Music and Musician Discussion Thread

[bykfixer]

I had the Vaccines song "Norgard" stuck in my head when I wrote that post GP.

For some reason I've always liked it when a band name starts with "the". The Woggles, the Eagles, the Allman Bros etc. There was one cool band called "The The". Thinking back, they were actually kinda boring really. But they have a cool name.

Now one fellow named Damon Albarn has a side project from his main staple Blur called "Gorillaz". Not "the gorillaz", just gorillaz. They have an almost Ramones-esque tinge of humor in a modern sort of way. Synthesizers and rappers replace the 1, 2, 3 cord garage band sound.

Stylo

 

[xxo]

I always liked this from The The -



and this from Blur -

 

[bykfixer]

Let's talk Doobie Bros for a few ticks.

Pre-Michael McDonald or post-Michael McDonald or does it even matter to you?

My older brother saw them in concert a few times in their early days and could not stand the Doobie Bros Michael McDonald stuff. I asked him "did he screw your girlfriend or something? why do you hate the guy?" He'd say "he ruined the Doobie Bros.

I was about 5 or 6 when it happened so at the time I just knew my hippy brother and all his long haired friends really liked the Doobie Bros, Linda Ronstat and Yes. As a teen I really enjoyed Michael McDonalds voice but understood how it did seem like the Doobie Bros had changed. Kinda like when REO Speedwagon or Cheap Trick "sold out" and went the love song, radio hit route.

Thoughts?

 

[greenpondmike]

Personally I have nothing against Michael McDonald as long as he stays with his solo career. He originally came in to give Tom Johnston (their original lead vocalist along with Patrick Simmons) some relief, but took over when Tom left the band due to his diabetes being out of control. He took a folksy rock band and put them into pop top 40. They didn't even sound like the same band with "when a fool believes" and "taking it to the streets" vs china grove, black water, long train running, and listen to the music. Tom's back now and has been back for a while, but I think during his absence Patrick Simmons took his place on vocals and lead guitar on the old stuff during concerts when McDonald was in there. Patrick did a fine job on the old stuff including china grove. Also the session guitarist from steely dan joined them, so they still had potential to rock during the McDonald years. I think the soul music they cranked out for the radio was just too bland/lame when McDonald was singing lead IMHO. Michael McDonald is back with them, but Tom Johnston is still in there also.

 

[greenpondmike]

My chickens done told me to hush, but I wanna go more in dept. I like some of Michael's music-- it's just a different flavor from what defined the doobie brothers. That's why I think he needed to have a solo career because his music could stand on its own. I think he plays the piano, but session musicians could have done the rest. I guess a well established band can really launch a person's career better though. At least he didn't lead the brothers into disco music.

Yeah, different flavor.....the doobie's before Michael was like a burger king whopper with cheese-- I'm talking about a whopper from the late 70s--tasty and juicy. With Michael they became chichen gumbo....low sodium chicken gumbo. I like both, but would choose the whopper if given a choice and if not I'll be adding some salt to the other, but how do you season the soul music? It is what it is and it's only for listening to-- not something you want to turn up the volume for.

 

[bykfixer]

Speaking of disco, that genre nearly corrupted every band of that era. As a joke the Grateful Dead did one called "Shake Down Street", which is my favorite Dead song. KISS did one called "I was made for loving you" about the time the world discovered Ace Friely was not a very good guitar player. And let's not forget the Rolling Stones disco song called "Emotional Rescue". I just wonder if Charlie Watts looked bored playing that one also.

I have an old recording of a new band called "the Beatles" after they broke free of being Tony Sheridan's session band. "Saw her standing there" being played in a small pub in Germany and at the end you hear like 8 people clapping. lol.

I also have a video of an early Cars concert, again in a small pub and as they show the drunken big haired hippies wearing disco attire it was hillarious as they were looking at the Cars all funky-like. The first couple of songs were like "whiskey tango foxtrot are we looking at here" but by the end they were practically dancing on the tables to the guitar rockin'-synth pop numbers being played.

 

[xxo]

Some blasts from the past 80's club music:













post 'em if you got 'em.

 

[bykfixer]

I used to call that "skateland music" because that's what was playing every time I took my kids there.

