It’s Just Not the Same Without D’Arcy There…

Bap Kennedy – Domestic Blues (1998)

I missed this when it came out…it’s a very good first solo recording. Each song stands on its own as one that I’d really enjoy mixed with other Americana, Blues, Folk and Country Rock on a Sunday morning. Trouble for me is that after a half a dozen songs in row the vocals get a little one dimensional, although the guitar work sprinkled through here is very tasteful. I’m guessing that since it’s a Steve Earle production, he had a hand in that. 3 ½.

Shearwater – Animal Joy (2012)

It’s certainly pleasant enough…mix two parts Okkervil River with one part Richard Thompson (the vocal sound part) and stir…I could have lived without “Insolence”, but to be rude and trash the song after hearing just 10 seconds of it would be, well….insolent.
At the end of the day, this CD could easily be part of a Sunday morning i-Tunes mix, where if you have company, they will ask, “who’s that?” 3

Scissor Sisters – Magic Hour (2012)

I was hoping to write a snappy review based around “F___yeah, but as it turns out, for me, if anyone asks if I liked “Magic Hour, I’ll just say “F___no! I’m sure it’s lovely music for a warm night at a gay dance club, but other than the beat I don’t remember much about it. I guess the good news is that I’ll probably never have to listen to it again (not that there’s anything wrong with that). 1 ½.

Buddy Guy – Damn Right I Got the Blues (1991)

It’s hard to believe this was recorded over 20 years ago, but the blues, in this form are timeless and Buddy Guy is one of the greatest blues guitarists ever. And then he stars to sing. The only other guitar player/singers in this genre that are as good if not better are B.B. King and Eric Clapton, and it took Clapton 30 years to get vocal chops up to this level. This is top shelf Chicago blues. If you enjoy this genre, this is great, though there are better versions of “Five Long Years” and “Mustang Sally” 4.

John Hiatt – GH

I’m a fan of his vocals, though I know they are an acquired taste, and I also think he’s an under rated guitarist and songwriter, so I tried to get a few songs from each of his studio albums to show his evolution. I had to include “Thing Called Love” since Bonnie Raitt made it his most commercially successful song…other than that, I don’t think any of these songs got out of the singer/songwriter niche status. Hope everyone enjoyed this.

Topic: In this political season, I’ve noticed through Facebook, the heated debate between friends and non-friends. I’d like to extend the question specific to music…Do you have any friends who don’t share your taste in music, or don’t even have any common ground? If so, do you discuss music with them? Also, have you ever walked from a friendship or a potential friendship because of someone else’s musical tastes?

I have many friends, but it seems that the friendships that last the longest in my life are with people that have a deeper appreciation than average for music. Interestingly, that appreciation doesn't have to be aligned with my musical preferences, but a passion for music tends to be there. As far as someone else's musical tastes as a harbinger of a potential friendship or relationship, when I was 19, I went on a date with an attractive girl I met in college. While we were driving to a movie,"Brown Sugar" was on the radio. She immediately punched to a different station - some disco song came on - and she said something how this was better than that rock garbage. I pulled into a 7-11 and asked her if she would please get me a Coke. When she was in the store, I left. I've never done that since, but I didn't fell bad about it for a second.

Keepin' Monsta Happy

Shearwater- Animal Joy: 4.0  Boy did this record grow on me. Another great band from Austin, TX- I'm moving there! This is music you really have to listen to and when you pay attention to each song you get rewarded with the depth and complexity of Shearwater's sonic prowess. Meiburgh's voice coupled with atmospheric orchestration are the entry points for basically every track and it grabs you by the neck and pulls you right into their aesthetically weird world of beauty. No ho-hum tracks on this cd. Love it. 

Scissor Sisters- Magic Hour: 2.0  The exact opposite of Shearwater's Animal Joy- this is music that sounds better if you're not paying attention. Cuz if you really listen to this shit, I mean music, then it's campiness comes shinning through as evidenced by the song Let's Have A Kiki; and you hear lyrics like "Twist and shout/Boobies hangin' all out,".  They get 2.0 for Baby Come Home and The Secret Life Of Letters- the only decent songs on the whole thing.

Bap Kennedy- Domestic Blues: 4.5  I love putting my favorite cd's  up for DYN review. I'm sure someone along the line will give this a 2, so that's why I'm giving it a 4.5 even though I hate "hidden" or "buried" tracts. Steve Earle and Bap Kennedy made a real masterpiece here. I like everything about this record. Great songwriting. Great musicianship. Great guest performers (Jerry Douglass, Peter Rowan, Nanci Griffith, and Steve Earle). Great production. Bap Kennedy's Domestic Blues- like The Chieftains Down The Old Plank Road- proves there is some serious connection between Celtic music and American country roots music. I'll have another Guinness please.

