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Big Thank You To…

I would like to thank both BlondeBlogger and Mr Shiny for allowing me to use their footage of the snow they captured on video during the big snow storms that hit their area. Without it, who knows how much longer it would have been before I posted a new episode of Snowy Sunday. [several more episodes are in production at this time]

A special shout out to Mr Shiny’s son for his brave trek through the snow-packed terrain.

I grew up listening to music on vinyl records – 45’s, 78’s and 33 1/3’s. From the time I was just a kid listening to those Disney songs, then graduating to pop music, rock and roll and heavy metal, I loved putting a record on the turntable and playing my favorite artists.

As a teen, my favorite was always to play the entire side of an album, letting each song track into the next. By the end of the last track on the album, I was in musical ecstasy.

Going back as far as thirty-two years, there have been three albums that I listen to on a regular basis where I really love the flow of the last three songs on each of these albums. There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t listen to all three and sometimes more than once [seriously]. There’s just something about each one of these that really resonates and connects with me.

But it goes beyond how these songs sound to me. It’s how they were originally placed onto the album by the band. They are all connected, running from one song to the next without a break – most prominently on two of the three albums. The term is called gapless playback and the design of many albums that incorporated this were most likely attempting to connect them all together in a way to create a musical montage – a story to be told, note by note – without interruption.

So without further explanation, here are the 3×3 albums/songs.

The Cars “The Cars” – 1978

Click the album name above to link to the MP3 album page and listen to samples
Track 7 – “Bye Bye Love”

This song and the two that follow it were sung by Benjamin Orr, who was the bass player for the band. While he is most famous for the lead vocals of the song “Drive” on the album “Heartbeat City”, it was his powerful voice, which is similar to that of Ric Ocasek’s, that cemented the beauty and awe of this song as a stand out track on this debut album. “I can’t feel this way much longer/expecting to survive” then the common musical keyboard riff on repeat. Add in a guitar solo, the enunciated and sped up vocals “Substitution/Massconfusion/Clouds Inside Your Head” and then bring back the repeats towards the end of the song as it works right into the next track.

Track 8 – “Moving In Stereo”

The last few bars of “Bye Bye Love” flow into the eery and haunting reverb of this song. The lyrics are simple, yet strong. “Life’s the same/I’m moving in stereo”, brilliantly mixed in stereo. Listening to this song in an acoustically-sound room [or at least a nice room with hardwood floors] provides a type of echo that only this song can be enjoyed in. Now put on a pair of nice headphones, preferably over the ear. Wow. Just Fucking Wow. The back and forth stereo mix adds a trippy level as the sound moves from left to right.

Track 9 – “All Mixed Up”

As “Moving In Stereo” fades out it’s psychedelic sounds, it’s morphs into the calming “All Mixed Up” Part love song, part regret and part guitar solo genius. But all of the keyboards and synths are where the real meat of the song takes place. Benjamin sings “She tricks me into thinking/I can’t believe my eyes” on the vocal track, keyboards in unison on another. Let’s add the sythesized cymbal tings and the repeated ending lyrics of “she said to leave it to me/it will be alright” and you have one of the best endings to an album.

Tears For Fears “Songs From The Big Chair” – 1985

Click the album name above to link to the MP3 album page and listen to samples
Track 6 – “Broken”

Technically speaking, it’s the last four songs that are connected without gaps on this album, but for me specifically, it’s the final three that have always spoken to me. Not that I don’t like “I Believe”, it’s just a bit out of place when played with the final three. “Broken” is one of those tracks that starts off strong and ends strong. The repeated chorus of “We Are Broken” flows well with the musical arrangement and I always like the vocals of Roland Orzabal sung as powerful as the music builds.

Track 7 – “Head Over Heels”

As the words “.. funny how time flies” escapes the lips of Roland, the first keyboard strikes of this song quickly rolls into the depth of this track. It’s another Roland lead vocal masterpiece. But then we add the harmony vocals of Curt Smith throughout each lyrical segment. Not to mention Curt’s bass notes adding even more to this popular yet addictive song. The lyrics don’t make much sense, which is sometimes the case with love songs. “This is my four-leaf clover” starts the end of the song as the multitude of “La La La La La La” chant easily moves into a final, yet fast arrangement.

Track 8 – “Listen”

Towards the end of “Head Over Heels”, you think the song is just going to end, with the crowd cheering. But as it migrates into a zen-like atmosphere of sound, “Listen” becomes pretty much the only lyric you remember from this calming tune. Not much more to say about this song. It’s nice. It flows. It has some oddness to it. And yet, it’s the perfect ending to a great album.

Radiohead “OK Computer” – 1997

Click the album name above to link to the MP3 album page and listen to samples
Track 10 – “No Surprises”

The first time I heard this album wasn’t until it had been out for almost three years. Tracking through the first nine songs left me breathless. But once the defined guitar picking notes of this song start, it quickly becomes obvious that this is the beginning of the end. The song builds into multiple facets. It’s bright and cheery, even given the gloomy vocals of Thom Yorke. Like a walk in a field of flowers, you want to jump around and smile and enjoy each and every note.

