xzar_monty Posted July 2, 2023 Author Posted July 2, 2023 21 hours ago, majestic said: I originally wanted to comment on the performance and how a certain, say, lifestyle, combined with age can have a detrimental effect on one's ability to perform on stage, but on the other hand, the guy was 71 at the time, so cutting some slack seems in order. Ha! I happened to start reading your comment without seeing the link below it, so my initial thought was that you were referring to Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden. He's 71 and he basically can't cut it anymore: he has simplified the arrangments an awful lot and even then, he's in trouble with the tempos. Well, old age does catch up with every one of us, if we happen to be lucky. Here's a funny and sad link of the guitarist Adrian Smith getting mightily annoyed on stage the other day. I feel for him: you just try and play straight 16th notes over a tempo that's fluctuating as wildly as this. I suppose you could say that Mr. Smith is being a tad unprofessional, but it happens.
Keyrock Posted July 2, 2023 Posted July 2, 2023 RFK Jr 2024 "Any organization created out of fear must create fear to survive." - Bill Hicks
majestic Posted July 2, 2023 Posted July 2, 2023 4 minutes ago, xzar_monty said: Ha! I happened to start reading your comment without seeing the link below it, so my initial thought was that you were referring to Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden. He's 71 and he basically can't cut it anymore: he has simplified the arrangments an awful lot and even then, he's in trouble with the tempos. Well, old age does catch up with every one of us, if we happen to be lucky. Here's a funny and sad link of the guitarist Adrian Smith getting mightily annoyed on stage the other day. I feel for him: you just try and play straight 16th notes over a tempo that's fluctuating as wildly as this. I suppose you could say that Mr. Smith is being a tad unprofessional, but it happens. I have not kept up with Iron Maiden since Brave New World, which I now realize was 23 years ago, but it really is sad to hear that they are growing too old too keep up with their music. My personal favorite, in terms of (power) metal, Blind Guardian, should be safe for a while yet. They are a tad younger, but also creeping up on sixty by now. As for Peter Cornelius, his arrangements are not the most complex, so unless he eventually develops arthritis like Ritchie Blackmoore, he will probably be good enough to keep playing for a while yet. His voice is the bigger problem, he always had lung problems and even as a young man and had to undergo long bouts of therapy during his career as part of the German Hair ensemble - and that was before he became a heavy smoker. He also had a bout of burn out where his doctor prescribed him, to quote, "any- and everything he could without risking the loss of his approbation (German medical license)", which lead to an episode of paranoia and weird interviews about conspiracy theories. At least he is still alive, which cannot be said for some other local artists that I enjoyed who began their carreers in the late seventies. A heavy smoker who died of lung cancer back in 2007 and one who died of a heroine overdose in his early thirties. Then there are the others ruined by alcohol, hollow shells of their former selves. I generally do not post any of their music here because it does not make much sense to do so: they are and were all gifted songwriters, but there is barely any appeal for anyone who does not understand the language, and even then, well, one would need a certain cultural understanding to truly appreciate the lyrics*. The music of Peter Cornelius is somewhat different, like I said, it is maybe possible to enjoy his music even without understanding a word. The guy who died of an overdose could have had a pretty good carreer, even internationally. Alas. *In case anyone's interested. Put in spoiler tags as this post is long enough already. Spoiler Similarily morbid topic, vastly different approaches. This one is about suicide: And this one is about someone who is visited by Death. Death and the protagonist start drinking tea with rum until Death forgets what he came for, and the protagonist puts Death on a train to Salzburg, where he promptly orders more tea with rum. (a reference to Jedermann). Lyrics cannot get any more Austrian than that. 1 No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering.