New Order was a surprising change from the style of Joy Division post Ian Curtis. I suppose they liked the taste of fame post "love will tear us apart".

I liked "transmission" by Joy Division.


It seems like post Happy Mondays band Black Grape did the same. I liked "club foot". Can't find the video for that one, but my buddies who still think anything past Van Halen II sucks except the new AC/DC album(s) call it disco.

Or Kraftwerk. Formed in the late 60's they probably spawned an entire genre of rock and roll music.


Which kinda leads to Thyx.

 

[greenpondmike]

Has anyone ever heard this song before? Any old folks out there remember this?

 

[xxo]

New Order was a surprising change from the style of Joy Division post Ian Curtis. I suppose they liked the taste of fame post "love will tear us apart".

Not so surprising considering Ian Curtis depression, I guess.

Overall, I think the now mostly forgotten 80's club music was a worthy successor and upgrade from disco for the most part.

BTW, anyone remember the Bengals?




or Frankie goes to Hollywood?

 

[xxo]

Has anyone ever heard this song before? Any old folks out there remember this?

Don't remember that one, but for some reason it reminded me of balloon Man.

 

[greenpondmike]

I had forgotton about the bangles when we were posting those female singers on the other thread. I like the bangles

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Remember the Bangles?! Walk Like an Egyptian was playing all day in my head yesterday. Catchy, little tune. Think I'll hum a few bars this morning .......

 

[xxo]

Remember the Bangles?! Walk Like an Egyptian was playing all day in my head yesterday. Catchy, little tune. Think I'll hum a few bars this morning .......

Maybe this will get the Bangles out of your head?

 

[greenpondmike]

The go-go's are alright, but they didn't have Susanna Hoffs. It was difficult to focus on any of the other bangles because she was just blessed with good looks and she mostly sang. They wanted things to be even between them and before the album with the song "manic monday" on it Susanna had her looks toned down a lot by having real short hair.

I don't know how many albums they did before the popular one. All I know is they existed with their present name and before that they called themselves "the bangs". They changed that because another group had that name and there was a slight conflict over it.

Later on Susanna let her hair grow out and she was portrayed as a s*x kitten and more so with their new manager. It caused friction between them. The drummer was supposed to sing "walk like an egyption" and double whammy to her was when they used a drum machine because she couldn't do the beat on that particular song--she did get to whistle near the end of it though.
Being together caused one member to get acid reflux problems and they just didn't want to play together anymore.

Later on as they all got older and more mature they reformed with only one member missing. It's been several years, but I think they are still together and playing every now and then.

 

[xxo]

Yeah, I liked the Bangles a little better than the Go Go's too, but the Go Go's sure had some songs that got stuck in your head.

Anyone remember Missing Persons?

 

[greenpondmike]

I remember that one. That was alright.
I looked up the go-go's and I thought the bangles were bad, ...man, at least they didn't sue one another. Two members of the go-go's did. In the video above that is the best Balinda (lead singer) looked. She is still performing, but drugs had done changed her looks in just 4 or 5 years from that video. She's cute in that video, but some db said she was fat and she got on c****n and other substances to get thin. She got clean in 2005.

I just don't understand why some/a lot of dumb butts think a stick woman is sexy.

 

[bykfixer]

I liked "what are words for" too.

Never liked the go go's that much but did like The Sundays.
Back in the cassette days I recorded the Sundays cover of Wild Horses over and over on a 90 minute blank tape because a dame had done me wrong. One night at work I listened to the cassette in my truck until my brain decided the dame was a tramp and not worth the hassle. I tossed the tape out the window and that was that.



And Garbage
This band did some great rock and roll. The music was helped me stay sober in the early sobriety days. I'd work out to Garbage music and get out the angst energy that caused me to drink to excess.

 

[greenpondmike]

Don't forget the eurthy.....ah I can't spell that

 

[greenpondmike]

Yeah bykfixer, music can get you through some hard times and the right kind can get you through the day. There is a place for easy listening music like the mcDoobies, Phill Collins (who dominated the 80s-- solo and in genesis) and a bunch of female singers. I hate to admit it, but katrena and the waves with their song "walking on sunshine" put me in a good mood.
Genesis finishing out that decade in the early 90s...