Since the first time I heard “Head Like a Hole” on the radio, I have loved Nine Inch Nails. So this week for Music Monday, I give you my list of NIN in my life.

• First NIN Album I Bought:

- “Pretty Hate Machine” – the story of how Trent created this album is one of the greatest stories of music. “Sin”, “Ringfinger” and “Sanctified” all remain strong and never sound dated.

• Favorite NIN Song To End a Workout:

- “Right Where It Belongs” from “With Teeth” – There is something about how this song flows that makes it the perfect cooling down to a strong hour long workout.

• Favorite NIN Album:

- 1999′s “The Fragile”. A double album that I regularly play from start to finish. Seriously, the entire (Left) side of the album [commonly referred to as Side 1 or Disc 1] is some of the most consistent music that flows into a single musical moment.

• Memorable NIN Concert Moment:

- I’ve seen NIN live twice: in 2005 for the “With Teeth” tour and in 1994 for the Downward Spiral tour. That tour date was at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City with my then wife Denise. The opening band was Marilyn Manson, but thanks to the giant pussy Larry H. Miller [Robin Finck's t-shirt said so], he didn’t want someone of that kind playing in his stadium. So instead of Marilyn Manson the band playing, Marilyn Manson the persona appeared on stage during the NIN set and ripped up a Book of Mormon. As for NIN themselves, it was one of the most intense concerts I’ve attended. The sound, the lights, the music, the atmosphere, the audience… all intense.

• Missed NIN Opportunity:

- In 2000, while touring for “The Fragile”, I was given the opportunity to a decent seat/ticket from a friend. I passed due to.. you know, I have no fucking clue why I passed up on opportunity to see NIN again in concert. [It had better been because I was spending time with my daughter.]

• Favorite NIN Song:

- You know how hard this is? Damn, I don’t know if I can pick a favorite. But if I had to, it would be “Heresy” from “The Downward Spiral”. The lyrics, the beat, the overall structure of the song is just good.

• Favorite cover song done by NIN:

- “Physical (You’re So)” from the “Broken” EP. Originally done by Adam and the Ants, Trent and band take this song into the next level. Musically, this song kicks some serious ass. A very close second for favorite cover is “Get Down, Make Love” for the Queen fan in me.

• Least Favorite NIN Album:

- “Year Zero” – I really, really loved the story, the lead up to the album’s release and how they got everyone – fans included – excited for new music. After a good 60 or so listens, there are parts of it that are not that enjoyable to me. Maybe if I saw them live for this tour, it would have got me more into this album.

• Most Exciting Moment In NIN History:

- When Trent won the Oscar for “The Social Network” soundtrack [along side Atticus Ross]. It was like a validation of everything he’s done from the beginning to that point in time. Plus, how cool was it to see Trent in a tux.

Original image found at Toronto Sun

• Most Respectable Move That NIN Did:

- The fan-created video project known as “Another Version of the Truth”, which has the full support of NIN. For Trent and NIN to recognize the power of the fan base over the old media dinosaur method of thinking gives him an incredible amount of respect. Trent’s criticism of the music industry was no surprise, given his support for this kind of project.

Any NIN fans out there? Any favorites you have? Comment away.

Video Streaming Problems

This last weekend, I decided to finally upgrade this blog from WordPress 2.6.5 to WordPress 2.8. I normally will wait on new versions of WordPress for a long time before upgrading, hence still being on an older release.

Most of the move was smooth and caused very few problems, namely the SEO plugin and some formatting with the display of comments [it was showing each comment twice: both 2.8 compatible comments and legacy comments].

But, I also noticed something else. The most recent Scooter Sunday video was taking forever and a day to load up in the background. What normally would take less than 20 seconds is now taking at least three minutes or longer to load up.

For anyone that’s been experiencing problems trying to watch the videos, this is resulting in the video stopping while it’s playing, which means you need to click play to start it again, which can sometimes restart the video from the beginning. Frustrating, I know.

the highlighted area above is the progress bar, showing the video downloading

In order for the video to play smoothly from start to finish, the video needs to download itself completely. From most broadband connections, this should take under 30 seconds. To tell when the video is loaded all the way, the above picture shows the highlighted progress bar. When it’s all “filled in”, it’s ready to be played. Alternatively, you can also start playing the video right away and it will should load up and play at the same time, with no need to make sure it’s loaded all the way first.

When I brought up this slowness issue to my ISP, 1and1, the support staff informed me that steaming video was not allowed and that 30mb videos were “too much traffic that infringes on the other users that are hosted on the same server.”

Um, excuse me, but my monthly hosting plan allows for up to 1.2Tb of transfer. Last month, I only used 2% of that. Logically, I could use another 98% of that and still not go over my monthly allotment. I have Scooter Sunday fans that need their videos – unedited and containing the music that goes with each episode. For now, I’ve resolved the issue by moving the videos to another server I have [coincidentally with the same ISP] and they are back to the speedy loading videos they were before.

