en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 60 http://www.audioscrobbler.net/data/webservices http://www.last.fm/user/notimportant2/journal The Last.fm journal for notimportant2. Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music. http://www.last.fm/user/notimportant2/journal/2007/11/06/59cau_my_brain_is_genius Tue, 6 Nov 2007 14:35:21 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/notimportant2/journal/2007/11/06/59cau_my_brain_is_genius My brain keeps inserting Minutemen's Shit From an Old Notebook godly rhythm in the main riff from The Pop Group's Thief of Fire. It sounds good, really. Someone should mix the two. IT WOULD BE A MONSTER HIT]]> http://www.last.fm/user/notimportant2/journal/2007/03/21/59c8i_zen_arcade_and_its_%22problems%22 Wed, 21 Mar 2007 13:38:06 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/notimportant2/journal/2007/03/21/59c8i_zen_arcade_and_its_%22problems%22 Hüsker Dü has been taking up most of my listening time the last couple of weeks. I'm especially intrigued by Zen Arcade. It's everything I expect and hope for in a hardcore album. Well, almost everything. This could easily have been my favorite album, but it doesn't reach it potential due to a couple of reasons:

- Inconsistent lyrics
Zen Arcade suffers extremely under the inconsistency of the lyrics. You can tell their writing ability are still in development. We're talking about cliche's, cheap rhymes, and shallow lines. For example; one of the few songs on Zen Arcade where it's all wrong: Turn on the News

"If there's one thing that I can't explain
Is why the world has to have so much pain
With all the ways of communicating
We can't get in touch with who we're hating

So turn on turn on turn on the news

I hear it every day on the radio
Somebody shoots a guy he don't even know
Airplanes falling out of the sky
A baby is born and another one dies
Highways fill with refugees
Doctors finding out about disease
With all this uptight pushing and shoving
That keeps us away from who we're loving"

Are you *** kidding me? Is this on the same album as Something I Learned Today and Pride? I got to do what? TURN ON THE NEWS? This is just the cliche story of how the news has so much bad news on it, turned into a wannabe anthem with sing-along-vocals screaming "So turn on turn on turn on the news".

From Beyond the Threshold
"Hey hey hey
Got no place to stay"

Come on. You can do better than that. It's like they're saying to eachother: yo, what rhymes with stay. Hmm I don't know, let's just put hey hey hey because my wife is asking me to put out the garbage.

Beside the occasional cheapness of the lyrics, we find the missed opportunity of the concept album. Everyone is saying it's an album about a kid running away from home. Some say it's just an afterthought after recording everything and seeing some connecting with all the tracks, some say it was intentional. I tell you this: If it was, they could do a lot better. The subsequent tracks are everything but telling a normal story. We're going from screaming that he'll never forget and forgive you (I'll Never Forget You), to telling that your bigshot status job is just a big lie (The Biggest Lie), and from fantasising about the perfect place (Somewhere), to his girlfriend seamingly taking an overdose (Pink Turns to Blue). And let's not forget (I'll keep coming back to this), the inclusion of an anthem to TURN ON THE NEWS?!?!

- It's not a coherent piece of work
It just doesn't seem to work. I think it will always stay just a collection of songs to me. Not only is it because the great potential of being a true concept album isn't working (see previous point), but the songs just doesn't seem to want to work with eachother. Maybe it are the transitions (or lack there of), but I think it's mostly due to the fact that they don't seem to be able to use different styles succesfully in the same album. I know Zen Arcade is mostly praised for it's diversity, but when we're having the pop-like Pink Turns to Blue and a bunch of piano interludes in between the the most powerful and sincere forms of hardcore; I can't help but raise an eyebrow. Don't get me wrong; I love the interludes, but only on their own. This just doesn't seem to work. I'm all for diversity, but I feel I loved Zen Arcade more if they were just sticking to the hardcore and the occasional experementation of Dreams Reocurring and Reoccuring Dreams (which DO work in context).

- First half overshadows second half (perhaps even the most disturbing problem)
Perhaps it's because of the length, but second half (From "What's Going On" and further) feels less sincere, less honest, less powerful, and overall less brilliant.

Do not mistake this "rant" with completely destroying Zen Arcade; It is and will be one of my favorite records. But because it can't reach it's full potential; I'll always look at it with mixed feelings.. unfortunately.

Brb, I got to turn on the news

BTW: What's Going On is terrible]]> http://www.last.fm/user/notimportant2/journal/2007/02/28/59bwl_33_13_series_and_others Wed, 28 Feb 2007 18:36:45 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/notimportant2/journal/2007/02/28/59bwl_33_13_series_and_others I've caught myself multiple times enjoying stories about records I love and adore; I partically love texts where the author shares his/her personal stories, memories, encounters, high-and-low points etc related to a band and/or album.

Now, the 33 1/3 series have caught my eye. They seem perfect on paper: short books, dedicated to a single record. I just don't know what to expect from them. I've seen some samples on amazon, and, well, I still don't really know how they're filling 100+ pages. I don't know which dept they have, how much is consisted of personal experiences, if there are interviews, or if it's rather a big pile of 'facts'; like at what speed rate a song was recorded (of which I've seen reviewers talking about).

You see, I'm not interested in the facts, in the objective side. Like I mentioned, I'm more drawn to the subjective part.

So what are everyone's experiences with the series? Do you recommend them, or can you recommend other series/books?

