So, what do I listen to?
Dear readers and listeners, at this time, I am so proud to present to you "Now Playing In The Savage Jukebox," a new feature to Synesthesia, and the very feature that is essentially designed to replace the year long "On This Day In Music" series.
Now that this site has been in existence for one year, I chose to retire the "On This Day In Music" series as as I was concerned that continuing it would only resort to an unnecessary repetitive nature that I really did not want this site to shoulder or to be burdened with. With that in mind, I thought that it would be fun to catalog a monthly chart of what I am listening to other than the albums that make their way into the main postings/features throughout the month. That way, you can gather not only how often I really do listen to music but what I am listening to during a given period. Additionally, it creates a series that will truly be on-going and ever changing as you will be able to see the threads that exist in my brain when it comes to what I will listen to and why I am listening to it.
While some monthly musical milestones may still make their way into this area of Synesthesia, I wish for you to treat this feature as an extension of my lifelong audio diary...
MARCH/APRIL 2014
"MARY STAR OF THE SEA" ZWAN Released January 28, 2003
THE DJALI ZWAN a collection of unreleased material
THE DJALI ZWAN a collection of unreleased material
-As I am writing this in the beginning of April, honestly cannot remember what made me dig this album out to listen to it again But, something compelled me to hear Billy Corgan's sadly short lived quintet's one and only album. Created after the end of The Smashing Pumpkins in 2000, Corgan plus drummer Jimmy Chamberlin joined forces with guitarists Matt Sweeney and David Pajo plus bassist Paz Lenchantin to create essentially a double album length release that showcased superior musicianship and Corgan's more direct and more overtly positive, spiritual songwriting which often fund its roots in folk music as well as the alternative rock scene, power pop, glam rock and metal guitar heroics. When the album was first released, I listened to it as constantly as I had nearly every Pumpkins album before it and I was truly saddened once again when this band imploded. Listening to it now after many years was wonderful as I realized just how much of it I had forgotten yet loved just as much as I originally had.
FRANK ZAPPA
Released March 2014
-When the official Frank Zappa Family Trust announced pre-orders for this album, a collection of material taken from the same performances that made up the outstanding "Roxy And Elsewhere" (released September 10, 1974) in the Summer of 2013, I plunked down my cash right away. Little did I know that it would be well into 2014 before that album would be released. Thankfully it was more than worth the wait.
Designed to accompany Dweezil Zappa's celebratory Zappa Plays Zappa tour which is playing the "Roxy And Elsewhere" album in its entirety (see the February 2014 section for my experiences at that show), "Roxy By Proxy" contains material performed and recorded during the original performances that captured the material found on "Roxy And Elsewhere." Some material does overlap between the two releases but as with the original album, "Roxy By Proxy" showcases the incomprehensible dexterity of this particular brand of musicians but also the incomprehensible creativity and com-positional skills of Frank Zappa. On this new release, you can hear the Zappa classic "Inca Roads" before it was even fully composed. You can even hear the selection "Cheepnis" performed solely with the drums and percussion section before the full band plays it together. There's evena closing medley featuring "Mr. Green Genes," "Chunga's Revenge" and the mighty "King Kong" as well. For Zappa devotees and neophytes, this is indeed a must!
DWEEZIL ZAPPA
Released October 3, 2006
-After seeing the outstanding Zappa Plays Zappa performance, I really wanted to see if I could find something that featured Dweezil Zappa's guitar playing. Thankfully, I discovered this album, a mostly instrumental work that really showcases the evolution of Dweezil's playing from his Eddie Van Halen styled roots to a more free form style akin to his Father's. This album made me anxious to hear what he is able to create in the future.
Released April 28, 2008
-Inspired by a trip to B-Side Records to purchase the new Real Estate album and this collection was playing in the store. The music haunted me for days after having been at the store so, I called up my friend Steve to see if he still had it in stock and viola! It is indeed quite a musical undertaking and I haven't made it all the way through yet. But, that's OK as sometimes, music can feel almost like novels and this one is especially deep and delicate.