Track 11 – “Lucky”

While there is not a gapless transition from the previous song to this one, the flow of happy to a sonic sound of deep guitar and defined vocals begins to tell a story… “Pull me out of the aircrash/pull me out of the lake”… Doesn’t sound happy, but it is. It’s the hope of being the superhero that saves someone. And at the end of the second chorus, when the solo guitar strums take center stage, it speaks out… “We are standing on the edge” at least in musical form.

Track 12 – “The Tourist”

Again, lacking a gapless transition, the soulful guitar of Jonny Greenwood starts, soon to be joined by an even more soulful vocal yearning. “Hey man, slow down, slow down” The song is already pretty slow at this point, even with the guitar kicking it up a notch. The low and faint tone can seem to be a drop off. But just as it starts to drop, the guitar once again picks up and keeps going, right up until you hit the last few notes. Then we have that slow down that Thom has been singing about, ending with a single hit of the chimes.

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Any albums or sets of songs that you like? Please share. And go into detail. As a music lover, I want to hear.

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Still Catching Up

Honest, I do have many more episodes to film, edit and post before winter ends, including a Christmas episode [damn, I am behind, aren't I?], Clay the snowman, a Pulp Fiction remake [a different scene than the one I did last year, with a bit of my own creativity thrown in], an all new sledding episode and much more. Now that’s a lot to get done in eight weeks. Let’s see what I can make happen.

Those of you that read my last post, you know I went to Vegas for a few days. Here’s what I did:

- photo set of the bands at the show on Flickr

Park City

Inside Harry O’s waiting for Joan Jett to take the stage

Not even being home an hour, a friend of mine had tickets to go see Joan Jett at Harry O’s in Park City. For those that do not know it, this time each year, Park City is host to thousands of people for the Sundance Film Festival. It gets very crowded in the ice and snow.

After a drive up Parley’s canyon that was slick and snowy, we made it safety to the venue and enjoyed a great show. This was not my first time seeing Joan Jett live [saw her back in 2006 on the Van's Warped Tour], but this performance was much more intimate.

Getting my drink on

Joan Jett takes center stage

Joan Jett was there to promote “The Runaways”, a coming-of-age film starring Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart. During the middle of the show, they came out on stage for applause.

From left to right: Cherie Currie, the back of some dude’s head, Joan Jett, Dakota Fanning, Kristen Stewart

Once the show got over, we got back in the car and headed back down the same snowy and slick Parley’s to go home.

And that was my weekend. How was yours?

I will also include a few that I bought that missed the top ranking, as well as some that I still need to go out and get. The top entries are in the order of when they were released.

So with that, here’s my 2009 list:

• Lily Allen “It’s Not You, It’s Me”
  
  My daughter introduced me to Lily Allen, who I had heard of, but had never heard her music before. So I bought this sophomore release and was hooked. Of course, the two stand out tracks here are “The Fear” and “Fuck You”, which pretty much says to other young female artists to step it up a few notches if they want to have an outstanding album.
• Depeche Mode “Sounds Of The Universe”
  
  Most of you know I am a huge Depeche Mode fan. I’ve seen them multiple times in concert and there’s not that many songs or albums of theirs that I don’t like. This year’s release was a pretty strong effort by the band and songs like “Wrong” and “In Sympathy” made me love this band even more.
• Phoenix “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix”
  
  I was rather surprised that this was their fourth album. Where the hell have I been? Obviously not listening to this band. Tracks like “Lisztomania” and “1901″ only cement the love for playing this entire album from start to finish.
• Chickenfoot “Chickenfoot”
  
  I discovered this album early on in the year and I was instantly hooked. You take Sammy and Michael from Van Halen, add in Joe Satriani and Chad Smith to the mix and you have some kick ass tunes. “Soap On A Roap” and “Turnin’ Left” are just the tip of the iceberg for this hot new super group.
• Killswitch Engage “Killswitch Engage”
  
  One of the few metalcore bands that I really like released a new album this year. It’s self-titled [their second of their career... confusing to say the least] and it’s good… really good. Tracks like “Starting Over” and “The Forgotten” are melodic and hard-edged starting points to the greatness of the entire album.
• Pearl Jam “Backspacer”
  
  Pearl Jam was one of those bands that had to grow on me. But once they did, their grunge-like sound stuck. And while their self-titled release a few years ago wasn’t one of their better releases, they redeemed themselves with “Backspacer.” Stand out tracks like “The Fixer” and “Amongst The Waves” prove they still have got the musical touch.
• Alice In Chains “Black Gives Way To Blue”
  
  There has never been a band like Alice In Chains. So imagine my apprehension when they decide to release a new album with a new lead singer, William DuVall. Well, after many listens, this has proven to be really good. True Layne Staley fans may be bothered by him being replaced, but they should take a listen to songs like “Check My Brain” and “A Looking In View” and they may feel better about this return.
• Them Crooked Vultures “Them Crooked Vultures”
  
  Another super group? Did we really need another one? Before you shake your head in disagreement, you may want to listen to their debut album. Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and John Paul Jones [of Led Zeppelin] make this release a must listen. Songs like “New Fang” and “Mind Eraser, No Chaser” are just a couple of the 13 tracks that make this album rock.