Thanks (x3)

A list of 33 1/3 book subjects I'm considering:

(My Bloody Valentine) Loveless

(Guided by Voices) Bee Thousand

(The Magnetic Fields) 69 Love Songs

(Neutral Milk Hotel) In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

(Pixies) Doolittle

(The Replacements) Let It Be

(Radiohead) OK Computer

(DJ Shadow) Endtroducing...]]> http://www.last.fm/user/notimportant2/journal/2007/01/22/59bsx_pitchfork_admit_their_%27mistakes%27%3F Mon, 22 Jan 2007 17:28:09 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/notimportant2/journal/2007/01/22/59bsx_pitchfork_admit_their_%27mistakes%27%3F While searching for an old pitchfork review, I stumbled across an interesting list. Now, pitchfork is one of the most well-known collection of indie reviewers, and (therefor) have been criticized a lot on some of their reviews, some more than others. Call it justified, call it stupid. Now this list appears in the old archives:

http://old-site.pitchforkmedia.com/columns/dicrescenzo/05-08-29.shtml

Under the introduction "Therefore I propose that the decade be preserved as it truly was in excessively worthless collections", a list appears. It's heading?
"Blame It on the Fired Writer - Pitchfork 9.0s and Beyond"

--------------------------------------------------------
DISC 1: 9.0

Turbonegro: Ass Cobra
Barkmarket: L. Ron
Mouse On Mars: Instrumental
Paul D. Miller: Viral Sonata
Add N to (X): On The Wires Of Our Nerves
A Silver Mt. Zion: He Has Left Us Alone but Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corners of Our Rooms
Set Fire to Flames: Sings Reign Rebuilder
Out Hud: S.T.R.E.E.T. D.A.D.
Area: Revolution
The Rapture: Echoes
Mu: Afro Finger and Gel
Art Bears: Art Box
1 Mile North: Minor Shadows
Appleseed Cast: Low Level Owl Vol. I & II
Herbert: Secondhand Sounds
Auburn Lull: Alone I Admire
Gas: Pop
OOIOO: Feather Float
Ollano: Ollano
Manishevitz: Rollover
June of 44: Four Great Points
Machine Drum: Now You Know
Chocolate Genius: Black Music
Shizuo: Vs. Shizor
Enduser: 15 Tracks
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

DISC 2: 9.1-9.2

Isis: Oceanic
The Blood Brothers: Burn Piano Island, Burn!
Keith Fullerton Whitman: Multiples
U.S. Maple: Acre Thrills
Supersilent: 6
Momus: Ping Pong
Seaweed: Actions and Indications
The Glenrustles: In Stone
Buddyrevelles: September, November
Frog Eyes: The Golden River
Rhys Chatham: An Angel Moves Too Fast to See: Selected Works 1971-1989
Lagwagon: Let's Talk About Feelings
Clifford Gilberto: I Was Young And I Needed The Money!
Microphones: The Glow, Pt. 2
Pretty Girls Make Graves: Good Health
Non Prophets: Hope
Grasshopper and the Golden Crickets: The Orbit of Eternal Grace
Jackie-O Motherfucker: Fig. 5
MK Ultra: The Dream Is Over
Max Tundra: Some Best Friend You Turned Out to Be

DISC 3: 9.3-9.4

Olivia Block: Mobius Fuse
Max Tundra: Mastered by the Guy at the Exchange
Blackalicious: Blazing Arrow
Walt Mink: Colossus
Two Lone Swordsmen: Tiny Reminders
Ed Rush and Optical: Wormhole
Loftus: Loftus
Jan Jelinek: Loop-finding-jazz-records
Dntel: Life Is Full of Possibilities
Parson Sound: PŠrson Sound
Fennesz: Endless Summer
Shalabi Effect: The Trial of St-Orange
William Basinski: The Disintegration Loops I-IV
Finley Quaye: Maverick A Strike
Six Finger Satellite: Law of Ruins
Alana Davis: Blame It on Me
Cujo: Adventures in Foam

DISC 4: 9.5-9.9

Morton Feldman/Ives Ensemble: String Quartet II
Roots Manuva: Brand New Secondhand
Farben: Textstar
Happy Apple: Blown Shockwaves and Crash Flow
Plug: Drum'n'Bass for Papa
Slick Sixty: Nibs and Nabs
Save Ferris: It Means Everything
Circulatory System: Circulatory System
Iran: Iran
Tanya Donelly: Sliding and Diving
The Fiery Furnaces: Blueberry Boat
12 Rods: Split Personalities
Keith Fullerton Whitman: Playthroughs
UNKLE: Psyence Fiction
Squarepusher: Music Is Rotted One Note
808 State: Newbuild
New Wet Kojak: Nasty International
12 Rods: Split Personalities
Walt Mink: El Producto
--------------------------------------------------------

Did pitchfork just admitted their reviewing faults? Do they make a subtle apology? Or is this sarcasm?

Perhaps it's my lack of English and lack of patience that makes me understand this the wrong way, but I can't make any other conclusion than that they actually did 'correct' some reviews they thought had questionable ratings.

I've raised an eyebrow or two in the past when I read some of their reviews, but the times when I thought they were completely off, are rare. Did these review scores actually need an apology?

A Silver Mt. ZionOut HudOOIOOThe RaptureHerbertAppleseed CastClap Your Hands Say YeahIsisThe Blood BrothersWalt MinkFrog EyesMicrophonesPretty Girls Make GravesDntelCirculatory SystemThe Fiery Furnaces12 RodsUNKLESquarepusher]]>