Monthly Archives: November 2017

Highway to Tomorrow or: Progressions of Power (Eugeology Entry 47)

30 Thursday Nov 2017

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Salutations™!!

I let Eugene down on the last one, but I had to be honest, right? Let’s move on to this week’s entry. Jon will be along, eventually, right?

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#47 – Progressions of Power by Triumph.

Note: I only listened to this one four times as opposed to the usual six spins per album.

I didn’t need six spins to talk about this one, even though I had never heard it before being assigned it from Eug. I know there have been things said about Triumph. The poor man’s Rush, the other rock trio from Canada, etc. I have certainly come around on Rush. I used to really get annoyed listening to them, but I have learned that it was some really good songs, mechanical or not. I had heard less of Triumph, musically. Of course, I had heard “Fight the Good Fight” and “Lay It on the Line,” those were hits here and got some play on the local classic rock channel. I even have a live album from them on CD.

But, I never really paid attention to them. I passed on them. That was dumb. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to know more, I just had other things to listen to. I can hear some similarities between Triumph and Rush much of which I won’t get into. But, this is especially the case in the vocals. Now, only about half of the songs are sung by guitarist Rik Emmett, but he has that high shrill voice that is much more melodic and smoother than Geddy Lee’s. I like his voice. I like his voice better than Gil Moore, the drummer and co-lead vox. Not that there’s anything wrong with Moore’s vocals. I just prefer the higher registers that Emmett throws at us. Also, Triumph is less proggy than Rush tends to be.

This album starts off slow with me, though. “I Live for the Weekend” is a boogie-rock type song that I just can’t get into. I was afraid the whole album was going to be like that and then I’d have to disappoint Eug for a second week in a row. I also thought it was a live album from the way the production sounded. It wasn’t. I also liked that fact, that it wasn’t. Luckily, the rest of the album was awesome and fan-frickin’-tastic.

I love the gritty riff rock of “Nature’s Child.” It gets to highlight the drum work of Moore, as well. Great flange/phaser effect there, too. I know Eug love a good flange. “Woman in Love” is just in your face rocking. It reminds me of some Foreigner and that’s not a bad thing, at all. The harmonies in the chorus are typical of the time but so well executed. The guitar solo is also on point.

So, in probably the least “rock” thing I can say about this album, “Take My Heart” is my favorite song on the album. I am a sucker for a good ballad but this gets really syrupy and sappy and I love it. The vocal melody, chord progression and instrumentation are amazing!! Again, I love it! Love! It! So, there.

“Finger Talking” into “Hard Road” is a great segue combination. “Hard Road” is a great way to rock the album out. It shows Emmett’s guitar prowess and vocal ability, well. Great song to end a great album.

I do like that it kept a little prog rock qualities but really it was a straight-up rock album that for the most part, I really dug. I have to give a shout to Michael Levine. He’s a great bass player that I think gets lost in the Emmett/Moore Machine. He has great riffs but they’re subtle and not blaring or flashing. Solid.

My least favorite tunes are “Tear the Roof Off” and “I Live for the Weekend,” but even those aren’t bad. They’re just not my favorites. All in all, I think this was an excellent album and I thank Eug for introducing us to it. If you’re not familiar with Triumph, Dear Reader, or you are a Rush fan, give this a try. I’m not comparing them to Rush, I just think fans of that band would like this one. This is a good album to intro them.

I can see Eug trying to catch up on his own list and I think I see Jon way back in the distance. He’s just had a lot going on this year. Perhaps he’ll at least listen to the albums even if he doesn’t write about them. I hope he writes about them, though. Okay, that’s all.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“I wear a song to mask my awkward face. The music helps to fill the empty space. I wish that I could hide it all away. Instead, it shows in every note I play. And I play. And I play…” – “Take My Heart” (Emmett, Levine, Moore)

Yes! or: Wakeman Up Funny

29 Wednesday Nov 2017

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Salutations™!!

I’ve expanded my musical horizons this week. I have always loved the radio-friendly tunes that the band Yes put out, but not much on the long, drawn-out prog stuff. And, that really hasn’t changed, but what has changed is my want of the album. 90125 and Fragile are great but I’d never listened to the album, just the tunes I wanted to hear. As big a proponent of albums as I made myself out to be on the RS Top 500 list I will admit to (prior to that project) that I wasn’t much on listening to full albums. My ADD just wasn’t having it. I will also add (all lowercase) that it is still a struggle for me to listen all the way through stuff, but I pull it off. Since I’ve gotten (back) into vinyl, it has gotten easier and I’ll admit, fun. But, I still struggle with it. But, a friend of mine posted this on his wall today and I thought I’d share it. I never knew how funny Rick Wakeman (keyboards) was but he is hilarious. The whole thing is worth the watch, but Wakeman comes in around the seven-minute mark. It’s their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Enjoy.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Change changing places. Root yourself to the ground. Capitalize on this good fortune. One word can bring you round: Changes.” – “Changes” (Rabin, Anderson, White)

Bonus Record Day or: Just Because

28 Tuesday Nov 2017

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Salutations™!!

