I didn’t properly observe the passing of Adam “MCA” Yauch on this blog, so in lieu of the usual Friday metal, here’s a clip from the Beasties’ “To the 5 Boroughs” album:
I’d be betraying my childhood if I didn’t note with sadness the passing of Davy Jones. I loved The Monkees TV show as a kid–I used to watch it every day after school on WPGH-53 out of Pittsburgh, which showed it in syndication. And the first album I bought with my own money was a Monkees greatest hits collection on cassette.
The show wasn’t just a farce aimed at kids: it had an absurdist, anarchic sensibility reminiscent of the Marx Brothers. And for all the needling The Monkees received as the “Pre-Fab Four,” their music holds up well and compares favorably to a lot of other pop from the era.
R.I.P.
And just for kicks, here’s the Frank Zappa cameo from the TV show:
I hope all those who celebrate enjoy the season! Blogging will be minimal for the next week or so.
As always, these are based on what I listened to and enjoyed the most, not on an objective, “critical” take.
Five metal albums:
Anthrax, Worship Music
Hammers of Misfortune, 17th Street
Darkest Era, Last Caress of Light
Red Fang, Murder the Mountains
Cormorant, Dwellings
Honorable mentions: Obscura, Omnivium; Argus, Boldly Stride the Doomed; Sinister Realm, Crystal Skull; The Human Abstract, Digital Veil; Mastodon, The Hunter
Five non-metal albums:
Beastie Boys, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials
The Decemberists, The King Is Dead
Gillian Welch, The Harrow and the Harvest
Wye Oak, Civilian
Best album from 2010 that I slept on till this year: Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More
Lifetime acheivement award: I spend a big chunk of 2011 delving into the catalogue of veteran hard rock act King’s X; in fact, I probably listened to them more than any other band this year.
I’m not feeling very metal this week; I have, however, been enjoying the heck out “Sigh No More”–Mumford & Sons’ album from last year, which I first heard only recently. It’s also happens to be chock-a-block full of Christian themes and imagery, which is pretty interesting for a mainstream pop album.
Hope everyone is having a happy Thanksgiving weekend!
The AV Club has a great primer on the music of Elvis Presley, presumably in honor of the anniversary of his death this week.
You may wonder why arguably the most famous pop/rock star in history needs an introduction, but the article hits the nail on the head, I think:
While Presley’s fame continues unabated, his musical legacy is a different story. Presley’s many hits still get played on the radio every single day, but actually hearing those songs for what they are requires unpacking a lot of baggage and addressing many of the same prejudices that haunted Elvis’ career back when he was alive.
It goes on to identify the recordings from the different phases of Elvis’s career that merit revisiting. I wholeheartedly endorse this top 5 list of essential Elivs:
1. Sunrise
2. Suspicious Minds: The Memphis 1969 Anthology
3. Elvis Country (I’m 10,000 Years Old)
4. Elvis 56
5. Memories: The ’68 Comeback Special
I’d include as an honorable mention Ultimate Gospel. I also have a soft spot for Aloha from Hawaii
A Thinking Reed 