedelic underground (1970)
Here ya go.
Sprechgesang and Sprechstimme are expressionist vocal techniques between singing and speaking. Though sometimes used interchangeably, Sprechgesang is directly related to the operatic recitative manner of singing, whereas Sprechstimme is closer to speech itself. Wikipedia
What I’ve become interested in are popular versions of this. Lou’s Walk on the wild side is an ‘iconic’ case if this. How exactly does it work and why do I like it? Oh and what are your fave examples?
With another party leader looking like getting the shove, one wonders how Corbyn might go down in history (compared to BJ, that is). This long interview might be one way. (If this is not suitable content, my apologies, but I do notice that political threads turn out to be quite popular here!)
There is a most astonishingly original movie about this called ‘The Act of Killing’, directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, which actually featured some of the butchers themselves recalling the events. One of the most memorable films I’ve ever seen. It was on at some or other cinema in Leicester Square about7 or 8 years ago.
There’s a lot of talk about reducing double albums to single albums, but no-one seems to venture which tracks should be the first to be chopped. If you really can’t do that then it seems like we have the perfect double album, no? Here are a few suggestions:
The White Album – Dear Prudence. One of the lowest points of the 60s, never mind on the album.
Wheels of Fire – Toad of course. But we’d make it up to Ginger by declaring Pressed Rat & Warthog to be the centrepiece of the album, which it deserves to be of course.
Metal Machine Music – ha ha ha!
Hi, I’m the chinstrokin’ champ and I got a question for y’all:
When “push comes. to shove” what is the favourite CD un your collection? And why?
Not your favourite album, because a compilation, even of different artists is fine. Not a CD that is in someone else’s collection or one that you used to have. You must have it now. It must be durable, so you’ve had it for a long. time. No lists please.
My own fave? The Texas Bluesman by Lightnin’ Hopkins. Because old Sam is my main man. And he’s the compilation king. His many, many recordings are available mostly on compilations. This one is great, since it has the definitive versions of some of his greatest tunes such as Mojo Hand and Tom Moore’s Farm (it doesn’t have Shaggy Dog, but hey you got to listen to some of his other compilations too). I’ve had it for decades and never not loved it.
You?