Buddy Guy- Damn Right I Got The Blues: 4.0  So there was this thing in 1970 called the Festival Express. Were you guys even born then?? It was one of those amazing moments in rock n' roll history. The Festival Express was a multi-band, multi-day mega party. For 5 days, the performers lived, slept, rehearsed and partied on a chartered train that traveled from Toronto, to Calgary, to Winnipeg, with each stop culminating in a huge concert. The artists were The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Delaney & Bonnie, Leslie West and yup------Buddy Guy. Well if he was cool enough to be on that train with my hero's then he was cool enough for me to start listening to. Have been a fan ever since. Highlight for me was seeing him at The Sting. Damn right he's good! Look at Buddy covering a John Hiatt song......................

John Hiatt Ghits  Bring The Family was my first exposure to John Hiatt and I've been a fan ever since. The guy is one talented songwriter. Who hasn't covered a Hiatt song? I would have a tough time cutting down his library to fit on one disc. But Alan did an admirable job. Great stuff!

Discussion:  I have tremendous friends who are not into music at all- mostly golfers, and we don't ever talk about music. In fact they look at me like I have 2 heads when I tell them about seeing The Alarm at Infiniti Hall last night- so I just drop it and we talk golf. Now, my wife is into music but our tastes are so different it's not even funny. She can't stand the stuff I like. And vice versa- mostly. And I have friends who have different musical tastes and we discuss music and it's all good. Isn't variety the spice of life? I don't ever recall walking away from a friendship because of musical differences. Maybe you DYN slugs that don't appreciate my music will be the first!!

The Lone Gay Pop Post...You Discriminators

Sept 2011

Music Club

Bap Kennedy-Domestic Blues

Basement Tapes Dylan and a less sardonic Todd Snider. I found that I liked songs separately but when played in one listen there was little differentiation. None the less it was a nice listen that could have used a little more edge and roughness. (2.5)

Buddy Guy- Damn Right I Got the Blues

There is something about a man singing his guts out and tearing up a guitar that whomps me upside the head and pay attention. Buddy hits the whole spectrum from powerfully rocked up blues to tender down and out blues. The pacing is good and doesn’t become mundane like some blues recordings. Except for the overdrawn “Black Night” this is a must have for blues. (4.0)

Scissor Sisters- Magic Hour

SS are a guilty pleasure of mine. Their music is sugary fun, gay dance pop, but there is an edge and creativity in their lyrics- if one actually listens to them. Magic Hour starts slow for a SS release being at times too radio friendly but at song 4 they start showing the fun edge that gets my gay dance freak on.  Whether you like this or disdain it I bet there is at least one song that will stick with you. (3.5)

Shearwater- Animal Joy

There is simplicity about the songs and how they naturally build to sound important that I really like. They start very minimalistic and before you know it there is a wall of sound. The vocalist adds to this with a Shakespearean delivery. The songs sound urgent. Still I felt the release was like bookends. It started strong and ended strong with the middle being propped up. (3)

John Hiatt

I am a big John Hiatt fan but primarily from Bring the Family on. His early work was all over the place with each release having some good cuts but generally not strong from beginning to end. Maybe it’s the family man in me but I revel in his family based tunes that I think hit at how we all think as we get older and our families grow or shrink. The early songs selected are a decent representation of Hiatt in his early career but if I were to make this mix it would lean on his Americana rockers. The latter songs selected I have no issue with.

Topic

Do you have any friends who don’t share your taste in music, or don’t even have any musical common ground?  If so, do you discuss music with them?  Can you be friends with someone who is not "into" music?  Also, have you ever walked from a friendship or a potential friendship because of someone else’s musical tastes?

I have never ended friendship or eluded a possible friendship based on music. Haven’t in regards to politics either. I have accepted the fact that I am in the minority in being a music geek and that most people, many friends included, don’t get it and have no clue what I am talking about. I have nurtured friendships based on a common interest in music where that is the only bond but never the other way around. I do have a tough time discussing music with my philistine friends who think the only good artists are Bruce, Train and Maroon 5 and anything released in 1985 because I have to get off my high horse and fight the urge to prove them shamefully wrong and shun them into embarrassment. So basically I can separate music from my friend equation though it’s hard to bite my tongue and manage my ire on occasion.

Damn right I've got a post!

Scissor Sisters – Magic Hour – 1.5

I’m sure that my review won’t be a surprise to anyone.  I felt like I tuned into a channel on my radio that’s never been used.  I found it difficult to even listen to this cd for review.  The songs that had an 80’s feel were tolerable, but there weren’t enough to make the rest of the cd worth the time, plus they weren’t 80’s songs I would have listened to either.

