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What are you listening to? Part III
- Thread starter S.B.G
- Start date
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And if you want to hear a complete 180, check out Penelope Houston's solo stuff.
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Debut album
Breakfast in America never, never gets old.
the subtle harmonies and musical under tones triads are incredible.
Roger Hodgson saved that album with his backing vocals that they added later in production.
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Rick Davies, oh no, another rock pharaoh not here anymore.....
I had that on Sunday night just marveling how great th first side is.
lucky for me I worked at my aunts' record shop and got paid albums.
Peter than cash I realize today
well in 1979( I think) my friend let me play that on his console as he recorded the album
then we listened to that while playing "manhunt" on our street on my boom box.
"take the along way home" told him to walk on other block from our safe base
were he saw someone a neighbor keel over as he was having a heart attack outside his house,
somehow he got someone to call the ambulance.
a few cop cars, ambulance and eyed neighbors later watched
as ne never got credit for saving the old man's life that day.
if only they supertramp knew this episode......since social media or news was not happening then.
This is brilliant and thank you for linking it.
I love Baroque music, and can recommend firstly, a number of the albums of the wonderful and always superb Jordi Savell (who also plays the viol da gamba, an authentically gorgeous instrument that apparently dates to 1698) and Hespèrion XXI - they play world music, but quite a lot of Baroque, and also recommend the astonishingly accomplished (and electrifying) Baroque music of L'Arpeggiata - Christina Pluhar; (take a listen to their spell-binding take on the well known piece Tarantella Napolenta).
Oh yes, I know of Jordi Savall. That means you probably know of Tous Les Matins du Monde:
I always wanted a viola da gamba. It's one of the few instruments (besides keyboards) that work well solo.
(I don't know why my video links are not working! Error 153?))
I always have to check that I’m not at 1.5 speed.
If you regard an album that went triple Platinum, reached #13 on the Billboard charts, contained four Top 40 singles, and won Henley a Grammy as underrated, I'd love to hear what you consider to be an overrated album!
Well that was a change from what I was listening to! She mellowed out a bit.And if you want to hear a complete 180, check out Penelope Houston's solo stuff.
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Debut album
Woke up even earlier than normal and very much enjoying a David Bowie playlist. More coffee needed!
I think that @MBAir2010 may have meant "culturally under-rated" at the time of the album's release.
In any case, when I was an undergrad, I certainly recall the withering disdain of male friends (the sort who fancied themselves as aficionados of what they considered to be "real" music, and whose unbridled admiration for obscure - sometimes, deservedly so - but exceedingly esoteric indie music was something one could not escape when conversing with them) - and much of the music press - for the music of groups such as Supertramp, and Genesis.
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Sure. But given Henley's status as a key member of one of the groups most beloved by Boomers, the Eagles, and the oft corrupt relationship between record labels and music media outlets, I would be really surprised if any Henley album was underrated when it was released. Building the Perfect Beast isn't exactly Metal Machine Music or Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band or Tusk. Henley aimed to write hits!
A funny thing I remember about Supertramp, Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, and pre-Trevor Horn Yes is that at least in North America, those sorts of prog-rock groups' most rabid fans were mostly male musos! So maybe fan bases differed by region.
In any case, I wasn't paying much attention to American blockbuster acts then (and now, actually) so I don't have any strong memories about the reactions to BtPB. But the lazy researcher's friend, Perplexity, comes up with this:
What were the critical reactions to Don Henley's "Building the Perfect Beast"?
Don Henley's "Building the Perfect Beast" received widespread critical acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting its sophisticated songwriting, layered...
www.perplexity.ai
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So this morning I started with Joan Baez, which I very much enjoyed. First time listening to her for me. Have fairly recently really gotten into Joni Mitchell. I now love her. Then followed by Jon Hopkins, the playlist on Apple Music. Essentials. I'm now getting freaky with some Sun Ra. Currently Space Is The Place. But I am again on the essentials playlist.
Sure. But given Henley's status as a key member of one of the groups most beloved by Boomers, the Eagles, and the oft corrupt relationship between record labels and music media outlets, I would be really surprised if any Henley album was underrated when it was released. Building the Perfect Beast isn't exactly Metal Machine Music or Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band or Tusk. Henley aimed to write hits!
A funny thing I remember about Supertramp, Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, and pre-Trevor Horn Yes is that at least in North America, those sorts of prog-rock groups' most rabid fans were mostly male musos! So maybe fan bases differed by region.
In any case, I wasn't paying much attention to American blockbuster acts then (and now, actually) so I don't have any strong memories about the reactions to BtPB. But the lazy researcher's friend, Perplexity, comes up with this:
What were the critical reactions to Don Henley's "Building the Perfect Beast"?
Don Henley's "Building the Perfect Beast" received widespread critical acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting its sophisticated songwriting, layered...www.perplexity.ai
I was working in Record Bar, an American mom and pop record store that was eventually bought out by Blockbuster, at the time of it's release. We sold a ton of copies. Underrated... I wouldn't say so but to each their own. I suppose you could make an argument for "culturally underrated"... and maybe I even agree somewhat.
I own a copy of it and can honestly say that I rarely - if ever - listen to it. There are some very good songs on there, but I'm just not compelled to revisit it very often. I've heard recently from you tube videos that The Boys of Summer was almost a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song. Apparently, it was written by Mike Campbell, and he presented it to Tom Petty who turned it down. Then he gave it to Don Henley, and they share a co-writer credit.
One of my buddies from the store, an actual band and roommate at the time, won free backstage tickets to see Don Henley at the Ryman on that tour that summer and we got to meet Him and his opening act, Katrina and the Waves.
Just remembered that they thought they had programmed a long intro for Sunset Grill on the - newish keyboard technology back then - and then realized as they went to play it that night that the load hadn't been successful. It took them about 10 minutes to figure that out. lol.
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This song gets me every time. Such a beautiful voice. This is my favourite version of the video.
Now I can't get my mind's idea of what Tom Petty would sound like doing that track out of my head. More laid back and twangy, yeah? Or what if the track had gone to Lone Justice, another Heartbreakers-adjacent band? Maria McKee singing would give the song an entirely different meaning and LJ, probably, would have amped it up to a cowpunk stomper.
Katrina and the Waves: I think it's hilarious how winning Eurovision was their comeback! And I gotta say "Walking on Sunshine" was a great single.
All the lyrics from start to finish are very cynical but hit a nerve on fake culture, bad guys, and love
as his Don;s words and thoughts words seem true even today.
most listeners and pundit really didn't not appreciate or realized that in the album.
Since i've learned this tidbit I haven't stopped thinking about it.
Yeah, I was chuckling about their comeback as well...
A couple days ago Tidal suggested to me a rather long (+10-hour) collection of Vivaldi pieces, a composer I was really not familiar with after all these years. I've really been digging it, and it's added to my Favorites.