Well... this whole blog thing didn't get off to a fast start did it? 5 months go by and nothing beyond that first post. Things have been busy at ProgressiveWorld.net, mostly behind the scenes.
I have had a draft of the second post prepped for... weeks... months now. But not polished and ready for the world to read. As we look at 2009 stretched out behind us, and see 2010 looming in our headlights (the pain in our eyeballs... sorry... that lyric just popped into my head)... here are some thoughts I had since that first post....
While I was on my way to work this morning [that was July 31, 2009], listening to the radio, a song came on that prompted a stream of thoughts. The song in question was "How Soon Is Now" by The Smiths. Now, back in their heyday, they were a mere blip on my radar. I'd heard of them and my sister was a fan, especially of Morrissey. I was a rocker – more or less: Kansas, Eagles, Billy Joel, Journey, etc. I hadn't heard anything by the band and really knew nothing about them. I do recall a comment by Marillion's Steve Hogarth some years ago, that England hadn't gotten over The Smiths.
Anyway, returning to the present – or the near present as this really covers the past few months - "How Soon..." has been turning up in the rotation frequently. What I like about this track is the keening guitar and the whole sense of drama that it has, that the slightly industrial percussion and keyboards give it. Morrisey's vocal performance is only so-so, but I guess suitably moody. That is one comment I remember reading at or near the time of their popularity – moody.
All this led to me thinking about other non-prog songs that have caught my ear of late but are in no way new songs. Another is The Jam's "Town Like Malice." Not at all what I expected from The Jam, though maybe this is the aberation. I was expecting something like punk. And then there's Joy Division's [?, I think it was "Love Will Tear Us Apart"], another song that JackFM has been including in their rotation. Like the Jam, Joy Division is another group whose name I knew, but their music I did not. And a few songs by the The Cure. No, not "Love Cats" (though I do love cats); but "Close To Me" … and actually it's this little shimmery keyboard phrase that I like; it's a cheerful, almost laugh-like sound. And I never really thought of The Cure as cheerful ("Lovesong" actually fits more my impression). And while I can dig "Friday I'm In Love" uh, yeh, that squeal from Robert Smith is... well, makes me chuckle everytime... because my cat sometimes yawns that way.
Speaking of just some cool parts of songs that have caught my ear - the effervesance of "Steal My Sunshine." I mean, I'm not fond of the vocals, but that "inside a fizzy soda can" sound is neat. And a keyboard phrase in a track by Andre 3000, "Hey Ya."
Back in high school there was a girl I sorta knew. Wouldn't exactly say friends with, but that we were acquaintances. Well, maybe I only talked to her once, come to think of it because I can only remember one conversation – she told me her uncle (or some male relative) was the set designer on Star Trek. Cool, I remember thinking, being a Star Trek geek. However, I dredge up this anecdote because the other thing I remember was her jacket – she wore it daily. Okay, I don't remember everything because the more I think about it, it was either an old Army jacket or a black parka (or maybe she had two). What I do remember with clarity was it festooned with buttons/pins (or badges in the UK vernacular) for The Jam, Circle Jerks, and probably a dozen others. I wonder what it was about these bands that attracted her then that didn't me, that does for me now?
At least those songs. They could be the aberation as I said. I mean, take Blue Oyster Cult's classic "(Don't Fear) The Reaper." Does it really have the same vibe – production tone and feel – as anything else on Agents Of Fortune? I don't think so. It's like that song was recorded at one time, found to be a bit more … radio friendly (more so than maybe "Vera Gemini") and the rest of the LP built around it. Music used to be done that way, artists recording singles and then an album was what compilations are now. It wasn't until artists started recording a bunch of songs at one time and put together an album, and pulled a single from it. (Yeh, that's simplifying it a bit).
But I digress. So that BOC chestnut always seemed different from the rest of the album to me. But, that isn't such an anomaly since "Burning For You" is the same for the album it's on.
Another anecdote, from around the same time. My high school played the radio at lunch, blaring out across the quad. It was either KMET or KLOS, though I'm thinking more the latter. For some odd reason and for no special reason I recall a particular day walking across the quad, heading for my locker, while "Burning For You" was playing. Not so weird I suppose; I recall a day – though I don't recall the exact date, mind – having a conversation with a friend while Bob and Doug MacKenzie's music hit "Great White North" was playing…
Although my referencing KMET for my LA-area readers will surely date me, for the benefit (detriment) of others, given that KMET went fzzt in 1985 (became KTWV The Wave, about which I also have anecdotes for another time), this would put my high school years as 1981 - 1985. Yeh, I'm either oooold compared to you :-) or still a young pup.
My contention is that there may be music we dislike at one point in our lives, but come to like at another. I've several examples that I'll just… brush on. Classical. It was, eeewww, music my dad listened to. Then in college a prof. played Handel's "Water Music." I was hooked, finding I quite liked Handel and Mozart the most. Icehouse. Didn't care much for them really, a single here and there. But some time went by (some 15 years go now), I relistened to an album of theirs… became a fan. Duran Duran. Oh, Duran Duran. My sister was a big fan – posters festooned to her wall, she'd buy books, pins, whatever was Duran Duran related. Me, I was like "eh". But then Rio snuck up on me. Oh, not the hits, but some of the other tracks that had … in some fringe way a proggy feel. Certainly art rock.
There are other examples; I'll save that for another blog.
So, who knows. Some 20 years after their release, I may find myself a fan of The Smiths, The Jam. I don't think they'll knock my steadfast favourites of the top of the list, but even those favorites aren't necessarily about their latest works and may in fact be some 30 years old.
Incidentally, some of the songs that are getting (way too much) airplay I detest! "Blister In The Sun" by the Violent Femmes is one. There's another song, perhaps by them, too, as the vocalist is the same. It's ... oh, I don't even recall the title now; thankfully it's short. I mean… they just don't appeal to me.
So... yes, with a few nips and tucks here and there, that is what came spilling out on a July morning when I was um... supposed to be working.
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