Down A Few Rungs

And there were some albums that I bought that just didn’t grab me or they promised more than I thought they produced.

• U2 “No Line On The Horizon”
  
  U2 is one of my favorite bands and over their career, they have released some incredible albums. This was not one of them. Sure there were some catchy songs like “Get Your Boots On” and “Moment Of Surrender”, but overall, it was a snoozer for this fan.
• Muse “The Resistance”
  
  Muse have proven they are an incredibly talented band. Musically, they’ve released several albums that have been fan favorites. But there is something lacking in this latest release. Sure, their trademark sound is here, but there are many weak tracks on this album that just didn’t seem as strong as they could have been.
• Green Day “21st Century Breakdown”
  
  Green Day is one of those bands that I’ve always liked. And “American Idiot” was a great album and one that plays well from start to finish, telling a great story. But when you try to tell another story from start to finish on a new album, it may just start to feel the same. This album did just that. There were some great songs, but the melody sounded way too similar… almost like they were phoning it in. They did redeem themselves by being great in concert, though.
• Grizzly Bear “Veckatimest”
  
  I really did try to like this album. Lots of people loved it and praised it over and over. Even my daughter talked about how great it is. But I have to be honest that I didn’t completely fall in love with it, even after half a dozen listens. That doesn’t mean I hate it. On the contrary, but just not enough to make it a top candidate.

Albums I Need To Get Still

And there are a few releases that I need to pick up still, lauded by my daughter and others.

• Silversun Pickups “Swoon”
  
  I know my daughter has this album because she loves this band. I’ve heard a few songs from this album and liked them just as much as I did the tracks from their first release, “Carnavas.” Guess I need to get this latest release from my daughter.
• Passion Pit “Manners”
  
  I like some electronic dance music. LCD Soundsystem is one of my favorites. So after listening to several of the tracks on this album, I put it on my “must have” list. I still don’t have it, but I’m about to change that before the year ends.
• Cage The Elephant “Cage The Elephant”
  
  Grant Ruby, a friend and a DJ at local radio station 101.9 FM The End, has praised this album both on his blog and on the air. I’ve got one song “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” and I like it. Now I need to get the album to hear what other great songs I’ve been missing out on.
• Pet Shop Boys “Yes”
  
  I’ve been a fan of the Pet Shop Boys since their mid-80’s debut. I’ve had most of their albums over the years and they have never strayed from being great. Thanks to Dave from Blogography’s praise, this is an album that I will eventually own.
• White Rabbits “It’s Frightening”
  
  I really like the song “Percussion Gun” and have heard the rest of the album is just as good. I just need to go get the album and see for myself if the other tracks stand out just as great.

Best of Decade

There you have it – my 2009 list of albums that were great, not so great and ones I have yet to get. I also plan to do a best of decade list. That one is a bit more difficult to put together, but I’ll make sure it gets posted as soon I’m done.

So did I leave anything off? Put one on my list you think sucked? Comment away.

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The End of the Season

This episode is the end of Season 2. I thank you, my readers and viewers, for being patient with me this year. While there have been some great videos I’ve done, the creator is always the worst critic. I had wanted to do more episodes, especially given the time I had during the entire month of October. But it didn’t happen. And I’m ok with that, for the most part, because it wasn’t due to the fact that I don’t love riding my scooter and making videos. No no.. there were other factors, which I hope to blog about here soon.

But enough of that. I do have some great plans for Scooter Sunday Season 3 and hope to get back to my regular, creative self during the winter months.

Speaking of Winter…

Which brings me to the return of Snowy Sunday on December 6th, 2009. There will be a new episode each and every week during the winter months, come rain, snow, sleet, distractions, lazy ass syndrome… no exceptions [well, there's always *some* exceptions, but I will try to keep them from interfering with my video making]. I’ve got some great kick ass episodes in store for you, the viewing audience.

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Two In A Row

With summer officially gone and fall started, I am doing what I can to get a few more episodes of Scooter Sunday in before it gets too cold to ride. The forecast is looking pretty cold and grim for this next weekend, so there will most likely not be a new episode next week.

Which means I should (that’s the key word there) be able to get caught up on my other blog posts I’ve been wanting to post.

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Winner Winner, Memory Card Winner

And as promised, based on random numbers picked for each comment left on this previous post, here are the winners of the SD cards:

• 1Gb SD card – Avitable
• 2Gb SD card – Sybil Law

And the winner of the 8Gb SD card is….

• Hello Haha Narf

Congrats to the winners. Emails will be going out soon with details on how to claim your prize.

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UPDATE:

– I forgot to add proper credit to the opening song in this weekend episode.

Band: The 13th Floor Elevators

Song: “You’re Gonna Miss Me”

© 1966 Collectibles Records

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