WENDY & LISA
Released 1989
-I had not listened to this album, Wendy and Lisa's second release, in many years and I dug it out after I wrote my posting celebrating Prince's "Sign O' The Times" album last month. If you have never heard what Wendy & Lisa's music away from prince sounds like I strongly urge you to seek out any of their five albums, one EP, or een any f their television or film scores. As for this album, it is the most "Prince-ish," I guess and that is a good thing as you can easily hear the influence he had upon them while also hearing what they brought to the musical stew they created together. I especially love "Are You My Baby?," the jazz inflected ballad "Only In My Dreams," the power pop of "From Now On," and the slow, saucy funk of "Everyday."
JOHN COLTRANE
Released 1957
-I chose this one to take to school one quiet, grey morning as something in the air spoke to me to dig it out, especially as I just wanted to hear something without singing. And this ended up being the perfect soundtrack to begin a new school day for me and the kids.
"ROCK AND ROLL OVER" KISS Released November 11, 1976
"LOVE GUN" KISS Released June 17, 1977
-To accompany the "KISS And Make Up" posting, I listened to these albums, especially as I had to honor the contributions made by guitarist/singer/songwriter Ace Frehley and drummer/singer/songwriter Peter Criss. No matter what Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley say, KISS would not have ever been what it was without what Ace and Peter brought to the table, the mythology and the hysteria. Period!
"EGYPTOLOGY" WORLD PARTY Released 1997
-I was inspired to listen to the third and fourth albums by World Party, the musical brainchild of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Karl Wallinger after playing "Is It Like Today?" from the album "Bang!" early in the month. With the "Bang!" album, Wallinger unleashes his inner Prince as that album is loaded with dance floor beat driven songs that are unlike much of the remainder of World Party's output but conversely, are just as introspective as all of the World Party albums. Tracks like "Radio Days," "Hollywood," "Give It All Away" and the extraordinary "Rescue Me" leap out of the speakers while "Sunshine" soothes the spirit. The fourth album "Egyptology" is decidedly a darker affair as Wallinger was mourning the loss of his Mother and turning his spirit towards atheism as detailed in the starkly Dylan-esque "Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb." But then, he can also summon a gorgeous song like "She's The One," which feels like one of the best songs Paul McCartney never wrote.
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"IN UTERO" NIRVANA Released September 21, 1993
"UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK" NIRVANA Released November 1, 1994
-In writing the "Words For Kurt" posting, I found myself heading into my archives to dig out some Nirvana releases to re-acquaint myself with. As I wrote in that piece, Nirvana albums are not ones that I really ever listened to that much in comparison to their contemporaries. That said, it has truly been enlightening to really try to listen as I had not in the past. And "In Utero," in particular has a punishing wallop, musically and lyrically, that really speaks to me.
THE POSTMARKS
Released August 18, 2009
-I have been enjoying listening to the radio program "The Study Lounge" on the college radio station WSUM-FM on my Monday evening drives home. On that program , I happened to hear a song entitled "Go Jetsetter" from the band whose album is displayed right above these words and I was captivated. So, I bought this album and the entire experience is one that is darkly lush and presented as sort of an updated hybrid of '60s era lounge pop and tunes vaguely reminiscent of James Bond themes like "Goldfinger."
TAYLOR HAWKINS AND THE COATTAIL RIDERS
Released April 20, 2010
-I always wonder exactly how much actual music exists inside of every member of a band. Where Dave Grohl had Foo Fighters inside of him while drumming in Nirvana, I am finding out that Foo Fighters' drummer Taylor Hawkins has more than his share of music housed inside of him! This album, by one of his other bands, is very Foo-esque as this album is a collection of heavy, melodic power pop/hard rock songs. But unlike Foo Fighters, Hawkins' band makes their obvious nods to the likes of Queen and Rush more than apparent and wonderfully so.