I didn’t record The Man Who Ate the Town podcast today because it was a slow day and I would have just talked about Thanksgiving food. I don’t think forcing topics is good for the podcast, so I didn’t. I mean, if you want to read about what I made, check out the upcoming blog post over there about what I did. It should be interesting. R-6033566-1409343720-3911.jpeg

No, Dear Reader, today, I want to talk about records. GASP! I know, right? It seemed like I had a lot of discussion on Facebook today about it and wanted to talk about what I listened to for a sec. First, I was doing some cooking today and usually, I listen to Amazon Prime when I cook (again… GASP…) but I’m trying to get through some of the piled up “to be listened to” stack that is amassing at an alarming rate.

We purchased a new four-cubed shelf for those as to separate them from the main collection. They’re not in any real order and some of them are The BCPF’s and some are mine. So, I did the random grab method with a little prejudice. If it was something that was The BCPF’s, then I put it back and tried again.

The first one up was Tales From Topographic Oceans from Yes. It’s a 2xLP that has four songs on it. Yes, one per side. I really enjoyed listening to 90125 last night and figured I’d go for the older, more proggy Yes for a bit. I can say that it was well done. It was a bit too deep for me, I think. As you may recall from my RS Top 500 list, I am not always a fan of long, drawn-out, tunes. I think that’s why I like pop music so much, four minutes and next. My ADD gets in my way. I didn’t really care for it.

A few weeks ago, I had to admit that I knew nothing from King Crimson. In my “bonus-stack-I-didn’t-know-I-had,” there was the greatest hits comp, The Young Persons’ Guide To King Crimson. So, okay, let’s do that one next. I don’t know if the production was wonky or what, but it was extra quiet in spots and, yes, I know with that kind of music dynamics are important and the breadth is vast, but I don’t know that this is what that was. Anywhat! It was basically “more of the same” as it was with Yes. It was good. Well done, even. I just didn’t get into it. I will admit that I didn’t listen to the second disc. Why? It wasn’t because I was ditching it. A package arrived at my door and it was one that I’ve waited a long time for. Which brings me to the next:

All That Jazz from Breathe. Yes, it’s some very sugary pop music but it’s well written and it’s from my junior-senior years in high school. I sang the songs to an ex-girlfriend. It has eluded me since I started my vinyl journey and was one of my most coveted. I found it in VG+ condition on the Discogs Marketplace (where, like the name suggests, you buy and sell albums to and from all over the world). That and another album showed up together. I sang several of the songs quite disjointedly as I don’t hear them often. I love that album and was so excited to have it.

The next was Hi Infidelity from REO Speedwagon. I had never given it a fair shake and it was cheap from the same seller on Discogs and shipping was free. I sang a good bit of those tunes whilst cooking, as well.

Next was a twofer that is unusual I found out. It’s Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot in the same 2xLP set from Genesis. I love me some Peter Gabriel and I really like Genesis but I don’t like them together, mostly. Nursery Cryme was their third studio album and it was pretty good. I didn’t know what to expect, but I did know I was going to get long songs like the Yes and King Crimson. I wasn’t wrong about that, but I did actually enjoy listening to it. Foxtrot, its follow-up, was good but I didn’t like it as well as I did Nursery Cryme.

I finished off the listening (to this point) with Midnight Madness from Night Ranger. Yes, “Sister Christian.” I love a lot of stuff on this album and that song, in particular, has a special place in my heart. I probably wouldn’t be either the musician I am today or at all if it weren’t for that song. I performed that as an audition to get into this “contemporary music class” in ninth grade. That’s where I was pushed to learn bass guitar and piano. It pushed me to be a good musician. Whether or not I ever accomplished that? I can’t say, but I wouldn’t be anything musical without that, at least not until much later.

That’s my day’s playlist so far, but the reason I wanted to talk about them was the fact that they garnered a lot of talk on Facebook and Instagram. See, I post every album I listen to, twice. Once in the #nowspinning Facebook group from Underdog Records that The BCPF and I, along with many of our friends are part of and then on Instagram copying to Facebook and Twitter. The group is private so only members see that and I’m not necessarily Facebook friends with all the members, but we get good conversations from it. The IG post carries to anyone who is friends with me and follows me.

I know I’m in a good spot when I get Doug Davis, Ed Bumgardner, Lee Wallace, Clay Howard and others in the music community, all of whom I respect as far as their tastes and opinions, to comment and start an hours-long thread about what is “good” or not, or what is a better album or why this may be overrated or this may be underrated. I love musical conversations and when my playlist is at the core of it, I feel all gooey. Okay, that’s probably pushing it, but I really enjoy it. I enjoyed my listening today for all those reasons.

