Now Playing Thread

[Draco chimera]

The Blues Brothers, Sweet Home Chicago 

[Steve Jones]

Bad Company - Desolation Angels

[Manatee]

NP  Jeff Buckley:  Grace
I don't recall any of you guys answering properly, so I'm asking again:  Are any of you into JB ?

I've heard his name, but I don't know his music...yet.

If ya havent heard his Lilac Wine, well ... it's like still being a virgin 

If memory serves, not being one is more fun.   

Don't forget the companion 'Nil Recurring' if you've not already got it

As it happens, that one was also part of last week's Amazon Marketplace insanity and is due to arrive shortly. 

But seriously, I don't consider that he's half as bad as he's made to be. E.g. 9/11 and the necessary clearup in Afghanistan wasnt his fault, it was Bill Clinton's 

I'd agree that he can't reasonably be blamed for 9/11, and knocking out the guys in Afghanistan who supported the terrorists seemed reasonable.  I don't think he really takes too much heat for those (in fact, his popularity rating was quite high in the following months).  Iraq is a different matter entirely -- it was/is a mess and his attitude managed to alienate much of the rest of the world.  Also, there are a number of domestic things that he's considered to have bungled (poor support for the victims of hurricane Katrina around New Orleans being an example).  Either way, there's someone new in town, and while I can't predict whether he'll wind up doing a good job or not, at least he's a) intelligent and b) more diplomatic.

R.E.M. - Dead Letter Office.

A peculiar choice as one of my favourite R.E.M. albums, I'm sure, but it is nevertheless one of my faves.  Toys in the Attic and King of the Road are particularly fine

Not so peculiar if your copy is the same as mine and includes the Chronic Town EP on the end, which I consider to be some of their best stuff.   

Played last night while Europe was sleeping: Every Porcupine Tree album I own.   

NP: Steely Dan - The Royal Scam

[Nicky007]

NP  Extreme:  III Sides

Whoopee, am I exalted by this music  

I just found out that several reviewers on Amazon expressed their surprise at discovering this fabulous music in some remote niche (like the Room) many years after its release.

Goes to show: Take a dork, shove some € millions up his a* (if it's a woman, make sure there's some mega-a*s & -b*s), and ya got the new showbiz star  

... while genius goes unnoticed (also Jeff B for that matter)  

Welcome to the human race. There was a Roman two millenia ago who said, "Give the rabble bread (beefsteaks) and theater (showbiz), and they'l remain content." Well, tell me, guys, (not the way to the next whisky bar but) has this changed basically ?

Nicky.

[Steve Jones]

Not so peculiar if your copy is the same as mine and includes the Chronic Town EP on the end, which I consider to be some of their best stuff.   

I didn't know there was a version without Chronic Town.  Still, my copy dates from the late 80s, so I guess there might have been lesser variations since then

NP: Pendragon - The Jewel (Remastered)

[Teunis]

Pendragon - Pure 

[Nicky007]

If memory serves, not being one is more fun.   

Hey Greenie, did we negate differently, or do we disagree

Nicky.

[Manatee]

Hey Greenie, did we negate differently, or do we disagree

I don't think disagreement on this particular topic is possible, so I'll have to assume choice a).  I assume the gist of what you were saying was "it's like getting to NOT be one again," which I, being a contrary bastard, not unlike some other people I could name, intentionally took literally instead of as you meant it.   

I didn't know there was a version without Chronic Town.  Still, my copy dates from the late 80s, so I guess there might have been lesser variations since then

Yeah, mine's from back around then too, and I haven't seen a copy without CT.  It's just that nowadays it seems like almost every album has multiple versions and may even be released in different forms in different countries.


re: Extreme - This seems to be another case of a U.S. band being more popular abroad than at home.  I'll admit I've never heard an entire album of theirs, but this is another band that was in the "not worth my time crap category" based on a handful of songs coming up on the radio 146 years ago.  Maybe I'll Pandorify them after the Great Q Experiment has run its course.

Just finished up the soundtrack to Steve's electricians.

NP: Sugar - Beaster

I wish there had been more Sugar albums, although several of Bob Mould's solos were nearly as good.  Though you'd never mistake them for R.E.M., both have the "wall of sound yet not metal" characteristic that seems to work nicely for me.

[PH]

Frank Klepacki - C&C: Red Alert 2 Soundtrack
Destroy




Lots of interesting stuff going on in this song!

[Steve Jones]

Though you'd never mistake them for R.E.M., both have the "wall of sound yet not metal" characteristic that seems to work nicely for me.

Yes, that sums it up nicely!  Well done Mr Green

I've just decamped* downstairs to the study (or 'den' in the colonies) so I can watch a DVD - Marillion's Bootleg Butlins in this instance.  I got the urge after reading the various 'as it happens' posts about the Marillion convention in Montreal on the Marillion forum - I was feeling left out

So it's laptop on the lap for the rest of the evening...


* Not that I was particularly camp in the first place, I hasten to add!

[Manatee]

Yes, that sums it up nicely!  Well done Mr Green

Why thank you, sir.

NP: Devin Townsend - Ziltoid the Omniscient   

Let the brain scrambling begin!

[Steve Jones]

Yeah, mine's from back around then too, and I haven't seen a copy without CT.  It's just that nowadays it seems like almost every album has multiple versions and may even be released in different forms in different countries.