But if for some reason, if any of you experience slow down again [or any other issues], shoot me an email via the Contact form.

————————————————————–

Review: Marilyn Manson “The High End of Low”

I make no apologies for being a big fan of Marilyn Manson, the band, even if the artist known as Marilyn Manson can be a mixed bag at times. But musically, I think the former Brian Warner and his collective pool of dual-named participants have made some incredible and impacting music starting in the mid 90′s and continuing into the new decade. And while I have my favorite albums – “Antichrist Superstar” “Holy Wood” and “Mechanical Animals” – I also like the band’s newer albums. But even after many listens, these new albums still don’t grab me completely. Such is the case with “The High End of Low“.

Songs that are finding their way into my favorites list are “Pretty As a ($)”, “Leave A Scar” “Running To The Edge of the World” and “Blank and White” Both musically and lyrically, these songs are catchy and have a lasting connection with what I’ve grown to like in the construction of Marilyn Manson songs.

Then there’s songs like “We’re From America” which is very clever with lines like “We don’t believe in credibility/Because we’re know that we’re fucking incredible” but with a musical tone that tends to wear out it’s welcome after a few listens. Waiting a while and going back to re-listen to the song produces a new appreciation followed by a need to give it another rest.

As for what doesn’t grab me, it’s lines like “I wanna fuck you like a foreign film/and there’s no subtitles to get you through this” from the song “I Want To Kill You Like They Do In the Movies” It’s not only cheesy, but very much over the top. I get the idea of the story here, but for me, it’s reaching in the art of songwriting, even for Manson. Same with the song “WOW” which falls apart early on, both in word and in tune. Bringing it back to the hard edge, “Wight Spider” works out the creativity by proclaiming “I’ll possess you but I don’t need you to be another one of my possessions“

I’ve played the album from start to finish at least ten times since it’s release and it’s certainly not horrible or unlistenable. It’s got a more polished finish than “Eat Me, Drink Me” has, but less of a shine than “The Golden Age Of Grotesque” played to the Manson fan more consistently. I still always go back to the song “(s)AINT” at least once a week. Hard to resist that leading-up-to-the-chorus line “I’ve got an F and a C and I’ve got a K, too/and the only thing that’s missing is a bitch like you“

So if you are already a big fan of Marilyn Manson, this album will eventually work it’s way into your playlists. And while it’s no “Antichrist Superstar”, it’s a good effort that’s worthy of welcoming Twiggy Ramirez back to the fold.

” *** “

I give it 3 out of 5 stars

10. Alice In Chains: MTV Unplugged
    
    The first time I heard Alice In Chains, it was 1990 and they had just released “Facelift” I really wasn’t that into it. It only took a short time before their sound grabbed me and I became a fan. But the album of theirs that I listen to most is “MTV Unplugged” from 1996. The raw and stripped down sound is so clean and fresh. Plus it’s one of the last time’s Layne performed with the band. Just try and listen to this version of “Down in a Hole” without feeling goosebumps.

 

11. U2: The Joshua Tree
    
    The music released in 1987 was tops. An excellent year for many bands. U2 was already becoming a household name, but this album made sure no one mistook the band for the military plane. Songs like “With Or Without You” and “Bullet The Blue Sky” forever changed the status of this Irish band. This album is still in constant rotation in my CD player on on my iPod.

 

12. Prince: Purple Rain
    
    I found Prince’s music when he released the album 1999. But it was seeing the movie Purple Rain that helped me get more into this funk master’s mindset and his grooves. Even the backwards masking controversy could not stop people from embracing this album. “Darling Nikki” will always bring a smile to my face, and “Let’s Go Crazy” starts off any party with a blast.

 

13. Led Zeppelin: Houses of the Holy
    
    I’ve been a Zeppelin fan since the beginning of their career. And I like pretty much all of their music. This album, released in 1973, came out on top and stayed there. Even missing the title track (which showed up on their next album, “Physical Graffiti”), it still didn’t take away from the tracks like “Dancing Days” and “No Quarter”. In fact, this album contains my favorite Zep song – “The Rain Song” which is almost eight minutes of pure enjoyment.

 

14. The Eagles: Hotel California
    
    Even with their country infused sound, the Eagles forever changed the landscape of rock with this 1976 album. Hearing “Life In The Fast Lane” on the radio that year, wiped out any stereotype I had from their previous work. And although I prefer the version of “Hotel California” from their album “Hell Freezes Over”, the original studio version still stands up in its classic format.