Do you have any comments on any of those albums, or any albums, Dear Reader? Surely, Superfan Damien has some to recommend. I want to hear from any of you, your thoughts or recommendations for albums to listen to. They don’t have to be on vinyl but I prefer them to be. That’s what we’re doing right now. Thanks for indulging me in this long-winded post!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“So raise your hands to heaven and pray that we’ll be back together someday. Tonight, I need your sweet caress. Hold me in the darkness. Tonight, you calm my restlessness. You relieve my sadness.” – “Hands to Heaven” (Glasper/Spice/Delahunty/Lillington)

The Last Train? or: Heartbreak Station (Eugeology Entry 46)

27 Monday Nov 2017

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Salutations™!!

The last entry was something that I was familiar with and I really enjoyed it. Eugene and Jon are behind but Eug is trying to catch up. I was late with this one because Thursday was Thanksgiving and I hadn’t had time to give it a fair shake. But, let’s hit it…R-5700976-1400324217-3906.jpeg

#46 – Heartbreak Station by Cinderella.

I loved Cinderella’s first two albums. They were raw, yes, but still glammy and glittery. They were gutter rock and that was great. “Nobody’s Fool,” “Somebody Save Me,” “Nothin’ for Nothin’,” “Shake Me,” “Bad Seamstress Blues/Fallin’ Apart at the Seams,” “Gypsy Road,” “The Last Mile,” “Coming Home” and the list goes on. Night Songs and Long Cold Winter had those. And, then, this album came along. This was Rolling Stones. This was Aerosmith. Both of those by which I picked out as soon as I heard it. I will say that Tom Keifer and company did Stones and Aerosmith better than the originals but I don’t really care for either way for the Stones, I can’t stand Aerosuck, and I don’t care for Cinderella doing them.

One way for me to switch the channel on SiriusXM’s Hair Nation channel is to let “Shelter Me” come on. I absolutely hate that song. From the first time in 1990 until the fourth time hearing it during this project, I have completely hated it. This is not the glammy and glittery gutter rock that Cinderella was to me. This was a sad excuse for a blues record, and we know how I feel about blues music. Not, hard rock – or even pop rock – that are based in blues, but when I can hear the blues coming out. And, it reminded me of “Copperhead Road” in places and I hate that song, too.

One funny thing about this album, it came out on my 20th birthday. Okay, that’s really not funny but it is somewhat ironic that I dislike it as much as I do. And, I really do. There are moments that I like and a few of the songs, but overall, I couldn’t wait for it to be over every time I listened to it. And, I never listened to it back to back. I just needed a break. I will say, though, that while I say there are a few that I like, I really do like “Electric Love.”

Like I said, on Night Songs and Long Cold Winter, I loved what Keifer, Eric Brittingham, Fred Coury and Jeff LeBar did. On this, I find very little redeeming qualities. Sorry, Eug, but this is a dud for me. But, remember Dear Reader, this is just my opinion. I’m not right or wrong, just how I feel. Definitely, give it (and the two albums prior in their discography) a listen. You may like it. It grates me, badly. Look for Eugene’s and Jon’s reviews sometime next year on this one.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Woke up this morning on the wrong side of bed. I got this feeling like a train’s running through my head. Turned on my radio to the same old song. Some big mouth talking trying to tell us where the world went wrong.” – “The More Things Change” (Keifer)

Silent Sunday or: The Haul 11/25/17

26 Sunday Nov 2017

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Salutations™!!Harvest_-_neil_young

This week’s edition is the Record Store Day-Black Friday (RSD) edition. But, it’s also the Small Business Saturday edition. Yes, The BCPF and I went to Underdog Records both days. The haul was less in terms of quantity but more in cost because it was new stuff that we were purchasing. There was one new release that hasn’t found its way onto Discogs, yet, so I’ll put it on here when it becomes available. I have three others that I have to put in myself and I’m hoping that I don’t have to do that with this one. Enough about that, let’s get on with it.

There were some really good things in there. We listened to a lot of things and, even the Stevie Wonder album was decent. Jonathan had warned us that it was awful. It wasn’t awful. Wasn’t great, either. But, we really enjoyed our listening time. We love Underdog Records. And, we love Discogs, too. It’s so easy to keep up with what we have that way.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Spent the day in bed. Very happy I did, yes. I spent the day in bed as the workers stay enslaved. I spent the day in bed. I’m not my type, but I love my bed, and I recommend that you Stop watching the news! Because the news contrives to frighten you. To make you feel small and alone. To make you feel that your mind isn’t your own.” – “Spent the Day in Bed” (Manzur, Morrissey)

Sounds Like Saturday or: Sledgehammer

25 Saturday Nov 2017

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Salutations™!!