Gorth Posted July 3, 2023 Posted July 3, 2023 A band that was old in 2005... “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein
Gromnir Posted July 4, 2023 Posted July 4, 2023 happy 4th. HA! Good Fun! 1 "If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence."Justice Louis Brandeis, Concurring, Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357 (1927) "Im indifferent to almost any murder as long as it doesn't affect me or mine."--Gfted1 (September 30, 2019)
Malcador Posted July 4, 2023 Posted July 4, 2023 2 Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Gorth Posted July 4, 2023 Posted July 4, 2023 11 hours ago, Gromnir said: happy 4th. HA! Good Fun! The brass section of the second video gave me Star Trek TOS vibes for some reason... I could almost see the tag line in front of me: Space, the final frontier “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein
LadyCrimson Posted July 6, 2023 Posted July 6, 2023 I remember this: But now apparently it's this: ...I was never a fan, but I guess he's a popular Vegas concert now. Or at least was, a few/several years ago. “Things are as they are. Looking out into the universe at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, nor between well and badly arranged constellations.” – Alan Watts
Gromnir Posted July 7, 2023 Posted July 7, 2023 from one of our favorite soundtracks also, we realized how with every passing year, on her majesty's secret service moves up on our list o' favorite bond themes. were always top ten but somehow in spite o' more films, it is now a perennial top three. HA! Good Fun! 1 "If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence."Justice Louis Brandeis, Concurring, Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357 (1927) "Im indifferent to almost any murder as long as it doesn't affect me or mine."--Gfted1 (September 30, 2019)
Gorth Posted July 7, 2023 Posted July 7, 2023 John Barry has a lot of good soundtracks to his name. Henry Mancini is no slouch either (IMHO of course). That's besides the iconic Pink Panther theme... “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein
Gromnir Posted July 7, 2023 Posted July 7, 2023 23 minutes ago, Gorth said: Henry Mancini is no slouch either (IMHO of course). is a tv theme which always comes to mind first when we think o' henry mancini. and lion in winter is our favorite christmas movie, so... 'cause it reminded us o' Gromnir family christmas. HA! Good Fun! 1 "If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence."Justice Louis Brandeis, Concurring, Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357 (1927) "Im indifferent to almost any murder as long as it doesn't affect me or mine."--Gfted1 (September 30, 2019)
bugarup Posted July 10, 2023 Posted July 10, 2023 Nice if a bit gloomy collab from Till Lindemann and Kovacs. Weird video format though. 1
Gromnir Posted July 11, 2023 Posted July 11, 2023 and HA! Good Fun! 1 "If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence."Justice Louis Brandeis, Concurring, Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357 (1927) "Im indifferent to almost any murder as long as it doesn't affect me or mine."--Gfted1 (September 30, 2019)
xzar_monty Posted July 12, 2023 Author Posted July 12, 2023 On 7/3/2023 at 12:02 AM, majestic said: I have not kept up with Iron Maiden since Brave New World, which I now realize was 23 years ago, but it really is sad to hear that they are growing too old too keep up with their music. I lost interest after No Prayer for the Dying was such a poor album and a huge disappointment after Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. I know a little about what they've done since the 1990s, but not a lot. Anyway, former pop star Rick Astley did something spectacular in Glastonbury by performing this classic song by The Smiths. There is a certain adolescent period where you're no longer comfortable at home but don't have a place of your own yet; feelings tend to run high, romance both beckons and frightens, you're prone to grandiosity and tragedy and everything except your own life may seem larger than life. This song captures that period perfectly; I can't think of anything that does it better -- the lyric is just superb. Brilliant pop composition, too. 1
Gorth Posted July 14, 2023 Posted July 14, 2023 Nanowar of Steel takes on the FIFA World Cup final in 1994.... Sounds very Sabaton like 2 1 “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein
LadyCrimson Posted July 14, 2023 Posted July 14, 2023 If you haven't seen it before, maybe you should. And if you have seen it before, maybe it's worth watching again. Am not a drum expert in any way but to my ears the kid (he was 19 when he did this?) seems pretty great - keeping that Buddy Rich level alive. If he's really lucky, maybe in 20-30 years he'll have that kind of rep (if he cares about such). Regardless, fun to watch. “Things are as they are. Looking out into the universe at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, nor between well and badly arranged constellations.” – Alan Watts
Keyrock Posted July 14, 2023 Posted July 14, 2023 (edited) Obligatory Edited July 14, 2023 by Keyrock RFK Jr 2024 "Any organization created out of fear must create fear to survive." - Bill Hicks
xzar_monty Posted July 19, 2023 Author Posted July 19, 2023 On 7/14/2023 at 4:14 AM, LadyCrimson said: If you haven't seen it before, maybe you should. And if you have seen it before, maybe it's worth watching again. Am not a drum expert in any way but to my ears the kid (he was 19 when he did this?) seems pretty great - keeping that Buddy Rich level alive. If he's really lucky, maybe in 20-30 years he'll have that kind of rep (if he cares about such). Regardless, fun to watch. Hadn't seen it, thanks for the recommendation! He's very good, no question, but I wouldn't make any Buddy Rich comparisons: at least on this video, his touch is nowhere near Buddy Rich. I did enjoy the cross-sticking at around 2:07, and I suppose it was a deliberate nod to Buddy Rich (as are many other things). His touch is a lot less subtle than Buddy's, that's the main difference to me, and it's really obvious from the first bar. But yeah, he is very good! I wonder if you'd like this. Marvelous playing and singing. The composition is probably not the best, but there's plenty of joy in here. Also, a superb drum solo at the end. That one would be really hard to play. (No, I'm not even trying, it's above my level for sure.)
Malcador Posted July 21, 2023 Posted July 21, 2023 On 7/13/2023 at 8:51 PM, Gorth said: Nanowar of Steel takes on the FIFA World Cup final in 1994.... Sounds very Sabaton like They should do the Battle of Nuremberg, the Mineirazo next Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
LadyCrimson Posted July 22, 2023 Posted July 22, 2023 (edited) Well, as an 80's nerd, I found this a fun watch. John Taylor (along with Sting/Police era) are the main reasons I tried to learn how to play bass as a kid, mom buying me an electric bass/amp/lessons and all of that. Not that that teen phase lasted long. But always loved bass tracks (and drums) more then screeching guitar solos. DD may have been a pop/dance band but John's bass riffs were pretty awesome. But this is still my fave Duran Duran track, a slower paced one. They still perform it live if on tour/sound great. Edited July 22, 2023 by LadyCrimson “Things are as they are. Looking out into the universe at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, nor between well and badly arranged constellations.” – Alan Watts
xzar_monty Posted July 24, 2023 Author Posted July 24, 2023 On 7/22/2023 at 3:12 AM, LadyCrimson said: DD may have been a pop/dance band but John's bass riffs were pretty awesome. Duran Duran wrote superb pop music, I mean just really effing brilliant, please don't put them down in any way. Along with the Pet Shop Boys, I would argue that Duran Duran is essentially as good as that kind of catchy pop can get. Just really really good (and musically clever!). As far as instrumentation is concerned, the bass is the most interesting thing to listen to in Duran Duran, though, you're right about that. You may have no interest in the following at all, and that's fine. But here's a classical composer listening and reacting to DD's biggest hit. I think it's delightful:
Keyrock Posted July 24, 2023 Posted July 24, 2023 How did I not know about this earlier? 2 RFK Jr 2024 "Any organization created out of fear must create fear to survive." - Bill Hicks
Malcador Posted July 24, 2023 Posted July 24, 2023 11 minutes ago, Keyrock said: How did I not know about this earlier? Because Satan's power was waning. 1 Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Gromnir Posted July 25, 2023 Posted July 25, 2023 'cause broken arrows were mentioned in another thread also HA! Good Fun! 1 "If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence."Justice Louis Brandeis, Concurring, Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357 (1927) "Im indifferent to almost any murder as long as it doesn't affect me or mine."--Gfted1 (September 30, 2019)
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