 

15. Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
    
    If you have ever read the story of the making of this album, you will be amazed that it actually got made. To date, it has sold over 30 million copies and is considered one of the best rock albums ever made. And with songs like “The Chain” (which is my favorite), it’s hard not to keep playing this album over and over. This is the album that gets put on when I leave for a camping trip, driving down the highway and backroads.

 

16. Sex Pistols: Nevermind The Bullocks
    
    “God Save The Queen/Her Facist Regime” Opening lyrics that became glued to every punk kid’s memory. Released in 1977, it is the first and only album recorded by the Sex Pistols. It’s also the one that everyone turns to when they think of the start of the punk rock revolution. Raw, unapologetic and dirty, this album has stood the test of time and inspired many followers over the years.

 

17. Marilyn Manson: Antichrist Superstar
    
    Not too many people know what a huge fan of Marilyn Manson I am. I’ve seen him twice in concert (2001 and 2008) and have always considered his music misunderstood by most. Most people may remember all of the odd things he’s done over the years, but it’s this 1996 release that will remain one of his best works. Produced by Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), it tells a story of a misguided rock star looking for whatever it can find to satisfy any desire in life. Besides the well-known “The Beautiful People”, songs like “Little Horn” and the title track make this album one I never get tired of hearing.

 

18. Rolling Stones: Exile On Main Street
    
    I can’t tell you how many great albums were released in the 70′s. Today most are known as classic rock. Eight years into their career, the Rolling Stones came out with this album. Except for “Tumbling Dice”, there wasn’t a lot of well-known radio hits, but that wasn’t the point of this record. Playing it from start to finish is much more what Mick & Keith and Co. had in mind. Eighteen songs long, it’s easily my favorite, and with many music critics, as well.

 

19. Tears For Fears: Songs From The Big Chair
    
    How many times do you hear an album for the first time and think, “This is going to be huge” Tears For Fears second release from 1985 was one of those albums that I heard and uttered the above phrase. “Shout” and “Head Over Heels” were heard everywhere. You couldn’t escape them if you wanted to. And now 23 years later, I enjoy them just as much as when they were in heavy rotation on pop radio.

 

20. Notorious B.I.G.: Life After Death
    
    I don’t like too many rap artists. In fact, I can only name four or five that I really count as musicians that matter in the music industry. One had his life cut short, just days before the release of this album. Christopher “Biggie” Wallace knew how to rap. Just listen to “Hypnotize” and “Going Back To Cali” and you’ll hear someone who really spent time perfecting his talent. And to have one of the best selling double albums, it’s a 1996 release that you should really check out.

 

21. Pink Floyd: Dark Side Of The Moon
    
    Who knew that in 1973, an long time jazzy blues band was going down a more creative route musically. They had several albums that resulted in their efforts, but it was this album that sticks in most people’s minds as the definitive crown. Spending over 12 years on the Billboard Top 200 list, it’s the one album that most people own and play often. It’s meant to be played from start to finish and you can listen to tracks like “Money” and still be blown away at how well this sounds.

 

22. Black Sabbath: Paranoid
    
    The start of the 70′s found the a band from England releasing one of their best selling and most popular albums. “War Pigs”, “Faries Wear Boots” and “Iron Man” are some timeless classics, you can’t help but listen each and every time they are played. They would go on to release six more albums with Ozzy Osbourne at the helm, but Paranoid remains the one that most people know and love.

 

23. The Cars: The Cars
    
    An odd lead singer with an even odder name, Ric Otcasek (later changed to Ocasek) helped start this Boston band on its road to success. Their first album is yet another one that must be played from the beginning to the end. And with no gaps between the tracks on each side of the album, it flows perfectly. It’s very common for me to play all of side 2 (which is the final three songs) for a lot of people, just to show how well it sounds. “Good Times Roll” and “Best Friend’s Girl” are the stand out tracks that makes this record a keeper.

 

24. The Cure: Pornography
    
    Long considered a goth band, The Cure was always a favorite of mine. In 1982, they released the first of the trilogy of albums [Disintegration (1989) and Bloodflowers (2000) were the other two] that would define their drastic and dread-like sound. “One Hundred Years” and “Hanging Garden” are classic alternative songs that make you want to mosh and sway.

 

25. Nine Inch Nails: The Fragile
    
    A double album is not something that’s easy to release, let alone expect the buying public to embrace. Bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Peter Frampton made them work. And so did Nine Inch Nails in 1999. The album is broken up into two: Left and Right. While I prefer the Left side (another one that is great from start to finish), the Right side contains the Grammy-nominated song “Starfuckers Inc.”, which is not only a killer song, its lyrics tell a sordid tale about torn friendships.

 

So there you have it. I guess I could go on with my favorites, which could fill countless blog posts. But we’ll stop a the Top Nine and the rest of the top 25 favorites. Comment away if you have anything to add to this or add your favorites or suggestions.