3B asked me the other day what my favorite song was. I told him that it was “Sledgehammer” from Peter Gabriel. I also love Postmodern Jukebox, so I was glad to find this. I dig it.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“You could have a steam train if you’d just lay down your tracks. You could have an aeroplane flying if you bring your blue sky back. All you do is call me, I’ll be anything you need.” – “Sledgehammer” (Gabriel)

Record Store Stuffed or: Family Doings

24 Friday Nov 2017

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Whew! Dear Reader, are you reading this holding your belly? I ate way too much, I’ve been heard saying more than once in the last 12 hours. I’m writing this on Friday morning. I ate a lot. I cooked a lot. And, yet, I’m ready to eat again.

I had fun cooking. Much of it was with 3B and The BCPF. But, I know I have to start earlier next function. In fact, I was so pressed for time that I didn’t get to take any pictures before we were out the door and at Mes ‘Rents’ hacienda (yes I realize I mixed my foreign language vernacular). I made my deviled eggs, but I added a touch of pizzazz by baking freshly grated parmesan cheese and topping the usual breakfast eggs (maple syrup, bacon grease and bits, orange juice, etc.). That is one of my specialties. I tried something else which, while a hit, needs a little honing. I took thinly sliced potatoes, ham, and freshly grated gruyere and piled them up with a nice herbal mixture, oil and heavy cream baked. Just need, as I said, honing.

So, now, we’re heading out to take part, not in the usual Black Friday shenanigans, but the Record Store Day Black Friday at Underdog Records! So, you’ll hear more about that on Sunday, I’m sure. I hope you’re safe if you’re out in the hoopla, and had a great Thanksgiving.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Record Store Day was conceived in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1400 independently owned record stores in the US and thousands of similar stores internationally.” – Record Store Day

Gobble Gobble or: Turkey Day

23 Thursday Nov 2017

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Salutations™!!

Happy Thanksgiving, Dear Reader. And, just like you probably don’t want to be sitting here reading a long-winded blog post on Thanksgiving – you probably have cooking or baking or whatever you do for Turkey Day – I have cooking and things I need to do and it’s a day off, right? So, enjoy your holiday and I’ll be back to run my proverbial mouth tomorrow.

gq-thanksgiving-cocktails

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey

Fantasy or: The 202

22 Wednesday Nov 2017

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Salutations™!!

So, I’ve talked in the past about playing fantasy football. Well, this year, I suck. I suck really bad. I am playing in two different leagues and in both of them, I have abysmal records. These teams are atrocious. The worst part is, I had the #1 pick in both leagues. Fantasy-Football-badge

I won the first three games of The Less Desirables League and then have lost every game since. Part of that was that my top QB, the top rated QB in the league, went down for the season with a shoulder injury. So, I play my backup and I don’t even remember who that was. I dropped him and picked up another QB. He was doing awesome! Rookie of the Year candidate, even. The rest of the team was pretty bad but he was doing great. Then, he goes out with a knee injury in practice; untouched. I’m now on an eight-game losing streak and this week doesn’t look pretty, either.

The other league I’m 4-7. I’m not at the bottom but I’m close. Really close. But, this week, I pulled off the highest weekly total this entire season, thus far. My QB and main WR combined for 87.5 points. Then my DEF got 50.4 points. The rest of the team ended up with 64.2 points. That put me at 202.1 points total. Over 200. 160 is strong but 200 is crazy. I like it. Again, I suck. But this week that team felt good. It was good. And I probably won’t do it again. This week, in that league, I play The BCPF. And, in that league, she’s 11-0. I kind of hope I don’t beat her. I don’t want to be the one that does it. But, if it is me, she’ll still love me.

I hate loving fantasy football.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“The vast majority of fantasy football fans, myself included, revel in the absurdity of it all.” – Max Handelman

Double Piggy or: Beer and Food

21 Tuesday Nov 2017

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Salutations™!!

This week both The Man Who Ate the Town and The Beer Dads latest podcasts came out today. Usually, The Beer Dads is a Monday thing. But, we recorded this week’s show at Hoots Roller Bar and Beer Company instead of our usual Test Pattern Studios. We did that last night. It was a celebration of Hoots, one of their barkeeps’ birthday and mine.

The Man Who Ate the Town highlights Fainting Goat Spirits and the new Canteen Gourmet Bistro from Eric Swaim and Claire Calvin. Hear the latest The Beer Dads Podcast HERE. Hear the latest The Man Who Ate the Town Podcast HERE.

 

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Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Fainting Goat Spirits bourbons will begin to be released in 2020. Straight Rye Whiskey will be released in December 2018 and an American single malt whiskey will be released this holiday season.” – Fainting Goat Spirits/Greensboro Distilling