Yeah.  I think most of my early R.E.M. stuff is original US imports.  It seems odd now they're famous in parts of the Galaxy the rest of us haven't yet discovered, but there was a time when R.E.M. were a bit of an underground thing here and you had to work hard to find the pre-Document CDs.  I can actually remember feeling quite elated when I eventually tracked down a copy the elusive 'Murmur' and completed my set

[Manatee]

Yeah.  I think most of my early R.E.M. stuff is original US imports.  It seems odd now they're famous in parts of the Galaxy the rest of us haven't yet discovered, but there was a time when R.E.M. were a bit of an underground thing here and you had to work hard to find the pre-Document CDs.  I can actually remember feeling quite elated when I eventually tracked down a copy the elusive 'Murmur' and completed my set

They did start out that way (and were probably best before they became superstars).  Actually, the only time I ever saw them live, they were the opening ('supporting' in Olde World Lingo) act for the Police.  I think they'd only released Chronic Town and Murmur at that point.  I heard they later came to play on my brother's college campus, and I nearly had to remove his spleen for failing to notify me in advance so I could invade his dorm and see them.

P.S. Devin Townsend probably needs therapy, but I hesitate to mention it to him as his music might suffer if he got better.

[Steve Jones]

They did start out that way

The funny thing is I'd never have pegged R.E.M. as being destined for such big things.  They sounded too much like a regular guitar band to me.  I don't mean that as a criticism, just an observation that most bands I like seem to be destined for a life of near-poverty

[Manatee]

The funny thing is I'd never have pegged R.E.M. as being destined for such big things.  They sounded too much like a regular guitar band to me.  I don't mean that as a criticism, just an observation that most bands I like seem to be destined for a life of near-poverty

Same here.  Somehow, "I really like this a lot" and "This is going to be a big hit" are two things that almost never cross my mind about the same song.  It just adds to my already exceedingly low opinion of the taste of the general public.

[Nicky007]

... after the Great Q Experiment has run its course.

I hadnt even noticed that it was instigated. You guys have been pretty reticent about it. But OK, I'm still in, yeah !

The Room has its own kinda silence. Occasionally it seems like people have ignored me - probably cause I'm much too considerate and polite and don't like to provoke like some other roomies do - and then, long after I'v given it up, some issue that I raised gets picked up by somebody.

Nicky.

[Manatee]

I hadnt even noticed that it was instigated. You guys have been pretty reticent about it. But OK, I'm still in, yeah !

It's just my personal experiment, trying to get a feel for Q to decide whether I've been missing out on something I'd like due to my not-very-favorable first impression of them many years ago.  I mentioned it in the same post as the Guinness/Murphy's taste test, and you (quite reasonably) may have been distracted by the presence of the Beloved Black Liquid (BBL).

As to silences, I think it may just be that in many cases, people don't chime in if they don't know enough about the topic to have a strong opinion, e.g., you'll hear me babble at every opportunity about Genesis or R.E.M., but I don't know enough about, say, Nevermore, to offer a useful comment on them.

Also, depending on how recently you've checked in, there may be a lot of posts to catch up on, so some may just get missed.  I had nearly 100 posts to read when I came on today, and I'd only been off for half a day or so. 

[Steve Jones]

BBL shortage here.  We live in troubled times.

On the plus side, the Marillion DVD now playing is pretty awesome even sober

[Manatee]

BBL shortage here.  We live in troubled times.

Same here, and I don't anticipate sallying forth to save the beautiful Guinness from evil maidens tonight (er, or something like that), so I'm afraid it'll be either scotch or staring reality straight in the face without anaesthetic.

NP: The multimedia bits from the Ziltoid bonus disc.  Needless to say, they're rather odd.  In the second one, Ziltoid compares himself to Celine Dion.  Honestly.

[Steve Jones]

In the second one, Ziltoid compares himself to Celine Dion.  Honestly.

Are you entirely sure you're 'without anaesthetic'? 

[Steve Jones]

Marillion - Somewhere in London DVD

[Manatee]

Are you entirely sure you're 'without anaesthetic'? 

At the moment, yes.  It appears that Ziltoid (as opposed to Devin himself) is something of a dimwit for an omniscient 4th dimensional being.


NP:  Marillion: Afraid of Sunlight

This requires more study.  As I remembered, I like the song 'King' a lot.  Some of the others may be 'slow burners' to borrow Nicky's terminology.

[Steve Jones]

NP:  Marillion: Afraid of Sunlight

This requires more study.  As I remembered, I like the song 'King' a lot.  Some of the others may be 'slow burners' to borrow Nicky's terminology.

I'd have thought 'Gazpacho' and 'Cannibal Surf Babe' could be much quicker burners, they were for me anyway if memory serves.  On the other hand, there are a good number of 'settle down in a darkened room' numbers such as 'Out of this World'

Hell, it's gotta be easier than Steely Dan

[Manatee]

I'd have thought 'Gazpacho' and 'Cannibal Surf Babe' could be much quicker burners, they were for me anyway if memory serves.  On the other hand, there are a good number of 'settle down in a darkened room' numbers such as 'Out of this World'

Hell, it's gotta be easier than Steely Dan

Actually, those two are pretty catchy right off.  I think the more subtle middle of the album caused me to forget that until I played them again just now.

Hard for me to judge Steely Dan on a similar level because they were a radio staple when I was growing up, so they essentially came 'pre-burnt'.  Happily they didn't get so much play that I totally burned out on them.  Still, they're not a play every day band for me, just once in a while when the mood strikes me.

[Steve Jones]

Hard for me to judge Steely Dan on a similar level because they were a radio staple when I was growing up, so they essentially came 'pre-burnt'.

Conversely, as I didn't hear much on the radio I found I had to work very hard on Steely Dan.  A lot of the subtlety went straight over my head until I got a decent hi-fi.  Even the more slow-burning Marillion stuff proved easier for me.  Still, I got there in the end!