"ICE CREAM CASTLE" THE TIME Released July 2, 1984
"AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY" PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION
Released April 22, 1985
-I listened to all three of these albums to keep myself properly inspired as I was writing my "Savage Cinema's Favorite Movies" installment celebrating "Purple Rain."
MADVILLAIN
Released March 23, 2004
-One of my favorite hip-hop producers/musicians is the ridiculously inventive and prolific Madlib and while I mostly listen to his instrumental albums, I found myself wanting to really introduce myself to this celebrated album, a collaboration with rapper MF Doom.
WENDY & LISA
Released June 2, 2011
-I gravitated back to Wendy & Lisa with their self-released six track EP of rarities, primarily listening to the truly relaxing, dreamy instrumental called "Lemon Chiffon."
NICK LOWE
Released June 9, 1979
-This was my most modest Record Store Day purchase!!! Not only does it feature the classic hit single "Cruel To Be Kind," you can also find "Without Love," "Big Kick, Plain Scrap" and the amazing "American Squirm" among other goldmine tracks as performed by Lowe and his bandmates from Rockpile which included Dave Edmunds.
THE GRAYS
Released February 22, 1994
-Seeing as how the band Rockpile possessed both MAJOR talents of Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds, I found myself gravitating towards this album by the band The Grays, a group that featured the MAJOR singing/songwriting/multi-instrumentalist talents of both Jason Falkner and Jon Brion. While some of you very astute listeners may remember their single "Very Best Years," the album was completely overlooked as it was swept away during the alternative music scene BOOM and the aggressive acts of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden were all at the forefront while the slightly gentler power pop stylings of The Grays may have not sounded strong enough in comparison. But, let me tell you that this album is indeed one of the best albums of the 1990s and definitely one of the most overlooked as EVERY song is a killer track, filled with songwriting gold and performed with an infectious exuberance.While I believe that it is very hard to locate these days, it is well worth the hunt, should you choose to seek it out. And sadly, this is the one and only album by the band at that. Perhaps having Falkner and Brion in one band was just one too many geniuses to shoulder.
Composed by ANDREW LLOYD WEBER AND TIM RICE
Released September 1970
-Every Easter, dear readers and listeners. Either the album or the film. This tradition has really nothing to do with any devout sense of religion or religious upbringing for me. It is something that I have always found some sort of comfort in at this specific time of year as well as a way for me to engage in this particular story through a fashion I can understand and that carries a sense of personal meaning for me.
"45:33" (EP)
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
Released October 17, 2006
-From somewhere within my mental musical jukebox, I "heard" some moments from this EP and I had to dig it out and listen to it on the drive to work over several mornings during one week in late April.
NICK LOWE
Released March 1978
-Inspired by listening to my Record Store Day purchase. The blissful track "Tonight" is a personal favorite that I found myself playing over and over and over again.
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both released September 18, 1978
-Out of the four simultaneously released KISS solo albums from 1978, these are the only two I own on CD (I own them all on vinyl). Paul Stanley's album overall remains strong and the most KISS-like but his over-emotive and somewhat theatrical vocals (and the fact that the album's opening track "Tonight You Belong To Me" nearly sounds like a song of intense heartbreak that turns into date rape or more "innocently," something just solitary and masturbatory) haven't held up as well as they did in my memories. But, Ace Frehley's album? Yeah...it's STILL the best one by a long-shot and even outdoes KISS albums through the muscle of the material.
NIRVANA
Released December 14, 1992
-My further re-acclimation with Nirvana found itself moving towards this album, a compilation of b-sides, demos, outtakes, and radio recordings. The punk rock spirit flies high on this wildly energetic release and my favorite tracks include the almost metal tinged "Aero Zeppelin," as well as "Aneurysm," "Dive," "Beeswax" and "Been Long Now."
CODA:
A FEW MONTHLY MUSICAL MILESTONES
On April 1, 2014, House music pioneer Frankie Knuckles passed away at the age of 59, coincidentally the 30th anniversary of Marvin Gaye's passing.
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