Bap Kennedy – Domestic Blues - 3

I know that I’ll be fried for even saying this, but don’t try to be Dylan if you aren’t Dylan, any Dylan for that matter.  One song he songs like Bob, the next he sounds like Jacob.  And why would you even want to try?  That being said, he does do a pretty good job at both. Super easy to listen to.    I have to give him a point just for having to carry the name Bap around, I wonder what Bap is short for, I might need to give him two points?

Buddy Guy – Damn Right I’ve Got the Blues – 3.5

I guess he does have the blues.  I don’t know what the deal was with this month’s selections, but holy shit, what a downer!  I know that Buddy Guy is brilliant, but I just can’t help but think that I’d prefer to hear Stevie Ray Vaughn’s vocals on all of these tracks.  Something has to make it more interesting.  From a drummer’s perspective I just need something more to keep me interested.  From a guitarists perspective it’s a whole different story.  With that in mind and taking this album for what it’s supposed to be I’ll give it the rating that it deserves.

Shearwater – Animal Joy – 3.5

Very interesting.  Not the most uplifting cd I’ve ever heard.  Get a few drinks in you at one of their concerts and you might consider jumping off the balcony.  I’m good with that because I tend to be more attracted to more emotional music.  The band reminded me a lot of the National. 

John Hiatt - GH             

I’ve always liked John Hiatt, but never enough to go out and get anything by him.  I’m still not going to rush out and buy anything, but that’s one of the reasons I love this music group.    

Topic: In this political season, I’ve noticed through Facebook, the heated debate between friends and non-friends.  I’d like to extend the question specific to music…Do you have any friends who don’t share your taste in music, or don’t even have any musical common ground?  

Just me and this group.  Sometimes my wife too.

If so, do you discuss music with them?  

I wish my wife loved music as much as I do, but there are very few people that I socialize with that love music.  It’s kind of sad actually.  The few people that I do know that enjoy music are pretty much sitting in this room.  My favorite job was when I worked at the Record Express, I learned more about

Can you be friends with someone who is not "into" music? 

Yes, but it’s a lot more fun chatting with someone who has similar tastes, otherwise it can be like talking politics or religion.

Also, have you ever walked from a friendship or a potential friendship because of someone else’s musical tastes?

Not yet, but see prior comment.

Wanted to be sure I got mine posted before Jay

Bap Kennedy – Part of Steve Earle’s incredible post-prison artistic run was producing this excellent disc.  Simple songs, played at an easygoing pace.  A great companion piece to Earle’s own “Train-A-Comin” which was released a few months prior.  The Jerry Douglas dobro work is phenomenal throughout.  Had long forgotten this one, glad to get reacquainted with it.  4 stars

Buddy Guy – A recent trip to Chicago immersed me in the music of Mr. Guy.  “Rememberin’ Stevie” and the blistering version of “Mustang Sally” are worth 3 stars by itself.  Throw in the title track and a couple of the others, and well, you got something.  The guitar work is sublime, he never plays 5 notes where one will do. The production is a little dated, and he’s trying just too hard to be modern on “Where is the Next one Coming From?” Nonetheless, Guy kicks ass all over the place. 4.5 stars

Scissor Sisters – Opening track sounded like Elton’s coked-up, disco-era stuff which oddly, I like.  But where to begin describing what an absolute, unmitigated piece of shit the rest of this disc is?  Suffice it to say, I felt my testicles shrinking with each passing synthesized note, and by the time the remixes came on at the end, I had an actual period.   .5 stars

Shearwater – The only disc this month that needed repeated listens to form an opinion on.  Really like about half of it, especially the opening and closing cuts, but I like the rest of it a little more every time I listen.  It strikes me as kind of a combination of the last National album with some Pete Townshend solo influence mixed in.  I’m reserving the right to rate it higher down the road; I’m not done with this one yet.  3.5 stars

John Hiatt –Where’s “Perfectly Good Guitar”? Where’s “Slow Turning”, Where’s “Master of Disaster”.  And so on, and so on and so on….. This is not a knock on Alan’s selections.  The fact is, Hiatt’s catalogue is an embarrassment of riches and picking his 20 best songs is a difficult task.  He’s one of the greatest lyricists ever, and sadly underrated performer.  A mix that like any possible Hiatt mix, only scratches the surface of this brilliant artist.

Discussion Question

I do have friends who I share little or nothing in common with musically, but I am not as close to them as the ones who do share a common taste with. I’ve never walked away from a potential friendship over their musical tastes, but I have certainly been less inclined to pursue a few where I knew the person in question disapproved of the type of music I listen to. The grand exception to the rule is my wife, who has absolutely dreadful taste in music, and in fact believes recorded music ceased to be after 1986.